Patent Description:
The interior of a tube is a useful location to install equipment in many situations. When a tube is used as a supporting component, such as a handlebar or a seat post in a bicycle, the inner space of the tube can be used for housing a GPS tracker or an alarm device (eg. And when the tube is used as a conduit, such as a tail pipe in an exhaust system of a car or a duct in a ventilation system, the inner space of the tube can be used for housing a sensor to measure toxin levels, the temperature or any other parameter about the fluid passing through the conduit.

It has been noticed that the ends of the inner surface of a tube are desirable locations for installing equipment inside the tube, because it is sufficiently easy for most users to do this type of installation. In most cases, the installation process requires inserting the equipment into the tube until the latter no longer protrudes from the tube. Thus, the installation process is simple and accessible to most users. For example, a bicycle owner may buy a tracking unit (eg. <CIT>) online and install it himself inside the handlebar of the bicycle, instead of having to take the bicycle to a specialised shop for the installation.

It can be challenging to keep the equipment fixed to an end of the inner surface of a tube.

A known approach is the one used in a typical end plug for a bicycle handlebar. This type of plug has several purposes: to close the inner volume of the handlebar and avoid dirt or water from entering in; to help stop the ends of the handlebars from impact or crush damage in the event of a crash; and to prevent serious injury to a user from an exposed bar end coming into contact with soft tissue. A typical end plug is attached to a handlebar by pushing it in until it reaches the desired position. The plug includes at least one bendable component around its central axis, such as an annular plastic flap, that remains compressed against the inner surface of the handlebar, and thus keeps it in place. A disadvantage of this approach is that an installed end plug does not require much force to be removed from the handlebar. Also, it is known that many end plugs must be replaced after some time due to the bendable components no longer being effective in compressing against the inner surface of the handlebar.

Another known approach is the one used in the oil industry to install a packer during the completion of a wellbore. A typical packer includes an expandable component, such as a rubber annular ring, that expands radially towards the surrounding surface (for example, the inner surface of a casing string). A typical solution to cause this radial expansion is to keep the expandable component compressed in the longitudinal axis. Once radially expanded, the component contacts the surrounding surface and forms a seal that blocks the passage of fluids from one side of the seal to the other within the annular formed between the packer and the surrounding surface. This approach has the drawback that it can only be used for installing a device in a tube in which no fluid is expected to pass through. Also, if a device installed using this approach is pulled from the tube, its expandable component may be swabbed off (ie. removed from the device due to the dislocation caused by the pulling motion), and thus this approach does not provide a suitable solution to keep equipment fixed to an end of the inner surface of a tube.

<CIT> discloses a bar end electric shifter for a bicycle, shown in more detail in <FIG> of that document. An attachment structure is used to mount a handlebar mounting portion. The attachment structure has a fixing bolt and three expansion members, which are coupled together by an expandable ring member. The fixing bolt has a brake control wire receiving passageway (reference number 40a in <FIG> of <CIT>). At least part of the brake control wire receiving passageway is disclosed as preferably having a hexagonal cross section for receiving a hex tool such as an Allen wrench. The attachment structure is an expandable unit that is slidable within the free end of the handlebar together with the bar end mount that forms the handlebar mounting portion when in a first unexpanded configuration. When the fixing bolt is threaded into the brake control wire receiving passageway (reference number 30a in <FIG> of <CIT>), the expansion members are forced into engagement with an outer tapered surface of the handlebar mounting portion such that the fixing bolt and the handlebar mounting portion push the expansion members radially outward to a second expanded configuration. When in a second expanded configuration, the attachment structure retains the handlebar mounting portion in a non-slidable state within the free end of the handlebar.

The present invention will now be disclosed.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for fixing equipment to an end of the inner surface of a tube, the device comprising:.

wherein the elongated body comprises at least one portion adapted to guide the flaps so that the flaps radially open against the inner surface of the tube.

Each portion of the elongated body may comprise a slope to guide at least one flap outwardly towards the inner surface of the tube. Also, each flap may comprise an end adapted with a shape for sliding on a portion of the elongated body.

The ring may be adapted with at least one stopper, each stopper limiting the rotation of a flap to a maximum of <NUM> degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body. Also, each flap may comprise a retractable mechanism so that the flap automatically rotates to the minimum angle available relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body. Also, the device may comprise four flaps.

The segment of the elongated body may comprise a groove for controlling the rotation of the ring during the sliding motion along the segment of the elongated body. Also, the ring may comprise an internal bulge to match the groove on the segment of the elongated body complementarily.

The device may comprise a hole through the elongated body so that the ends of hole are electronically connectable.

Each of the elongated body, the ring, and the at least two flaps may comprise a metallic material. This achieves a stronger fixation when to the inner surface of the tube.

Turning now to <FIG>, it shows a device embodiment being displayed outside of any tube. The device is to be placed inside a tube, such as a handlebar in a bicycle or a tail pipe of an exhaust system in a car.

The device includes an elongated body <NUM> serving as a base onto which other components are attached and a ring <NUM> for surrounding and sliding on a segment of the elongated body <NUM>. Also, the ring includes four flaps <NUM> for radially opening against an inner surface of a tube.

The elongated body <NUM> includes two holes for bearing two bolts <NUM> aligned with the longitude of the elongated body <NUM>. Also, the ring <NUM> includes two threaded bores designed to mate with the threads of the bolts <NUM>. This allows controlling the position of the ring <NUM> on the elongated body <NUM> by applying torque to the bolts <NUM>. When the bolts <NUM> are tightened, the ring <NUM> moves towards the holes for bearing the bolts <NUM>. Contrarily, when the bolts <NUM> are released, the ring <NUM> moves away from the holes bearing the bolts <NUM>.

This mechanism allows moving the ring <NUM> between two positions: an unfastened position, in which the ring <NUM> is away from the holes bearing the bolts <NUM>; and a fastened position, in which the ring <NUM> is close to those holes and the flaps <NUM> are tightened against the body a portion <NUM> of the elongated body <NUM>.

The four flaps <NUM> included in the device are rotatable on the ring <NUM>. These rotatable components are used for griping against an inner surface of a tube when the ring <NUM> is in the fastened position. This is achieved as follows.

The flaps <NUM> are positioned homogenously around the ring <NUM> so that when they are radially opened they produce a balanced force against the surrounding inner surface of the tube. The elongated body <NUM> includes a portion <NUM> in the form of a slope for guiding the flaps <NUM> to radially open against the inner surface of the tube when the ring <NUM> is in the fastened position. When the bolts <NUM> are tightened, the ring <NUM> slides on the elongated body <NUM> towards the portion <NUM> of the elongated body <NUM>. In other words, the flaps <NUM> move towards the portion <NUM> of the elongated body <NUM>. After sufficient tightening of the bolts <NUM>, the flaps <NUM> contact the portion <NUM> and start sliding on it. Given the slope of the portion <NUM>, the ability of the flaps <NUM> to rotate on the ring <NUM>, and the further tightening of the bolts <NUM>, the flaps will start to radially open until they eventually grip against the inner surface of a tube surrounding the device.

The gripping of the flaps <NUM> against the inner surface of the tube results in that the elongated body <NUM> gets fixed to the tube. In practice, it has been observed that this solution is strong and very difficult to remove by most users without tools. This solution thus allows attaching further equipment onto the elongated body <NUM>, and device can be used for fixing the equipment to the end of the inner surface of a tube. As explained in the beginning of the description, this has been noticed to be a desirable location for installing equipment inside the tube.

The segment of the elongated body <NUM> on which the ring <NUM> slides includes a groove <NUM> which is complementary in shape to an internal bulge in the ring <NUM>. These features are explained in further detail below when describing <FIG>.

Moreover, the elongated body <NUM> includes a hole <NUM> through it that allows providing electrical connections between the two ends of hole <NUM>. This thus creates an efficient use of the space that is occupied by the device inside a tube. In the device embodiment shown in <FIG>, an antenna housing <NUM> is provided on the opposite end of the hole <NUM> through the elongated body <NUM>, and this device embodiment allows providing equipment that can communicated with any antenna through the hole <NUM>. Such an arrangement is explained in further detail below when describing <FIG>.

<FIG> shows the embodiment in <FIG> positioned inside the end of a handlebar. The ring <NUM> is in the unfastened position and the flaps <NUM> are not radially opened against the inner surface <NUM> of the handlebar.

For the purposes of a simpler visualisation, the flaps <NUM> are illustrated in a retracted position. This can be achieved with the use of springs or a similar mechanism inside the ring <NUM>. It can also be achieved by placing an elastic band around the flaps <NUM>, the band being made of a stretchable material such as rubber. This latter embodiment including the elastic band is particularly advantageous in that it achieves an improved friction against the inner surface <NUM> of the tube. Alternatively, the device may lack any means of retracting the flaps <NUM> when the ring <NUM> is not in the fastened position, and in that case the flaps <NUM> will behave in reaction to gravity. This latter embodiment still allows the device to inserted into and removed from the interior of the handlebar and is simple to produce.

The device has been fully inserted into the handlebar and the antenna housing <NUM> is shown on the left-hand side of <FIG> on the outside of the handlebar. This arrangement achieves an overall aspect when installed that resembles an end plug for a bicycle handlebar. It also allows for the antenna housing <NUM> to be used efficiently for the purpose of holding communication features, such as a GPS antenna.

<FIG> shows a simplified schematic of the embodiment in <FIG>, in which the flaps are radially open against the inner surface of a tube. No antenna housing is shown, and the elongated body has been cut to show mainly the flaps <NUM> radially opened against the inner surface <NUM> of the tube. The segment <NUM> on which the ring <NUM> slides is indicated in the <FIG>. Also indicated, is the portion <NUM> of the elongated body <NUM> including a slope.

Also, the cut view shown in <FIG> allows seeing the hole <NUM> through the elongated body and its full extension along the longitude of the elongated body <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a ring <NUM> embodiment including four flaps <NUM> positioned homogenously around the ring <NUM>. The two threaded bores for receiving the bolts <NUM> are positioned in an intercalated manner with the arrangement of flaps <NUM>. This achieves an efficient use of the reduced space available in the ring <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a half ring embodiment without any flaps <NUM>, the half ring illustration showing in more detail where a threaded bore <NUM> is positioned. The half ring includes an internal bulge <NUM>, which has already been briefly mentioned when describing <FIG> above. The internal bulge <NUM> is shaped in a complementary manner to a groove <NUM> that is to exist in a portion <NUM> of the elongated body <NUM>. This allows controlling the orientation of the ring <NUM> while it slides on the portion <NUM>. For example, a straight groove <NUM> may be provided longitudinally along the elongated body <NUM> so that the ring <NUM> keeps a stable orientation and does spin while it slides on the segment of the elongated body <NUM>. This thus allows using a reduced number of bolts <NUM>. Further embodiments of the device may be carried out in which no groove <NUM> nor internal bulge <NUM> is provided, however the device includes a higher number of bolts <NUM>, such as at least four bolts <NUM>.

The half ring embodiment shown in <FIG> also includes symmetrically mirrored joints at its ends. This design allows manufacturing, installing and removing rings <NUM> around the elongated body <NUM> in an efficient manner, as a reduced amount of parts is needed.

This embodiment thus achieves advantageous effects also on during the production as well as on the maintenance/repair of the device.

<FIG> shows a device embodiment installed on the end of a handlebar <NUM> in a bicycle. For the purpose of providing a simplified visualisation, part of the handlebar <NUM> has been removed so that the device may be observed inside. The ring <NUM> is in the fastened position and the flaps <NUM> are radially opened against the inner surface of the handlebar <NUM>. Also, the elongated body <NUM> has the antenna housing <NUM> attached to the side that faces the end of the handlebar <NUM> and an equipment housing <NUM> attached to the opposite side, the equipment housing <NUM> thus being hidden inside the handlebar <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A device (<NUM>) for fixing equipment to an end of the inner surface (<NUM>) of a tube (<NUM>), the device (<NUM>) comprising:
- an elongated body (<NUM>); and
- a ring (<NUM>) adapted to surround and slide along a segment (<NUM>) of the elongated body (<NUM>),
characterized in that the elongated body (<NUM>) comprises at least two holes (<NUM>), each hole (<NUM>) being adapted for bearing a bolt (<NUM>) aligned with the longitude of the elongated body (<NUM>),
wherein the ring (<NUM>) comprises at least two threaded bores (<NUM>) designed to mate with the threads of the bolts (<NUM>) so that the position of the ring (<NUM>) on the elongated body (<NUM>) is controllable by applying torque to the bolts (<NUM>),
wherein the device further comprises at least two flaps (<NUM>) rotatable on the ring (<NUM>), the flaps (<NUM>) being positioned homogenously around the ring (<NUM>), and
wherein the elongated body (<NUM>) comprises at least one portion (<NUM>) adapted to guide the flaps (<NUM>) so that the flaps (<NUM>) radially open against the inner surface of the tube.