Patent Description:
Referring to <CIT>, it disclosed a traditional wire control device. Referring to <FIG> of the aforementioned patent, a wire control device <NUM> described in the aforementioned patent structurally includes a base <NUM>, an actuation lever <NUM> and a bearing <NUM>. The bearing <NUM> is installed in a hole <NUM> of a body portion <NUM> of the actuation lever <NUM>, and an outer race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is in contact with an inner diameter surface <NUM> of the body portion <NUM>. An inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is in contact with an outer diameter surface <NUM> of an axle <NUM>, and the axle <NUM> is supported by the base <NUM>. By the above-described configuration design of the wire control device <NUM>, the bearing <NUM> is helpful for enabling the actuation lever <NUM> to rotate smoothly to pull a control cable <NUM> (shown in <FIG> and <FIG> of the aforementioned patent) to drive a derailleur or a seat post elevating device of a bicycle.

However, in the aforementioned patent, the bearing <NUM> is embedded in the actuation lever <NUM>, resulting in that the actuation lever <NUM> is obviously larger in volume than the base <NUM>, thereby causing the low integrative structural strength problem to the wire control device <NUM>. That means during the actuation lever <NUM> is pulled, the stress applied to the base <NUM> by the actuation lever <NUM> may be so large as to cause the structural damage problem. It can be seen that the configuration design of the presently available wire control device is not good enough and thereby needs improvement.

It is one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a wire control device, which has relatively higher structural strength.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a wire control device having high structural strength, which can be disposed on a handlebar of a bicycle. The wire control device includes a main body, a bearing and a handle assembly. The aforementioned main body includes a bearing fixing seat, and the bearing fixing seat has an annular inner wall. The aforementioned bearing is disposed in the bearing fixing seat and includes an inner race and an outer race. The outer race of the bearing is in contact with the annular inner wall of the bearing fixing seat. The aforementioned handle assembly is rotatably disposed on the aforementioned main body. The handle assembly has a rotary axle. The inner race of the bearing is sleeved onto and in contact with the rotary axle.

By the above-described configuration design of the wire control device, the bearing is primarily installed on the bearing fixing seat of the main body, the outer race of the bearing is in contact with the annular inner wall of the bearing fixing seat, and the inner race is in contact with the rotary axle of the handle assembly. Therefore, the whole handle assembly of the wire control device is unnecessarily configured with quite large volume, as long as it can be rotatably disposed on the main body and can be inserted into the inner race of the bearing through the rotary axle. The main body will not be applied with too large stress by the handle assembly, so the wire control device of the present invention has relatively higher structural strength.

In one of the aspects, the wire control device of the present invention is installed on a horizontal handlebar, but it may be applied to a curved handlebar.

The detailed structure, features, assembly or usage of the wire control device will be described in the following embodiments. However, it should be understandable that the embodiments to be described herein below and the figures are given by way of illustration only, not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention, and wherein:.

First of all, it is to be mentioned that the technical features provided by the present invention are unlimited to the specific structure, usage and application thereof described in the detailed description of the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the related art that all the terms used in the contents of the specification are for illustrative description. The directional terms mentioned in the contents of the specification, such as 'front', 'upper', 'lower', 'rear', 'left', 'right', 'top', 'bottom', 'in', and 'out', are also just for illustrative description on the basis of normal usage direction, not intended to limit the claimed scope.

For the detailed description of the technical features of the present invention, three embodiments are instanced herein below and illustrated in coordination with the figures.

As shown in <FIG>, a first embodiment illustrates a wire control device <NUM>, which is installed on a handlebar <NUM> of a bicycle (the handlebar <NUM> in this embodiment is a horizontal handlebar) for actuating a derailleur or a seat post elevating device or other similar devices of the bicycle through a control cable (not shown). The wire control device <NUM> structurally includes a main body <NUM>, a bearing <NUM> and a handle assembly <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the main body <NUM> structurally includes a bearing fixing seat <NUM>, a clamping annular sleeve <NUM> and a stress regulator <NUM>. The bearing fixing seat <NUM> has a hole <NUM> and an annular inner wall <NUM>. The hole <NUM> penetrates through upper and lower sides of the main body <NUM>. The wire control device <NUM> is fixed to the handlebar <NUM> of the bicycle through the clamping annular sleeve <NUM>. The stress regulator <NUM> is adapted for adjusting the tensioned extent of the control cable.

The bearing <NUM> is embedded in the bearing fixing seat <NUM> and structurally includes an inner race <NUM> and an outer race <NUM>. The outer race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is in contact with the annular inner wall <NUM> of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>.

The handle assembly <NUM> is rotatably disposed on the main body <NUM>. The handle assembly <NUM> structurally includes a shift lever <NUM> and a pivot screw <NUM>. The shift lever <NUM> has a cylinder-shaped protrusion <NUM>. The protrusion <NUM> has a threaded hole H1. The annular inner wall <NUM> of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>, the bearing <NUM> and the threaded hole H1 are arranged coaxially. The protrusion <NUM> is abutted against a bottom rim of the inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM>. The pivot screw <NUM> includes a head portion <NUM> and a threaded rod <NUM>. The head portion <NUM> is provided on the top side thereof with an inner hexagonal hole H2, enabling the rider to use a hexagonal wrench to rotate the pivot screw <NUM>. The head portion <NUM> is provided on the bottom side thereof with an annular flange <NUM> (shown in <FIG>). The annular flange <NUM> is abutted against a top rim of the inner race <NUM>. The threaded rod <NUM> includes a rotary axle <NUM> and a threaded portion <NUM>. The rotary axle <NUM> is located between the head portion <NUM> and the threaded portion <NUM>. The inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is sleeved onto and in contact with the aforementioned rotary axle <NUM>. The threaded portion <NUM> is screwed into the threaded hole H1 of the protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the shift lever <NUM> further has a control cable inserting hole <NUM> and a fastening screw <NUM>, so that the control cable extending out from the stress regulator <NUM> can be inserted through the control cable inserting hole <NUM>. The control cable is fastened to the shift lever <NUM> by the fastening screw <NUM>, so that when the shift lever <NUM> is pressed to rotate, it can pull the control cable to drive the derailleur or seat post elevating device.

Besides, for enhancing the waterproof effect, the wire control device <NUM> further includes an O-ring <NUM> (shown in <FIG> and <FIG>). The O-ring <NUM> is abutted between the head portion <NUM> of the pivot screw <NUM> and a top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>. The bearing <NUM> is located between the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM> and the shift lever <NUM>.

By the configuration design of the wire control device <NUM> of the first embodiment, the bearing <NUM> is primarily installed on the bearing fixing seat <NUM> of the main body <NUM>, the outer race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is directly in contact with the annular inner wall <NUM> of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>, and the inner race <NUM> is directly in contact with the rotary axle <NUM> of the pivot screw <NUM>. Therefore, the whole shift lever <NUM> of the handle assembly <NUM> of the wire control device <NUM> is unnecessarily configured with quite large volume, as long as the handle assembly <NUM> can be rotatably disposed on the main body <NUM> and can be inserted into the inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> through the rotary axle <NUM>. The handle assembly <NUM> is relatively smaller in its own volume and the stress applied thereby to the main body <NUM> will not be too large, so the wire control device <NUM> of this embodiment has relatively higher structural strength.

The present invention further provides a second embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, a wire control device <NUM>' of the second embodiment is similar in structure to the first embodiment, but one of the differences therebetween is that the handle assembly <NUM> in the second embodiment further includes a nut <NUM>. The rotary axle <NUM> is connected to the protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM>. The outer radius of the protrusion <NUM> is larger than the outer radius of the rotary axle <NUM>. The rotary axle <NUM> has an inserting section <NUM> and a threaded section <NUM>. The inserting section <NUM> is located between the threaded section <NUM> and the protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM>. The inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is sleeved onto and in contact with the inserting section <NUM> of the rotary axle <NUM>, and the nut <NUM> is screwed onto the threaded section <NUM>. Besides, the nut <NUM> has an annular flange <NUM> (shown in <FIG>). The annular flange <NUM> of the nut <NUM> is abutted against the top rim of the inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM>.

In addition, the wire control device <NUM>' of the second embodiment also has an O-ring <NUM>. The O-ring <NUM> is abutted between the nut <NUM> and the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>. The bearing <NUM> is located between the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM> and the shift lever <NUM>. The configuration design of the wire control device <NUM>' of the second embodiment is also effective in enhancing the structural strength of the whole wire control device <NUM>'.

The present invention further provides a third embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, a wire control device <NUM>" of the third embodiment is similar in structure to the first embodiment. The handle assembly <NUM> of the third embodiment structurally includes a shift lever <NUM>, a pivot screw <NUM> and a nut <NUM>. The protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM> has a threaded hole H1. The pivot screw <NUM> structurally includes a first threaded section <NUM>, a rotary axle <NUM> and a second threaded section <NUM>. The rotary axle <NUM> is located between the first threaded section <NUM> and the second threaded section <NUM>. The first threaded section <NUM> of the pivot screw <NUM> is screwed into the threaded hole H1 of the protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM>. The inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> is sleeved onto and directly in contact with the rotary axle <NUM>, and the nut <NUM> is screwed onto the second threaded section <NUM>.

Likewise, the nut <NUM> in the third embodiment also has an annular flange <NUM> (shown in <FIG>). The annular flange <NUM> of the nut <NUM> and the protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM> are abutted against the top side and bottom side of the inner race <NUM> of the bearing <NUM> respectively. Besides, the wire control device <NUM>" also has an O-ring <NUM>. The O-ring <NUM> is abutted between the nut <NUM> and the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>, and the bearing <NUM> is located between the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM> and the protrusion <NUM> of the shift lever <NUM>.

The present invention further provides a fourth embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, the wire control device <NUM>‴ of the fourth embodiment is similar in structure to the first embodiment, but one of the differences therebetween is that the wire control device <NUM>‴ of the fourth embodiment further includes a waterproof cap <NUM>. The waterproof cap <NUM> is disposed on the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>. Specifically speaking, the waterproof cap <NUM> structurally includes a large radius portion <NUM> and a small radius portion <NUM> connected with the large radius portion <NUM>. The outer radius of the large radius portion <NUM> is larger than the outer radius of the small radius portion <NUM>. The large radius portion <NUM> is located out of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>, and surrounds and covers the top end rim of the bearing fixing seat <NUM> to prevent water from flowing into the bearing fixing seat <NUM>. The small radius portion <NUM> is inserted into the bearing fixing seat <NUM>. Besides, the small radius portion <NUM> has an annular groove <NUM>. The O-ring <NUM> is disposed in the annular groove <NUM>. The O-ring <NUM> is simultaneously abutted against the inner wall of the annular groove <NUM> and the annular inner wall <NUM> of the bearing fixing seat <NUM>, that can prevent water from flowing into the bearing fixing seat <NUM> even better.

Claim 1:
A wire control device (<NUM>) having high structural strength, which can be disposed on a handlebar (<NUM>) of a bicycle, the wire control device (<NUM>) comprising:
a main body (<NUM>) comprising a bearing fixing seat (<NUM>), the bearing fixing seat (<NUM>) having an annular inner wall (<NUM>);
a bearing (<NUM>) disposed in the bearing fixing seat (<NUM>) and comprising an inner race (<NUM>) and an outer race (<NUM>), the outer race (<NUM>) of the bearing (<NUM>) being in contact with the annular inner wall (<NUM>) of the bearing fixing seat (<NUM>);
a handle assembly (<NUM>) rotatably disposed on the main body (<NUM>), the handle assembly (<NUM>) comprising a shift lever (<NUM>) and a pivot screw (<NUM>), the shift lever (<NUM>) having a protrusion, the protrusion having a threaded hole (H1) and an annular abutted surface (<NUM>), the inner race (<NUM>) of the bearing (<NUM>) being sleeved onto and in contact with the annular abutted surface (<NUM>) of the protrusion, the pivot screw (<NUM>) comprising a head portion (<NUM>) and a threaded rod (<NUM>), the head portion (<NUM>) being located on a side of the bearing (<NUM>) opposite to the shift lever (<NUM>), the threaded rod (<NUM>) being screwed into the threaded hole (H1) of the shift lever (<NUM>).