Magnetic bicycle headset

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503192-B2
Application number	US-202318222908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2023
Priority date	Jul 17, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A magnetic bicycle headset includes a first casing engaged with a headtube of a bicycle and a second casing engaged with a fork of the bicycle. A bearing abuts between the first casing and the second casing. The first casing has a first magnet seat for arranging a plurality of first magnets around an axis of the first casing. The second casing has an electrical conductor ring rotating relative to the first magnet around the axis of the first casing. A magnetic field of each first magnet movably passes through the electrical conductor ring. When the electrical conductor ring rotates relative to the first magnets, an eddy current between the electrical conductor ring and the first magnets generates a countering resistance resisting the rotation, so that the present disclosure could reduce a speed and a degree of the rotation of the second casing and the fork relative to the headtube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetic bicycle headset, comprising:
a first casing adapted to be engaged with a headtube of a bicycle and having an axis and a first abutting surface; a second casing adapted to be engaged with a fork of the bicycle and having a second abutting surface; and a bearing disposed between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface; wherein either the first casing or the second casing has a first magnet seat; the first magnet seat has at least one first magnet, wherein a magnetic field of the at least one first magnet has a first magnetic field direction; the other one of the first casing and the second casing has an electrical conductor ring; the electrical conductor ring rotates relative to the at least one first magnet around the axis, making the magnetic field of the at least one first magnet movably pass through the electrical conductor ring.

2 . The magnetic bicycle headset as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first casing has the first magnet seat, and the second casing has the electrical conductor ring.

3 . The magnetic bicycle headset as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first magnet seat is an annular body; a plurality of first slots is arranged around the first magnet seat; the at least one first magnet comprises a plurality of first magnets; each of the plurality of first magnets fits in one of the plurality of the first slots; an outer peripheral surface of the first magnet seat has a positioning flange; the first abutting surface is an inclined surface and is formed on a top side of an inner peripheral surface of the first magnet seat.

4 . The magnetic bicycle headset as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the second casing is a metallic electric conductor and has an annular main body adapted to be engaged with the fork of the bicycle; the electrical conductor ring is connected to a periphery of the annular main body; the second abutting surface is an inclined surface and is formed on the annular main body.

5 . The magnetic bicycle headset as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the positioning flange is connected to a dustproof ring surrounding a periphery of the electrical conductor ring.

6 . The magnetic bicycle headset as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the positioning flange radially protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the first magnet seat and has an engaging portion; the engaged portion is engaged with a second magnet seat; the second magnet seat is opposite to the first magnet seat and has at least one second magnet, wherein a magnetic field of the at least one second magnet has a second magnetic field direction; a length of the electrical conductor ring in a direction of the axis is less than a length of a gap between the first magnet seat and the second magnet seat in the direction of the axis; the electrical conductor ring enters the gap between the first magnet seat and the second magnet seat, and the magnetic field of the at least one second magnet passes through the electrical conductor ring; a polarity of a magnetic pole of the at least one second magnet facing the electrical conductor ring is opposite to a polarity of a magnetic pole of each of the plurality of first magnets facing the electrical conductor ring.

7 . The magnetic bicycle headset as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second magnet seat is an annular body; a plurality of second slots is arranged around a top surface of the second magnet seat; the at least one second magnet comprises a plurality of second magnets; each of the plurality of second magnets fits in one of the plurality of second slots.

Assignees

• Tien Hsin Industries Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wei Wei-Chih

Classifications

• B62K21/06 Primary

  Bearings specially adapted for steering heads (bearings in general F16C) · CPC title