Bicycle saddle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186336-B2
Application number	US-202016927765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Jul 22, 2019
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A bicycle saddle includes: a base structure having a top portion; and a cushion coupled to the top portion of the base structure, the cushion including a first lateral side and a second lateral side separated by a longitudinal plane, wherein each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side includes: a first region having a first stiffness; a second region having a second stiffness that is less than the first stiffness; and a third region having a third stiffness that is less than the second stiffness, wherein a perimeter of the second region is at least 75% enclosed within the first region, and wherein a perimeter of the third region is at least 75% enclosed within the second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle saddle comprising:
a base structure comprising a top portion and a first rail and a second rail that support the top portion, wherein each of the first rail and the second rail comprises a mounting portion configured to be coupled to a saddle receiver, the mounting portion extending along a rail axis, the rail axis of the first rail and the rail axis of the second rail defining a lateral plane that contains both the rail axis of the first rail and the rail axis of the second rail and a longitudinal plane that is perpendicular to the lateral plane and centered between the rail axis of the first rail and the rail axis of the second rail; and
a cushion coupled to the top portion of the base structure, the cushion comprising a nose portion and a rear portion, the cushion further comprising a first lateral side and a second lateral side separated by the longitudinal plane, wherein each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side comprises:
a first region comprising a first stiffness;
a second region comprising a second stiffness that is less than or equal to 75% of the first stiffness, but greater than 50% of the first stiffness; and
a third region comprising a third stiffness that is less than or equal to 50% of the first stiffness,

wherein, when a top surface of the cushion is projected as a two-dimensional projection onto a plane above the cushion that is parallel to the lateral plane, the first region, the second region, and the third region of each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side is configured such that:
a perimeter of the second region is at least 75% enclosed within the first region,
a perimeter of the third region is at least 75% enclosed within the second region,
a centroid of the second region is positioned longitudinally between a first line that is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane and intersects a widest point of the rear portion of the cushion, and a second line that is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane and positioned halfway between the first line and a forward-most point of the nose portion of the cushion,
the centroid of the second region is positioned laterally between a third line that is parallel to the longitudinal plane and a fourth line that is parallel to the longitudinal plane, wherein each of the third line and the fourth line passes through the first region, the third line being spaced apart from the longitudinal plane by a distance that is 15% of a distance from the longitudinal plane to the widest point of the rear portion of the cushion, the fourth line being spaced apart from the longitudinal plane by a distance that is 70% of the distance from the longitudinal plane to the widest point of the rear portion of the cushion,
a centroid of the third region is positioned longitudinally between the first line and a fifth line that is positioned between the first line and the second line, the fifth line being spaced apart from the first line by a distance that is 45% of a distance from the first line to the forward-most point of the nose portion of the cushion,
the centroid of the third region is positioned laterally between a sixth line that is parallel to the longitudinal plane and the fourth line, wherein the sixth line passes through the first region and is spaced apart from the longitudinal plane by a distance that is 10% of the distance from the longitudinal plane to the widest point of the rear portion of the cushion,
the perimeter of the third region encloses a first surface area,
the perimeter of the second region encloses a second surface area, wherein a size of the second surface area, minus a size of the first surface area, is between 1,000 mm 2 and 10,000 mm 2 , and
wherein the size of the first surface area is between 25% and 75% of the size of the second surface area.

2. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the second region and the perimeter of the third region both are located rearward of the nose portion of the cushion, wherein a rearmost extent of the nose portion is defined by the second line.

3. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein the cushion is an assembly that comprises separate resilient materials having different stiffness properties for the first region, the second region, and the third region.

4. The bicycle saddle of claim 3 , wherein each of the separate resilient materials comprises a foam.

5. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein the first region, the second region, and the third region are part of a single integrally formed structure, the single integrally formed structure comprising different stiffness properties in the first region, the second region, and the third region.

6. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the perimeter of the second region comprises a maximum length and widths including a maximum width, with the maximum length being greater than the maximum width, and with the widths tapering from a larger value to a smaller value from a rearward portion of the second region to a forward portion of the second region.

7. The bicycle saddle of claim 6 , wherein a shape of the perimeter of the third region comprises a maximum length and widths including a maximum width, with the maximum length being greater than the maximum width, and with the widths tapering from a larger value to a smaller value from a rearward portion of the third region to a forward portion of the third region.

8. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the second region is completely enclosed within the first region.

9. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the third region is completely enclosed within the second region.

10. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein the first stiffness is within a range of 50-70 on the Asker C hardness scale.

11. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein, when the top surface of the cushion is projected as the two-dimensional projection, a surface area of the first region consists of any portion of the top surface that is not part of the second region, that is not part of the third region, and that is bounded by a perimeter defined by multiple segments comprising:
a first segment that begins at a point where the second line intersects the longitudinal plane and ends at a point where the second line intersects an outer edge of the cushion, the first segment being collinear to the second line;
a second segment that begins at the point where the second line intersects the outer edge of the cushion, follows a profile of the outer edge of the cushion, and ends at a point where the outer edge of the cushion intersects the longitudinal plane; and
a third segment that begins at the point where the outer edge of the cushion intersects the longitudinal plane, ends at the point where the second line intersects the longitudinal plane, the third segment being coincident to the longitudinal plane.

12. The bicycle saddle of claim 11 , wherein the cushion comprises one or more recessed regions that are recessed below the top surface of the cushion and that are not part of the surface area of the first region.

13. The bicycle saddle of claim 1 , wherein each of the first stiffness, the second stiffness, and the third stiffness is defined as an average stiffness as measured normal to the top surface of the cushion at uniformly spaced locations across a corresponding region of the first region, the second region, and the third region, using a durometer having a 0.508 centimeter spherical diameter indenter.

14. The bicycle saddle of claim 13 , wherein adjacent uniformly spaced locations of the uniformly spaced locations are located 10 mil

Assignees

• Specialized Bicycle Components Inc

Inventors

• Primeaux Philip Alan
• Getter Garrett Yale Davis
• Yu Christopher

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B62J1/002 Primary

  Saddles having a seating area with a central cavity or depression · CPC title

• B62J1/007

  Saddles with specific anatomical adaptations · CPC title

• B62J1/26 Primary

  Paddings involving other resilient material, e.g. sponge rubber with inflatable compartments · CPC title