Pneumatic only height adjust seat post assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12286180-B2
Application number	US-202318169525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A seat post assembly for a bicycle includes a first tube having a first distal end and a second tube having a second distal end. A distance between the first distal end of the first tube and the second distal end of the second tube is at a maximum when the first tube is in a first position relative to the second tube. The seat post assembly also includes a first chamber and a second chamber that are fluidly coupleable. The first chamber is a positive fluid chamber, and the second chamber is a negative fluid chamber. The seat post assembly includes a fluid volume disposed in the first chamber and the second chamber. The fluid volume includes a compressible fluid. The first chamber is configured to act as a spring configured to bias the first tube towards the first position relative to the second tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat post assembly for a bicycle, the seat post assembly comprising:
a telescoping tube structure including a first tube having a first distal end, and a second tube having a second distal end, the first tube being movable relative to the second tube to establish a distance between the first distal end of the first tube and the second distal end of the second tube along a tube axis, the telescoping tube structure having a first position wherein the distance is a first distance, a second position wherein the distance is a second distance different than the first distance, and an intermediate position wherein the distance is an intermediate distance between the first distance and the second distance;
wherein sag at the intermediate position is greater than the sag at the first position.

2. The seat post assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sag at the intermediate position is greater than the sag at the first position and the second position.

3. The seat post assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sag at the first position is 10 millimeters or less.

4. The seat post assembly of claim 3 , wherein the sag at the intermediate position is between 10 millimeters and 30 millimeters.

5. The seat post assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is a maximum distance of the telescoping tube structure.

6. The seat post assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second distance is a minimum distance of the telescoping tube structure.

7. The seat post assembly of claim 6 , wherein the telescoping tube structure includes a first chamber and a second chamber that are fluidly coupleable, the first chamber being a positive fluid chamber and the second chamber being a negative fluid chamber; and
a fluid volume disposed in the first chamber and the second chamber, the fluid volume being entirely or primarily a compressible fluid.

8. The seat post assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first chamber is configured to act as a spring configured to bias the first tube towards the first position of the telescoping tube structure.

9. The seat post assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are within the first tube.

10. The seat post assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a third chamber outside of a flow path connecting the first chamber and the second chamber, the third chamber being within the second tube.

11. The seat post assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a piston separating the first chamber and the second chamber; and
a flow path connecting the first chamber and the second chamber through the piston.

12. The seat post assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a valve including an isolator, the isolator being configured to move between a closed position closing the flow path and an open position opening the flow path between the first chamber and the second chamber, the relative movement between the first tube and the second tube being allowed when the isolator is in the open position.

13. The seat post assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second chamber is configured to receive a portion of the compressible fluid when the isolator is in the open position and a force is applied to the first distal end of the first tube.

14. The seat post assembly of claim 11 , wherein the piston has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side of the piston partially defining the first chamber and the second side of the piston partially defining the second chamber, and
wherein a volume of the first chamber and a volume of the second chamber are based on a position of the piston relative to the first tube.

15. The seat post assembly of claim 14 , wherein a total chamber volume, including the volume of the first chamber and the volume of the second chamber, is variable based on the position of the piston relative to the first tube, such that the total chamber volume when the first tube is in the first position relative to the second tube is greater than the total chamber volume when the first tube is in the second position relative to the second tube.

16. The seat post assembly of claim 14 , wherein a surface area of the first side as viewed along the tube axis is greater than a surface area of the second side as viewed along the tube axis.

17. The seat post assembly of claim 8 , wherein a volume of the first chamber is larger than a volume of the second chamber when the first tube is in the first position relative to the second tube.

18. The seat post assembly of claim 17 , wherein the volume of the second chamber is no more than ten percent of the volume of the first chamber when the first tube is in the first position relative to the second tube.

19. The seat post assembly of claim 18 , wherein the volume of the second chamber is no more than three percent of the volume of the first chamber when the first tube is in the first position relative to the second tube.

20. The seat post assembly of claim 7 , wherein the compressible fluid is a gas.

Assignees

• Sram Llc

Inventors

• Chambers Rafer
• Dunlap Charles

Classifications

• B62J2001/085

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

• B62J1/06 Primary

  Saddles capable of parallel motion up and down · CPC title