A bicycle frame where the structural support is provided by a formed, stressed skin in conjunction with integral tubes and stiffening ribs. A body is formed which joins front fork, pedal axle, seat post and rear wheel axle. The body is visually solid from the side--the two open triangles of a conventional tube frame being filled in, and is airfoil shaped from the top. The body has an integral rear fender where the rear wheel penetrates the rear triangle, and assymetrical rear forks in place of conventional rear frame stays. All control cables, and a cargo compartment, are contained within the frame.
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6. In a bicycle frame having a steering support column formed to rotatably support a handle bar stem and front fork and wheel assembly; a seat support column formed to support a seat post and seat assembly; a pedal axle support column formed to rotatably support a pedal crank and chainwheel assembly; and a first connecting member extending generally between said steering column and said seat support column and defining an upper portion of the frame outline, and a second connecting member extending generally between said steering column and said pedal axle support column and defining a front portion of the frame outline in side view;
the improvement wherein said frame has an exterior skin surface extending generally between said columns in such a manner that the perimeter edges of said skin correspond to the outline of the frame geometry from the side view, the skin of the frame defining an airfoil section when viewed from above with a blunt leading edge at the front of the frame, and a relatively sharper trailing edge at the rear of the frame adjacent the seat support column.
1. A bicycle frame comprising, in combination, a tubular steering support column formed to rotatably support a handle bar stem and front fork and wheel assembly; a tubular seat support column formed to support a seat post and seat assembly; a tubular pedal axle support column formed to rotatably support a pedal crank and chainwheel assembly; cantilever rear fork blades formed to support a rear wheel assembly, the frame having the form of (1) an exterior structural skin surface, connected to and extending between said columns and rear fork blades in such a manner that the perimeter edges of said skin define the outline of the frame's geometry from the side view and an airfoil section with a blunt edge at the steering support column, and a sharp edge at the seat support column, and lower rear sides adjacent to the portion of the rear wheel assembly which penetrates the frame's geometry arranged in spaced apart substantially, parallel configuration positioned as closely as possible to the rear wheel assembly, from the plan view, (2) an internal arcuate fender, formed of structural skin, which encloses the portion of the rear wheel assembly which penetrates the frame's geometry, and fits within lower rear sides of said exterior structural skin, and internal reinforcing means which, in combination with said structural skin, form structural members including, (3) tubular members connecting the steering support column and seat support column, and the steering support column and pedal axle support column formed by the addition of an elongate web member secured in a substantially perpendicular manner between opposing interior surfaces, and parallel to the perimeter edge of said structural skin, (4) spaced apart, diverging, tubular members connecting the pedal axle column and cantilever rear fork blades, so arranged as to allow external routing of rear wheel drive chain and external placement of rear wheel drive sprocket(s) and shifting mechanism, formed by an integral outward extension of the lower edge of said exterior structural skin forming top, outside, and bottom surfaces secured to a separately formed inner surface by flanges at the top and bottom, completing a substantially rectangular tube section provided with the pedal axle column and rear fork blade support means at respective ends; (5) elongate reinforcing strips connecting rear, inner ends of said tubular rear fork support members with said seat support column, and at an intermediate position roughly bisecting said rear fender, with a seat support web and connecting member, said reinforcing strips filling a void space between said exterior structural skin and said internal structural skin of fender, (6) an elongate web member connecting seat support column and pedal axle support column secured in a substantially perpendicular manner between opposing inner surfaces of said structural skin, and (7) a web member secured in a substantially perpendicular manner between opposing inner surfaces of said structural skin, placed above and parallel to a line connecting the pedal axle column and rear wheel axle, and connected to the pedal axle support column by a vertical connecting member.
2. A bicycle frame according to
3. A bicycle frame according to
4. A bicycle frame according to
5. A bicycle frame according to
7. The bicycle frame of
10. In a bicycle frame having a steering support column formed to rotatably support a handle bar stem and front fork and wheel assembly, a seat support column formed to support a seat post and seat assembly, a pedal axis support column formed to rotatably support a pedal crank and chainwheel assembly, and rear fork ends formed to receive and support a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein the frame generally terminates forward of the rear wheel axle and said rear fork ends extend in cantilever fashion rearwardly from said frame to and in a supporting relationship with respect to said rear wheel axle, said frame comprising a longitudinal structural member aligned with and providing cantilever support to said rear fork ends, said structural member supported vertically by a structural member extending downwardly from the region of the seat, said longitudinal structural member projecting laterally, at a right angle to the direction of extent of the fork ends, from said vertical support. 11. The bicycle frame of claim 10 wherein said vertical support comprises structural skin extending downwardly from the region of the seat, the lower edge of said structural skin vertically supporting said longitudinal structural member. 12. The bicycle frame of claim 8, 10 or 11 further comprising spaced apart, diverging, structural members connecting the pedal axle column and cantilevered rear fork ends, adapted and arranged to allow routing of the rear wheel drive chain and placement of rear wheel drive sprocket(s) and shifting mechanism external of the exterior skin surface. 13. A bicycle frame according to claim 12 wherein said spaced apart structural members connecting the pedal axle column and cantilevered rear fork blades are offset horizontally from the longitudinal centerline of the frame in a manner to enable the centerline of a rear wheel hub flange assembly to lie on the longitudinal frame centerline while accomodating a multispeed gear assembly on one side of the wheel hub. 14. A unitary bicycle frame adapted to perform the load-bearing functions of a conventional bicycle frame having top tube means, seat tube means, down tube means, seat stay means and chain stay means joined at load-bearing corners to form main and rear triangles, said unitary bicycle frame having, in side view, a generally quadilateral shape, and formed of structural plastic skin extending along the perimeter of said frame and across the load-bearing corners of the frame, effectively forming structural tubular members providing at least said top tube means and said down tube means at edges of the frame. 5. The bicycle frame of claim 14 wherein said structural plastic skin extends substantially continuously from edge to edge of said frame. 16. The bicycle frame of claim 14 wherein there in an opening in the side of the frame. 17. A bicycle frame having, in the region extending rearwardly from the seat support and the pedal axle support of the frame, a structural skin on both sides of the frame extending rearwardly to overlap a forward portion of the rear wheel, and a structural section at the lower edge of each side of said frame, extending along a line projected from the pedal axle support to the rear wheel axle, said structural sections being joined with respective sides of said structural skin, said structural sections projecting laterally outwardly from the skin, rearward ends of said sections being constructed and spaced to support the rear wheel axle while, on both sides of the frame, the trailing part of said skin lies closer to the side of the wheel than does the respective support section, thereby to obtain an aerodynamic streamlined effect. 18. The bicycle frame of claim 17 wherein said structural skin along each side of the rear wheel is disposed symmetrically with respect to the centerline of the frame and said support sections are asymmetrically disposed with respect to said centerline, the section which extends outward further from said centerline being shaped to support said rear wheel outwardly of a multispeed gear assembly of the wheel, whereby said frame can accomodate a wheel of uniform spoke tension, undished shape. 19. The bicycle frame of claim 17 or 18 in which the structural skin terminates at a point lying forward of the axle of the rear wheel and a portion of each support section extends in cantilever fashion rearwardly to support said rear wheel.
PAR 0. The bicycle frame of
of two shells defining said structural skins. 21. The bicycle frame of claim 19 wherein said structural skin and structural sections are comprised of fiber reinforced resin and a rigid insert member is anchored in said structural section and extends therebeyond in said cantilever portion. 22. The bicycle frame of claim 21 wherein said frame is comprised of two shells defining said structural skins. 23. In a bicycle frame, a unitized support structure extending from the upper region of the frame at the seat, downwardly to the region of the pedal axle, said support structure comprising at least two spaced-apart transverse thin-walled structural portions extending between and joined to structural side skin portions, one of said transverse portions conforming to a portion of the curvature of the periphery of the rear wheel and the other transverse portion extending substantially straight from the region of the seat to the region of the pedal axle. 24. The bicycle frame of claim 23 wherein said structural skins extend rearwardly from said curved portion to a line extending from the seat region downwardly to the vicinity of the rear wheel axle, said structural skins thereby enclosing a portion of the rear wheel. 25. The bicycle frame of claim 23 or 24 wherein said structural skins extend forward of said straight portion to cover at least part of the forward triangle area of the frame and terminating at the forward edge of the frame. 26. The bicycle frame of claim 25 in which an arcuate fender is unitized with said skins. 27. The bicycle frame of claim 26 wherein said arcuate fender has integral structural side skirts that terminate at the rear edge of the frame, said structural side skirts lying inwardly of and generally parallel with portions of the exterior structural skin of the frame and being unitized therewith to define a strong structural section in the region of the rear wheel. 28. The bicycle frame of claim 22 wherein said strong structural sections closely surround the rear wheel. 29. The bicycle frame of claim 17, 18, 23 or 24 wherein said frame is comprised of two shells defining said structural skins. 30. The bicycle frame of claim 29 in which an arcuate fender is unitized with said skins. 31. The bicycle frame of claim 30 wherein said arcuate fender has integral structural side skirts that terminate at the rear edge of the frame, said structural side skirts lying inwardly of and generally parallel with portions of the exterior structural skin of the frame and being unitized therewith to define a strong structural section in the region of the rear wheel. 32. The bicycle frame of claim 31 wherein said strong structural sections closely surround the rear wheel. 33. The bicycle frame of claim 6, 14, 17, 23 or 24 in which an arcuate fender is unitized with said skins. 34. The bicycle frame of claim 33 wherein said arcuate fender has integral structural side skirts that terminate at the rear edge of the frame, said structural side skirts lying inwardly of and generally parallel with portions of the exterior structural skin of the frame and being unitized therewith to define a strong structural section in the region of the rear wheel. 35. The bicycle frame of claim 34 wherein said strong structural sections closely surround the rear wheel. |
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The present invention is intended as an improvement on existing high performance bicycles, both conventional tubular framed and unitized panel framed. The frame incorporates new and unique features which bring improvements in rigidity, ride, streamlining, servicability, weight reduction, and appearance.
A monocoque bicycle frame where the structural support is provided by a stressed skin, in conjunction with internal stiffening ribs. A body is formed which joins the front fork, pedal axle, seat post, and rear wheel.
The body is visually solid from the side--the two open triangles of a conventional tube frame being filled in, and is airfoil shaped from the top. The body has an integral rear fender where the rear wheel penetrates the rear triangle, and rear forks in place of conventional rear frame stays. All control cables, and a water bladder, are contained within the frame. Internal stiffening is accomplished with blocks at the rear forks' ends and bottom bracket, shear webs or rigid foam forming "D" section tubes between steering column and seat post, and steering column and pedal axle, and reinforcing strips at the rear fork supports.
Design features of the frame include:
1. Low weight.
2. High torsional stiffness.
3. 21 20, adhesively secured within frame shells with hardening putty 42.
A strip of any suitable reinforcing material 46, is adhesively secured between frame shell 41, and rear fender 40, to provide stiffening for rear fork supports, FIG. 7.
A diagonal strip of any suitable reinforcing material 47, is adhesively secured between frame shell 41 and rear fender 40, FIG. 8, to provide additional support for rear fork.
FIG. 9 illustrates a shear web 49, and reinforcing angles 48, which connect seat support column 52, and pedal axle reinforcing block 55. FIG. 9 also illustrates the termination of reinforcing strips 47 and their joining block 50.
An access hatch 24, is provided within filler panels 57, for access to cargo compartment formed within frame by shear webs 49.
A tubular "D" shaped connecting member, FIG. 10, is formed between steering column and pedal axle as described for FIG. 12.
A front derailleur assembly 31, is set in a recessed pocket formed in frame shell 41, and secured with screws to a reinforcing plate of any suitable material adhesively applied to frame shell 41. Control cables to this and rear derailleur are contained within frame.
A tubular pedal axle support column 18, FIGS. 15 and 16, supports a conventional bottom bracket assembly and crankset 36. The tube is of any suitable material, and is adhesively secured with hardening putty 42, and reinforced with shear webs 54 and 56, and pedal axle reinforcing block 55.
A tubular rear fork, illustrated in plan in FIG. 4, connects pedal axle with rear wheel axle. The rear fork can be asymmetrically positioned with respect to frame center line, besst seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, to eliminate the necessity of dishing multispeed rear wheel hubs 34, thereby eliminating uneven spoke tension in the wheel assembly. FIG. 5 is a section view through one side of the rear fork at the attachment point for cantilevered rear fork ends 19. The fork ends can be constructed of any suitable material and are formed with integral wheel drop-out slots and rear derailleur mount boss. The fork ends are secured within the tubular fork with hardening putty 42, reinforcing block or spacer of any suitable material 43, and mechanical fasteners 45. An inner completing surface 39, of comparable material and thickness, is attached to frame shell 41, before installation of rear fender 40, thus forming a box section tube of great rigidity. FIG. 6 illustrates the configuration of the fork tube at a station closer to the pedal axle. The drive side fork tube is indented, FIG. 4, item 36, to provide clearance for chainwheel assembly 30. A typical chainline is indicated by 35. The profile of the upper frame body is indicated by 37, the tire/rim assembly by 38. The exit point for the rear derailleur shift cable is indicated on FIG. 1 by item 33, the rear derailleur, conventional in art, by 32.
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| Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
| Apr 30 1987 | Trimble Design, Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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