Seat post assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10668968-B2
Application number	US-201816017272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A bypass device for a seating component such as an adjustable seating assembly for a bicycle may be provided to redistribute fluid preferentially by density. The bypass device may be operable to redistribute a low density compressible fluid or a mixed phase of low density compressible and high density non-compressible fluids within the seating component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating component for a bicycle, comprising:
an upper;
a lower connected to the upper and movable relative to the upper along an axis;
a support chamber disposed between the upper and the lower;
a reservoir in selective fluid communication with the support chamber across a valve;
a spring portion configured to bias the upper apart from the lower along the axis; and
a bypass configured to provide fluid communication between the support chamber and the reservoir, the bypass comprising:
an opening disposed beyond the support chamber in a lowering direction along the axis; and
a barrier configured to facilitate flow from the opening to the valve,

wherein the valve is disposed beyond the support chamber in a raising direction along the axis.

2. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed in the barrier.

3. The seating component of claim 1 , further comprising a floating piston disposed between the reservoir and the spring portion and configured to seal the spring portion from the reservoir.

4. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the support chamber is housed within the upper and the upper includes a saddle connection portion.

5. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the opening comprises at least one of an axial orifice and a plurality of radial orifices.

6. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the opening is formed as a non-right cylindrical section of the barrier.

7. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the bypass passes through the spring portion.

8. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the bypass passes through the support chamber.

9. The seating component of claim 8 , wherein the support chamber further comprises:
an upper support surface; and
a lower support surface;
and wherein the bypass passes through the upper support surface and the lower support surface.

10. The seating component of claim 9 , wherein the barrier further comprises:
an outer wall in fluid communication with the support chamber; and
an inner wall sealed from fluid communication with the support chamber when the valve is in a closed state.

11. The seating component of claim 10 , further comprising a bypass seal in sealing contact with the outer wall of the barrier, the bypass seal configured to seal the support chamber.

12. The seating component of claim 11 , wherein the bypass seal is dynamic.

13. The seating component of claim 12 , wherein the bypass seal forms a seal with a piston, the piston comprising a piston seal configured to seal the support chamber.

14. The seating component of claim 13 , wherein the piston seal is dynamic and is further configured to seal the support chamber from the spring portion.

15. A seating component for a bicycle, comprising:
an upper;
a lower connected to the upper and movable relative to the upper along an axis;
a support chamber disposed between the upper and the lower;
a reservoir in selective fluid communication with the support chamber across a valve;
a spring portion configured to bias the upper apart from the lower along the axis; and
a bypass configured to provide fluid communication between the support chamber and the reservoir, the bypass comprising:
a first opening; and
a second opening disposed beyond the support chamber in a lowering direction along the axis, wherein flow between the valve and the second opening passes through the first opening.

16. The seating component of claim 15 , further comprising a floating piston, the floating piston configured to seal the reservoir from the spring portion.

17. The seating component of claim 16 , further comprising a barrier, the barrier comprising:
an outer wall in fluid communication with the support chamber; and
an inner wall sealed from fluid communication with the support chamber when the valve is in a closed state.

18. The seating component of claim 17 , further comprising a piston, the piston comprising:
a first seal configured to dynamically seal with the outer wall of the barrier; and
a second seal configured to dynamically seal with an interior wall of the upper.

19. The seating component of claim 18 , further comprising a guide affixed to the piston, the guide comprising:
an adjustment path housed within the guide; and
an entry opening to facilitate flow between the adjustment path and the reservoir.

20. A seating component for a bicycle, comprising:
an upper;
a lower connected to the upper and movable relative to the upper along an axis;
a support chamber disposed between the upper and the lower;
a reservoir in selective fluid communication with the support chamber across a valve;
a spring portion configured to bias the upper apart from the lower along the axis; and
a flow path configured to provide fluid communication between the support chamber and the reservoir, the flow path comprising:
a first opening; and
a second opening disposed beyond the support chamber in a lowering direction along the axis, wherein flow between the valve and the second opening passes through the first opening.

Assignees

• Sram Llc

Inventors

• Shipman Christopher
• Jordan Brian

Classifications

• B62J1/08 Primary

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

• B62K2201/08

  Fluid springs · CPC title

• B62J1/06

  Saddles capable of parallel motion up and down · CPC title

• B62J2001/085

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

• B62K19/36 Primary

  for attaching saddle pillars, e.g. adjustable during ride · CPC title