1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake control device for a cycle, such as a bicycle or a motorcycle, and more particularly to a brake control device capable of sequentially controlling to stop the movement of the rear wheel and the front wheel of the cycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
To slow down the speed of a cycle, it is essential for the cycle to be equipped with a brake device to ensure the cycling safety. Basically, cyclists can actuate the brake device by squeezing the left or right brake lever of the cycle. However, there are no clear rules globally recognized as to which brake lever should be squeezed to brake the front or rear wheel. During an emergency, a cyclist may abruptly squeeze a brake lever and inadvertently lock up the front wheel of the cycle. As the rear wheel is still rotating forward, the rear wheel is lifted up with respect to a contact point of the front wheel. When the left and right brake levers are both squeezed to the full extent of their travel, the front wheel and the rear wheel are both locked up. Due to the effect of inertia, the cycle easily slips on the ground. In both cases the cyclist can be easily thrown from the cycle and get injured or even killed in the accident.
The occurrence of the cycling accident has nothing to do with the brake device of the cycle. Instead, regardless of what type of brake device is equipped, such accident is blamed to the ignorance of cyclists, who seldom remember which brake lever controls the braking of the front wheel or rear wheel, and brake control over the front wheel only is dangerous. Although the best brake control mode is performed by simultaneously squeezing the left and right brake levers and alternately applying and releasing the brake just like the operation of an ABS (Antilock Brake System), cyclists may be too panicked to remember or obey the above rule. So, tragic events happen from time to time.
Although conventional brake devices can simultaneously apply brakes to front wheels and rear wheels, the gap adjustment between a brake shoe and the rim of each one of the front wheel and the rear wheel is not taken into account. It happens that the gap between the brake shoe and the rim of the front wheel is shorter than that between the brake shoe and the rim of the rear wheel. Besides, the brake cable to a front wheel is shorter than the brake cable to the rear wheel. As a result, even when both left and right levers are squeezed, it is still likely that the front wheel is stopped first. Cyclists neither pay any attention to the gap adjustment between the brake shoe and the rim of each one of the front wheel and the rear wheel nor have professional tools for the correct gap adjustment.