Ebike battery mount

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046389-B2
Application number	US-201816107701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An ebike comprises a front wheel, a rear wheel, a frame structure supported on the front wheel and the rear wheel, the frame structure including a hollow tube (e.g., a down tube) having a converging inner surface, and a battery assembly configured to be coupled to the frame structure in an installed position at least partially in the hollow tube. The converging inner surface is configured such that at least a portion of the battery assembly is supported within the hollow tube by the converging inner surface when the battery assembly is at least partially positioned in the hollow tube. In one embodiment, the battery assembly comprises a battery housing and a resilient lateral support, wherein the resilient lateral support resiliently laterally supports a portion of the battery housing in the hollow tube when the battery assembly is positioned in the hollow tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ebike comprising:
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a frame structure supported on the front wheel and the rear wheel, the frame structure including a hollow tube having an inner surface; and
a battery assembly configured to be coupled to the frame structure in an installed position at least partially in the hollow tube, the battery assembly including a battery housing and a resilient lateral support configured to resiliently laterally support at least a portion of the battery housing in the hollow tube and press against the inner surface of the hollow tube.

2. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resilient lateral support comprises a leaf spring flexure.

3. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the battery assembly defines a battery width across the resilient lateral support in an unstressed condition, wherein the inner surface defines an inner width at a location of the resilient lateral support when the battery assembly is in the installed position, and wherein the battery width is larger than the inner width such that the resilient lateral support is compressed laterally when the battery assembly is in the installed position.

4. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the battery assembly comprises two resilient lateral supports in opposing relation to each other.

5. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube includes an end, and the end of the hollow tube includes an opening adapted to receive the battery assembly and permit the battery assembly to be inserted into the hollow tube, and wherein in the installed position one end of the battery is positioned adjacent the opening, and wherein the resilient lateral support is positioned adjacent another end of the battery assembly opposite the one end.

6. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frame structure includes a front fork supported on the front wheel, and a head tube coupled to the front fork, and wherein the hollow tube comprises a down tube extending downward and rearward from the head tube, wherein the down tube comprises a lower end, and the lower end of the down tube comprises an opening.

7. An ebike as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the battery assembly includes a lower end, and wherein the lower end of the battery assembly protrudes from the lower end of the down tube when in the installed position.

8. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a battery fastener extending through the hollow tube and into the battery assembly.

9. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frame structure includes a front fork supported on the front wheel, and a head tube coupled to the front fork, and wherein the hollow tube comprises a down tube extending downward and rearward from the head tube.

10. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube is a down tube, wherein the inner surface of the down tube is tapered in a converging manner from a larger dimension at a lower end of the down tube to a smaller dimension at an upper end of the down tube, wherein the battery assembly and the down tube are sized and shaped such that when the battery assembly is first inserted into the lower end of the down tube there is configured to exist a loose fit between an upper end of the battery assembly and the inner surface, and such that as the battery assembly is slid further upwardly into the down tube, the resilient lateral support is configured to eventually contact the inner surface and be compressed by the inner surface to hold the battery assembly in place.

11. The ebike as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the inner surface is smooth and continuously tapered from the lower end of the down tube to the upper end of the down tube.

12. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the battery assembly includes an upper battery mount coupled to an upper end of the battery housing, wherein the upper battery mount includes the resilient lateral support.

13. An ebike as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the upper battery mount includes a first mount member and an opposed second mount member, wherein the first mount member is secured to the upper end of the battery housing by a first threaded fastener and the second mount member is secured to the upper end of the battery housing by a second threaded fastener.

14. An ebike as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the resilient lateral support is a first resilient lateral support, further comprising a second resilient lateral support, wherein the first mount member includes the first resilient lateral support and the second mount member includes the second resilient lateral support.

15. An ebike as claimed in claim 13 , wherein first mount member and the second mount member each have an L-shape.

16. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resilient lateral support is curved and includes an end in contact with the battery housing and a center that is spaced from the battery housing.

17. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resilient lateral support is a first resilient lateral support, further comprising a second resilient lateral support, wherein the first and second resilient lateral supports are located on opposite sides of the battery assembly and along an exterior of the battery assembly, and are naturally biased radially outwardly and away from one another toward an uncompressed state, wherein the hollow tube includes an interior width at an upper end of the hollow tube, and wherein a width of the battery assembly in the uncompressed state is larger than the interior width.

18. An ebike as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resilient lateral support is a leaf spring.

19. An ebike comprising:
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a frame structure supported on the front wheel and the rear wheel, the frame structure including a hollow tube having an inner surface; and
a battery assembly configured to be coupled to the frame structure in an installed position at least partially in the hollow tube, the battery assembly including a battery housing and a resilient lateral support that resiliently laterally supports at least a portion of the battery housing in the hollow tube;
wherein the battery assembly defines a battery width across the resilient lateral support in an unstressed condition, wherein the inner surface defines an inner width at a location of the resilient lateral support when the battery assembly is in the installed position, and wherein the battery width is larger than the inner width such that the resilient lateral support is compressed laterally when the battery assembly is in the installed position.

20. An ebike comprising:
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a frame structure supported on the front wheel and the rear wheel, the frame structure including a hollow tube having an inner surface; and
a battery assembly configured to be coupled to the frame structure in an installed position at least partially in the hollow tube, the battery assembly including a battery housing and a resilient lateral support that resiliently laterally supports at least a portion of the battery housing in the hollow tube;
wherein the battery assembly includes an upper battery mount coupled to an upper end of the battery housing, wherein the upper battery mount includes the resilient lateral support, wherein the upper battery mount includes a first mount member and an opposed second mount member, wherein the first mount member is secured to the upper end of the battery housing by a first threaded fastener and the second mount member is secured to the upper end of the battery housing by a

Assignees

• Specialized Bicycle Components Inc

Inventors

• Talavasek Jan
• Patureau Vincent
• Sonderegger Marco Werner
• Pallure Marc

Classifications

• B62M6/55

  power-driven at crank shafts parts · CPC title

• B62J11/19

  specially adapted for electric wires · CPC title

• B62K3/02

  Frames (tandem frames B62K3/14) · CPC title

• B62J45/412 Primary

  Speed sensors · CPC title

• B62M6/50

  characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof · CPC title