Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6905131?oq=6650327
Timestamp: 2018-04-23 18:22:51
Document Index: 26832006

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 71', 'art 72', 'arts 71', 'arts 71', 'arts 71', 'arts 71', 'arts 71', 'art 71', 'art 72', 'art 72', 'art 72', 'art 72', 'art 71', 'art 72', 'art 71', 'art 72', 'art 71']

US6905131B2 - Bicycle suspension assembly - Google Patents
US6905131B2
US6905131B2 US10638470 US63847003A US6905131B2 US 6905131 B2 US6905131 B2 US 6905131B2 US 10638470 US10638470 US 10638470 US 63847003 A US63847003 A US 63847003A US 6905131 B2 US6905131 B2 US 6905131B2
US10638470
US20050035572A1 (en )
A bicycle suspension assembly is configured with a pair of telescoping struts with one of the struts having an electrical cord located in an interior area of located between upper and lower telescoping members of the strut. The electrical cord located in the interior area with sufficient slack to accommodate expansion and contraction of the telescoping struts. Preferably, only one of the struts includes a dampening unit, while the other strut includes the electrical cord located in an interior area.
One object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle suspension assembly that has an electrical cord configured and arranged to avoid interfering with the normal operation of the bicycle suspension.
FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view of the electrical connector as seen along section line 17—17 of FIG. 15 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view of the electrical connector as seen along section line 18—18 of FIG. 15 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 25 is a first cross-sectional view of the outer housing part of the electrical cord connector as seen along section line 25—25 of FIG. 22 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 26 is a second cross-sectional view of the outer housing part of the electrical cord connector as seen along section line 26—26 of FIG. 21 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 27 is a third cross-sectional view of the outer housing part of the electrical cord connector as seen along section line 27—27 of FIG. 21 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 34 is a first cross-sectional view of the inner housing part of the electrical cord connector as seen along section line 34—34 of FIG. 31 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 35 is a second cross-sectional view of the inner housing part of the electrical cord connector as seen along section line 35—35 of FIG. 29 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 36 is a third cross-sectional view of the inner housing part of the electrical cord connector as seen along section line 36—36 of FIG. 30 in accordance with the present invention;
Referring initially to FIGS. 1–7, a front portion of a bicycle 10 is illustrated that is equipped with a front suspension fork 12 and a front dynamo hub 14 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. A bicycle electrical cord 16 is installed in the front suspension fork 12 for interconnecting at least two electrical components. Preferably, the bicycle electrical cord 16 is connected to the front dynamo hub 14 (one electrical component) by an electrical cord connector 18 for powering a bicycle lamp 20 (another electrical component) in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
In the illustrated embodiment, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 6–7, the bicycle electrical cord 16 has a first cord portion 16 a and a second cord portion 16 b with a switch unit 30 electrically coupled between the first and second cord portions 16 a and 16 b. The first cord portion 16 a has a lower end electrically coupled to the front dynamo hub 14 via the electrical cord connector 18 and an upper end electrically coupled to the switch unit 30. The second cord portion 16 b has one end electrically coupled to the lamp 20 and the other end electrically coupled to the switch unit 30. The switch unit 30 is mounted on the top of a portion of the front suspension fork 12 as discussed below. The switch unit 30 is used to connect and disconnect electrical power electrically from the front dynamo hub 14 to the bicycle lamp 20.
Referring now to FIGS. 8–11, the upper crown 33 includes a top cover 52 that is fixedly coupled thereto for covering the upper open end of the inner telescoping tube 46. Preferably, the top cover 52 is secured to the upper crown 33 by a fastener such as a screw 53 that threads into an internally threaded hole 54 formed in the upper crown 33. Thus, the top cover 52 is configured and arranged to be selectively removed from a position covering the upper end opening of the inner telescoping tube 46 for accessing the switch unit 30.
Referring now to FIGS. 1–3, 5, 6, 7, 10–12 and 16–19, the electrical cord 16 is a conventional electrical cord with a pair of insulated conductor wires W1 and W2 having an outer elastomeric cover or sheath C. In the area of the switch unit 30, the elastomeric cover or sheath C of the electrical cord 16 is split into two pieces that define the first and second cord portions 16 a and 16 b.
As best seen in FIGS. 1–3, the first cord portion 16 a of the electrical cord 16 is located in the internal passages 46 c and 48 c of the inner and outer telescoping tubes 46 and 48, and is arranged with sufficient slack to accommodate expansion and contraction of the inner and outer telescoping tubes 46 and 48. Thus, the first cord portion 16 a of the electrical cord 16 is protected and does not interfere with the normal operation of the bicycle 10 and its components.
As seen in FIGS. 5–7 and 16–19, the lower ends of the conductor wires W1 and W2 are electrically coupled to the electrical connector 18 as discussed below. The upper ends of the conductor wires W1 and W2 are electrically coupled to the lamp 20 using conventional push clips (not shown). The conductor wire W1 is split into two pieces with the switch unit 30 electrically coupling the two pieces of conductor wire W1 together. In particular, the electrical contacts (not shown) in the electrical connector 56 are connected to the two pieces of the conductor wire W1.
Referring now to FIGS. 14–19, the electrical connector 18 is configured and arranged as a female connector. The electrical cord connector 18 includes an outer housing part 71, an inner housing part 72 and a pair of electrical contacts 73. Preferably, each of the inner and outer housing parts 71 and 72 is constructed as a one-piece, unitary member from an insulating plastic material such that the outer and inner housing parts 71 and 72 insulate the contacts 73 from each other. Preferably, the material of the inner and outer housing parts 71 and 72 is a rigid insulating material with limited flexibility. The inner and outer housing parts 71 and 72 are connected together by a snap fit as explained below with the electrical contacts retained between abutting surfaces of the inner and outer housing parts 71 and 72.
Referring now to FIGS. 20–27, the outer housing part 71 is preferably a one piece, unitary member that has a main body section 74 and a cord receiving section 75 that are integrally formed as a one piece, unitary member. The main body section 74 has a substantially rectangular outer cross-sectional shape with an internal space or cavity 76 that is sized to retain the inner housing part 72 therein. Thus, the main body section 74 has first end wall 81, a first side wall 82, a second end wall 83 and a second side wall 84 that define the rectangular cavity 76 that receives and retains the inner housing part 72. The end wall 81 is provided with a gripping tab 81 a and a retaining opening 81 b. The end wall 83 is provided with a gripping tab 83 a and a retaining opening 83 b. Also, the interior surfaces of the end walls 81 and 83 are preferably step shaped to form two abutments 81 c and 83 c, respectively, which limit the movement of the inner housing part 72 when the inner housing part 72 is being snap fitted into the outer housing part 71.
Referring now to FIGS. 28–36, the inner housing part 72 has a substantially rectangular overall exterior shape in cross-section that is dimensioned to be press-fitted into the interior cavity 76 of the outer housing part 71 by a snap fit. In particular, the inner housing part 72 has a first end wall 91, a first side wall 92, a second end wall 93 and a second side wall 94 that are sized slightly smaller than the interior cavity 76 of the outer housing part 71. Theses walls define a connector receiving recess or cavity 90 that is dimensioned to frictionally retain the connector 60 of the front dynamo hub 14 therein.
Referring now to FIGS. 16–19 and 37–39, the electrical contacts 73 are preferably identical. Thus, each of the contacts 73 has a wire connection end 73 a and an electrical contact end 73 b with a center section 73 extending between the wire connection end 73 a and the electrical contact end 73 b. Preferably, the electrical contacts 73 are constructed as a one-piece, unitary member from a metallic sheet material having good electrical conductive characteristics.
US10638470 2003-08-12 2003-08-12 Bicycle suspension assembly Active 2023-09-05 US6905131B2 (en)
US10638470 US6905131B2 (en) 2003-08-12 2003-08-12 Bicycle suspension assembly
JP2004230551A JP2005059842A (en) 2003-08-12 2004-08-06 Suspension assembly for bicycle
DE200460017815 DE602004017815D1 (en) 2003-08-12 2004-08-09 Suspension for a bicycle
EP20040018849 EP1506916B1 (en) 2003-08-12 2004-08-09 Bicycle suspension assembly
CN 200410057508 CN100371207C (en) 2003-08-12 2004-08-12 Bicycle suspension assembly
US20050035572A1 true US20050035572A1 (en) 2005-02-17
US6905131B2 true US6905131B2 (en) 2005-06-14
ID=33565211
US10638470 Active 2023-09-05 US6905131B2 (en) 2003-08-12 2003-08-12 Bicycle suspension assembly
US (1) US6905131B2 (en)
EP (1) EP1506916B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2005059842A (en)
CN (1) CN100371207C (en)
DE (1) DE602004017815D1 (en)
EP1683714B1 (en) * 2005-01-21 2007-08-22 HL Corp (Shenzen) Co., Ltd. Structure of front fork and outer foot
JP5054754B2 (en) * 2009-12-25 2012-10-24 株式会社シマノ Power generation hub
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EP1506916A3 (en) 2007-06-20 application
EP1506916B1 (en) 2008-11-19 grant
EP1506916A2 (en) 2005-02-16 application
DE602004017815D1 (en) 2009-01-02 grant
CN1590207A (en) 2005-03-09 application
CN100371207C (en) 2008-02-27 grant
JP2005059842A (en) 2005-03-10 application
US20050035572A1 (en) 2005-02-17 application
US6607393B2 (en) 2003-08-19 Electrical connector system
US5029056A (en) 1991-07-02 Lamp assembly
US6974144B2 (en) 2005-12-13 Bicycle front end arrangement forming electric power supply system
US5685638A (en) 1997-11-11 Waterproof structure for a decorative light
US5884992A (en) 1999-03-23 Modular individual lighting arrangement for sports activities
US4828507A (en) 1989-05-09 Ventilation waterproof connector
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:HORIUCHI, NORIYUKI;MIYOSHI, HIROYUKI;REEL/FRAME:014715/0600