We claim:
1. A hydraulic brake system for a bicycle having a frame, a handlebar, and front and rear wheels, the brake system having:
a master hydraulic cylinder mountable on said handlebar of the bicycle;
a handle mechanism operatively connected to said master hydraulic cylinder in order to actuate said master hydraulic cylinder;
a first hydraulic cylinder actuator mountable on said frame adjacent said rear wheel and operatively connected to said master hydraulic cylinder so as to be actuated by said master hydraulic cylinder;
a rear wheel braking device connected to said first hydraulic cylinder actuator and operable thereby during use of said brake system; said rear wheel braking device being movable between a disengaged position and a rear wheel braking position;
a second hydraulic cylinder actuator mountable on said frame adjacent said rear wheel and connected to said rear wheel braking device so as to be operable thereby, said second hydraulic cylinder actuator being movable from an initial position corresponding to said disengaged position of the rear wheel braking device to a secondary position when said rear wheel braking device is in said rear wheel braking position;
a third hydraulic cylinder actuator mountable on said frame adjacent said front wheel and operatively connected to said second hydraulic cylinder actuator so as to be actuated by said second hydraulic cylinder actuator; and
a front wheel braking device connected to said third hydraulic cylinder actuator and operable thereby during use of said brake system, said front wheel braking device being movable between a disengaged position and a front wheel braking position,
wherein said front wheel braking device brakes said front wheel during use of said brake system when said rear wheel braking device is in said rear wheel braking position.
2. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 1 wherein said rear wheel braking device includes a rear brake pad and is connected to an outer end of a piston rod which extends from one end of said first hydraulic cylinder actuator.
3. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 2 wherein said front wheel braking device includes a front brake pad and is connected to an outer end of another piston rod which extends from one end of said third hydraulic cylinder actuator.
4. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 2 wherein said first hydraulic cylinder actuator is operatively connected to said master hydraulic cylinder by a first elongate, flexible brake hose.
5. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 4 wherein said third hydraulic cylinder actuator is operatively connected to said second hydraulic cylinder actuator by a second elongate, flexible brake hose.
6. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 2 wherein said second hydraulic cylinder actuator has a piston rod extending from one end thereof and said rear wheel braking device is pivotably connected to an outer end of said piston rod of the second hydraulic cylinder actuator.
7. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 2 wherein said second hydraulic cylinder actuator extends at a substantial angle of more than 45 degrees to a longitudinal central axis of said first hydraulic cylinder actuator when said brake system is mounted on a bicycle.
8. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 2 wherein said front wheel braking device is a front caliper-type brake adapted to releasably engage a front brake disc mounted on said front wheel of the bicycle.
9. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 1 wherein said brake system is constructed to provide a substantially greater braking force on said front wheel compared to the braking force on said rear wheel during all operating conditions of the brake system.
10. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 2 wherein said rear brake pad is constructed of aluminum impregnated with silicon carbide particles and is adapted to engage on outer circumferential surface of a tire, which is part of said rear wheel.
11. A brake system in combination with a bicycle having a frame, front and rear wheels rotatably mounted on said frame and a pivotable handlebar for steering, said brake system comprising:
a primary brake actuator mounted on said handlebar, said brake actuator including a handle mechanism for manually operating said brake system;
a rear wheel braking mechanism mounted on said frame adjacent said rear wheel and operatively connected to said primary brake actuator so as to be actuated by said primary brake actuator during use of said brake system, said rear wheel braking mechanism being movable between a disengaged position and a rear wheel braking position;
a hydraulic cylinder device mounted on said frame adjacent said rear wheel and connected to said rear wheel braking mechanism so as to be operated thereby, said hydraulic cylinder device being movable from an initial position corresponding to said disengaged position of the rear wheel braking mechanism to a secondary position when said rear wheel braking mechanism is in said rear wheel braking position;
a front hydraulic cylinder actuator mounted on said frame adjacent said front wheel and operatively connected to said hydraulic cylinder device so as to be actuated by movement of said hydraulic cylinder device from said initial position to said secondary position; and
a front wheel braking device connected to said front hydraulic cylinder-actuator and operable thereby during use of said brake system, said front wheel braking device being movable by said front hydraulic cylinder actuator between a non-braking position and a front wheel braking position,
wherein said front wheel braking device brakes said front wheel when said rear wheel braking mechanism is in said rear wheel braking position.
12. A brake system and bicycle combination according to claim 11 wherein said rear wheel braking mechanism includes a rear brake pad and a rear brake hydraulic cylinder actuator connected to said rear brake pad and wherein, in said rear wheel braking position, said rear brake pad engages on outer circumferential surface of a tire forming part of said rear wheel.
13. A brake system and bicycle combination according to claim 12 wherein said primary brake actuator is a hydraulic master cylinder which is connected to said rear wheel braking mechanism by an elongate, flexible brake line carrying a liquid suitable for hydraulic use in the brake system.
14. A brake system and bicycle combination according to claim 11 wherein said front wheel braking device is a front brake pad arranged to engage an outer circumferential surface of a tire of said front wheel.
15. A brake system and bicycle combination according to claim 13 wherein said brake system is constructed to provide a substantially greater braking force on said front wheel compared to the braking force on said rear wheel during all operating conditions of the brake system.
16. A bicycle brake system for a bicycle having a frame structure and front and rear wheels, said system comprising:
a rear wheel braking mechanism mountable on said frame structure adjacent said rear wheel, said braking mechanism including a rear wheel braking device for applying a braking force to said rear wheel when said braking device is moved to a rear wheel braking position;
a hydraulic cylinder device mountable on said frame structure adjacent said rear wheel and connected to said rear wheel braking mechanism so as to be actuated thereby when said rear wheel braking device is moved to said rear wheel braking position;
a front hydraulic actuator mountable on said frame structure adjacent said front wheel and operatively connected to said hydraulic cylinder device so as to be moved to a front wheel braking position when said hydraulic cylinder device is actuated; and
a front wheel braking device connected to said front hydraulic actuator and movable thereby between a non-braking position and the front wheel braking position,
wherein, during use of said brake system on a bicycle said front wheel braking device brakes said front wheel when said rear wheel braking device is in said rear wheel braking position and is applying a braking force to the rear wheel.
17. A bicycle brake system according to claim 16 wherein said rear wheel braking mechanism including a hydraulic master cylinder device mountable on a handlebar of said bicycle and a hydraulic cylinder actuator mountable on said frame adjacent said rear wheel and operatively connected to said master cylinder device so as to be movable by hydraulic fluid pressure to the rear wheel braking position, and wherein said rear wheel braking device is connected to one end of said hydraulic cylinder actuator.
18. A bicycle brake system according to claim 17 wherein said rear wheel braking device is a brake pad device arranged so as to be movable into engagement with a tire of said rear wheel when said rear wheel braking device is in said rear wheel braking position.
19. A bicycle brake system according to claim 18 wherein said front wheel braking device is a front brake pad device adapted for movement into engagement with a tire of said front wheel.
20. A bicycle brake system according to claim 18 wherein said brake pad device has a brake pad made of aluminum impregnated with silicon carbide.
21. A bicycle brake system according to claim 17 wherein said rear wheel braking mechanism includes a hand lever connected to said master cylinder device and adapted to operate same.
22. A bicycle brake system according to claim 17 wherein said brake system is constructed to provide a substantially greater braking force on said front wheel compared to the braking force on said rear wheel during all operating conditions of the brake system.
23. A bicycle brake system according to claim 22 wherein said brake system is constructed to provide a braking force on said front wheel which is at least 75% of the total braking force applied to both front and rear wheels of the bicycle during use of the brake system.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A grommet for use in an electrochemical button cell to electrically insulate an anode can from a cathode can of the button cell, the grommet being constructed of a dielectric material and comprising a generally tubular sidewall, the sidewall comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an uncompressed thickness that exceeds an uncompressed thickness of the lower portion by at least 20%.
2. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the upper portion exceeds the thickness of the lower portion by at least 30%.
3. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the upper portion exceeds the thickness of the lower portion by from about 30% to about 60%.
4. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the upper portion is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.175 mm.
5. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the upper portion extends over at least 5% of the height of the sidewall.
6. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the upper portion extends over from about 10% to about 25% of the height of the sidewall.
7. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the lower portion extends over at least 50% of the height of the sidewall.
8. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the lower portion extends over from about 50% to about 90% of the height of the sidewall.
9. The grommet of claim 1 wherein the sidewall further comprises a transition portion between said upper and lower portions.
10. The grommet of claim 9 wherein said transition portion has a thickness which varies over the height thereof by at least 20%.
11. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode comprising an electrically conductive cathode can having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending up from the base, the bottom wall and sidewall together defining a cavity of the cathode can;
an anode comprising an electrically conductive anode can having a top wall and a sidewall depending from the top wall, the top wall and the sidewall of the anode can together defining a cavity thereof, the anode can being at least in part disposed in the cathode can with at least a portion of the anode can sidewall in generally opposed relationship with at least a portion of the cathode can sidewall; and
a dielectric grommet having a sidewall disposed between said opposed portions of the anode can sidewall and the cathode can sidewall to electrically insulate the anode can from the cathode can, the grommet sidewall comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an uncompressed thickness that exceeds an uncompressed thickness of the lower portion by at least 20%.
12. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the upper portion of the grommet sidewall exceeds the thickness of the lower portion of the grommet sidewall by at least 30%.
13. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the upper portion of the grommet sidewall exceeds the thickness of the lower portion of the grommet sidewall by from about 30% to about 60%.
14. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the upper portion of the grommet sidewall is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.175 mm.
15. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 claim 11 wherein the upper portion of the grommet sidewall extends over at least 5% of the height of the sidewall.
16. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the upper portion of the grommet sidewall extends over from about 10% to about 25% of the height of the sidewall.
17. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the lower portion of the grommet sidewall extends over at least 50% of the height of the sidewall.
18. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the lower portion of the grommet sidewall extends over from about 50% to about 90% of the height of the sidewall.
19. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein the sidewall further comprises a transition portion between said upper and lower portions.
20. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 wherein said transition portion has a thickness which varies over the height thereof by at least 20%.