Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Field of invention
This invention relates to a locking device which
secures an air vented bicycle helmet to any structural
component of a bicycle.
Background of invention
Cycling has long been accepted as a popular means
of transportation and has, in recent years, enjoyed a
tremendous upsurge in popularity as a recreational
sport. Today's bicycles are becoming more
sophisticated and new technologies are continually
being applied to it's manufacture. Many bicycle
accessories have been developed to add to the bicker's
pleasure and safety.
One of the most important pieces of equipment a
cyclist should have is a safety helmet. Many bicycle
owners are reluctant to wear these helmets, but it is
slowly becoming accepted practice. The wearing of a
safety helmet when cycling is becoming mandatory in
many areas of the country. We are already seeing signs
of the helmeted society. People walking around our
shopping Malls with helmets under their arms, or still
on their heads; students trying to make room for them
in their school lockers. As more helmets are
purchased, so will the likely-hood that they will be
lost of stolen.
Providing a means of securing a helmet to a
bicycle frame is not a new idea. Locking devices for
motorcycle helmets have been around for quite a while.
A Canadian patent #904609, shows a locking device that
affixes a motorcycle helmet to the fuel tank. In still
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another patent, inventor John P. Donahue incorporates
the locking device into the helmet. The obvious
disadvantage here is that if adds a considerable amount
of weight to the helmet, making it uncomfortable to
wear. In some cases, holes need to be made in the
helmet's shell in order to provide a means of
attachment, thereby destroying the helmet's integrity.
Today's bicycle helmets are made of strong, light
weight materials which provide the wearer with a degree
of comfort and safety. Some have a multi-colored
streamlined design, while others come in a plain
monotone shell. Since the demand for bicycle helmets
has increased, we have seen a diversity in the style,
color, and shapes available.
In an effort to provide head protection which is
light-weight and comfortable to wear, the majority of
safety helmets are being manufactured with an air
vented shell. Holes of various sizes and shapes allow
air to flow through the shell providing a cooling
effect for the cyclist. This also helps to reduce the
weight of the helmet while still maintaining it's
strength and integrity.
Summary of the invention
The object of the invention is to provide a
convenient and secure method of attaching the bicycle
helmet to the bicycle frame or handle bar.
According to the invention, there is provided a
keyed lock, having a method of attaching said lock to a
structural member of a bicycle. A mounting bracket
with multiple hinges and a tension lever provide a
method of securing the lock mechanism to a tubular
member of the bicycle.
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In a preferred embodiment, the lock has two
separate chambers operated by one lock mechanism. One
chamber accepts a locking pin with an attached support
plate whose surface area is larger than the air vent
hole of the bicycle helmet. The configuration of the
support plate, to a certain extent depends on the size,
length, width, or shape of the vent hole. The size of
the vent hole must be at least as great as the diameter
of the lock pin shaft.
In a more detailed embodiment, the lock pin shaft
is inserted through the underside of the helmet and
into the most appropriate or centralized air vent hole,
is then passed through an opening in the mounting
bracket, and further inserted into the lock chamber. A
spring loaded lock plate secures the lock pin in the
chamber, preventing both the lock mechanism and the
safety helmet from being removed without keyed access.
In a further preferred option, there is a second
chamber on the lock mechanism which can be referred to
as a storage chamber. When not in use the lock pin can
be inserted into the storage chamber which allows the
lock pin and support plate to be stored parallel to the
tubular frame member thereby providing less
interference with the cyclist. Ideally, the lock pin
is inserted into the storage chamber, in front of the
mounting bracket tension lever, and locks into the
chamber preventing the activation of the tension lever
and effectively securing the lock mechanism to the
structural member of the bicycle.
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Brief description of the drawings
The embodiments of the invention will be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1- Shows a cross section view of the lock
mechanism with mounting bracket and lock pin.
Figure 2- Shows a side view of the vertical lock
chamber and horizontal storage chamber, as well as the
spring tensioned lock plate.
Figure 3- Shows a preferred method of securing the
lock to the bicycle by means of a mounting bracket with
tension lever.
Figure 4- Shows how the mounting bracket tension
handle snaps into place in a recessed portion of the
lock mechanism, behind the opening of the storage
chamber.
Figure 5- Shows an embodiment of a lock pin and
support plate in both the open and stored position.
Figure 6- Shows the support plate, in a stored and
locked position.
Figure 7- Shows a helmet in a locked position in a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
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Detailed description of the invention
Referring to Fig 1, the diagram shows a cross
section view of the lock mechanism 10, with the
mounting bracket 20, attached around a tubular frame
member 30. Fig 1 also shows how an air vented bicycle
helmet 40, is supported by a support plate 50, and how
the support plate lock pin 60, passes through a
ventilation hole or channel in the helmet 40, through
an opening 70 of the mounting bracket 20, and then
inserted into a chamber 80 in the lock assembly. As
the lock pin 60 is pushed further in the locking
chamber 80, the rounded end 61 of the lock pin 60
displaces a spring tensioned lock plate 90, allowing
the lock pin 60 to be inserted passed the lock plate
catch mechanism 91.
Fig 2 shows an inside view of the lock mechanism
10, revealing the lock plate 90. The lock plate 90 is
generally, a circular shape, with two protrusions or
arms 92, having a rounded end 61. The rounded end of
one arm 92 inter-acts with the locking chamber 80. A
tensioner or spring device 100 is attached to the lock
mechanism 10 at one end and the lock plate 90 at the
other. This tension keeps the lock plate 90 rotated
with itls arms 92 obstructing the passageways of both
chambers 80 and 120. The tensioner 100 also keeps the
lock 15 (Fig 1) under spring loaded tension. When the
pressure on the lock key 16 is released, The spring
100 automatically returns the lock 15 to the ready
position, and allows the lock plate arms 92 to enter
both chambers.
Again referring to Fig 1, it can be seen that the
main lock assembly 10, is of a shape and design that
allows it to partially surround a tubular mounting
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structure 30, such as a bicycle frame or handle bar. A
mounting bracket 20, with a series of strategically
located hinges 22, allows the entire lock mechanisms
10 to encircle the tubular structure 30.
A series of cushioners 12, made of compressible
material such as rubber or foam, are located in
desirable locations on the underside of the lock
mechanism 10, and mounting bracket 20, to provide
protection to the tubular member that it is being
attached to, as well as creating a slight tension,
squeezing the entire assembly to the rounded bar and
providing a snug fit. One or more of these cushioners
12 can be made adjustable 14, to compensate for the
various circumferences of the tubular mounting points
involved.
Fig 3 and Fig 4 shows how the mounting bracket
lever 24, snaps into place on the main lock mechanism
10. The handle 24 fits into a recessed portion of the
main body 26. With the proper adjustment of the
cushioners 12 and 14, the rounded end of the handle
will come in direct contact with a raised portion 25 of
the main lock mechanism 10, forcing the handle 24
upwards, and causing the cushioners to compress,
thereby tightening the whole assembly to the tubular
bar. As the handle 24 is pushed further, a slight
indentation 29 on the underside of the curved portion
of the handle 24 will pass over the raised obstruction
25 and form a connection, securing the handle and
maintaining the mounting bracket under tension. Fig 4
shows how the tip 23 of the handle extends beyond the
lock body 10, allowing the user to release the handle
24. It also demonstrates how the rounded portion of
the handle 28, recesses into the lock mechanism 26, in
a position behind the storage chamber 120. This allows
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the lock pin 60, to be placed in front of the handle
and prevent the lock's removal when the lock pin is
locked in the storage chamber, securing the lock to the
bicycle.
Fig 6 further demonstrates how a support plate 50
and lock pin 60 assembly is secured into the storage
chamber 120, and prevents the mounting bracket handle
24 from being deployed.
Referring again to Fig 1 and as further
represented in Fig 3, the support plate 50 and lock pin
assembly passed through an opening 70 in the
mounting bracket 20 before being inserted into the
locking chamber, locking the pin in the locking chamber
80. This action effectively forms a continuous
connection around the attaching frame member and allows
both the lock and the safety helmet to be removed only
with keyed access. Fig 1 also shows a cut out area 16
and several openings in the configuration of a
preferred embodiment of this invention which would
provide passage ways for various bicycle components and
accessories such as brake cables, gear selection
cables, wiring, ect...
Fig 5 shows one embodiment of the support plate
50 and lock pin 60 assembly. As previously mentioned,
the support plate can be custom made to conform to a
particular manufacture's vented helmet design. The
embodiment of the support plate shown in Fig 6 would
represent a universal type which would protect safety
helmets with vent holes of various sizes and shapes,
including the larger elongated tear drop shaped holes,
as seen in the cross section view of a helmet 40 on Fig
1. Fig 5 shows how the support plate can be designed
to collapse upon itself for more convenient storage.
The support plate extensions 52 can be unfolded to a
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parallel position and are prevented from further travel
by a hinge stop 54, thereby allowing for the greatest
possible surface area which prevents the removal of the
helmet when in the locked position.
The lock pin in Fig 5 is attached to the support
plate by means of a pin 56, or ball and socket, which
allows the lock pin shaft to move freely on it's axis.
Fig 6 illustrates the lock pin in a folded down
position and locked into the storage chamber, parallel
to the frame member. In this position, the support
plate provides the least amount of obstruction to the
cyclist.
The lock pin in Fig 5 is generally a steel shaft,
with a rounded end 61 and having an area of reduced
diameter 62 which corresponds with the location of the
lock plate catch 91 in both lock chambers. The rounded
end of the lock pin displaces the rounded end of the
lock plate arms 92. The lock plate arm then follows
the contour of the shaft until it reaches the reduced
diameter 62, allowing the lock plate arm 92 to be
introduced into the chamber by spring tension. An
obstruction 98 in the lock casing prevents the pin from
further travel. The lock plate arm 92 is now in a
notched position on the shaft, and cannot be reversed.
The length of the lock pin 60 is slightly more
than the distance required to lock the pin through the
mounting bracket 20 and into the lock chamber 80, up to
the stop 98, allowing for the thickness of the helmet.
Numerous modifications, variations, and
adaptations may be made to the particular embodiment of
the invention described above without departing from
the scope of the invention, which is defined in the
claims.
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