CA2165764A1 - Bicycle reflecting device - Google Patents
Bicycle reflecting deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA2165764A1 CA2165764A1 CA002165764A CA2165764A CA2165764A1 CA 2165764 A1 CA2165764 A1 CA 2165764A1 CA 002165764 A CA002165764 A CA 002165764A CA 2165764 A CA2165764 A CA 2165764A CA 2165764 A1 CA2165764 A1 CA 2165764A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- core material
- retroflective
- bicycle
- spokes
- core
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
- B60B7/00—Wheel cover discs, rings, or the like, for ornamenting, protecting, venting, or obscuring, wholly or in part, the wheel body, rim, hub, or tyre sidewall, e.g. wheel cover discs, wheel cover discs with cooling fins
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62J—CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS
- B62J6/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices on cycles; Mounting or supporting thereof; Circuits therefor
- B62J6/20—Arrangement of reflectors, e.g. on the wheel spokes ; Lighting devices mounted on wheel spokes
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)
Abstract
A reflective display device which is mounted to the spokes of a bicycle wheel or the like.
This invention utilizes a circular retroflective device comprised of a core material and a reflective material which is bonded to the exterior surface of the core material. The retroflective device is attached to the wheel spokes by mounting means and is adapted for demountable mounting about the bicycle spoke.
This invention utilizes a circular retroflective device comprised of a core material and a reflective material which is bonded to the exterior surface of the core material. The retroflective device is attached to the wheel spokes by mounting means and is adapted for demountable mounting about the bicycle spoke.
Description
C~ 21 65764 FIELD OF INVENTION:
This invention relates to the atla~;hll ,ent of retroflective devices to the spoked wheels of a bicycle 11 ,ereb~ increasing the visibility of the bicycle in twilight and evening conditions.
This embodiment ei"~l,asi,es the aspect of bicyciing safety as it relates to the sport of bicycling.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION:
The field of invention pertains to the general area of bicycling safety. Retroflective materials have been used extensively in the past as a means of pro",oting pedestrian and vehicle safety. Ret,or~llective s~ sl~nces have been used in a variety of fashions and applications when these devices are subjected to sources of illumination such as automobile headlights and lighting from various origins. It is well known that retroflective materials are widely used in a variety of applications involving vehicle and pedestrian traffic. These materials promote safety by improving the visibility of objects which are illu",.."aled by other sources of light.
Various r6ne~;ti~/e apparatuses have been utilized in the known prior art for providing retroflective illumination for safety p~ oses.
Such known art sets forth a system in which a reflective material is permanently secured to the wall of the bicycle tire. Bicycle tires with atlacl,ed illumination r"aterial can be expensive.
Additional known art sets forth a system where illumination is achieved through side mounted r~lle~lo, s which are adapled for mounting to the wheel spokes. Many of these systems are rather limited since these reflectors are confined to the dispelxion of the reflected light over a limited area. In effect a person has to be sihl~ted at an angle which is pe"~endicular to the reflective plane of the effective reflector surface of the reflector to receive the full benefit of the illumination effect. In a normal cycling action the cyclist travels in a variety of d;r~tiGns and ll ,er~fore the retroflected image is generally degraded as the intended observers are moved away from the pr~fer, ed angular range of the mounted r~le~;tor. These systems require mounting means or ,nechanical hardware.
It is an object of this invention to provide a need for a new and improved bicycle reflector oryar,i~ation which addlesses the previous known art problems of ease of use and ~1--effectiveness. The p(oposed embodiment fulfills the need for an efficient and economical bicycle reflection system.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION:
In view of the forego.. ,g known art disadvantages the present e")bodiment will address the disadvantages of the previously known systems wherein the same provides a device to be mounted to the bicycle spGl~s to enhance the visibility of the bicycle. It is known that the need for such a device is great owing to the rapid increase in the desire to mount reflector assel"blies on cycle spokes to improve the visibility of the cyclist at night. To acco"",lish this goal the proposed embodiment presents a structure that will be mounted to the bicycle spokes which will enhance the visibility of the bicycle regardless of the angle of illumination upon which the bicycle will be subjected. The general purpose of this new and useful invention which will be des~ibed in greater detail is to furnish a new reflector system which will encol"pass all of the new e"~l,od; "ent advanlages and none of the previous system disadvantages.
To achieve this goal my invention will provide an illumination system which consists of in conjunction with the spokes of a bicycle wheel an elongated circular apparalus which is co"",rised of a core "~alerial wherein this core material is bonded to a reflective material.
This reflective s~ st~- ,ce will due to the configuration and shape of the core " ,dlerial improve the visibilitv of the bicycle from all angles. The reflective device is made from ine,~pensive ",dler;31s and can be readily manufactured using simple manufacturing tecl"~i~ues and cost-effective processes.
This invention provides a simple installation procedure which does not require any normal or sp~ci~' tools and can be mounted to the wheel spokes with a mini",al of difficulty.
The n~aler;als ~tili~ed in the new e"lbodi",enl are durable and stable and which can function in the specified n,anner in various environrnenlal situations.
It is an object of this invention to provide a vehicle reflector system which will allow the lete-1ion of a cyclist s bicycle from a multitude of angles and positions.
It is anotl,er object of this invention to provide a co"""odily which is simple to install and which requires no simple or specialized tools.
~,_ {- 21 65764 It is yet anott,er object of this invention to provide a reflective system which is lra"srer,able and po, lable. The retroflective device can be easily removed from a cycling vehicle and replaced onto a"otl ,er.
It is still yet an.~tl ,er object of this invention to provide a situation where the cyclist can readily move the reflective devices to various locations on the spokes and can also determine the lengths and colours of each reflective figure.
It is still yet ar,-tl~er additio,lal object of this invention is to provide a ret,orerlective collllllodity which can be e~nG"Iically manufactured in a cost-effective "~ar")er thereby ",~h:ng such an enha"ced ret,or~le~ti~/e device econol"irally available to the consumer.
In acco, da"ce with these and other objects which will be a~ dl ~nl herci. ,~fler the invention will now be described with particular r~rerence to the accor"panying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS:
The el~lbGuimenl of the new invention will now be desc,iLecl with reference to the acc~"",a"yingdrawv;ngs of which:
FIG. 1 is a cross se~;tiGn pe,specti~e view of the new invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged overall per~pecti~/e view of the r~fle~ti"g device.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention as applied to the wheel spokes.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the er"bodi",enl of the invention as applied to the various reflector options which can be utilized with the new invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
As shom in FIG. 1 the core material 1 bonded to the ret,urene~;ti~/e sheeting malerial 2.
The bonding adhesive is applied over the core material 1 which will secure the retroflective "~lerial 2 to the core l"dterial 1. The core ",dlerial and rene~;ti~/e material asse"~bly is shown as it is co"ne~ted to the wheel spoke 3. As shown in FIG. 1 the cross sections of the core ",dterial 1 and the r~trorene~;ti~/e rnat~rial 2 shows that the contour is rather circular in form.
This configuration will exploit the ability of the retroflective "~aterial 2 to reflect light over a large viewing angle. This angle will er,compass a circular viewing range of 360 degrees as viewed from the known positions of vehicles on a roadway. As per FIG. 1 the width of the longitudinal channel in core material 1 which extends through the total length of the retroflective device has been c hosen to provide an appropriate degree of inte, rerence between the cl ,annel and the e,clerior dia, I leter of the spoke 3. The core material 1 has an exterl lal radius at the leading edge of the longitudinal opening which will facilitate an ease of entry of the core l,late,ial onto and over the spokes 3. Generally the spoke widths vary in dia,neter ll,ererore the width of the elongated slot in core material 1 shall be chosen as to have a width which is app'opriate for slidable e, Igage,,lenl and which is consistent with the degree of i"le, rerence that will not depart from the range and scope of the proposed invention.
FIG. 2 shows the full length of the retroflector device as it asse"l~le d onto the spoke 3 within the wheel asse"lbly. Suitable "laterials for core material 1 embody semi-rigid pla~tics which will resist d;slol lion and tvlisliny thereby allowing the core rnalerial to retain its designated shape and to provide a sl-~st~llial and firm grip over the bicycle spokes 3. The ,et,~neu1i~/e ",dterial 2 s~le~1ed will provide a high r~f,a~ti~/e index and it will be capable of withstanding the various envi,unnlental condilions to which it will be subjected.
FIG. 3 shows the wheel assembly 4. Wheel 4 co"l~rises a plurality of spokes 3. The retlor~llecti~e device is assembled to the spokes 3. The inle, rerence created by the inlen ,al longitudinal aperture of the core mdlerial 1 holds the malerial around the spokes 3. As an option the core ,ndterial may be ce,~,enled to the spokes 3 with an appropriate adhesive to prevent theft of the devices from the spokes.
FIG. 4 shows the wheel asse,l~bly 4. This view illusl,dtes some of the options which this embodiment can provide. The retrorerle~ti~/e devices can be easily cut to any dinlelllsiûned length and in this illuslraliull it is shown that three dirrerenl sized lengths can be adapted to each spoke 3. This option allows the cyclist to customize the reflective devices to various lengths and also to utilize reflective devices of dirrerenl colours and quantities. In accorda, Ice with the Fig. 1 speciri~liol ,s this option will still provide a 360 deyree viewing angle to all vehicular traffic. This selection will not degrade the safety aspect of the proposed invention it will provide the cyclist with the option of mix and matching dirrerenl retror~lective colours.
~ 21 65764 My invention resides not in any particular feature but rather in the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed.
The invention has been shown and described herein in what has been considered to be the most practical and prefer,ed embodiment. It is recoyni~ed that .;hanyes and mo.liric~lior,s may be made to meet specific requirements and such changes may be made without depa, ling from the scope and spirit of the invention.
This invention relates to the atla~;hll ,ent of retroflective devices to the spoked wheels of a bicycle 11 ,ereb~ increasing the visibility of the bicycle in twilight and evening conditions.
This embodiment ei"~l,asi,es the aspect of bicyciing safety as it relates to the sport of bicycling.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION:
The field of invention pertains to the general area of bicycling safety. Retroflective materials have been used extensively in the past as a means of pro",oting pedestrian and vehicle safety. Ret,or~llective s~ sl~nces have been used in a variety of fashions and applications when these devices are subjected to sources of illumination such as automobile headlights and lighting from various origins. It is well known that retroflective materials are widely used in a variety of applications involving vehicle and pedestrian traffic. These materials promote safety by improving the visibility of objects which are illu",.."aled by other sources of light.
Various r6ne~;ti~/e apparatuses have been utilized in the known prior art for providing retroflective illumination for safety p~ oses.
Such known art sets forth a system in which a reflective material is permanently secured to the wall of the bicycle tire. Bicycle tires with atlacl,ed illumination r"aterial can be expensive.
Additional known art sets forth a system where illumination is achieved through side mounted r~lle~lo, s which are adapled for mounting to the wheel spokes. Many of these systems are rather limited since these reflectors are confined to the dispelxion of the reflected light over a limited area. In effect a person has to be sihl~ted at an angle which is pe"~endicular to the reflective plane of the effective reflector surface of the reflector to receive the full benefit of the illumination effect. In a normal cycling action the cyclist travels in a variety of d;r~tiGns and ll ,er~fore the retroflected image is generally degraded as the intended observers are moved away from the pr~fer, ed angular range of the mounted r~le~;tor. These systems require mounting means or ,nechanical hardware.
It is an object of this invention to provide a need for a new and improved bicycle reflector oryar,i~ation which addlesses the previous known art problems of ease of use and ~1--effectiveness. The p(oposed embodiment fulfills the need for an efficient and economical bicycle reflection system.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION:
In view of the forego.. ,g known art disadvantages the present e")bodiment will address the disadvantages of the previously known systems wherein the same provides a device to be mounted to the bicycle spGl~s to enhance the visibility of the bicycle. It is known that the need for such a device is great owing to the rapid increase in the desire to mount reflector assel"blies on cycle spokes to improve the visibility of the cyclist at night. To acco"",lish this goal the proposed embodiment presents a structure that will be mounted to the bicycle spokes which will enhance the visibility of the bicycle regardless of the angle of illumination upon which the bicycle will be subjected. The general purpose of this new and useful invention which will be des~ibed in greater detail is to furnish a new reflector system which will encol"pass all of the new e"~l,od; "ent advanlages and none of the previous system disadvantages.
To achieve this goal my invention will provide an illumination system which consists of in conjunction with the spokes of a bicycle wheel an elongated circular apparalus which is co"",rised of a core "~alerial wherein this core material is bonded to a reflective material.
This reflective s~ st~- ,ce will due to the configuration and shape of the core " ,dlerial improve the visibilitv of the bicycle from all angles. The reflective device is made from ine,~pensive ",dler;31s and can be readily manufactured using simple manufacturing tecl"~i~ues and cost-effective processes.
This invention provides a simple installation procedure which does not require any normal or sp~ci~' tools and can be mounted to the wheel spokes with a mini",al of difficulty.
The n~aler;als ~tili~ed in the new e"lbodi",enl are durable and stable and which can function in the specified n,anner in various environrnenlal situations.
It is an object of this invention to provide a vehicle reflector system which will allow the lete-1ion of a cyclist s bicycle from a multitude of angles and positions.
It is anotl,er object of this invention to provide a co"""odily which is simple to install and which requires no simple or specialized tools.
~,_ {- 21 65764 It is yet anott,er object of this invention to provide a reflective system which is lra"srer,able and po, lable. The retroflective device can be easily removed from a cycling vehicle and replaced onto a"otl ,er.
It is still yet an.~tl ,er object of this invention to provide a situation where the cyclist can readily move the reflective devices to various locations on the spokes and can also determine the lengths and colours of each reflective figure.
It is still yet ar,-tl~er additio,lal object of this invention is to provide a ret,orerlective collllllodity which can be e~nG"Iically manufactured in a cost-effective "~ar")er thereby ",~h:ng such an enha"ced ret,or~le~ti~/e device econol"irally available to the consumer.
In acco, da"ce with these and other objects which will be a~ dl ~nl herci. ,~fler the invention will now be described with particular r~rerence to the accor"panying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS:
The el~lbGuimenl of the new invention will now be desc,iLecl with reference to the acc~"",a"yingdrawv;ngs of which:
FIG. 1 is a cross se~;tiGn pe,specti~e view of the new invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged overall per~pecti~/e view of the r~fle~ti"g device.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention as applied to the wheel spokes.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the er"bodi",enl of the invention as applied to the various reflector options which can be utilized with the new invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
As shom in FIG. 1 the core material 1 bonded to the ret,urene~;ti~/e sheeting malerial 2.
The bonding adhesive is applied over the core material 1 which will secure the retroflective "~lerial 2 to the core l"dterial 1. The core ",dlerial and rene~;ti~/e material asse"~bly is shown as it is co"ne~ted to the wheel spoke 3. As shown in FIG. 1 the cross sections of the core ",dterial 1 and the r~trorene~;ti~/e rnat~rial 2 shows that the contour is rather circular in form.
This configuration will exploit the ability of the retroflective "~aterial 2 to reflect light over a large viewing angle. This angle will er,compass a circular viewing range of 360 degrees as viewed from the known positions of vehicles on a roadway. As per FIG. 1 the width of the longitudinal channel in core material 1 which extends through the total length of the retroflective device has been c hosen to provide an appropriate degree of inte, rerence between the cl ,annel and the e,clerior dia, I leter of the spoke 3. The core material 1 has an exterl lal radius at the leading edge of the longitudinal opening which will facilitate an ease of entry of the core l,late,ial onto and over the spokes 3. Generally the spoke widths vary in dia,neter ll,ererore the width of the elongated slot in core material 1 shall be chosen as to have a width which is app'opriate for slidable e, Igage,,lenl and which is consistent with the degree of i"le, rerence that will not depart from the range and scope of the proposed invention.
FIG. 2 shows the full length of the retroflector device as it asse"l~le d onto the spoke 3 within the wheel asse"lbly. Suitable "laterials for core material 1 embody semi-rigid pla~tics which will resist d;slol lion and tvlisliny thereby allowing the core rnalerial to retain its designated shape and to provide a sl-~st~llial and firm grip over the bicycle spokes 3. The ,et,~neu1i~/e ",dterial 2 s~le~1ed will provide a high r~f,a~ti~/e index and it will be capable of withstanding the various envi,unnlental condilions to which it will be subjected.
FIG. 3 shows the wheel assembly 4. Wheel 4 co"l~rises a plurality of spokes 3. The retlor~llecti~e device is assembled to the spokes 3. The inle, rerence created by the inlen ,al longitudinal aperture of the core mdlerial 1 holds the malerial around the spokes 3. As an option the core ,ndterial may be ce,~,enled to the spokes 3 with an appropriate adhesive to prevent theft of the devices from the spokes.
FIG. 4 shows the wheel asse,l~bly 4. This view illusl,dtes some of the options which this embodiment can provide. The retrorerle~ti~/e devices can be easily cut to any dinlelllsiûned length and in this illuslraliull it is shown that three dirrerenl sized lengths can be adapted to each spoke 3. This option allows the cyclist to customize the reflective devices to various lengths and also to utilize reflective devices of dirrerenl colours and quantities. In accorda, Ice with the Fig. 1 speciri~liol ,s this option will still provide a 360 deyree viewing angle to all vehicular traffic. This selection will not degrade the safety aspect of the proposed invention it will provide the cyclist with the option of mix and matching dirrerenl retror~lective colours.
~ 21 65764 My invention resides not in any particular feature but rather in the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed.
The invention has been shown and described herein in what has been considered to be the most practical and prefer,ed embodiment. It is recoyni~ed that .;hanyes and mo.liric~lior,s may be made to meet specific requirements and such changes may be made without depa, ling from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims (6)
1. A retroreflective display device and comprising. a core material; and a retroflective material.
2. The core material of claim 1, wherein the core material has a substantial circular shape.
3. The core material of claim 1, wherein the core material has a longitudinally slotted aperture the aperture being capable of receiving a spoke member.
4. The core material of claim 3, wherein the core material whose aperture width is slightly less than the associated thickness of the said spoke member.
5. The retroflective material of claim 1, wherein the said retroflective material is adhered to the exterior surface of the said core material by adhesive means.
6. The retroflective display device of claim 1 wherein the device is assembled to the said spokes of a wheel-type bicycle.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002165764A CA2165764A1 (en) | 1995-12-20 | 1995-12-20 | Bicycle reflecting device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002165764A CA2165764A1 (en) | 1995-12-20 | 1995-12-20 | Bicycle reflecting device |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2165764A1 true CA2165764A1 (en) | 1997-06-21 |
Family
ID=4157202
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002165764A Abandoned CA2165764A1 (en) | 1995-12-20 | 1995-12-20 | Bicycle reflecting device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2165764A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2003064240A1 (en) * | 2002-01-31 | 2003-08-07 | Zabrakes Kathrin | Spoke and method for applying a self-adhesive film to a surface of a spoke |
-
1995
- 1995-12-20 CA CA002165764A patent/CA2165764A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2003064240A1 (en) * | 2002-01-31 | 2003-08-07 | Zabrakes Kathrin | Spoke and method for applying a self-adhesive film to a surface of a spoke |
| US7344259B2 (en) | 2002-01-31 | 2008-03-18 | Vasileios Zavrakis | Spoke and method for applying a self-adhesive film to a surface of a spoke |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |