Patent Document

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/661,973, filed Sep. 14, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,722. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to a bicycle front suspension crown, and more particularly to a front suspension crown having a setting boss and a connector cable holder. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Modern bicycles allow the rider to control the suspension, the gears, the brakes and other features of the bicycle to optimize the rider&#39;s experience. Much of the control functions are computerized so that a rider can control the particular function by simply pressing a switch on a control panel. A typical computerized control panel includes a base member mounted to the bicycle handlebar and numerous switches on the control panel, each switch corresponding to a particular function that is controllable by the rider. Electrical cables are necessary to transmit codes from the bicycle control panel to various motors and other equipment, such as the speed sensor, torque sensor, front suspension and rear suspension, to carry out the function desired by the rider. 
   In a technologically advanced bicycle, it is desirable to computerize the front suspension system to control the suspension character of the bicycle. An electrical suspension system, however, requires numerous cables to carry the codes to and from various motors and devices that control the suspension system. The existence of a multitude of cables to carry out the computerized functions of the bicycle can be cumbersome and unsightly. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a device that would manage the electrical cables of a bicycle and store the cables in a secure and organized manner. 
   Also, it is desirable to simplify the bicycle assembly process at the factory or at the bicycle dealer so that the cables are not inadvertently misconnected. 
   Furthermore, it is desirable to protect the cables from rain, dust or other element that could cause damage or wear to the electrical cables. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems by providing a bicycle fork crown or a fork crown cover having a connector holder with an inlet for receiving electrical cables, and an outlet for receiving an electrical connector. The connector holder retains the electrical connector and the electrical cables in a fixed position to facilitate installation and maintenance of the cables and the connection. The fork crown or the fork crown cover also includes a setting boss dimensioned to receive a connector cable terminal. The connector cable terminal can be securely fastened to the setting boss by a fastening device, such as a setting screw. In one embodiment of the invention, the fork crown includes a rubber cover that covers the terminal and the electrical connector. In another embodiment of the invention, the fork crown cover includes a pre-load adjuster cap. The fork crown cover preferably has an upper crown cover and a lower crown cover. The upper and lower crown covers can be attached together with any known fastening device. 
   Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention wherein the connector, the connector cable terminal, and the setting screw are shown disconnected from the fork crown; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention having a setting boss and a connector holder thereon; 
       FIG. 3  is a left side view of the embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a right side view of the embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention wherein the fork crown cover includes a setting boss and a connector holder thereon; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a left side view of the embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a right side view of the embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 9  is an embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention having a cap for the pre-load adjuster; 
       FIG. 10  is front view of an embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention having a fork crown lower cover and a fork crown upper cover; 
       FIG. 11  is a side view of the embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the fork crown lower cover of the present invention set with a plurality of setting screws; 
       FIG. 13  is a partial view of an embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention wherein the upper and lower covers are connected by flexible setting posts; 
       FIG. 14  is a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the fork crown cover of the present invention shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 15  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention having a rubber cover thereon; 
       FIG. 16  is a front view of the embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention shown in  FIG. 15 ; and 
       FIG. 17  is a front view of an embodiment of the fork crown of the present invention having bare code with rough connection and a rubber cover thereon; 
     Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   An exemplary embodiment of a bicycle fork crown according to the principles of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4  and identified by reference numeral  10 . As best shown in  FIG. 1 , fork crown  10  includes a setting boss  12  and a connector holder  14 . The connector holder  14  has an inlet  18 , best shown in  FIG. 4 , for receiving an electrical cable  16   a  and an outlet  20 , best shown in  FIG. 1 . The inlet  18  of the connector holder  14  is preferably dimensioned to securely receive electrical cables. 
   As best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , in one embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector  22  is used to electrically connect cable  16   a  with another cable  16   b . The electrical connector  22  preferably has a first end  24  attachable to the outlet  20  of the connector holder  14  and a second end  26  dimensioned to receive electrical cable  16   b . Connector  22  provides an electrical connection for cable  16   a  and  16   b.    
   In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , cable  16   a  is connected to a motor and transmits code to and from the motor. The invention, however, is not limited to cables that are connected to a particular motor or other electromechanical device. Rather, the invention can be utilized in any application wherein electrical cables are used. 
   As best shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , cable  16   b  is electrically connected to cables  16   c  and  16   d  via a connector cable terminal  28 . Cable terminal  28  has various electrical ports  30 , dimensioned to receive the electrical cables  16   b ,  16   c  and  16   d . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the cable terminal  28  has three ports 30 dimensioned to receive the three cables  16   b ,  16   c , and  16   d . In other embodiments of the invention, the connector cable terminal can have any number of ports, as needed to accommodate the number of electrical cables that are required to be electrically connected. 
   The setting boss  12  is dimensioned to receive the connector cable terminal  28  thereon In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the setting boss  12  protrudes from the surface  32  of the fork crown and is integrally attached to the surface  32 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the setting boss is shown as having a circular cross-section corresponding to a bore  34  in the connector cable terminal  28 . The connector cable terminal  28  is preferably mounted on the setting boss  12  and secured thereto by a fastening device  36 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the setting boss is internally threaded to correspond to the external threads on a fastening device  36 . The connector cable terminal  28  is fastened to the setting boss  12  by engaging the threads of the fastening device  36  with the internal threads of the setting boss  12 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastening device  36  is a setting screw. 
   The connector cable terminal  28  and the centering boss  12  are shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3  as having a circular cross-section. However, the invention is not limited as such and in various embodiments of the invention, the centering boss  12  and the connector cable terminal  28  can have any desired shape. 
     FIGS. 5  though  8  illustrate an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein a fork crown cover  100  is placed over the bicycle fork crown  10 , and the setting boss  112  and connector holder  114  are attached to the fork crown cover  100 , rather than the fork crown  10 . The structure and electrical connections of the setting boss  112  and the connector holder  114  are substantially similar to those described in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 through 4 . Specifically, the connector holder  114  has an inlet  118  for receiving an electrical cable  116   a  and an outlet  120 . The inlet  118  of the connector holder  114  is preferably dimensioned to securely receive electrical cables. 
   An electrical connector  122  is used to electrically connect cable  116   a  with another cable  116   b . The electrical connector  122  preferably has a first end  124  attachable to the outlet  120  of the connector holder  114  and a second end  126  dimensioned to receive electrical cable  116   b . Connector  122  provides an electrical connection for cable  116   a  and  116   b.    
   As best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , cable  116   b  is electrically connected to cables  116   c  and  116   d  via a connector cable terminal  128 . Cable terminal  128  has various electrical ports 130 dimensioned to receive the electrical cables  116   b ,  116   c , and  116   d . In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 5 through 7 , the cable terminal  128  has three ports 130 dimensioned to receive the three cables  116   b ,  116   c , and  116   d . In other embodiments of the invention, the connector cable terminal  128  can have any number of ports, as needed to receive and connect electrical cables. 
   As best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the setting boss  112  is dimensioned to receive the connector cable terminal  128  thereon. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the setting boss  112  protrudes from the surface  132  of the fork crown cover  100  and is integrally attached to the surface  132 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5 through 7 , the setting boss  112  is shown as having a circular cross-section corresponding to a bore  134  in the connector cable terminal  128 . The connector cable terminal  128  is preferably mounted on the setting boss  112  and secured thereto by a fastening device  136 . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the setting boss  112  is internally threaded to correspond to the external threads on the fastening device  136 . The connector cable terminal  128  is preferably fastened to the setting boss  112  by engaging the threads of the fastening device  136  with the internal threads of the setting boss  112 . 
   In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the fork crown cover  100  has a channel  138  defined therein for accessing the pre-load adjuster (not shown). By accessing the pre-load adjuster, the suspension system can be altered to account for the rider&#39;s weight. For example, for a light-weight rider, the spring of the suspension system can be adjusted for less pre-load. For a heavy-weight rider the spring of the suspension system can be adjusted to provide more pre-load. The channel  138  in the fork crown cover  100  allows easy access to the rider or dealer to adjust the pre-load of the spring. To prevent dirt, fluids and other elements from damaging the pre-load adjustment mechanism, a cap  140  is provided to cover the access channel  138  when the pre-load adjustment mechanism is being used. The cap  140  is preferably dimensioned to cover the access to channel  138  and preferably includes a notch  142  therein to facilitate the removal of the cap  140  from the crown cover  100  when access to the channel  138  is desired. 
   In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the fork crown cover  100  includes a fork crown lower cover  102  and a fork crown upper cover  104 . The upper cover  104  preferably includes the setting boss  112  and connector holder  114 . In an alternative embodiment, the crown cover  100  can include only the upper cover  104 , leaving the fork crown  10  exposed to the environment from below. By providing a lower cover  102 , in addition to the upper cover  104 , the fork crown  10  is better protected from rain, dust, dirt and other elements that could cause damage to the fork crown  10  or the suspension system generally. 
   The lower cover  102  can be fastened to the fork crown  10  or to the upper crown  104  by any known fastening means. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the lower cover  102  is fastened to the fork crown  10  using setting screws  106 . Other known fastening devices can be used in place of setting screws  106 . 
   In another preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , upper cover  104  includes a setting aperture  108  and the lower cover includes a flexible setting post  110  dimensioned to engage with the setting aperture  108 . The flexible setting post preferably has a latch portion  111  that protrudes into the setting aperture  108  when the setting post  110  is engaged with the setting aperture  108 . The latch portion  111  securely fastens the upper cover  104  to the lower cover  102  when the post  110  is engaged with the aperture  108 . 
   In another preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , a cover  150  made of a soft material is used to cover the fork crown  10 , generally, and the connector holder  14 , specifically. The cover  150  is preferably made of an electrically insulative material and more preferably is made of rubber. Some of the benefits of the rubber cover  150  are that it is flexible, allowing for easy fitting over the fork crown, and inexpensive. Additionally, if using a rubber cover  150 , the electrical connections can be bare code with rough connection. By having bare code with rough connection, the need for an electrical connector  22  and a connector cable terminal  28  is eliminated, as shown in  FIG. 17 , further reducing the assembly cost of the electrical connections.

Technology Category: b