Patent ID: 8365635

Claim:
A handlebar grip and end cap assembly comprising: a hollow grip residing over a handlebar end, the grip having an outside grip end with arced protrusions; a radially tightenable clamp residing against the outside grip end opposite the hollow grip, the clamp including: recesses in an inner end of the clamp for cooperation with the protrusions to grasp the grip; interior circumferential portions pressed against the handlebar end when the clamp is tightened; an outer face of the clamp facing opposite to the hollow grip; a mouth in the outer face; and an inside groove residing inside the mouth on an inside surface of the clamp and recessed from the outer face and accessible by reaching through the outer face and having an inward facing radially extending second wall; an end cap residing against the outer face of the clamp, the end cap comprising: a face facing outward opposite the hollow grip and closing an outer end of the grip; a cylindrical exterior surface, and an insertable portion opposite said face and reaching axially into the clamp and opposite the face and removably insertable through the mouth and into the clamp, the insertable portion comprising: a tapered portion farthest from the face at an innermost end of the insertable portion, the tapered portion tapering from a smaller outside diameter end facing into the grip to a greater outside diameter end opposite the smaller outside diameter end; a captured portion residing adjacent to the tapered portion and having approximately the same outside diameter as the greater outside diameter end of the tapered portion; a recessed portion between the captured portion and the cylindrical exterior surface and having a smaller outside diameter than the outside diameter of the captured portion; and a radially extending outward facing first wall between the recessed portion and the captured portion residing against the inward facing second wall of the inside groove and retaining the insertable portion of the end cap in the clamp, wherein the clamp is tightened on the insertable portion to hold the insertable portion in the clamp and loosening the clamp releases the insertable portion for removal and replacement of the end cap.