Bicycle rear suspension
AssigneeSpecialized Bicycle Components, Inc.
InventorsJason Loy Chamberlain, Brian Daniel Robinson, Jeffrey Keith Bowers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle includes a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame including a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, the articulating frame portion including an upper frame link pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion; and a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion at a second axis; and a shock absorber having a first end pivotally supported by the main frame portion, and a second end pivotally supported by one or both of an upper shock link and the lower shock link, wherein, when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in a relaxed configuration, the second axis is positioned forward of the first axis.
Claims20
A bicycle, comprising:
- a front wheel;
- a rear wheel;
- a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said main frame portion comprising a top tube and a down tube, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
- the articulating frame portion comprising:
- a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
- an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
- an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
- an upper shock link directly pivotally supported at a third axis by both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
- and
- a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion at a fourth axis;
- and
- a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the down tube of the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a sixth axis by the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration,
- wherein, when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration, the fourth axis is positioned forward of the second axis.
A bicycle, comprising:
- a front wheel;
- a rear wheel;
- a frame comprising a main frame portion and an articulating frame portion, said articulating frame portion carrying said rear wheel, said articulating frame portion having a relaxed configuration and a compressed configuration;
- the main frame portion comprising a motor housing that positions an electric motor adjacent a crank axis;
- the articulating frame portion comprising:
- a lower arm pivotally supported at a first axis by the main frame portion;
- an upper frame link pivotally supported at a second axis by the main frame portion;
- an upper arm pivotally coupled to the upper frame link and the lower arm;
- an upper shock link pivotally supported at a third axis by one or both of the upper frame link and the upper arm;
- and
- a lower shock link pivotally coupled to the main frame portion at a fourth axis;
- and
- a shock absorber having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally supported at a fifth axis by the main frame portion, the second end pivotally supported at a sixth axis by one or both of the upper shock link and the lower shock link, the shock absorber configured to bias the articulating frame portion to the relaxed configuration,
- wherein, when the bicycle is positioned on a horizontal surface with the articulating frame portion in the relaxed configuration, the fourth axis is positioned forward of the second axis, and the second axis is positioned forward of the first axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.