Dropper seatpost head assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11447201-B2
Application number	US-202016778319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A dropper seatpost head assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle and an upper post having a housing coupled at one end thereof, the upper post to telescopically slide with respect to the lower post to form a dropper seatpost. The assembly also includes a saddle rail clamp assembly having a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with the housing and an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with the lower saddle rail clamping portion to form a clamping structure. The lower saddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such that the lower saddle rail clamping portion and the clamping structure hang down in a plane that intersects at least a portion of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A housing for a seatpost comprising:
a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with said housing, said lower saddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such that said lower saddle rail clamping portion hangs down in a horizontal plane that intersects at or below a portion of said housing when said housing is coupled with said seatpost;
an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to form a clamping structure to clamp at least one saddle rail of a saddle; and
at least one fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a location on said housing,
said at least one fastener inverted in said housing to increase a standoff distance between a bottom of said saddle and a top of said at least one fastener,
said inversion causing a head of said at least one fastener to be located at an upper portion of said housing,
said inversion further causing a mechanical component that tightens or loosens said at least one fastener to be located at a lower portion of said housing.

2. A seatpost assembly comprising:
a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with a housing;
an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to form a clamping structure to clamp at least one saddle rail of a saddle;
a first fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a first location on said housing;
at least a second fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a second location on said housing, wherein an adjustment to one or both of said first fastener and said second fastener adjusts a pitch of said saddle,
wherein none of said first fastener or at least said second fastener protrude into a region between said upper saddle rail clamping portion and said saddle; and

at least one of said first fastener or said second fastener is inverted in said housing to increase a standoff distance between a bottom of said saddle and a top of said first fastener or said second fastener,
said inversion causing a head of said at least one of said first fastener or said second fastener to be located at a top of said saddle rail clamp assembly,
said inversion further causing a mechanical component that tightens or loosens said first fastener or said second fastener to be located at a bottom of said saddle rail clamp assembly.

3. A system comprising:
a lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle;
an upper post to telescopically couple with respect to said lower post to form a dropper seatpost;
a housing coupled to one end of said upper post;
a saddle rail clamp assembly coupled to said housing, said saddle rail clamp assembly comprising:
a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with said housing, said lower saddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such that said lower saddle rail clamping portion hangs down in a horizontal plane that intersects at or below a portion of said housing; and
an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to form a clamping structure in said horizontal plane that intersects at least said portion of said housing;

said saddle rail clamp assembly to couple at least one saddle rail of a saddle with said dropper seatpost via said clamping structure;
a first fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a first location on said housing;
at least a second fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a second location on said housing, wherein an adjustment to one or both of said first fastener and said second fastener adjusts a pitch of said saddle; and
at least one of said first fastener or said second fastener inverted in said housing to increase a standoff distance between a bottom of said saddle and a top of said first fastener or said second fastener,
said inversion causing a head of said at least one of said first fastener or said second fastener to be located at a top of said saddle rail clamp assembly,
said inversion further causing a mechanical component that tightens or loosens said first fastener or said second fastener to be located at a bottom of said saddle rail clamp assembly.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
both of said first fastener and said second fastener inverted in said housing to increase said standoff distance between said bottom of said saddle and said top of said first fastener and said second fastener.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a user interface operatively connected with said dropper seatpost, said user interface to receive input and adjust a height of said dropper seatpost based on said input.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said user interface comprises at least one of a GUI, a button, a dial, a smart device, and a lever.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein said user interface is wirelessly coupled with said dropper seatpost.

8. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
the upper post having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than an inner diameter (ID) of said lower post, to telescopically slide said upper post into said lower post to form said dropper seatpost.

9. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
the lower post having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than an inner diameter (ID) of said upper post, to telescopically slide said lower post into said upper post to form said dropper seatpost.

10. A dropper seatpost with head assembly comprising:
a lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle;
an upper post to telescopically slide with respect to said lower post to form a dropper seatpost;
a housing coupled to one end of said upper post;
a saddle rail clamp assembly to couple at least one saddle rail of a saddle with said dropper seatpost via a clamping structure, said saddle rail clamp assembly comprising:
a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with said housing,
said lower saddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such that said lower saddle rail clamping portion hangs down in a plane that intersects at or below a portion of said housing; and

an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to form said clamping structure in said plane that intersects at or below said portion of said housing;

a first fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a first location on said housing; and
at least a second fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a second location on said housing, wherein an adjustment to one or both of said first fastener and said second fastener adjusts a pitch of said saddle; and
at least one of said first fastener or said second fastener inverted in said housing to increase a standoff distance between a bottom of said saddle and a top of said first fastener or said second fastener,
said inversion causing a head of said at least one of said first fastener or said second fastener to be located at a top of said saddle rail clamp assembly,
said inversion further causing a mechanical component that tightens or loosens said first fastener or said second fastener to be located at a bottom of said saddle rail clamp assembly.

11. The dropper seatpost with head assembly of claim 10 , wherein said housing is fi

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Coaplen Joshua
• Anderson Bryan Wesley
• Becker William M

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

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• B62J1/002

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

• B62J2001/085

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

• B62J1/04

  Saddles capable of swinging about a horizontal pivot · CPC title