Folding bicycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840303-B2
Application number	US-201615002705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A folding bicycle has a main-frame with a bottom bracket, crank, pedals, and a seat post. A front is attached to the main-frame by a front hinge having an axis parallel to the crank axis, and has a mono-fork suspension. The front frame rotates about the front hinge to a folded position wherein the mono-fork is behind the front hinge axis. A rear swingarm suspension has a rear sprocket and is attached to the main-frame by a rear hinge that preferably is coincident with the crank axis. The swingarm is of a single-stay configuration and is rotatable about the rear hinge to a folded position wherein the rear sprocket is forward of the crank axis. The main-frame may consist of left and right sidewalls spaced apart from one another, and the mono-fork lies at least partially between the sidewalls when the front frame is in the folded position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle comprising:
a main-frame having a crank axis;
a swingarm attached to the main-frame by a rear hinge having an axis parallel and coincident with the crank axis and rotatable thereabout to be forward of the crank axis; and
a front frame attached to the main-frame by a front hinge having an axis parallel with the crank axis and rotatable thereabout such that a wheel axle is behind the front hinge axis.

2. The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the front frame comprises a mono-fork.

3. The bicycle of claim 2 , wherein the mono-fork comprises a quick-detach wheel axle.

4. The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein swingarm is of a single-stay configuration.

5. The bicycle of claim 4 , wherein the swingarm comprises a quick-detach wheel axle.

6. The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the front frame comprises a steering head subassembly which telescopingly receives a steering column.

7. The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the main-frame comprises a left sidewall and a right sidewall spaced apart from one another, and at least a portion of the front frame is positioned between the sidewalls when the wheel axis is behind the front hinge axis.

8. The bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the main-frame is made at least in part of a composite material.

9. A bicycle comprising:
a main-frame having a crank axis;
a swingarm attached to the main-frame by a rear hinge having an axis parallel with the crank axis and rotatable thereabout to be forward of the crank axis; and
a front frame attached to the main-frame by a front hinge having an axis parallel with the crank axis and rotatable thereabout such that a wheel axle is behind the front hinge axis, wherein the front frame comprises a mono-fork.

10. The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the mono-fork comprises a quick-detach wheel axle.

11. The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the swingarm is of a single-stay configuration.

12. The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the swingarm comprises a quick-detach wheel axle.

13. The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the front frame comprises a steering head subassembly which telescopingly receives a steering column.

14. The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the main-frame comprises a left sidewall and a right sidewall spaced apart from one another, and at least a portion of the front frame is positioned between the sidewalls when the wheel axis is behind the front hinge axis.

15. The bicycle of claim 9 , wherein the main-frame is made at least in part of a composite material.

16. A bicycle comprising:
a main-frame having a crank axis;
a swingarm attached to the main-frame by a rear hinge having an axis parallel with the crank axis and rotatable thereabout to be forward of the crank axis; and
a front frame attached to the main-frame by a front hinge having an axis parallel with the crank axis and rotatable thereabout such that a wheel axle is behind the front hinge axis, wherein the main-frame comprises a left sidewall and a right sidewall spaced apart from one another, and at least a portion of the front frame is positioned between the sidewalls when the wheel axis is behind the front hinge axis.

17. The bicycle of claim 16 , wherein the front frame comprises a mono-fork.

18. The bicycle of claim 17 , wherein the mono-fork comprises a quick-detach wheel axle.

19. The bicycle of claim 16 , wherein the swingarm is of a single-stay configuration.

20. The bicycle of claim 16 , wherein the swingarm comprises a quick-detach wheel axle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lutz Martin
• Linsel Jan
• Hohenboeken Kay
• Quiring Stefan
• Reith Markus

Classifications

• B62K15/008 Primary

  foldable about 2 or more axes · CPC title