Patent Publication Number: US-2004056447-A1

Title: Bicycle front forked shake-proof elastic device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to components of bicycles; and particularly to a bicycle front forked shake-proof elastic device which can be assembled easily and made with a lower cost.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art bicycle front forked device includes two inner tubes  1 ′, two outer tubes  2 ′, and a shake-proof unit  3 ′. A lower end of each outer tube  2 ′ is a seal end  22 ′ which has a screw hole  21 ′. The shake-proof unit  3 ′ includes an upper stopper  31 ′, a guide rod  32 ′, a shake-proof spring  33 ′ and a lower stopper  34 ′. A top of the guide rod  32  is formed with a head  321 ′ having a hexagonal hole therein and the lower end thereof has a threaded section  322 ′ with a proper length. The guide rod  32 ′ is inserted into the upper stopper  31 ′, the shake-proof spring  33 ′ and the lower stopper  34 ′, sequentially so that the upper and lower ends of the shake-proof spring  33 ′ resists against the upper and lower stoppers  31 ′ and  34 ′. Thereby, the head  32 ′ of the guide rod  32  is positioned at the top of the upper stopper  31 ′. The upper stopper  31 ′ is placed within and buckled in the lower end of the inner tube  1 ′. The inner tube  1 ′ is inserted into the outer tube  2 ′ so that the head of the threaded section  322 ′ is at a position with respect to the screw hole  21 ′ of the close end  22 ′ of the outer tube  2 ′. A hexagonal spanner is inserted into the hexagonal hole in the head  321 ′ of the guide rod  32 ′ from a top of the inner tube  1 ′. Rotating the hexagonal spanner, the threaded section  322 ′ at the lower end of the guide rod  32 ′ is screwed with the screw hole  21 ′ of the closed end  22 ′ of the outer tube  2 .  
       [0003] In this prior art structure, the shake-proof spring  33 ′ has the following disadvantages in assembly.  
       [0004] 1. The shake-proof spring  33 ′ must match with the upper stopper  31 ′, the lower stopper  34 ′ and the guide rod  32 ′. The structure is complex and the cost is high. Moreover, in assembly, the upper stopper  31 ′ and the lower end of the inner tube  1 ′ must be buckled and thus the assembly work is difficult.  
       [0005] 2. In screwing the lower end of the guide rod  32 ′ with the closing end  22 ′ at the lower end of the outer tube  2 ′, the hexagonal spanner must be inserted into the inner tube  1 ′ for rotating the guide rod  32 ′. Since the rod of the spanner must be long, the operation is difficult. Moreover, the lower end of the inner tube  1 ′ is sealed by the upper stopper  31 ′. Thereby, only weak light can incident into the inner tube  1 ′, but the inserted spanner will further shield the light. Thereby, it is difficult to align the inserted spanner with the head  321 ′ of the guide rod  32 ′. The bicycle front forked device is difficult in assembly and cost for assembling the device is high.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle front forked shake-proof elastic device comprising a forked body, two inner tubes, two outer tubes and two shake-proof units. The forked body has a stand tube. A lower end of the stand tube is firmly secured with a transversal seat. The two inner tubes are in parallel and inserted into the two outer tubes; each of the two shake-proof units are placed between an inner tube an outer tube, respectively.  
       [0007] A bottom of each inner tube is formed with a reduced section. An outer surface of the reduced section is formed with a plurality of buckling rings. A lower end of each outer tube is a closed end which has a via hole. The shake-proof unit includes a shake-proof spring, positioning block and a stud. A top end of the positioning block is a small diameter section with a plurality of buckling rings. A center portion of the positioning block is formed with a longitudinal screw hole. A top and a lower ends of the shake-proof spring are engaged to the buckling ring of the reduced section of the inner tube and the buckling ring at the top end of the positioning block. A stud inserts into the via hole from the closing end of the outer tube to screw with the longitudinal screw hole of the positioning block.  
       [0008] By above structure, the present invention has a preferred structure and the assembled work can be positioned rapidly so that the labor and cost are greatly reduced.  
       [0009] The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is a cross section view of a prior art bicycle front forked shake-proof elastic device.  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross sectional view of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0014] Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and  4 , the bicycle front forked shake-proof elastic device of the present invention is illustrated. The bicycle front forked shake-proof elastic device includes a forked body  4 , two inner tubes  1 , two outer tubes  2  and two shake-proof units  3 . The forked body  4  has a stand tube  41 . The lower end of the stand tube  41  is firmly secured with a transversal seat  42 . A bottom of each inner tube  1  is formed with a reduced section  11 . The outer surface of the reduced section  11  is formed with a plurality of buckling rings  12 . A lower end of each outer tube  2  is a closed end  22  which has a via hole  21 . The shake-proof unit  3  includes a shake-proof spring  31 , a positioning block  32  and a stud  33 . A top end  321  of the positioning block  32  is a small diameter section with a plurality of buckling rings  322 . The center portion of the positioning block  32  is formed with a longitudinal screw hole  323 . A top and a lower ends of the shake-proof spring  31  are engaged to the buckling ring  12  of the reduced section  11  of the inner tube  1  and the buckling ring  322  at the top end  321  of the positioning block  32 . The two inner tubes  1  are firmly secured to the two sides of the transversal seat  42  and then are inserted into the outer tubes  2 . The two shake-proof units  3  are placed between the inner tubes  1  and the outer tubes  2 . The stud  33  inserts into the via hole  21  from the closing end  22  of the outer tube  2  to screw with the longitudinal screw hole  323  of the positioning block  32 . By above structure, the present invention has a preferred structure and the assembled work can be positioned rapidly so that the labor and cost are greatly reduced.  
     [0015] In summary, the present invention has the following advantages:  
     [0016] 1. The inner tubes  1  are formed integrally. A lower end of the inner tube  1  is integrally formed with a reduced section  11 . An outer wall of the reduced section is integrally formed with a buckling ring  12 . Thereby, the manufacturing of the inner tube  1  is easy. The cost is reduced greatly. Moreover, the shake-proof spring  31  is only necessary to be connected to the reduced section  11  of the inner tube  1  and the positioning block  32 . Thus, the present invention can be assembled simple.  
     [0017] 2. No guide tube is installed in the present invention. Only screw  33  is inserted into the outer tube  2  from the via hole  21  at the lower end of the outer tube  2  to the longitudinal screw hole  323  of the positioning block  32 . Thereby, the assembly work is easy, no special spanner or other tool is necessary. Moreover, since the stud  33  enters into the screw hole  323  of the positioning block  32  through the via hole  21  from outer portion of the lower end of the outer tube  2  and the positioning block  32  resists against the lower end of the outer tube  2 . The longitudinal screw hole  323  is communicated with the via hole  21  at the lower end of the outer tube  2  and thus the stud  33  passes into the positioning block  32  for being positioned therein. Thus the shake-proof spring  31  can be assembled rapidly and easily. Thereby, the labor and cost are reduced greatly.  
     [0018] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details described thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.