EXTERNAL CABLE CONTROLLER FOR HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE SEAT POST

Description

The present invention is a Continuation-In-Part application of applicant's former patent application Ser. No. 18/420,772, filed on Jan. 24, 2024.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Fields of the Invention

2. Descriptions of Related Art

Traditional adjustment of seat posts for bicycles and the like is performed by operating the seat post directly for adjustment, and this adjustment method is very inconvenient. Some developers develop an external controller for a height-adjustable seat post, allowing users to easily control the raising and lowering of the height-adjustable seat post, solving the inconvenience of the traditional adjustment method. However, the existing external controllers for height-adjustable seat posts rely too heavily on circuit systems in their design. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2025/0100638A1 discloses components 1900, 2400, etc. in the patent drawings, which are electronically controlled external controllers. This type of control method has the disadvantage of relying on electrical power and circuit systems, resulting in complex structures, high costs, and being prone to damage.

Therefore, there is a need to develop a new technical solution to solve the above problems.

The present invention intends to provide an external cable controller for a height-adjustable seat post to eliminate shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an external cable controller for a height-adjustable seat post, which, through designing an external cable controller for a height-adjustable seat post, has the advantages of simple component processing, easy installation, and stable structure compared to the prior art. It also has many advantages such as tool-free installation, the built-in cable being securely clamped at the control end, strong locking stability, easy maintenance and adjustment, and does not require reliance on electrical power or circuit systems in actual use.

The present invention provides an external cable controller for a height-adjustable seat post and is disposed at an end outside the height-adjustable seat post, comprises a connection tube having a first chamber extending vertically therethrough and a first connection thread. A limiting member is laterally disposed in the first chamber. A transmission element is movably disposed in the first chamber for vertical movement, and the transmission element is provided with a limiting groove corresponding to the limiting member. A built-in cable is disposed within a cable housing, and an upper end of the built-in cable protrudes from the cable housing. The upper end of the built-in cable is connected to the limiting member, and a lower end of the built-in cable extends to an exterior of the transmission element. A lower end of the transmission element is provided with an operation groove corresponding to an upper end of the cable housing. The upper end of the cable housing is provided with a cable cover cap, and the cable cover cap is positioned in the operation groove.

Preferably, the upper end of the built-in cable is provided with a pressing head. The limiting member is provided with an installation groove adapted to the pressing head. The pressing head is snap-fitted in the installation groove.

Preferably, the connection tube has a laterally disposed through hole. The limiting member is positioned in the connection tube from the through hole. The connection tube, the limiting member, and the transmission element are each provided with avoidance grooves for installing the built-in cable.

Preferably, a connecting member for connecting with a hydraulic rod is provided. The connecting member has a second connection thread to be connected to the first connection thread. The connection tube and the connecting member are connected to form a chamber. The chamber is in communication with an avoidance opening for insertion of a switch of the hydraulic rod.

Preferably, the first connection thread is an external thread, and the second connection thread is an internal thread.

Compared to the prior art, the present invention has obvious advantages and beneficial effects. Specifically, from the above technical solution, the external cable controller for a height-adjustable seat post of the present invention, which, compared to the prior art, has the advantages of simple component processing, easy installation, stable structure, and no need for an electrical power system. The present invention also has many advantages such as tool-free installation, the built-in cable being securely clamped at the control end, strong locking stability, and easy maintenance and adjustment.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view from another angle of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an applied cross-sectional view of the present invention, and

FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention.

It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed to” another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may also be intervening elements present. When an element is considered to be “connected” to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. The terms “vertical,” “horizontal,” “left,” “right,” and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term “and/or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the present invention is an external cable controller for a height-adjustable seat post, disposed at an end outside a height-adjustable seat post (hydraulic rod 90), and comprises a connection tube 10 having a first chamber 11 extending vertically therethrough and a first connection thread. A limiting member 30 is laterally (along a left-right direction) disposed in the first chamber 11. A transmission element 20 is movably disposed in the first chamber 11 for vertical movement, and the transmission element 20 is provided with a limiting groove 22 corresponding to the limiting member 30. A built-in cable 50 is disposed within a cable housing 40. An upper end of the built-in cable 50 protrudes from the cable housing 4. The upper end of the built-in cable 50 is connected to the limiting member 30, and a lower end of the built-in cable 50 extends to an exterior of the transmission element 20. A lower end of the transmission element 20 is provided with an operation groove 21 corresponding to an upper end of the cable housing 40.

Preferably, the upper end of the built-in cable 50 is provided with a pressing head 60. The limiting member 30 is provided with an installation groove 31 adapted to the pressing head 60, and the pressing head 60 is snap-fitted in the installation groove 31.

Preferably, the connection tube 10 has a laterally disposed through hole 12. The limiting member 30 is positioned in the connection tube 10 from the through hole 12. The connection tube 10, the limiting member 30, and the transmission element 20 are each provided with avoidance grooves for installing the built-in cable 50.

Preferably, an upper end of the cable housing 40 is provided with a cable cover cap 70, and the cable cover cap 70 is positioned in the operation groove 21 to protect the upper end of the cable housing 40 and increase its service life.

Preferably, a connecting member 80 for connecting with a hydraulic rod 90 is provided. The connecting member 80 has a second connection thread to be engaged with the first connection thread. The connection tube 10 and the connecting member 80 are connected to form a chamber 81. The chamber 81 is in communication with an avoidance opening 82 for insertion of a switch of the hydraulic rod 90.

Preferably, wherein the first connection thread is an external thread, and the second connection thread is an internal thread.

Typically, the built-in cable 50 can be a steel cable.

Before installation, the connecting member 80 is separately connected to the hydraulic rod 90.

• • Step 1: The transmission element 20 is assembled and placed into the connection tube 10 (the transmission element 20 and the connection tube 10 are in a loose-fit movable relationship), and the limiting groove of the transmission element 20 is aligned with the through hole 12 of the connection tube 10. Then the limiting member 30 is installed from the through hole 12, so that the limiting member 30 and the transmission element 20 are positioned in the connection tube 10. The avoidance grooves (built-in cable avoidance grooves) of the connection tube 10, the transmission element 20, and the limiting member 30 are aligned with each other, thereby completing the basic installation.
  • Step 2: The connection tube 10 is threadedly connected to the connecting member 80 on the hydraulic rod 90.
  • Step 3: The cable cover cap 70 is installed on the upper end portion of the cable housing 40 to protect the cable housing 40. The pressing head 60 is die-cast onto the upper end of the built-in cable 50, and the built-in cable 50 and the cable housing 40 are in a loose-fit movable relationship so as to form a control cable module.
  • Step 4: When installing on a vehicle for use, the control cable module is inserted along the openings of the avoidance grooves in step S1, and the pressing head 60 is snap-fitted in the limiting member 30, thereby completing the assembly.

During use, by pulling the built-in cable 50, the cable housing 40 pushes the transmission element 20 to move vertically, and the upper end of the transmission element 20 performs an opening and closing operation relative to the hydraulic rod 90, thereby completing the raising and lowering operation of the height-adjustable seat.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.