Shimano Inc.

Shimano, In.

Masanori Sugimoto

Shinpei Okajima

Hiromi Oda

Masashi Nagano

Kazuhisa Yamashita

Tsuyoshi Sakashita

Toshiyuki Tanaka

Osamu Kariyama

Yuzuru Uchiyama

Toshio Mizuno

Yuji Nakashima

Rikimasa Ohishi

Koji Shimizu

A bicycle drive unit is disclosed that includes a case frame, crank shaft, front sprocket, rear hub shaft and rear sprocket. The crank shaft includes first and second support portions that are spaced apart from one another and are supported on opposite lateral sides of a forward portion of the case frame. The first and second support portions are engaged with bearings supported on opposite sides of the interior of the case frame. The front sprocket is installed on the crank shaft within the case frame and between the first and second support portions. The rear hub shaft includes a third and fourth supporting portions that are spaced apart from one another with the rear sprocket installed on the rear hub shaft therebetween.

Bicycle drive unit

A hydraulic hose assembly is provided for connecting hydraulic components of a bicycle. The hydraulic hose assembly has a flexible hose, a rigid tubular insert, connecting fastener and a tubular bushing. The compression bushing surrounds the flexible hose in order that the connecting fastener can be tightened to compress the bushing into a watertight seal. The compression bushing has an annular recess that is located between a pair of inclined sections. The annular recess is configured to limit the amount of radial expansion of the outer diameter of the bushing when the hydraulic hose assembly is coupled to the bicycle component.

Hydraulic hose assembly for bicycle

A bicycle wheel basically has a hub, a plurality of spokes extending outwardly from the hub and an annular rim coupled to the outer ends of the spokes for supporting a tire. The annular rim has a spoke attachment portion with a plurality of openings for receiving the outer ends of the spokes therein. In the most preferred embodiment, the bicycle wheel is a one-piece, unitary wheel. Preferably, the one-piece, unitary bicycle wheel of the present invention is produced by die-casting. The preferred material for bicycle wheel of the present invention is magnesium (Mg). A centrally located rib portion is located between adjacent spoke portions and to reinforce the rim portion between spokes. Rib portions extend radially inwardly from the inner peripheral surface of rim portion. Preferably, the middle segment of each of the rib portions has a radial height that is approximately equal to the base rim height plus more than half of the base rim height. The shapes of spoke portions are designed to absorb the vibrations from the ground as it is being used in the bicycle. This shock absorbing function is enhanced by the use of magnesium for the wheel.

Bicycle wheel

A brake apparatus includes a brake arm, a brake pad coupling component disposed on the brake arm for receiving a brake resistive force from contact between the brake pad and a wheel rim, and a control element coupling component coupled to the brake arm for receiving a brake control force from a control element. A brake force control mechanism is coupled between the brake pad coupling component and the control element coupling component for allowing relative movement between the brake pad coupling component and the control element coupling component when both the brake resistive force and the brake control force exceed particular nonzero values.

Bicycle brake device

A bicycle brake apparatus includes a brake arm having an upper portion and a lower portion and a link member having an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion of the brake arm and the lower portion of the link member pivot relative to each other around a common pivot axis. A shoe attachment member is disposed on the upper portion of the link member, and a link fixing mechanism is provided for fixing the link member relative to the brake arm. The link fixing mechanism includes a fixing shaft extending from one of the brake arm and the link member and a shaft opening defined by the other one of the brake arm and the link member so that the fixing shaft extends through the shaft opening. A diameter of the shaft opening is greater than a diameter of the fixing shaft, and an adjusting member is disposed in the shaft opening. The adjusting member defines an adjusting opening for receiving the fixing shaft therethrough at a position offset from a center of the shaft opening. Rotation of the adjusting member therefore adjusts the angle and position of the brake shoe relative to the brake arm.

Bicycle brake with link-adjusted brake shoes

A cap is provided for fitting to a bicycle control cable of the type having an inner cable slidingly disposed within an outer casing where the outer casing terminates for exposing a portion of the inner cable. The cap has a first section defining a first section opening for fitting the outer casing therein. A protective cover extends along the exposed portion of the inner cable and has a first end disposed over the cap.

Protective cap-system for bicycle cable

A bicycle brake assembly is disclosed for coupling a bicycle brake device onto either front or rear forks of a bicycle by a brake fixing mechanism. The brake fixing mechanism has a fixing member or plate fixedly coupled to either the front or rear forks and a bracing member or plate coupled to the fixing member such that the bicycle brake device is pivotally coupled between the fixing member and the bracing member. Preferably, the brake device is a cantilever brake with its pivot pins interconnecting the fixing member and the bracing member.

Bicycle brake assembly

The braking device of the present invention is equipped with a resistance element which acts so that, when the brake device is operated by pulling a brake lever to a set operating position where the wheel braking force produced by brake shoes reaches a certain set value, a discretely increased force resists operation of the brake lever so that further operation of said brake lever is inhibited until a pulling force which is greater than the resistance force is thereafter applied to the brake lever. A setting mechanism may be provided for setting the particular position of the brake lever at which the resistance discretely increases

Braking device for bicycles

A brake link for a cantilever device includes a basal end structured for rotatably supporting the brake link on a bicycle, an intermediate section structured for supporting a brake shoe, and a distal end. An anchor member is structured for attaching a cable thereto, and the distal end of the brake link is structured for detachably and nonrotatably engaging the anchor member.

Cantilever brake device

A bicycle brake assembly is disclosed for coupling a bicycle brake device onto either front or rear forks of a bicycle by a brake fixing mechanism. The brake fixing mechanism has a fixing member or plate fixedly coupled to either the front or rear forks and a bracing member or plate coupled to the fixing member such that the bicycle brake device is pivotally coupled between the fixing member and the bracing member. The fixing member and the bracing member are rigidly coupled together at their upper ends by a connecting member. In the most preferred embodiment, the fixing member and the bracing member are integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member from a sheet material. Preferably, the brake device is a cantilever brake with its pivot pins interconnecting the lower ends of the fixing member and the bracing member.

A protective cap for a bicycle control cable of the type having an inner cable which moves within a cable housing includes a first section sized to fit over the cable housing, and a second section sized for sealingly fitting over the inner cable. The second section is formed from a flexible material so that the second section can sealingly follow any bend in the inner cable.

Protective cap system for bicycle cable

A cantilever brake arm apparatus includes a brake link having a basal end structured for rotatably supporting the brake link on a bicycle, an intermediate section structured for supporting a brake shoe, and a distal end. A coil spring has a first end retained to the basal end of the brake link, and the second end of the coil spring is retained in a spring position adjusting member that is rotatably supported relative to the basal end of the brake link. The second end of the coil spring extends beyond the spring position adjusting member so that the second end of the coil spring may be inserted into a selected opening in the mounting pedestal.

A cable operated control device includes a movable control member, a frame coupled to the movable control member, and a cable guide member mounted to the frame for rotation around a guide member axis. The cable guide member includes a curved outer peripheral cable guide surface disposed radially outwardly from the guide member axis for guiding the cable. A bearing having a cable guide surface is disposed radially outwardly from the outer peripheral cable guide surface. When the cable guide member has a small radius of curvature, the cable may contact the bearing and thus avoid the excessive friction encountered in the prior art.

Cable operated control apparatus

An apparatus for guiding a cable includes a frame and a cable guide member mounted to the frame for rotation around a guide member axis. The cable guide member includes a curved outer peripheral cable guide surface disposed radially outwardly from the guide member axis for guiding the cable. A bearing having a cable guide surface is disposed radially outwardly from the outer peripheral cable guide surface. When the cable guide member has a small radius of curvature, the cable may contact the bearing and thus avoid the excessive friction encountered in the prior art.

Apparatus for guiding a control cable

An attachment assembly for a bicycle handle bar provides an extension bar as well as a brake operating device therefor. The extension bar, together with the handle bar, provides a pair of gripping portions, while the brake operating device provides a pair of hand portions for operating a brake. The brake operating device is coupled to the free end of the extension bar and provides a pair of hand portions such that the rider can grasp the first hand portion from the extension bar and the second hand portion from the grip portion formed on the primary handle bar. In a first embodiment, the brake operating device is integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member with a part of the extension bar, while in another embodiment, the brake operating device is formed as a separate unit which is releasably coupled to the extension bar. In one embodiment, each of the first and second hand portions extends outwardly from a connecting portion to a free end, while in another embodiment, the second hand portion extends from one end of the first hand portion.

Growing community of inventors

Osakasayama, Japan

Masanori Sugimoto