Aerodynamic bottle support cage for bicycles
View Patent ↗An aerodynamic, hands free liquid containment system for horizontal mounting on to a bicycle handlebar and aerobars. The water bottle and the bottle cage are aerodynamically shaped and positioned between a rider's arms to eliminate turbulence and reduce drag on the bicycle and rider. The cage typically clips to both the aerobar extensions and the horizontal sections of the handlebars. The water bottle includes an opening for filling the container and another opening for receiving a flexible drinking tube. The opening for filling the container can be closed with a removable cover and includes a splash flap to avoid spilling of the reservoir contents.
1. A horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly, comprising:
a) an elongated, rigid, horizontally mounted central cage member having a forward, distal end, a rearward, proximal end, and longitudinal opening sized and configured to encircle and retain at least a portion of a liquid bottle disposed along a major axis of said central cage member between said forward, distal end and said rearward, proximal end;
b) a pair of aerobar clip assemblies, each comprising an aerobar clip sized and configured to at least partially encircle an aerobar forming part of a triathlon style bicycle disposed at a distal end of a corresponding aerobar clip shaft, a proximal end of each of said aerobar clip shafts being slidably and adjustably received in said central cage member proximate said forward distal end thereof, each of said aerobar clip assemblies being aligned perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis of said central cage member and projecting outwardly from a respective left side and right side thereof; and
c) a handle bar clip assembly having a forward edge, a rearward edge, and a longitudinal axis slidably attached to said central cage assembly at said rearward, proximal end thereof, said handle bar clip assembly comprising at least one handle bar clip disposed at said rearward edge and sized and configured to at least partially encircle a portion of a handlebar of said triathlon style bicycle, said handle bar clip assembly comprising a first portion of a dovetail connector disposed on a forward edge thereof and adapted and configured to slidably interact with a second portion of a dovetail connector disposed on said rearward, distal end of said central cage member, said second dovetail connection being disposed substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said central cage member;
whereby said horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly is secured to at least one of the mounting points selected from the group: handle bars, and aerobars of a triathlon-style bicycle.
2. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said handle bar clip assembly comprises two handle bar clips spaced apart from one another a predetermined distance along said longitudinal axis of said handlebar clip assembly.
3. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said handle bar clip assembly comprises two discrete pieces, each of said two discrete pieces comprising a single handle bar clip and a first portion of a dovetail connector disposed on a forward edge thereof and adapted and configured to independently slidably interact with said second dovetail connector, whereby a space between a first of said two discrete pieces and a second of said two discrete pieces may be varied.
4. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said central cage member further comprises a bottle stop disposed proximate said rearward proximal end.
5. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said central cage member further comprises a drain hole disposed in a lower region thereof and proximate said rearward proximal end.
6. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
d) a horizontally attached liquid reservoir disposed and removably retained within said longitudinal opening of said region of said elongated central cage member, said liquid reservoir having a body and a cap assembly removably affixed thereto, said cap assembly being disposed proximate said forward distal end of said central cage member.
7. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein said cap assembly is removably affixed to said body by internal threads disposed on said cap assembly and a mating thread disposed on said liquid reservoir.
8. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein said cap assembly comprises:
i) means for retaining an internal straw disposed within said reservoir and operatively connected to means for retaining an external tube; and
ii) means for filling said reservoir.
9. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein said means for filling comprises a cap plug funnel.
10. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein said liquid reservoir comprises a bottle.
11. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein said handle bar clip assembly comprises a first portion of a dovetail connector disposed on a forward edge thereof and adapted and configured to slidably interact with a second portion of a dovetail connector disposed on said rearward, distal end of said central cage member, said second dovetail connector being disposed substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said central cage member.
12. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein said handle bar clip assembly comprises two handle bar clips spaced apart from one another a predetermined distance along said longitudinal axis of said handlebar clip assembly.
13. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein said handle bar clip assembly comprises two discrete pieces, each of said two discrete pieces comprising a single handle bar clip and a first portion of a dovetail connector disposed on a forward edge thereof and adapted and configured to independently slidably interact with said second dovetail connector, whereby a space between a first of said two discrete pieces and a second of said two discrete pieces may be varied.
14. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein said central cage member further comprises a bottle stop disposed proximate said rearward proximal end.
15. The horizontally mounted aerodynamic bottle cage assembly as recited in claim 11 , wherein said central cage member further comprises a drain hole disposed in a lower region thereof and proximate said rearward proximal end.