Brake bell

Bastards, someone stole my idea …

I don’t have a bell on my bike because they look sort of poxy. But the other day I decided I could hide one inside the body of a brake lever.

A short google search later and I find some clowns actually filed a patent on this idea last year. Their first claim reads:

“A bicycle bell incorporating a handlebar-mounted-bicycle-brake-component comprising: a cable housing adapted to be operationally connected to a spring loaded brake lever wherein said cable housing is adapted to contain a bell drum; and wherein said spring loaded brake lever is adapted to contain a bell striker; and wherein said spring loaded brake lever is to exert a force such that when the rider releases said spring loaded brake lever said bell striker is caused to ring said bell drum of said bicycle bell.”

Now there is a difference between their idea and mine – they have incorporated a bell but they haven’t hidden it. Their motivation was cost and safety not aesthetics.

In any case, I can’t imagine spending money on patenting a device that the Chinese could knock off in about 3 milliseconds.