Bicycle suspension tube and bicycle suspension fork

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604208-B2
Application number	US-201715460182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A bicycle suspension tube comprises a tubular body, a wheel attachment part, and a caliper attachment part. The wheel attachment part is provided on the tubular body. The wheel attachment part includes an attachment hole having a rotational center axis. The caliper attachment part is provided on the tubular body. The caliper attachment part includes a first through hole having a first longitudinal axis non-parallel to the rotational center axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle suspension tube comprising:
a tubular body;
a wheel attachment part provided on the tubular body, the wheel attachment part including an attachment hole having a rotational center axis; and
a caliper attachment part provided on the tubular body, the caliper attachment part including a first through hole having a first longitudinal axis non-parallel to the rotational center axis, wherein
the first longitudinal axis does not extend in a direction that intersects the tubular body,
the caliper attachment part includes a second through hole having a second longitudinal axis non-parallel to the rotational center axis,
a first inclination angle is defined between the first longitudinal axis and the tube center axis as viewed in the axial direction,
the first inclination angle is equal to or larger than 30 degrees and is equal to or smaller than 70 degrees,
a second inclination angle is defined between the second longitudinal axis and the tube center axis as viewed in the axial direction, and
the second inclination angle is equal to or larger than 30 degrees and is equal to or smaller than 70 degrees.

2. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the tubular body has a tube center axis, and
the caliper attachment part includes a caliper attachment surface inclined relative to the tube center axis as viewed in an axial direction of the rotational center axis.

3. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 2 , wherein
the caliper attachment surface includes a first attachment surface and a second attachment surface.

4. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 3 , wherein
the first through hole is provided on the first attachment surface, and
the second through hole is provided on the second attachment surface.

5. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the caliper attachment part includes a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion spaced apart from the first attachment portion,
the first attachment portion includes the first through hole, and
the second attachment portion includes the second through hole.

6. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are parallel to one another,
a minimum distance is defined between the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis, and
the minimum distance is equal to or larger than 15 mm and is equal to or smaller than 55 mm.

7. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the caliper attachment part includes:
a mounting surface to be in contact with a bicycle disc brake caliper; and
a receiving recess configured to receive a head portion of a fastener which attaches the bicycle disc brake caliper to the caliper attachment part, the receiving recess being arranged opposite to the mounting surface.

8. A bicycle suspension fork comprising:
the bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 ; and
an additional suspension tube movably coupled to the bicycle suspension tube.

9. The bicycle suspension fork according to claim 8 , wherein
the additional suspension tube is telescopically received in the bicycle suspension tube.

10. The bicycle suspension fork according to claim 8 , wherein
the bicycle suspension tube is telescopically received in the additional suspension tube.

11. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the through hole extends through the caliper attachment part from a first surface thereof to a second surface thereof.

12. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1 , wherein
the second longitudinal axis does not extend in a direction that intersects the tubular body.

13. A bicycle suspension tube comprising:
a tubular body;
a wheel attachment part provided on the tubular body, the wheel attachment part including an attachment hole having a rotational center axis; and
a caliper attachment part provided on the tubular body, the caliper attachment part including a first through hole having a first longitudinal axis extending without defining an imaginary plane between the first longitudinal axis and the rotational center axis, wherein
the first longitudinal axis does not extend in a direction that intersects the tubular body,
the caliper attachment part includes a second through hole having a second longitudinal axis extending without defining an imaginary plane between the second longitudinal axis and the rotational center axis,
the tubular body has a tube center axis, and
the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are inclined relative to the tube center axis as viewed in an axial direction of the rotational center axis.

14. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 13 , wherein
a first inclination angle is defined between the first longitudinal axis and the tube center axis as viewed in the axial direction, and
the first inclination angle is equal to or larger than 30 degrees and is equal to or smaller than 70 degrees.

15. A bicycle suspension tube comprising:
a tubular body;
a wheel attachment part provided on the tubular body, the wheel attachment part including an attachment hole having a rotational center axis; and
a caliper attachment part provided on the tubular body, the caliper attachment part including a first through hole having a first longitudinal axis non-parallel to the rotational center axis, wherein
the first longitudinal axis does not extend in a direction that intersects the tubular body,
the tubular body has a tube center axis,
the caliper attachment part includes a caliper attachment surface inclined relative to the tube center axis as viewed in an axial direction of the rotational center axis,
an inclination angle is defined between the caliper attachment surface and the tube center axis as viewed in the axial direction, and
the inclination angle is equal to or larger than 10 degrees and is equal to or smaller than 60 degrees.

16. A bicycle suspension tube comprising:
a tubular body;
a wheel attachment part provided on the tubular body, the wheel attachment part including an attachment hole having a rotational center axis; and
a caliper attachment part provided on the tubular body, the caliper attachment part including a first through hole having a first longitudinal axis non-parallel to the rotational center axis, wherein
the first longitudinal axis does not extend in a direction that intersects the tubular body,
the caliper attachment part includes:
a mounting surface to be in contact with a bicycle disc brake caliper; and
a receiving recess configured to receive a head portion of a fastener which attaches the bicycle disc brake caliper to the caliper attachment part, the receiving recess being arranged opposite to the mounting surface, and

the tubular body includes a curved surface defining the receiving recess.

17. A bicycle suspension tube comprising:
a tubular body;
a wheel attachment part provided on the tubular body, the wheel attachment part including an attachment hole having a rotational center axis; and
a caliper attachment part provided on the tubular body, the caliper attachment part including a first through hole having a first longitudinal axis non-parallel to the rotational center axis, wherein
the first longitudinal axis does not extend in a direction that intersects the tubular body, and
the tubular body includes a caliper attachment recess configured to receive a bicycle disc brake caliper.

18. The bicycle suspension tube according to claim 1

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Kondou Akira
• Sakai Takuma
• Ikemoto Hideki

Classifications

• B62L1/005

  constructional features of brake elements, e.g. fastening of brake blocks in their holders · CPC title

• B62K19/38

  for attaching brake members · CPC title

• B62K21/02 Primary

  Front wheel forks or equivalent, e.g. single tine · CPC title

• B62K3/02

  Frames (tandem frames B62K3/14) · CPC title

• B62K25/08 Primary

  for front wheel · CPC title