Kickstand assembly and a bicycle that utilizes the kickstand assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207758-B2
Application number	US-201715631526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A kickstand assembly includes a post and a seat. A bicycle includes a frame and the kickstand assembly coupled to the frame. The post is disposed along a longitudinal axis and includes a first distal end and a second distal end. The seat is disposed at the first distal end of the post. The seat is movable between a use position and a non-use position. The kickstand assembly includes a kickstand disposed at the second distal end of the post, and extends outwardly away from the post transverse to the longitudinal axis. The kickstand is movable between a use position and a non-use position. The seat and the kickstand are fixed relative to each other at the respective first and second distal ends of the post such that movement of the seat to the non-use position directly causes movement of the kickstand to the use position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A kickstand assembly comprising:
a post disposed along a longitudinal axis and including a first distal end and a second distal end that opposes the first distal end relative to the longitudinal axis;
a seat disposed at the first distal end of the post, with the seat movable between a use position and a non-use position;
a kickstand disposed at the second distal end of the post and extending outwardly away from the post transverse to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the kickstand is movable between a use position and a non-use position; and
wherein the seat and the kickstand are fixed relative to each other at the respective first and second distal ends of the post such that movement of the seat to the non-use position directly causes movement of the kickstand to the use position.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the seat includes a front portion and a rear portion spaced from each other along a seat axis, with the first distal end of the post disposed between the front and rear portions of the seat, and wherein the seat axis is disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the kickstand includes a proximal end and a distal end spaced from each other along a kickstand axis, and wherein the kickstand axis is disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the kickstand includes a coupler extending from the proximal end of the kickstand, and the coupler is secured to the second distal end of the post to fix a position of the kickstand relative to a position of the seat.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second distal end of the post defines an opening, and wherein at least a portion of the coupler is disposed inside the opening to secure the kickstand to the post.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the proximal end of the kickstand is disposed closer to the second distal end of the post than the distal end of the kickstand.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the kickstand axis is disposed at a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and the kickstand axis is disposed in a different orientation from the seat axis relative to the longitudinal axis.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the kickstand axis and the seat axis do not intersect and are not parallel to each other.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the front portion of the seat faces outwardly in a first direction relative to the seat axis when the seat is in the use position, and the distal end of the kickstand faces outwardly in a direction relative to the kickstand axis when the kickstand is in the non-use position, with the first direction being different than the direction.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the post includes a first alignment feature and the kickstand includes a second alignment feature, and wherein the first and second alignment features cooperate to fix a position of the kickstand relative to a position of the seat.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the kickstand is visible when the kickstand is in the non-use position.

12. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the seat, the kickstand and the post are rotatable around the longitudinal axis as a single unit.

13. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the seat includes a front portion and a rear portion spaced from each other along a seat axis, with the first distal end of the post disposed between the front and rear portions of the seat;
the kickstand includes a proximal end and a distal end spaced from each other along a kickstand axis, with the proximal end of the kickstand disposed closer to the second distal end of the post than the distal end of the kickstand;
the seat axis and the kickstand axis are each disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis;
the kickstand axis and the seat axis do not intersect and are not parallel to each other;
the kickstand includes a coupler extending from the proximal end of the kickstand, and the coupler is secured to the second distal end of the post to fix a position of the kickstand relative to a position of the seat;
the second distal end of the post defines an opening, with at least a portion of the coupler disposed inside the opening to secure the kickstand to the post;
the post includes a first alignment feature and the kickstand includes a second alignment feature, with the first and second alignment features cooperating to fix the position of the kickstand relative to the position of the seat; and
the post includes an outer surface facing outwardly away from the longitudinal axis, and the kickstand is visible from the outer surface of the post when the kickstand is in the non-use position.

14. A bicycle comprising:
a frame;
a kickstand assembly coupled to the frame, with the assembly including:
a post coupled to the frame and disposed along a longitudinal axis,
wherein the post includes a first distal end and a second distal end that opposes the first distal end relative to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the post is movable axially along the longitudinal axis relative to the frame and rotatable around the longitudinal axis relative to the frame;
a seat disposed at the first distal end of the post, with the seat movable between a use position and a non-use position;
a kickstand disposed at the second distal end of the post and extending outwardly away from the post transverse to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the kickstand is movable between a use position and a non-use position; and
wherein the seat and the kickstand are fixed relative to each other at the respective first and second distal ends of the post such that movement of the seat to the non-use position directly causes movement of the kickstand to the use position.

15. The bicycle as set forth in claim 14 wherein:
the frame defines a plane intersecting the first and second distal ends of the post;
the seat includes a front portion and a rear portion spaced from each other along a seat axis; and
the seat axis is parallel to the plane when the seat is in the use position such that the plane intersects the front and rear portions of the seat when the seat is in the use position, and the seat axis is transverse to the plane when the seat is in the non-use position such that the front and rear portions of the seat are offset from the plane when the seat is in the non-use position.

16. The bicycle as set forth in claim 15 wherein:
the frame includes a forward portion and a rearward portion spaced from each other, with the plane intersecting the forward and rearward portions; and
the front portion of the seat and the forward portion of the frame face in a first direction when the seat is in the use position, and the rear portion of the seat and the rearward portion of the frame face in a second direction opposite the first direction when the seat is in the use position.

17. The bicycle as set forth in claim 15 wherein:
the plane intersects a portion of the kickstand when the kickstand is in the use position and another portion of the kickstand when the kickstand is in the non-use position; and
the kickstand axis is disposed at an angle not equal to zero degrees and not equal to one hundred eighty degrees relative to the plane when the kickstand is in the non-use position and the seat is in the use position.

18. The bicycle as set forth in claim 14 wherein:
the kickstand includes a coupler extending from a proximal end of the kickstand, a

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Steinhauser Miranda P
• Bryant Wade W
• Bailie Jess R

Classifications

• B62H1/00 Primary

  Supports or stands forming part of or attached to cycles · CPC title

• B62H1/06 Primary

  Extensible stands, e.g. with telescopic parts (B62H1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62K15/006

  the frame being foldable · CPC title

• B62J2001/085

  Seat pillars having mechanisms to vary seat height, independently of the cycle frame · CPC title

• B62J1/08

  Frames for saddles; Connections between saddle frames and seat pillars; Seat pillars (attaching seat pillars to cycle frames B62K19/36) · CPC title