Bicycle Lock

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bicycle lock for blocking of a wheel of a bicycle in a locked state. The bicycle includes a tube assembly including a frame with mutually fixed tube elements and movable tube elements, such as a front stay. The bicycle includes a housing, a bolt for providing a blocking action in a blocking state with which the wheel is blockable, a channel for arranging therein of the bolt, and a latch for, in a latching state of the lock, keeping the latest in the blocking state. The latch in the blocking state is in cooperation with receiving means defining a state of cooperation in which the bolt and the receiving means block the wheel of the bicycle.

Claims

1. A bicycle lock for blocking a wheel of a bicycle in a locked state, the bicycle comprising a tube assembly comprising a frame with mutually fixed tube elements and movable tube elements, such as a front stay, the bicycle comprising: a housing, a bolt for providing a blocking action in a blocking state with which the wheel is blockable, a channel for arranging therein of the bolt, a latch for, in a latching state, keeping the lock in the blocking state, wherein the latch in the blocking state is in cooperation with receiving means defining a state of cooperation in which the bolt and the receiving means block the wheel of the bicycle.

2. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the housing is attached to the tube assembly, preferably at a front stay or rear stay.

3. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means define at least a space for receiving therein the latch in the blocking state.

4. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means are arranged at a wheel, preferably the rear wheel, further preferably wherein the receiving means are formed by a fixed part of the wheel suitable for restraining the bolt, such as an opening in a brake disc.

5. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means are formed and/or part of the lock provided receiving member or receiving assembly.

6. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the receiving member is formed by a ring or disk mounted to the wheel or wherein the receiving member comprises openings and/or recesses for receiving the bolt, preferably wherein the openings and/or recesses are provided with tapered walls.

7. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the latch is a sliding latch or a cantilever latch.

8. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising bolt actuation means for actuating the bolt, such as from and/or to the blocking state.

9. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising latch actuation means for actuating the latch, such as from and/or to the latching state.

10. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising a latch blocking assembly for keeping the latch blocked in the latching position, preferably comprising an electric actuator, further preferably comprising a solenoid, further preferably a solenoid in magnetic operation with a magnet, further preferably wherein an actuation pin of the solenoid is provided with a ball of a reversible magnetic field for the purpose of attracting or repelling the magnet.

11. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising a latch unblocking assembly for moving the latch out of the latching position, preferably comprising an electric actuator, further preferably comprising an electric motor, further preferably comprising a rotation motor with a latch actuating cam.

12. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising a state sensor, preferably formed as a switch, for perceiving whether the latch is in the blocking state, wherein further preferably the state sensor is connectable with a control unit of the bicycle for the purpose of receiving a status signal of the state sensor by the control unit.

13. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising positioning means, such as a positioning pin for keeping the bolt out of the blocking state, preferably for positioning the bolt in an opened position.

14. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the bolt is removable from the channel.

15. The bicycle lock according to claim 14, wherein the lock is removable from the housing and attached to an attachment cable for attaching the bicycle to a thereto suitable fixed element, such as a pole, lamp post, ring that is mounted to a façade, fencing and/or parking device for a bicycle.

16. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the housing is arranged in, is arrangeable in or is part of a tube element of the bicycle, preferably a stay of the bicycle, further preferably a rear stay, further preferably a rear under stay of the bicycle.

17. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising an actuation surface, such as an actuation plate, for actuation of the bolt by means of pushing or kicking against it, which actuation surface is preferably arrangeable at the housing and/or a stay of the tube assembly, such as a front stay, or rear, or a rear under stay.

18. The bicycle lock according to claim 17, wherein the actuation surface, such as the actuation plate, is hingedly mounted to the housing and/or the stay, and/or is provided with a sliding mounting and/or is provided with spring means for a resilient arrangement relative to the tube assembly.

19. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising a knob with a knob surface attached to the bolt covering for providing an operability to the bolt by means of the knob surface, wherein preferably the knob surface has an elongated shape in a substantially aligned direction with the rear stay, rear under stay and/or the housing, further preferably with a length that is bigger than half the length of the housing, further preferably bigger than two thirds of the housing, further preferably bigger than three quarters of the housing, further preferably bigger than the length of the housing, such as for example 1 and a half to 2 times the length of the housing.

20. The bicycle lock according to claim 19, wherein the knob comprises guide means for guiding thereof relative tube assembly at the location of the arrangement of the knob.

21. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means are formed by a substantially disc-shaped member with yielding elements for yielding the pressure of the balls while moving the bolt to the blocking state and are substantially shape fixed in the pressure of the bolt in any direction of the plane of the disc; wherein the yieldable elements are preferably embodied as flange segments suitable for yielding out of the plane of the disc under pressure of the bolt and with a fixed form under pressure of the bolt in the plane of the disc; and/or wherein the yieldable elements are mountable yieldably to the receiving member.

22. The bicycle lock according to claim 1, wherein the receiving member is formed comprising a receiving disc that is movable relative to the wheel, such as rotatable, such as for receiving of the bolt, comprising at least one cam, or a number of cams, for near the surface of the disc, between the cams the finding of the state of cooperation or a receiving space for the bolt, further preferably wherein the at least one cam, or the number of cams, is provided with a pointy agent or a narrow upper surface, further preferably provided with a bearing disc for bearing of the receiving disc, comprising the guiding means, such as fire means for providing of the moveability or the rotatability of the receiving disc.

23. An endpiece of a tube element comprising a space for receiving and/or locking in of a bicycle lock according to claim 1.

24. A ring or disc for cooperating with a bicycle lock according to claim 1, further comprising openings and/or recesses for receiving of the latch, further preferably wherein the openings and/or recesses are provided with tapered walls.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Further advantages, features and details of the present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of a description of one or more preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Similar yet not necessarily identical parts of different preferred embodiments may be indicated with the same reference numerals.

[0035] FIG. 1 relates to an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 2 relates to a schematic representation inside view of the preferred embodiment according to relative to a wheel hub with a break disc.

[0037] FIG. 3 relates to two representations in perspective view of the preferred embodiments according to a FIG. 1.

[0038] FIG. 4 relates to two representations inside view of a detail of the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 1

[0039] FIG. 5 relates to two representations in perspective view of a further detail of the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 1.

[0040] FIG. 6 relates to an exploded perspective view of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 7 relates to a schematic representation inside view of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 8 relates to two views of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 9 relates to three views of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 10 relates to a view of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 11 relates to a view of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] A first preferred embodiment (FIG. 1) according to the present invention relates to a bicycle lock. A first preferred embodiment (FIG. 1-FIG. 5) according to the present invention relates to a bicycle lock that is integrated in an end part of a rear bottom stay 2 of a bicycle. The bicycle lock comprises a housing 3 with therein a through opening 4 for a bolt 5.

[0047] The bolt 5 serves the purpose of being received in receiving means, such as embodied here by means of recesses 6 in a disk 7 that is mounted to a disc brake S. Alternatively, a disc brake that is firm enough could serve the purpose of receiving the bolt. At an operable end, the latch is provided with a button 11 with which the bolt is operated by pushing by means of the hand or the foot of the user of the bicycle. In case the bolt is pushed in into a recess of the disc, the wheel of the bicycle is blocked against rotating and therewith the bicycle is locked.

[0048] For the purpose of keeping the bolt 5 in the blocking state, a solenoid 12 is provided with a solenoid pin 13 that is movable in a direction of the arrow A. The solenoid is controlled from a control unit of the bicycle for unlocking of the lock from the locked state such as is shown in FIG. 4 A. The latch moves in the direction of the arrow B. The latch is under bias from a spring 14 in order to urge the bolt in the blocking state when under this bias.

[0049] In the locked state of the lock, the latch blocks a tapered surface 51 of the bolt such that it is locked in the blocking state. In the open state, the tip 17 of the latch 16 is located at the location of the positioning slot 52 of the tip 53 of the bolt 5.

[0050] For opening of the lock, it is both required that the solenoid transitions to the state according to FIG. 4 B, and that the user rotates the wheel such that the tapered surfaces 8 of the recesses 6 urge the bolt to the opened state. To this end, the tapered surfaces 8 of the recesses interact with the tapered surface 55 of the tip 53 of the bolt. This is only possible when the control unit of the bicycle transfers the solenoid to the state according to FIG. 4 B. The solenoid interacts with the magnet 15 by means of generating a magnetic field that is directed at attracting of the magnet in the blocked state and directed at repelling of the magnet in the open state.

[0051] Furthermore, the lock has positioning means for keeping the bolt in the opened state. These positioning means comprise a pin 21 that is under bias of a spring 22 for pushing into a slot 52 of the tip of the bolt 5. With this, it is prevented that the bolt moves to the locking state without intention.

[0052] A switch 41 is switched by the pin 21 by means of the blade spring 42. The switch 42 serves the purpose of informing the central processing unit of the bicycle of a status of the lock. The position of the pin 21 indicates whether the bolt is in the blocking state in which the pin extends to the surface 54 of the bolt, or that the bolt is in the open state in which the pin extends in slot 52 of the tip of the bolt.

[0053] The bolt has a marker ring 19 that more clearly indicates in a visible manner to the user that the lock is in the open state and that the bolt is in the slid out state.

[0054] The cable 17 serves the purpose of communicating with the control unit of the bicycle and provides a control of the solenoid and a signal relating to the state of the switch by means of four wire kernels. With the information relating to the status of the lock, the control unit is capable of switching on and off of an alarm while taking into account this information as well as information relating to a contact lock function of the control unit itself. It is also provided that the control unit activates the solenoid when the bicycle has a predetermined speed, such as 3 km/h in order to prevent that the lock gets blocked in the blocking state by accidentally touching of the bolt during driving or movement of the bicycle. The housing has a through opening 47 at the bottom side thereof for draining moisture. Furthermore, the lock has sealing rings 58, 59 for preventing of entry of such moisture.

[0055] The preferred embodiment according to FIG. 6 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1-5 in that the bolt is removable from the housing and mountable to a chain 61. With this, the lock, and therewith the bicycle, is fastenable to an object, such as a pole, fencing or bicycle support, such as a staple.

[0056] In the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 7, the latch 71 is embodied as a cantilever latch for latching of the bolt. For the purpose of operating of the cantilever latch, a motor 73 is provided that drives cam 75 by means of a tapering for appropriately moving of the cam for releasing of the bolt. Also here, a switch 79 is provided that serves the purpose of a sensor for the purpose of the control unit of the bicycle for passing through to it of a status. The switch is actuated by means of a cam 78 that pushes against a spring 76.

[0057] FIG. 8 relates to a preferred embodiment in which the receiving means are embodied as a disk with yieldable flange parts 81. The flange parts 81 are embodied such that these yield under pressure of the bolt 5 when it is actuated perpendicularly to the disk. In the rotational direction of the disk, the flange parts are substantially rigid and these are restrained by the bolt. With this, it is advantageously realized that the bolt is actuable in each rotational position of the disk wherein at any point one or mostly two of the flange parts 81 are urged to yield by the bolt. A purpose of conceiving this embodiment is that it was advantageously achieved that the rotational position of the disk poses no hindrance to actuating of the lock and there with locking of the lock.

[0058] In a similar manner, the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 9 is conceived. In this preferred embodiment, the disk 7 is provided with very narrow cams 8. Because the cams are very narrow, a very narrow contact surface or contact volume is present for touching of the bolt when the same is actuated. Furthermore, the disk is rotatable relative to a support disk 91, which support disk 91 is mountable to the disk brake S or to a hub of the wheel, in a similar manner as the above preferred embodiments. The cam disk 7 can rotate relative to the, to the brake disc mounted, support disk over an angle of several degrees, such as 10-15°. Biasing means 92, 93 are optionally provided for keeping in a central position of the cam disk relative to the support disk.

[0059] A preferred embodiment according to FIG. 10 provides a large actuation surface 101 for the bolt 5. This actuation surface is positionable under bias of a spring 102. The actuation serve as optionally provided with a curved bottom side for extending under the stay for providing of a contact friendly tap against surface.

[0060] Alternatively, according to FIG. 11, and operating button 111 for the bolt is provided with a large tap against surface. This operating button is also provided for a relatively large ease of use for the user of the bicycle lock.

[0061] The present invention is described in the foregoing on the basis of preferred embodiments. Different aspects of different embodiments are expressly considered disclosed in combination with each other and in all combinations that on the basis of this document, when read by a skilled person of the area of skill, fall within the scope of the invention or are deemed to be read with the disclosure of this document. These preferred embodiments are not limitative for the scope of protection of this document. The rights sought are defined in the appended claims.