Bicycle frame for an e-bike
OwnerPaul Michael Farrellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bicycle frame is discussed having a battery fully contained within a down tube of the bicycle frame. The battery may be inserted into or removed from the down tube via a through opening through a bottom bracket housing of the bicycle frame. Weakness in the bottom bracket housing due to the through opening may be compensated for, fully or partially, by utilizing a bottom bracket bearing assembly that has a structural component, or structural component assembly, that extends completely through the bottom bracket housing and removably couples to the bottom bracket housing.
Claims20
A bicycle frame comprising:
- a down tube, wherein the down tube comprises a hollow down tube shell having a down tube first end, a down tube second end opposing the down tube first end, a battery cavity inside the hollow down tube shell, and a down tube longitudinal axis that extends from the down tube first end to the down tube second end;
- a battery positioned inside the battery cavity;
- a bottom bracket housing coupled to the down tube second end, wherein the bottom bracket housing comprises a hollow cylindrical shaped housing shell having a housing first end, a housing second end opposing the housing first end, a bearing cavity inside the housing shell, and a housing shell longitudinal axis that extends from the housing first end to the housing second end, wherein the housing shell longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the down tube longitudinal axis, and wherein the bearing cavity opens to the battery cavity;
- and
- a bottom bracket bearing assembly extending through and coupled to the bottom bracket housing, wherein the bottom bracket bearing assembly prevents the battery from exiting the battery cavity in response to the bottom bracket bearing assembly being coupled to the bottom bracket housing.
A bicycle frame comprising:
- a down tube, wherein the down tube is hollow, and wherein a battery is enclosed in the down tube;
- and
- a bottom bracket housing coupled to a down tube second end, wherein the bottom bracket housing is hollow;
- a through opening in the bottom bracket housing, wherein the battery is inserted into the down tube through the through opening;
- and
- a bottom bracket bearing assembly extending through and coupled to the bottom bracket housing, wherein the bottom bracket bearing assembly prevents the battery from exiting the down tube in response to the bottom bracket bearing assembly being coupled to the bottom bracket housing.
A method of mounting a battery to a bicycle frame comprising:
- coupling a bottom bracket housing to a down tube of the bicycle frame, wherein the bottom bracket housing comprises a hollow cylindrical shaped housing shell having a housing first end, a housing second end opposing the housing first end, a bearing cavity inside the housing shell, and a housing shell longitudinal axis that extends from the housing first end to the housing second end, and the down tube comprises a hollow down tube shell having a down tube first end, a down tube second end opposing the down tube first end, a battery cavity inside the hollow down tube shell, and a down tube longitudinal axis that extends from the down tube first end to the down tube second end, wherein the housing shell longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the down tube longitudinal axis, and wherein the bearing cavity opens to the battery cavity;
- inserting the battery through the bottom bracket housing and into the battery cavity;
- and
- coupling a bottom bracket bearing assembly to the bottom bracket housing, wherein the battery is prevented from exiting the battery cavity in response to the bottom bracket bearing assembly being coupled to the bottom bracket housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.