Bicycle rear wheel suspension system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106221-B2
Application number	US-201615168719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2007
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A bicycle frame assembly having a number of rotatable members configured to absorb shocks and impacts associated with operation of the bicycle. The assembly includes a frame constructed to support a rider and a chain stay having a rearward end that extends toward a wheel hub and a forward end that is pivotably connected to the frame. An absorber is pivotably connected to the forward end of the chain stay and extends to a rocker arm that is pivotably connected to the frame. A seat stay is pivotably connected to a rearward end of the rocker arm and extends to the rearward end of the chain stay. The rearward ends of the seat stay and the chain stay are pivotably connected to rotate about a common axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle assembly, comprising:
a bicycle frame;
alternate lateral side chain stays that are pivotably connected to the bicycle frame at a first pivot;
an min pivotably connected to the bicycle frame at a second pivot that is offset from the first pivot;
alternate lateral side seat stays that are pivotably connected to the arm at a third pivot and connected to a respective one of the alternate lateral side chain stays by a respective first insert and a respective second insert associated with a rear wheel axis, each of the first insert and the second insert being configured to receive a rear wheel assembly and further comprising:
a stem constructed to pass through an opening formed in a respective one of the alternate lateral side chain stays and an opening formed in a respective one of the alternate lateral side seat stays, the stem being configured to engage with one of the seat stays or chain stays associated with the respective lateral side and being aligned with the rear wheel axis to allow independent and coaxial rotation of the respective seat stay and the chain stay relative to the axis.

2. The bicycle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a shock absorber coupled to the arm wherein the shock absorber comprises at least one of a spring, a gas charge, and a fluid.

3. The bicycle assembly of claim 2 wherein the shock absorber is coupled to at least one of the respective lateral side chain stays at a forward portion thereof.

4. The bicycle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a rear axle at the rear wheel axis that is coupled to the alternate lateral side seat stays and the alternate lateral side chain stays at the location of the first and second inserts.

5. The bicycle assembly of claim 4 further comprising a wheel that is coupled to the rear axle, wherein the alternate lateral side chain stays, the arm, and alternate lateral side seat stays are configured such that a contact patch of the wheel has a translation range of about 0 degrees to less than about 7 degrees while the axis associated with rotation of the rear wheel has a vertical translation range of 0 mm to a range of about 75 mm to about 250 mm.

6. The bicycle assembly of claim 1 wherein the alternate lateral side chain stays and the alternate lateral side seat stays are oriented to flank a wheel coupled to the alternate lateral side seat stays and the alternate lateral side chain stays at the location of the first and second inserts.

7. The bicycle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a brake caliper connected to one of the alternate side seat stays.

8. The bicycle assembly of claim 1 wherein the first insert and the second insert each include a groove for receiving the rear wheel assembly.

9. The bicycle assembly of claim 1 wherein the rear wheel assembly includes a disc brake assembly having a rotor supported by the rear wheel assembly.

10. The bicycle assembly of claim 9 further comprising a caliper supported by one of the alternate lateral side seat stays that includes at least one brake pad oriented to engage the rotor during actuation of the caliber.

11. A bicycle rear wheel suspension assembly comprising:
a pair of chain stays that extend along opposite lateral sides of a rear wheel assembly and are pivotably connected to a seat tube;
an arm pivotably connected to the seat tube;
a pair of seat stays that extend along the opposite lateral sides of the wheel assembly and are pivotably connected to the arm;
a first insert constructed to cooperate with a rearward oriented adjacent end of a respective chain stay and seat stay pair that are oriented on a same lateral side of the rear wheel assembly;
a second insert that is constructed to cooperate with a rearward oriented adjacent end of another respective chain stay and seat stay pair that are oriented on an opposite lateral side of the rear wheel assembly; and
each of the first insert and the second insert including a stem portion that cooperates with an opening defined by one of the respective chain stay and seat stay pairs such that each stem portion is aligned with an axis of rotation of a rear wheel and allows independent and coaxial rotation of each chain stay and seat stay relative to the axis.

12. The bicycle rear wheel suspension assembly of claim 11 wherein each of the first insert and the second insert includes a head portion that cooperates with one of a respective seat stay and chain stay to prevent rotation of the respective insert relative to the axis.

13. The bicycle rear wheel suspension assembly of claim 12 wherein each head portion further comprises a pocket that is configured to align the rear wheel with an axle opening of the respective insert and is configured to allow the rear wheel to drop out when the rear axle is removed.

14. The bicycle rear wheel suspension assembly of claim 13 wherein each pocket is tapered in a vertically downward facing direction.

15. The bicycle rear wheel suspension assembly of claim 13 wherein each head portion nests in a pocket formed in a laterally inboard facing side of a respective chain stay.

16. A method of forming a rear wheel suspension bicycle assembly, the method comprising:
connecting a first chain stay and a second chain stay to a forward portion of a bicycle frame such that the first chain stay and the second chain stay are pivotable relative to the forward portion of the bicycle frame;
connecting an arm to the bicycle frame so that the arm is pivotable relative to the bicycle frame;
connecting a first seat stay and a second seat stay to the arm so that the first seat stay and the second seat stay are pivotable relative to the arm;
connecting a rearward oriented end of the first chain stay and the first seat stay with a first insert that passes through the first chain stay and the first seat stay such that the first chain stay and the first seat stay are pivotable relative to the one another about an axis defined by a stem portion of the first insert;
connecting a rearward oriented end of the second chain stay and the second seat stay with a second insert that passes through the second chain stay and the second seat stay such that the second chain stay and the second seat stay are pivotable relative to one another about an axis defined by a stem portion of the second insert; and
securing a rear wheel assembly between the first insert and the second insert such that an axis of rotation of a rear wheel is coaxial with the axis of rotation defined by the first insert and the axis defined by the second insert.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a cavity in a laterally inboard facing side of at least two of the first chain stay, the second chain stay, the first seat stay, and the second seat stay and shaping each respective cavity to receive a head portion of a respective one of the first insert and the second insert.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising nesting the head portion of one of the cavities to prevent rotation of the respective one of the first insert and the second insert about the axis of rotation.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a tapered pocket in each of the first insert and the second insert that allows the rear wheel assembly to be selectively dropped in a vertical direction out of engagement with the first insert and the second insert.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising connecting a damper between the arm and each of the first chain stay and the second chain stay.

Assignees

• Trek Bicycle Corp

Inventors

• Colegrove James
• Howes Dylan
• Gonzalez Jose
• Hammond Michael

Classifications

• B62K25/04 Primary

  for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork (for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06) · CPC title

• B62K25/286 Primary

  the shock absorber being connected to the chain-stay via a linkage mechanism · CPC title