Travel adjust system for dropper seatposts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269548-B2
Application number	US-202318099938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2023
Priority date	Jan 21, 2022
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

A dropper seatpost assembly is disclosed. The dropper seatpost assembly includes a lower post comprising a travel adjustment bore and an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to the lower post. The dropper seatpost assembly also includes a translating assembly configured to maintain one or both of an axial orientation and a rotational orientation of the upper post with respect to the lower post and at least one travel adjustment spacer removably coupled with the travel adjustment bore, the at least one travel adjustment spacer to interact with the translating assembly to reduce a maximum travel distance of the interactive operation of the upper post with respect to the lower post.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly comprising:
a lower post, said lower post comprising a travel adjustment bore;
an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to said lower post;
a translating assembly configured to maintain one or both of an axial orientation and a rotational orientation of said upper post with respect to said lower post; and
at least one travel adjustment spacer removably coupled with said travel adjustment bore, said at least one travel adjustment spacer to interact with said translating assembly to reduce a travel distance of said interactive operation of said upper post with respect to said lower post; and
at least one contact washer coupled with said travel adjustment bore, said at least one contact washer to interact with said translating assembly to reduce a travel distance of said upper post with respect to said lower post, wherein said translating assembly comprises:
at least one top-out pin coupled with one of said upper post or said lower post; and
at least one pin groove coupled with the other of said upper post or said lower post.

2. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one travel adjustment spacer and/or said at least one contact washer comprise a material selected from a group consisting of: spring steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass alloy, a metal alloy, plastic, elastomer, composite material, and a combination thereof.

3. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one pin groove comprises:
a positive extrusion axially formed along said other of said upper post or said lower post.

4. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 3 , wherein said positive extrusion of said at least one pin groove adds an additional structure to said interactive operation of said upper post with respect to said lower post.

5. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one pin groove comprises:
a negative extrusion axially formed in said other of said upper post or said lower post.

6. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said translating assembly comprises:
at least one top-out pin coupled with one of said upper post or said lower post;
at least one pin groove coupled with the other of said upper post or said lower post;
at least one top-out key coupled with one of said upper post or said lower post; and
at least one key groove coupled with the other of said upper post or said lower post.

7. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:
said at least one pin groove comprising a negative extrusion axially formed in said other of said upper post or said lower post; and
said at least one key groove comprising a negative extrusion axially formed in said other of said upper post or said lower post.

8. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:
said at least one pin groove comprising a positive extrusion axially formed along said other of said upper post or said lower post; and
said at least one key groove comprising a positive extrusion axially formed along said other of said upper post or said lower post.

9. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 8 , wherein said positive extrusion of said at least one pin groove and said at least one key groove adds an additional structure to said interactive operation of said upper post with respect to said lower post.

10. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
said at least one pin groove comprising an impact protection pocket.

11. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one impact protection ring groove about an end of at least one pin groove.

12. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
an impact protector ring within said at least one impact protection ring groove, said impact protector ring to receive an impact force from an impact between said at least one top-out pin and said at least one travel adjustment spacer and transmit said impact force to said at least one impact protection ring groove.

13. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , wherein said at least one pin groove comprises a chamfer along at least a portion thereof.

14. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 13 , further comprising:
a sacrificial material within said impact protection pocket, said sacrificial material to absorb a transmitted impact force from an impact between said at least one top-out pin and said at least one travel adjustment spacer.

15. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , wherein said at least one key groove comprises a chamfer along at least a portion thereof.

16. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , wherein said at least one pin groove comprises a leadout.

17. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said travel adjustment bore comprises:
a circumferential bore about an inner diameter (ID) of said lower post within which said at least one travel adjustment spacer is added.

18. A travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly comprising:
a lower post, said lower post comprising:
an exterior threaded collar receiver; and
a travel adjustment bore;

an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to said lower post;
a translating assembly configured to maintain one or both of an axial orientation and a rotational orientation of said upper post with respect to said lower post;
at least one travel adjustment spacer removably coupled with said travel adjustment bore, said at least one travel adjustment spacer to interact with said translating assembly to reduce a travel distance of said interactive operation of said upper post with respect to said lower post; and
a collar interface to couple with said exterior threaded collar receiver of said lower post, said collar interface comprising:
a collar to threadedly couple with said exterior threaded collar receiver of said lower post;
a carrier, wherein said collar maintains said carrier in position with respect to said lower post, said carrier retaining said at least one travel adjustment spacer within said travel adjustment bore.

19. The travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly of claim 18 wherein said collar of said collar interface is configured to be hand adjustable to threadedly couple and uncouple with said exterior threaded collar receiver of said lower post.

20. A travel adjustable dropper seatpost assembly comprising:
a lower post, said lower post comprising a travel adjustment bore;
an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to said lower post;
a translating assembly configured to maintain one or both of an axial orientation and a rotational orientation of said upper post with respect to said lower post; and
at least one travel adjustment spacer removably coupled with said travel adjustment bore, said at least one travel adjustment spacer to interact with said translating assembly to reduce a travel distance of said interactive operation of said upper post with respect to said lower post; and
at least one contact washer coupled with said travel adjustment bore, said at least one contact washer to interact with said translating assembly to reduce a travel distance of said upper post with res

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Holaday Thomas Samuel
• Coaplen Joshua

Classifications

• B62J2001/085

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

• B62J1/06 Primary

  Saddles capable of parallel motion up and down · CPC title

• 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