Abstract:
The present invention relates to providing a safe, reliable bicycle brake signal that generates its own power in response to brake actuation, in order to provide an alternative to hand signals or no signals at all for the bicycling public. This is done by producing the energy for a noticeable warning light using a friction-driven dynamo(s) at a time when the bicycle rider won&#39;t notice the additional drag on forward momentum caused by such devices. This will create a safer experience for group riders of bicycles and bicycle commuters.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/439,611, filed Feb. 4, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein (including drawings). The invention relates to a bicycle brake signal system, which is self-powering and is actuated by the braking of the bicycle. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to brake signals for bicycles, and more particularly, to a bicycle brake signal assembly detachably securable to a bicycle. 
         [0003]    The conventional bicycle, while commonly outfitted with a taillight is generally lacking in a stop signal—that is a bright rear warning light in addition to the taillight, which is energized only upon the actuation of the brakes. Automobiles started out without signals, but eventually signals became necessary, which is what is happening now with bicycles due to the implementation of bike lanes in many major metropolitan areas, and the ever-increasing amount of bicycle commuters in any given community. Many brake light systems have heretofore been proposed but all have required the use of switches and/or batteries, and have been complicated and/or unreliable. 
         [0004]    Bicycle riders are also tasked with using a set of hand signals to alert others around them of their intentions, whether it be turning left or right, or slowing down. These signals are all done with the left hand. This means a bicycle rider can&#39;t signal that they are slowing and turning simultaneously, and it means that a bicycle rider that needs to stop or slow down has to do it with only one hand on the handle bars for balance which creates a dangerous situation as the rider is forced to choose between signaling and holding on tight. The present invention aims to improve the way a bicycle rider signals to those around them of their intent to stop by creating a real-time brake signal that is triggered by use of the brakes, rather than a hand signal. This allows the rider to use both hands to control said bicycle during braking, or to perform a hand signal for turning, while the brake signal alerts others to the braking of the bicycle. 
         [0005]    Other patents have addressed the issue of creating a switch for a brake light such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,343 to Sopko and U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,418 to Pino, but switches like these only form a small part of a brake signal system and neither item is designed to supply power, while each item is susceptible to being a point of failure in the signal loop. Beyond that each item relies on a separate power source and light as well as the associate link between them, meaning that the chances of malfunction are increased with each component. Likewise, patents like U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,991 to Butz refer to power generation but in a continuous manner that requires user engagement prior to each use and derives power from the pedaling rider and not the already spinning wheel. This requires the user to engage the item in order to utilize the benefits, but then can only realize those benefits by trading performance. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,533 to Zago relates to a braking device that is installed on motorcycles and bicycles to offer anti-lock capabilities to help control the vehicle during braking, with a “complex” version containing, in addition, a generator (Not Shown) used to signal braking action with a signal light (Not Shown). 
         [0006]    This concept involves installing the entire complex version of the device in place of the existing brakes, pointedly most beneficial on the front wheel as per Zago, and presumably not both due to the intermittent braking, which due to the fact that the eccentric gear wheel must remain in contact with the piston that intermittently pushes the brake pad against the rim, causes an intermittent reactionary push back on the gear wheel that would be intermittently transferred back to the user through the brake cable as a shimmy or stutter in the brake lever. To that effect the stutter of this device on the front and rear wheel combined would be much worse when each piston was thrusting simultaneously without being able to coordinate when each brake pad would contact the corresponding wheel surface. 
         [0007]    Similarly, if the pressure put on the eccentric gear wheel causes greater friction than the knurled wheel can exert on the tire sidewall the knurled wheel would not spin and would not work for the anti-lock mechanism and would not work for the generator and could possibly cause tire failure as well as possibly not being able to apply enough force to the brake pad to effectively brake the bicycle or motorcycle. Combining the anti-lock mechanism and the generator in the same device as in the complex version mentioned by Zago, increases the likeliness of a malfunction in some part of the device decreasing the reliability of the system overall including the very essential brakes themselves, and to make the device less complex by removing the anti-lock mechanism would render the brakes and the additional generator useless. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is therefore a principle object of the present invention to provide an improved bicycle accessory. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle brake signal system. 
         [0010]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for energizing a bicycle brake signal incidental to the braking of the bicycle. 
         [0011]    And yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle brake signal energizing mechanism, which is actuated in response to the application of the bicycle brake. 
         [0012]    One more object of the present invention is to provide a system of the above nature characterized by its portability from one bicycle to another, as well as tool-less installation, low maintenance, and reliability. 
         [0013]    The above objects, along with other objects of the present invention will present themselves through a reading of the following description and viewing the accompanying pictures which illustrate a preferred embodiment. 
         [0014]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bicycle brake signal system includes a manually detachable pod which houses a mechanism for energizing a bicycle brake signal along with a corresponding light that, when energized by said mechanism, warns or signals following drivers/riders to the act of braking by the bicycle equipped with said brake signal system. The manually detachable pod is designed to interlock with the available brake appendages in order to move in tandem with said brakes, supplying energy to the aforementioned light when the user engages the brakes in order to stop or slow the bicycle down. The mechanism for energizing the bicycle brake signal system can be a wheel dynamo designed to spin against the wheel or rim of the bicycle in such a manner that the force is directed downwards and forwards, pushing the housing pod against the brake appendage preventing the detachable unit from becoming dislodged during use. While this wheel dynamo is designed to move towards the wheel or rim during braking creating an “on” condition, it is similarly designed to retract along with the brake appendage creating an “off” condition. For this reason, the present invention does not require a switch in order to activate the light, meaning there is one less point where failure or malfunction could occur. Being that the reason for the dynamo in the system is to provide electricity, the present invention also does not require batteries, which eliminates yet another point of potential malfunction. With no switch and no need for storing energy, the present invention is inherently more efficient and reliable than a system that utilizes a switch and/or an energy storage system. 
         [0015]    It is understood by those with knowledge in the field that the pod and/or the signal light could very easily be built into existing parts of the bike such as brake calipers and seat posts, negating the need for the user to have to install them. The housing pod is also suitable for adaptation to work with coaster brakes, which are activated by using the feet in reversing the direction the bicycle crank and drive chain are turning, allowing for installation on a large percentage of children&#39;s bicycles increasing the effectiveness of a brake signal suitable for small children and adults with coaster brakes. Similarly, it is understood that this system could be adapted to be used with disc or drum brakes as well. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a series of exploded views illustrating an example of how the housing pod for the bicycle brake signal mechanism could be configured. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a left view showing an example of the bicycle brake signal system mounted on a bicycle brake caliper. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a right view depicting an example of the bicycle brake signal system integrated directly into a brake caliper. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  depicts another example of the bicycle brake system integrated into a brake caliper. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 1  there is shown a series of exploded views depicting an example of how the pod  15  that houses the mechanism  4  that provides energy to the bicycle brake signal system could be configured. This includes having a two-piece construction consisting of a top piece  6  and a bottom piece  9 . The two pieces can create a hollow housing pod that can be temporarily joined by way of a reusable means such as a bolt  17  that can be utilized in reverse to separate the two pieces for repairs or maintenance. Likewise, they could snap together or use another means of temporary joinery. 
         [0021]    As used herein, the term brake caliper  30  refers to the portion of a bicycle brake system that acts as a lever to push the brake pad  34  against the rim  25  of the bicycle wheel  32 . This lever, or brake caliper  30 , is attached to a mounting post  33  or rod on the bicycle frame that creates a pivot point for the lever allowing it to be manipulated by a cable connected to a corresponding hand lever on the bicycle handlebars—pulling the hand lever results in the brake caliper  30  pivoting on the bicycle frame towards the rim  25  of the wheel  32  so the attached brake pad  34  is able to contact said rim  25  causing friction which slows the bicycle. 
         [0022]    As used herein, the term mechanism  4  refers to a configuration consisting of a dynamo or multiple dynamos arranged in a manner that allows a spinning rod or axle to rotate a gear system connected to the rotor of the dynamo or dynamos. The mechanism  4  could consist of one or more dynamos  14  that are connected by wires  12  to a jack  5  for a plug. The plug connects to a light  7 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , which is the signal portion of the bicycle brake signal system. This light  7  can be mounted on a stem or bracket  31  or the bicycle seat post, for example, in order to raise the lights higher to increase visibility. The two pieces of the pod  15  when connected by the bolt  17  are supported on the bicycle brake caliper by a band of metal  18  that extends downwards, changing directions repeatedly creating a series of bends  3  that create a relief  16  to accommodate the brake caliper. These bends result in final surface which is parallel to the underside of the bottom piece  9  of the pod  15  that has a semicircle opening  10  where the pod engages the brake caliper mounting post or brake shoe post on a bicycle, allowing the pod  15  to share the same pivot-point as the brake caliper  30 . This semicircle opening  10  is positioned with the mouth facing towards the ground and the pod  15  parallel with the brake caliper  30 , which results in the pod  15  being oriented on the topside of the brake caliper  30  allowing the forward spinning wheel  32  of the bicycle to exert force in a manner that pushes the pod  15  against the brake caliper  30 , negating the need for other forms of mechanical attachment between the pod  15  and the brake caliper  30 . The band  18  that supports the pod  15  can be designed to rotate 360 degrees so that the orientation of the pod  15  in relation to the semicircle opening  10  can be adjusted for different types of available brake systems for bicycles 
         [0023]    Mounted on the top end of the bottom piece  9  of the pod  15  is an extended armature  2  that acts to create leverage for the brake caliper to move the pod  15  towards the bicycle wheel  32 , rim  24  or tire  25 , during brake use. This armature  2 , like the band  18 , can be designed to rotate as necessary in order to accommodate different types of bicycle brake systems. The armature  2  can be adjusted with a finger wheel  11 , not shown, so that it contacts the bicycle wheel  32  in the optimal position, which is slightly ahead of the brake pad  34  allowing an initial burst of full speed thrust from the wheel  32  prior to the braking process. The contact between the bicycle wheel  32  and the drive wheel  1  during braking causes the dynamos  14  to spin, creating electricity which flows through a wire  8  to a signal light  7  creating a real-time brake signal for the bicycle as it brakes. When the rider of the bicycle disengages the brakes the brake caliper  30  moves away from the wheel  32  along with the pod  15  and the brake signal diminishes along with the electrical current. The dynamos  14  can be powered by a driveshaft  13 , which is connected to a drive wheel  1  and a set of gears  29  that move when in contact with a spinning bicycle wheel  32 . Other methods of transferring the force from the bicycle wheel  32  to the dynamos  14  may exist and could be developed in the future. This automatic generation of power that occurs during and as a direct result of braking, means that there is no need to have power storage unit built into the bicycle brake signal system. However, should the desire to have a continuous blinking light or taillight built into the light  7  then a separate power source could be built in to accommodate that function. This would still limit the need to have any switches or circuitry in order to produce a reliable bicycle brake signal. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 3  which depicts an example of how the bicycle brake signal system could be built into the brake caliper  30  of a bicycle, it is assumed that some people will want to have the brake signal system on their bicycle without requiring it to be easily portable. This can be achieved the most efficiently by building the mechanism that powers the brake signal system right into the caliper  30  or calipers of a bicycle. The brake caliper  30  would have to consist of two pieces as to allow for a hollow area within which would house the dynamos  14  . These two pieces can be temporarily joined by friction or other means when pushed together. In the installed position the top portion  19  and the bottom portion  20  can be held securely together by the bolt  22  that connects the caliper to the bicycle frame and the bolt  23  that secures the brake cable to the brake caliper. This assures that the top  19  and bottom  20  portions will remain together during use of the bicycle brakes. The brake caliper  30  could connect to the light via a plug jack  21  designed to accept a wire from the light  7 . Along the same lines, the light  7  could be configured or designed to be attached or built into the brake caliper  30  as well, effectively making the unit self contained in the brake system of the bicycle. This method of design having the position of the drive wheel  1  directly related to the position of the brake caliper  30  may eliminate the need for adjusting the position of the drive wheel  1  in order to achieve the optimized position. Another benefit of this configuration is further reducing the number of points of failure in the bicycle brake signal system. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  depicts a second example of how the bicycle brake signal system could be integrated into the brake caliper. It is understood that each type of brake system needs different considerations when being built directly into the brake caliper or other dedicated part of the brake system. For example the bolt  28  that holds the brake calipers  26  on the bicycle frame can also be used to hold the stem  21  of the light  7  so as not to take from existing needs of the brake system. 
         [0026]    While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is easily understood and recognized that there are numerous alterations, omissions and additions that may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention thereof. An example is that the bicycle brake signal system while most useful on the rear of the bicycle could also be utilized on the front of the bicycle or both the front and rear. Another example would be to use the same principle with sound, where a motor compresses air and blows a whistle with or without the signal light.