Lockable quick release apparatus

Abstract

A lockable quick release mechanism is provided having a cam lever threaded onto a shaft which extends through and beyond a barrel nut, fitted in the cam lever so that it will provide interference with a padlock when locked. The cam lever has a lock hole for the padlock, and a curvature which, when locked, will stop the cam lever from being rotated more than a few degrees due to interference with the fork blade. A cam follower is provided on the shaft and has anti-rotation tabs, which fit into the clevis of the cam lever, and which engages the camming surface of the cam lever thereby preventing the cam lever from being rotated in the locked position due to the amount of friction between the cam follower and the fork tip. The cam follower is always biased by a spring against the camming surface to prevent a fork blade from being mis-positioned between the cam follower and the camming surface.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A lockable quick release apparatus comprising: 
       a cam lever comprising a camming surface, a handle, a lock hole for receiving a padlock and a pivot hole;  
       a cam follower which interacts with said camming surface of said lever;  
       a barrel nut pivotably fitted in said pivot hole;  
       a shaft having first and second threaded ends, said barrel nut being threaded on said first threaded end, and an adjuster nut threaded on said second threaded end; and  
       a spring which biases a cam follower into engagement with said cam lever;  
       wherein said shaft having an interference extension at said first threaded end so that when said cam lever is in a closed position, a padlock extending through said lock hole in said cam lever abuts said interference extension preventing said cam lever from moving to an open position.  
     
     
       2. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said quick release apparatus attaches to blades of a bicycle fork, a first blade being disposed adjacent an end of said cam follower, and a second blade being disposed adjacent said adjuster nut. 
     
     
       3. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said end of said cam follower and an end of said adjuster nut are knurled. 
     
     
       4. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said adjuster nut has a conical outer profile to inhibit interaction with a forcible gripping device. 
     
     
       5. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said cam follower has a through hole through which said shaft extends. 
     
     
       6. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said shaft comprises a shoulder for supporting and locating said spring. 
     
     
       7. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said through hole in said cam follower has a wider diameter portion for accommodating said spring. 
     
     
       8. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said cam follower further comprises a pair of anti-rotation tabs extending from an end of said cam follower facing said cam lever, 
       said cam lever having a slot, wherein said anti-rotation tabs are disposed in said slot to prevent rotation of said cam lever relative to said cam follower when in said locked position.  
     
     
       9. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said handle of said cam lever prevents said cam lever from rotating by abutting said first fork blade. 
     
     
       10. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said handle is curved so that said cam lever extends inward toward said adjuster nut to maximize an area of contact between said cam lever and said first fork blade. 
     
     
       11. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said cam lever further comprises a first cam stop and a second cam stop for engagement with said cam follower to limit the range of rotation of said cam lever relative to said cam follower. 
     
     
       12. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said adjuster nut has a groove formed in said conical outer surface, an o-ring being disposed in said groove to provide a gripping surface to turn said adjuster nut when said cam lever is in said open position. 
     
     
       13. A lockable quick release apparatus comprising: 
       a cam lever comprising a camming surface, a curved handle, a lock hole, a pivot hole and first and second cam stops;  
       a barrel nut pivotable  pivotably mounted in said pivot hole,  
       an adjuster nut having a threaded opening and a conical outer surface;  
       a cam follower which interacts with said camming surface of said cam lever, a through hole, said through hole having a wider diameter portion, a pair of anti-rotation tabs disposed on opposite sides of said through hole, said anti-rotation tabs engaging a slot formed in said camming surface to prevent rotation of said cam lever relative to said cam follower, when said cam lever is in a closed position;  
       a shaft having first and second threaded ends, said barrel nut being threaded on said first end and said adjuster nut being threaded on said second end, said shaft having a smaller diameter portion at said first end and a shoulder formed where said smaller diameter portion meets a remainder of said shaft; and  
       a spring for biasing said cam follower into engagement with said cam lever, said spring being disposed on said smaller diameter portion of said shaft and abutting said shoulder, said spring being further disposed in said wider diameter portion of said through hole in said cam follower,  
       said shaft further comprising an interference extension at said first threaded end so that when said cam lever is in said closed position, a lock extending through said lock hole in said cam lever abuts said interference extension preventing said cam lever from moving to an open position.  
     
     
       14. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said quick release apparatus attached to blades of a bicycle fork, a first blade being disposed adjacent an end of said cam follower, and a second blade being disposed adjacent said adjuster nut. 
     
     
       15. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said end of said cam follower and an end of said adjuster nut are knurled. 
     
     
       16. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 14  wherein said handle of said cam lever prevents said cam lever from rotating by abutting said first fork blade. 
     
     
       17. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said handle is curved so that said cam lever extends inward toward said adjuster nut to maximize an area of contact between said cam lever and said first fork blade. 
     
     
       18. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said adjuster nut has a groove formed in said conical outer surface, an o-ring being disposed in said groove to provide a gripping surface to turn said adjuster nut when said cam lever is in said open position. 
     
     
       19. A lockable quick release apparatus comprising: 
       a cam lever comprising a camming surface, a handle, and a pivot hole;  
       a cam follower which interacts with said camming surface of said cam lever;  
       a pivot fitted in said pivot hole;  
       a shaft having first and second ends, said cam lever being attached on an adjuster nut  the pivot attached on said second  first end; and  
       a spring which biases said cam follower into engagement with said cam lever;  
       wherein said shaft comprises a surface extending substantially perpendicular to an axis of said shaft, said spring being biased against said substantially perpendicular surface, said surface being integral with said shaft and disposed at a fixed location relative to a length of said shaft.  
     
     
       20. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said substantially perpendicular surface is formed by reducing at least a portion of an outer diameter of said shaft near at least one of said first and second ends of said shaft. 
     
     
       21. A lockable quick release apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said pivot is a barrel nut.