Height adjustable seat posts for bicycles and spacers for height adjustable seat posts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025187687-A1
Application number	US-202318537068-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2023
Priority date	Dec 12, 2023
Publication date	Jun 12, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Height adjustable seat posts for bicycles are described herein. An example seat post includes an upper tube and a lower tube are configured in a telescopic arrangement and moveable between at least a first position and a second position. The seat post includes an upper sealhead, a lower sealhead, a shaft coupled to the lower tube and extending through the lower sealhead and into the upper tube, and a piston in the upper tube and coupled to the shaft. The piston divides the upper tube into a first chamber between the piston and the upper sealhead and a second chamber between the piston and the lower sealhead. The seat post also includes a spacer in the second chamber between the piston and the lower sealhead to reduce a length of the height adjustable seat post in at least one of the first and second positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A height adjustable seat post for a bicycle, the height adjustable seat post comprising:
an upper tube to be coupled to a seat, the upper tube having an upper end and a lower end opposite the upper end; a lower tube to be coupled to a frame of the bicycle, the upper tube and the lower tube configured in a telescopic arrangement and moveable between at least a first position and a second position; an upper sealhead coupled to the upper tube at or near the upper end; a lower sealhead coupled to the upper tube at or near end of the lower end; a shaft coupled to the lower tube and extending through the lower sealhead and into the upper tube; a piston in the upper tube, the piston coupled to the shaft, the piston dividing the upper tube into a first chamber between the piston and the upper sealhead and a second chamber between the piston and the lower sealhead; and a spacer in the second chamber between the piston and the lower sealhead to reduce a length of the height adjustable seat post in at least one of the first and second positions.

2 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface of the spacer has a shoulder, the spacer having a first portion with a first outer diameter between the first end and the shoulder and a second portion with a second outer diameter between the shoulder and the second end, the second outer diameter being less than the first outer diameter.

3 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 2 , wherein the lower sealhead has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end of the lower sealhead facing the second chamber, the lower sealhead having a bore extending into the first end of the lower sealhead.

4 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the spacer is disposed above the first end of the lower sealhead, and the second portion of the spacer extends into the bore in the first end of the lower sealhead.

5 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 4 , wherein the first outer diameter is sized to form a transition fit between the outer surface of the first portion of the spacer and an inner surface of the upper tube.

6 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 4 , further including a bumper disposed in the bore in the lower sealhead, the second end of the spacer engaged with the bumper.

7 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end facing the second chamber, and wherein the spacer has a bore extending into a first end of the spacer.

8 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 7 , wherein a distance between a bottom surface of the bore and the second end of the spacer corresponds to a length of the height adjustable seat post in the fully extended position reduced by the spacer.

9 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 8 , wherein the piston has a shoulder and an extension extending from the shoulder, and wherein, when the height adjustable seat post is in the fully extended position, the extension of the piston extends into the bore of the spacer and is engaged with the bottom surface of the bore.

10 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 9 , wherein, when the height adjustable seat post is in the fully extended position, the shoulder of the piston is spaced from the first end of the spacer.

11 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 7 , wherein the spacer has a tapered edge at an opening of the bore on the first end of the spacer.

12 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein the shaft extends through a central channel in the spacer, and wherein the shaft is slidable in the central channel in the spacer.

13 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is a first spacer, further including a second spacer in the second chamber to further reduce the length of the height adjustable seat post.

14 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 13 , wherein the first spacer and the second spacer are stacked in an axial configuration in the second chamber.

15 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 14 , wherein the first spacer and the second spacer have a same size and shape.

16 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein the first position is a fully extended position and the second position is a fully contracted position.

17 . The height adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein the upper sealhead includes a valve.

18 . An apparatus for a bicycle, the apparatus comprising:
a height adjustable seat post including:
an upper tube and a lower tube configured in a telescopic arrangement and moveable between at least a first position and a second position, the upper tube extending outward from the lower tube a first length in the first position;
a lower sealhead in the upper tube at or near the lower end;
a shaft coupled to the lower tube and extending through the lower sealhead and into the upper tube; and
a piston in the upper tube, the piston coupled to the shaft, the piston dividing the upper tube into a first chamber and a second chamber, the second chamber defined between the piston and the lower sealhead; and
a spacer having a first end, a second end, and a central channel extending between the first and second ends, the spacer sized to be installed in the second chamber of the height adjustable seat post with the shaft extending through the central channel, and wherein, when the spacer is installed in the second chamber of the height adjustable seat post, the upper tube extends outward from the lower tube a second length in the first position, the second length being less than the first length.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein an outer surface of the spacer has a shoulder, the spacer having a first portion with a first outer diameter between the first end and the shoulder and a second portion with a second outer diameter between the shoulder and the second end, the second outer diameter being less than the first outer diameter.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the lower sealhead has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end facing the second chamber, the spacer having a bore extending into the first end, and wherein the second portion of the spacer is sized to be inserted into the bore of the lower sealhead.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first outer diameter is sized to form a transition fit between the outer surface of the first portion of the spacer and an inner surface of the upper tube when the spacer is installed in the second chamber.

22 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the spacer is a first spacer, the apparatus further including a second spacer to be installed in the second chamber, wherein the first spacer and the second spacer have a same size and shape.

Assignees

• Sram Llc

Inventors

• Dunlap Charles
• Moore Robert
• Jasper Kevin
• Golkiewicz Christopher
• Doan Jace

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