Seat post

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021204-B2
Application number	US-201916677329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2019
Priority date	Nov 25, 2008
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A system including: a seat post; a user interface operatively connected with the seat post, the user interface configured for receiving instructions associated with a height of the seat post and for communicating received instructions to at least one controller coupled with a motive source of the seat post; and a valve assembly in communication with the motive source, the valve assembly regulating fluid flow within a variable finite positioning seat post height mode in response to a translation of the received instructions by the motive source.

First claim

We claim:

1. A gear shifting system for a bicycle, said gear shifting system comprising:
a controller;
an electromechanical gear shifter in communication with said controller; and
a performance sensor in communication with said controller, wherein said controller comprises:
an input parameter receiver, said input parameter receiver configured for receiving an input parameter from said performance sensor;
a threshold determiner, said threshold determiner configured for receiving an input value for said input parameter, said threshold determiner further configured for determining if a threshold has been exceeded, said threshold determiner further configured for outputting a threshold determination;
a comparator, said comparator configured for comparing said input parameter and said threshold determination determined by said threshold determiner;
a signal generator communicatively coupled with said electromechanical gear shifter, said signal generator configured for generating a signal based on said comparison performed by said comparator, said signal utilized by said controller for controlling said electromechanical gear shifter; and
a stabilization time delay circuit that, in use, suspends further controller action on said electromechanical gear shifter for a predetermined amount of time to allow said input parameter to adjust based on a recent gear change; and

wherein said performance sensor is further configured to sense one or more performance measure of a rider of said bicycle, and wherein said controller is adapted to trigger electromechanical shifting of said electromechanical gear shifter in order to maintain a preset performance measure for said rider.

2. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said controller stores a range or trigger point for said one or more performance measure, which range or trigger point is utilized as a threshold for triggering said electromechanical shifting when said one or more performance measure is outside said range or at said trigger point.

3. The gear shifting system of claim 2 , wherein said controller is adapted such that, in use, if said one or more performance measure of said rider, or a combination of them, falls above or below said trigger point, electromechanical shifting is triggered so as to provide automatic gear shifting for said rider to ensure said rider remains within said range for said one or more performance measure.

4. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein if said comparator indicates that said input parameter exceeds a threshold heart rate chosen by said rider, said signal causes said electromechanical gear shifter to decrease a gear ratio of said bicycle by at least one shift.

5. The gear shifting system of claim 2 , wherein if said comparator indicates that said input parameter exceeds a threshold heart rate chosen by said rider, said signal causes said electromechanical gear shifter to decrease a gear ratio of said bicycle by at least one shift.

6. The gear shifting system of claim 3 , wherein if said comparator indicates that said input parameter exceeds a threshold heart rate chosen by said rider, said signal causes said electromechanical gear shifter to decrease a gear ratio of said bicycle by at least one shift.

7. The gear shifting system of claim 4 , wherein if said comparator indicates that said input parameter does not exceed said threshold heart rate chosen by said rider, said signal generator does not generate said signal.

8. The gear shifting system of claim 5 , wherein if said comparator indicates that said input parameter does not exceed said threshold heart rate chosen by said rider, said signal generator does not generate said signal.

9. The gear shifting system of claim 6 , wherein if said comparator indicates that said input parameter does not exceed said threshold heart rate chosen by said rider, said signal generator does not generate said signal.

10. The gear shifting system of claim 1 further comprising:
an adjustment knob configured for adjusting said input parameter that said input parameter receiver receives.

11. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said input parameter is comprised of one or more input parameters selected from the group consisting of: rider heart rate, power and torque.

12. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configurable by a mobile phone application.

13. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to output data to a mobile phone application.

14. The gear shifting system of claim 12 , wherein said controller is further configured to output data to said mobile phone application.

15. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is manually configurable.

16. The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configurable based on stored data corresponding to a real-time GPS input.

17. The gear shifting system of claim 1 wherein said gear shifting system is disposed on said bicycle.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Pelot Sante
• Haugen David M
• Allinger Wes
• Galasso Mario
• Laird Andrew

Classifications

• 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

• G05D7/0635

  by action on throttling means (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G16H20/30

  relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising · CPC title