Infinite adjust seat post with pressure relief valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963181-B2
Application number	US-201514887126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An assembly for enabling continuous seat post function during extreme conditions is described and includes: a first valve at least partially, slidably disposed within a stationary piston and for controlling a first fluid pathway there through, wherein the first fluid pathway runs from a first portion and to a second portion of the oil chamber, wherein the stationary piston separates the oil chamber into the first portion and the second portion; and a second valve at least partially disposed within the stationary piston and disposed in series with the first valve and having a second fluid pathway disposed through the first valve and the second valve, being in parallel with the first fluid pathway, running from the first portion to the second portion of the oil chamber, and providing a bypass for oil to flow from the first portion to the second portion when the first fluid pathway is closed.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. An assembly for enabling continuous seat post function during extreme conditions, said assembly comprising:
a first valve at least partially, slidably disposed within a stationary piston disposed within a seat post, said first valve controlling a first fluid pathway there through, wherein said first fluid pathway runs from a first portion of an oil chamber and to a second portion of said oil chamber, said first portion of said oil chamber and said second portion of said oil chamber separated by said stationary piston;
an internal floating piston disposed within said seat post, said internal floating piston disposed between said second portion of said oil chamber and a gas chamber such that said internal floating piston separates said gas chamber from said second portion of said oil chamber; and
a second valve at least partially disposed within said stationary piston and disposed in series with said first valve, said second valve providing a second fluid pathway disposed through said first valve and said second valve, said second fluid pathway being in parallel with said first fluid pathway,
wherein said second fluid pathway runs from said first portion of said oil chamber to said second portion of said oil chamber and provides a bypass for oil to flow from said first portion of said oil chamber to said second portion of said oil chamber when said first fluid pathway is closed.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first valve comprises:
an annular wall comprising at least one slider configured for sliding within said stationary piston; and
at least one seal extending from said annular wall and for providing a sealing arrangement with an inner surface of said stationary piston.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first valve comprises:
a spool valve.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second valve comprises:
an annular wall; and
a ball/spring arrangement, wherein said ball is seated on top of said spring, and wherein when a force is applied to said ball by said oil and said force overcomes a force exerted by said spring, said ball pushes said spring in a direction toward said second portion, thereby opening said second fluid pathway.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a piston rod, a first end of said piston rod disposed in a gas chamber and connectable with said first valve, and a second end of said piston rod connected to said stationary piston, wherein an internal floating piston separates said gas chamber from said oil chamber; and
an actuation assembly connected to said piston rod, said actuation assembly for, upon actuation, pushing said piston rod into said first valve and causing said first valve to slide within said stationary piston.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said assembly is disposed within an upper post and a lower post, wherein said upper post is telescopically engaged with said lower post.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:
anti-rotation pins disposed within an indentation of said upper post and between said upper post and said lower post, said anti-rotation pins maintaining an alignment between said upper post and said lower post such that said upper post does not rotate within said lower post.

8. An infinite adjust seat post comprising:
an upper post telescopically engaging a lower post, wherein said upper post comprises a main piston that is stationary, wherein said main piston comprises a first fluid pathway that includes a first fluid port and a second fluid port;
an oil chamber disposed within said upper post/lower post combination, wherein said oil chamber is separated from said gas chamber by said main piston into a first portion and a second portion;
an internal floating piston disposed within said upper post/lower post combination, said internal floating piston disposed between said second portion of said oil chamber and a gas chamber such that said internal floating piston separates said gas chamber from said second portion of said oil chamber;
a spool valve at least partially slidably disposed within said main piston, said spool valve and is configured for blocking said first fluid pathway upon too much pressure being applied to an oil in said first portion; and
a pressure relief valve disposed in series with said spool valve, wherein a second fluid pathway is disposed in parallel with said first fluid pathway and is disposed within said pressure relief valve and said spool valve.

9. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 8 , wherein said spool valve comprises:
an annular wall comprising at least one slider configured for sliding within said main piston; and
at least one seal extending from said annular wall and for providing a sealing arrangement with an inner surface of said main piston.

10. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 8 , wherein said pressure relief valve comprises:
an annular wall; and
a ball/spring arrangement, wherein said ball is seated on top of said spring, and wherein when a force is applied to said ball by said oil and said force overcomes a force exerted by said spring, said ball pushes said spring in a direction toward said second portion, thereby opening said second fluid pathway.

11. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 10 , wherein said ball comprises:
steel.

12. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 8 , further comprising:
a piston rod, a first end of said piston rod disposed in a gas chamber and connectable with said first valve, and a second end of said piston rod connected to said stationary piston, wherein an internal floating piston separates said gas chamber from said oil chamber; and
an actuation assembly connected to said piston rod, said actuation assembly for, upon actuation, pushing said piston rod into said first valve and causing said first valve to slide within said stationary piston.

13. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 12 , wherein said actuation assembly is actuated by a mechanical lever.

14. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 12 , wherein said actuation assembly is actuated remotely.

15. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 8 , further comprising:
anti-rotation pins disposed within an indentation of said upper post and between said upper post and said lower post, said anti-rotation pins maintaining an alignment between said upper post and said lower post such that said upper post does not rotate within said lower post.

16. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 8 , wherein said first fluid pathway runs from said first portion of said oil chamber to said second portion of said oil chamber.

17. The infinite adjust seat post of claim 8 , wherein said second fluid pathway runs from said first portion of said oil chamber to said second portion of said oil chamber.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Madau Barna
• Docter Jeremiah

Classifications

• B62J1/06

  Saddles capable of parallel motion up and down · CPC title

• 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

• F16F9/52

  in case of change of temperature ({F16F9/003 takes precedence; } combined with external adjustment F16F9/44) · CPC title

• F16F9/34

  Special valve constructions ({F16F9/44, F16F9/50 take precedence; filtering details F16F9/3285} ; valves in general F16K); Shape or construction of throttling passages · CPC title