It is well-known that in a bicycle there are two parts which always project laterally, i. e. the arms of the handlebars and the pedals; in the case of bicycles for personal use, the arms of the handlebars undoubtedly project more than the pedals and occupy a notably large amount of space when it is required to transport the bicycle, for example in the boot of a car.

This fact has also been a major problem in the design of folding bicycles for transportation. In fact, even if the bicycle is provided with a hinge along the frame connecting together the two wheels, so that the two half-frames may be arranged on top of each other, the lateral projection of the two arms of the handlebars cannot be eliminated in any way.

The main object of the present invention is that of providing a set of folding handlebars in which the two arms of the handlebars may be arranged in two positions, i. e. an operating position and folded position, the first being the position normally used for steering the bicycle, while the second being the position where the two arms of the handlebars assume an arrangement substantially parallel to the frame of the bicycle.

Another-equally-important-object-of-the-present-invention-is -that-of- providing a set of folding handlebars of the aforementioned type, in which folding of the handlebars is performed in a simple and rapid manner, without the use of special tools and without modifying the position of the controls, such as the brake levers and/or gear-changing levers, which are mounted on the handlebars.

A further object of the present invention is that of providing a folding handlebar structure of the type indicated above which is suitable for any type of bicycle, i. e. both bicycles used for leisure purposes and racing bikes or mountain bikes.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by means of a handlebar structure comprising two tubular arms which are substantially aligned axially and which are equipped at their free ends with the normal brake and/or speed-changing control levers, said arms extending from a tube for mounting on the support column, characterized in that said tubular arms extend from a box- shaped body, inside which each of said arms is rigidly joined to a pinion mounted on a pin situated at a predefined distance from the axis of the said tubular arms, the two pinions being permanently meshed together so that said tubular arms, following rotation of the two pinions, pass from the operating condition where they aligned along a common axis into the folded condition where they are arranged substantially at right angles to their common axis, releasable means also being envisaged for temporarily locking the two tubular arms in the said operating condition.

As will appear more clearly from the detailed description which follows of a preferred embodiment (intended in any case to be a non-limiting example), by unlocking the said temporary locking means and causing rotation of the two arms with the associated pinions, the two arms are arranged in a condition such that they are parallel to each other and to the plane in which the handlebar support column and more generally the frame of the bicycle lies.

Vice versa, simple rotation of the two arms in the reverse direction causes operation of the locking means and return of the handlebar arms into the operating condition.

ILthe accompanying_rawing_ Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned and partially exploded side view of the handlebars according to the present invention along the plane indicated by I-I in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the plane indicated by II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a variation of embodiment; Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, which also shows the headlamp combined with the handlebars; Figs. 5 and 6 are views, similar to Figures 3 and 4, of a further variation of embodiment of the invention; Figs. 7 and 8 are views which show a partially sectioned view of the handlebars in two possible folded conditions joined to the associated column ; and Figs. 9 and 10 show a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention.

The handlebars comprises two arms-shown partially and indicated generally by the reference number 11-each consisting of a tubular element 10 terminating at the free end (not shown) in the usual gripping handle and with rings for mounting the brake and gear-changing levers.

The ends of the two tubular elements 10 can be fixed, in a releasable manner as described below, to a box-shaped casing or body 12 forming one piece with a bracket 14 provided with a hole 16 for mounting on the end of the handlebar support column, indicated generally in Fig. 7 and 8 by the reference number 18.

The ends of the two tubular elements 10 situated inside the box-shaped body 12 are rigidly constrained to two blocks 20 terminating in a portion 22 provided with teeth 24, such that these ends are comparable to a partial pinion.

The portions 22 are pivotably mounted on the box-shaped body 12 by means of pins 26 and the box-shaped body has corresponding openings for allowing rotation of the blocks 20 and the tubular elements 10, together with the blocks, about the pins 26.

As clearly shown in the figures, the teeth 24 of the two terminal portions gether so that the rotation of the two blocks takes place and must be performed simultaneously and through an identical angle.

A device comprising a ring 28 is envisaged for releasably locking each arm 11 to the box-shaped body, said locking action keeping the handlebars in the operating condition and therefore the two arms axially aligned, said ring having its external surface tapered with a frustoconical tapering 30 able to co-operate with a corresponding tapered portion 32 of the opening in the box-shaped body 12.

In the left-hand part of Fig. 1, it can be clearly seen how engagement between the frustoconical surfaces 30 and 32 keeps the two arms 11 of the handlebars in the axially aligned position..

The ring 20 has an internal hole with a diameter such that it may be slidably mounted on the tubular element 10, and, internally, a stepped part 34 defines a cylindrical seat 36 which houses a spring 38 which is kept in position by a second ring 40 able to slide on the outside of the tubular element 10, but inside the seat 36 of the ring 28.

In order to lock the ring 40 with respect to the tubular element 10, it is possible to envisage for example a transverse pin (passing for example through two diametrically opposite holes 42 of the ring 40), said pin having its ends flush with the external surface of the ring 40.

Referring to Fig. 1, it can be readily appreciated how, by gripping the two arms 11 and operating the two rings 28 so as to pull them against the action of the springs 38 until the frustoconical portions 30 and 32 are disengaged, it is possible to rotate the two arms and, together therewith, the blocks 20 about the respective pins 26 so as to bring the two arms into the positions shown in broken lines in Fig.

1.

The exactly reverse operation instead allows the two arms 11 to be brought back into the axially aligned position and hence the handlebars into the operating condition.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the bracket 14 is not formed as one <BR> <BR> piece-w-ith thebox-shaped body<2, butJlxed thereto bymeans_otalugGL8aith a circular form which co-operates with a lug 44, which also has a circular form, the two lugs being joined together by means of a pin 46.

It is obvious how joining together of the two lugs 44 and 48 depends on the orientation of the box-shaped body 12 with respect to the axis of the hole 16 and hence the axis of the column 18.

Figures 7 and 8 show two different arrangements of the lugs 44 and 46, so that in the case of Fig. 7 the two arms 1 are folded in a substantially horizontal plane which is nearly at right angles to the axis of the column 18, while in the case of Fig. 8 folding of the two arms 11 is performed so that the arms in the folded condition are arranged substantially parallel to the axis of the column 18 and in any case directed vertically downwards.

In Fig. 4 the constructional solution of Fig. 3 is shown with the addition of the usual front lamp 50, which in this case is associated with the handlebars.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the variant shown therein differs from that shown in Fig. 3 in that a connecting piece 52 is arranged between the circular lug 44 of the box-shaped body 12 and the circular lug 48 of the bracket 14, both the lugs being pivotably hinged with said connecting piece about pins 54 and 56, thus achieving greater ease of orientation of the handlebars and its box-shaped body as well as, ultimately, its arms 11, with respect to the plane of the bicycle frame and in particular with respect to the axis of the column 18.

In this way the handlebars of the present invention may be used for racing bikes having the characteristic handlebars with the two grips directed towards the rear, as well as for other types of bicycles.

The invention has been described in relation to a preferred embodiment, it being understood that conceptually and mechanically equivalent modifications and variants are possible and may be envisaged without departing from the scope thereof.

In particular it is worth noting that, instead of the connecting blocks 20 provided with ends toothed in the manner of a pinion, it is also possible and feasible to use large-size pinions, with the arms 11 fixed rigidly not to the centre, buttojthe-penpheryLtheieof.

In other words, the necessary condition is that the points of rotation of the two arms 11, which are identified in the embodiments illustrated by the pins 26, are situated at a distance from the common axis of the two arms when they are in the operating condition.

This solution is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 where, as far as possible, the same reference numbers as in the preceding figures have been used.

The box-shaped body 12 is mounted on the tube 18 of the handlebar support column in a manner known in the art and. is composed of two halves 12A and 12B which are fixed together by means of bolts 60.

The two arms 11 of the handlebars are rigidly fixed to the periphery of the pinions 64 which are pivotably mounted about the pins 66 and have their respective teeth permanently meshed. Openings 68 are formed in the box-shaped body and allow the rotation of the arms 11 together with the pinions 64 in the directions indicated in the Figure by the arrows F and F1.

It is particularly worth noting that the axes of rotation of the pinions 64 are situated at a predefined distance from the axis along which the two arms 11 are aligned in the operating condition of the handlebars. This distance is chosen so that by folding the arms by means of rotation of the pinions it is possible to arrange them at right angles to their initial position, while they would be splayed if the axes of rotation of the pinions were positioned along the axis of alignment of the arms 11.

The reference number 62 denotes a pin which may be engaged with one of a plurality of holes 70 so as to lock the respective pinion and together therewith the corresponding arm 11 in a desired angular position.

For this reason the holes 70 are arranged along a circumference centred about the axis of the pin 66.

The pin 62 may be associated with a spring or other device, not shown, but of the conventional type, which allows temporary disengagement thereof from the hole 70 so as to allow rotation of the pinions and the arms integrally therewith.

As regards the means for releasably locking the two arms to the box- <BR> <BR> shaped-body,-i-n-the-embodiment-sho_wn-simultaneaus_operatio n-thereofmay _ reliably performed in the case of the two arms.

However other solutions are possible and may be envisaged, such as for example spring-loaded pins which are integral with the arms and may be engaged in corresponding holes formed in a flat part of said box-shaped body, said holes being arranged at the two ends of the arc described by the arms of the handlebars during displacement between the two said positions.