WO1993008069A1

WO1993008069A1 - A saddle pin for a bicycle

Info

Publication number: WO1993008069A1
Application number: PCT/NO1992/000174
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Slutaas
Original assignee: Alupro-N As
Priority date: 1991-10-22
Filing date: 1992-10-21
Publication date: 1993-04-29
Also published as: NO914153D0; NO173776C; NO173776B; NO914153L

Abstract

A saddle pin for the mounting of a bicycle saddle, wherein at the head (12) of the saddle pin there is situated an arcuate supporting surface (14) forming the support for a clamping plate (26) having grooves (27, 28) for engagement with a pair of carrying rods (24, 25) of the bicycle seat. By adjusting the position of the clamping plate on the arcuate supporting surface, the clamping plate can be situated at different angles of slope. A bolt (21) extends in a direction perpendicular to the carrying rods for engagement with a pressure yoke (18) the ends of which are shaped to engage with the carrying rods (24, 25). The head (12) of the saddle pin comprises a pair of claw-like lips (16, 17) which extend to the sides of the pressure yoke (18).

Description

A SADDLE PIN FOR A BICYCLE .

Background The function of a saddle pin is to retain a saddle in a desired position, as well as enabling necessary adjustments of for the bicycle seat or saddle. Height adjustment may be performed satisfactory by releasing the stem from the carrying frame tube. However, a drawback with known saddle pins, is that they provide limited adjustment of the seat in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle. Another disadvantage with known saddle pins is their relatively heavy weight. Furthermore, it is a disadvantage with saddle pins of lightweight metal that they can not be satisfactorly electroplated when they are assembled from cast components. Particularly there is known a saddle pin having a tubular stem and two clamping elements at the head of the saddle pin, which clamping elements can be pressed together around two parallell carrying rods of the seat, using a screw acting against a nut. One of the clamping elements can be arcuate and oppose a corresponding arcuate surface on the head of the saddle pin so that the two arcuate surfaces can be adjusted relative to each other. In this way it is possible to adjust the slant of the saddle within a limited range. Furthermore it is possible to move the carrying rods and thus the seat between the two clamping elements, so that the position of the seat in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle can be adjusted.

This known solution has two main disadvantages. First, a number of elements are required, namely two clamping elements, one screw and one nut. Following from this, a further disadvantage occurs; this known solution can not be adapted for automatic assembly.

Object

The main object of present invention is to provide a more simple and thus a lighter saddle pin which is especially suitable for manufacuring from lightweight metal or an alloy thereof. A further object is to adapt the structure to automatic assembly. These objects should be achieved without renouncing the desirable adjustment, that is the variation of the slant of the seat and its location in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle. Furthermore it is desireable that the assembly, in case it is carried out manually, can be done quickly and easily and that it is easy to adjust the seat.

The invention

The invention is stated in the characterizing part of patent claim 1. Further features of the invention are stated claims 2-7.

It has been shown that a saddle pin of this kind can be made with less parts and therefore have a lower weight than corresponding known saddle pins. Consequently, it is possible to preassamble the saddle pin and thus make production thereof easier. The saddle pin according to the invention is made ready for automatic assembly. Also it is constructed so that adjustment and regulation can be done in a simpel manner and without loss of flexibility.

Example

In the following, an example of an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings, where

Fig. 1 shows an axially sectional view through a saddle pin according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows a sectional view taken at line JT-II of Fig. 1.

The saddle pin in. the example comprises a tubular stem 11 adapted for insertion and clamping in a frame tube of a bicycle, and a head or an upper section 12 which is integral with the stem. This section of the saddle pin can be manufactured in a per se known manner from aluminium or lightweight metal alloy.

The head 12 comprises a cantilevered lobe 13 forming a upwardly directed, arcuate surface 14 having transverse grooves. The free end of lobe 13 as well as the inner surface of the lobe where it bridges the top 15 of stem 11, is extended upwardly and inwardly as claw shaped lips, 16 and. 17 which define a slot for a transverse pressure yoke 18, which will be described later. The slot between the lips 16 and 17 is centrally located relative to the arcuate surface 14, and lobe 13 is provided with an aperture 19 orientated axially relative to the axis of symmetry . The pressure yoke 18 has a length which exceeds the width of head 12, slightly more than the total distance between the connection elements of a bicycle saddle to be attached and which will be described in more detail later. This means that pressure yoke 18 will extend both sides of the head 12 as is shown in Fig. 2. The pressure yoke 18 has a centrally threaded opening 20 adapted for insertion of bolt 21 so that the pressure yoke 18 can be drawn toward surface 14. The lower side of the pressure yoke, which facer surface 14, is provided with a pair of grooves 22 and 23 which are of curved cross-section and which form grooves for two carrying rods 24, 25 which are components of a bicycle saddle to be attached. Each saddle shaped groove 22 and 23 has a curvature transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pressure yoke 18, which corresponds or is approximately similar to the curve of the surface 14. This means that a slot is formed having approximately similar transverse extension between the surface 14 and the surfaces of the saddle 22, 23. As depicted in Fig. 2, grooves 22, 23 are transversly curved such as to correspond to or partly exceed the radius of the carrying rods 24 and 25. The carrying rods 24, 25 are spaced at a distance aproximately similar to or partly exceeding the width of the head 12 of the saddle pin, which again can be approximately the same as the diameter of the stem 11. A clamping plate 26 is loosly inserted to engage with surface 14. Plate 26 has an arcuate surface which contacts with surface 14 and extends beyond the sides of the head 12 in a similar manner to transverse yoke 18. At its respective ends, claimping plate 26 is provided with longtudinal parallel grooves 27 and 28, which in assembled condition are situated opposite grooves 22 and 23 of the pressure yoke 18. In this way, a clamping jaw is formed at each side of the saddle pin and which can clamp around respective carrying rods 24, 25. The clamping plate 26 is provided with a central slot 29 extending in the same direction as lobe 13 thereby enabling the pressure plate 26 to move relative to surface 14, and in this way vary the angle of the grooves 27, 28. It is thus possible to adjust the clamping plate 26 to vary the slope of the carrying rods 24, 25 and thus of the bicycle saddle. Due to the construction of the pressure yoke 18, the clamping opening and the power geometry makes it possible to tighten the bolt 21 without disturbing the adjustment. The clamping plate 26 is grooved against the surface 14. The above described embodiment can be modified in different ways. For example it is possible to interchange the claw shaped lips 16, 17 with another shape for supporting or locking of the transverse yoke 18. Furthermore it is possible to direct aperture 19 through the head so as to terminate in the stem 11, even though this makes the access to the bolt 21 more difficult.

Claims

Patent Claims:

1. Saddle pin for the mounting of a bicycle saddle having a pair of carrying rods (24, 25) extending generally transverse to the stem (11) of the saddle pin, which saddle pin is adapted to be located in a frame tube, wherein at the head (12) of the saddle pin is situated an arcuate supporting sorface (14) forming the basis of a clamping plate (26) having grooves (27, 28) or similar recesses one for each of the carrying rods, so that the clamping plate by guiding along the arcuate supporting surface can be situated at different angles of slope, and where a bolt (21) extends in a direction perpendicular to the carrying rods for engagement with a locking nut, characterized by the locking nut having the form of a transverse pressure yoke (18).

2. Saddle pin according to claim 1, characterized by the pressure yoke's (18) engagement surfaces (22, 23) at the ends are adapted to engage with the carrying rods (24, 25), and are shaped as a saddle.

3. Saddle pin according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the head (12) of the saddle pin comprising a pair of clawlike lips (16, 17) which extend inwardly to the sides of the pressure yoke (18).

4. Saddle pin according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized by the lips (16, 17) forming a loose grip around the pressure yoke (18) to prevent rotation thereof.

5. Saddle pin according to anyone of claims 1-4, characterized by the lips (16, 17) extending arcuately at the top of the saddle pin to terminate generally at the top of the pressure yoke.

6. Saddle pin according to anyone of the claims 1-5, characterized by the pressure yoke (18) being situated centrally relative to the side edges of pressure plate (26).

7. Saddle pin according to anyone of claims 1-6 characterized by the stem (11) and the head (12) being produced as one unit of the same material.

8. Saddle pin according to anyone of claims 1-7, characterized by the pressure yoke (18) being located outside a cantilevered lobe (13) which has the arcuate supporting surface (14) at an upwardly directed side thereof.

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 16 March 1993 (16.03.93) original claim 6 cancelled; original claims 1-4 replaced by amended claim 1 ; other claims unchanged but renumbered as 2-4 (1 page)]

1. Saddle pin for the mounting of a bicycle saddle having a pair of carrying rods (24, 25) extending generally transverse to the stem (11) of the saddle pin, which saddle pin is adapted to be received in a frame tube, wherein at the head (12) of the saddle pin is situated an arcuate supporting surface (14) forming the basis of a clamping plate (26) having grooves (27, 28) or similar recesses one for each of the carrying rods, so that the clamping plate by guiding along the arcuate supporting surface can be situated at different angles of slope, and where a bolt (21) extends in a direction perpendicular to the carrying rods for engagement with a locking nut, having the form of a transverse pressure yoke (18), wherein the pressure yoke's (18) engagement surfaces (22, 23) at the ends are adapted to engage with the carrying rods (24, 25), and are shaped as a saddle, characterized by the head (12) of the saddle pin comprising a pair of clawlike lips (16, 17) which extend inwardly to the sides of the pressure yoke (18) to prevent rotation thereof. 2. Saddle pin according claim 1, characterized by the lips (16, 17) extending arcuately at the top of the saddle pin to terminate generally at the top of the pressure yoke.

3. Saddle pin according to anyone of claims 1-2, characterized by the stem (11) and the head (12) being produced as one unit of the same material.

4. Saddle pin according to anyone of claims 1-3, characterized by the pressure yoke (18) being located outside a cantilevered lobe (13) which has the arcuate supporting surface (14) at an upwardly directed side thereof.