Bicycle frame with vibration isolation
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMichael Paul Rowe, Paul A. Gilmore, Umesh N. Gandhi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle can include a frame. The frame can include a front steering axle, a front fork assembly, and a handlebar assembly for steering a front wheel of the bicycle. The bicycle can also include one or more vibration isolators. The one or more vibration isolators can be operatively connected to at least one of the frame, the front steering axle, the front fork assembly, and the handlebar assembly. The one or more vibration isolators can also be configured to exhibit a non-linear stiffness profile including a region of quasi-zero stiffness. As a result, the one or more vibration isolators isolate a rider of the bicycle from vibrations transferred through the frame.
Claims18
A bicycle, comprising:
- a frame including a front steering axle, a front fork assembly, and a handlebar assembly for steering a front wheel of the bicycle and including a handlebar stem device including first and second swing arms operatively connected to a mounting shaft;
- and
- one or more vibration isolators located internally within and directly connected to the frame, pre-compressed to an operational load prior to installation to the frame, and configured to exhibit a non-linear stiffness profile including a region of quasi-zero stiffness, the one or more vibration isolators including a handlebar stem device vibration isolator operatively connected to at least one of the first and second swing arms, whereby the one or more vibration isolators isolate a rider of the bicycle from vibrations transferred through the frame and the handlebar assembly.
A bicycle, comprising:
- a frame including a front-end having a front steering axle, a front fork assembly, and a handlebar assembly for steering a front wheel of the bicycle and including a handlebar stem device including first and second swing arms operatively connected to a mounting shaft;
- and
- one or more vibration isolators located internally within and directly connected to the frame, pre-compressed to an operational load prior to installation to the frame, and configured to exhibit a non-linear stiffness profile including a region of quasi-zero stiffness, and the one or more vibration isolators including:
- a frame vibration isolator operatively connected to the frame;
- one or more front-end vibration isolators operatively connected to at least one of the front steering axle, the front fork assembly, and the handlebar assembly;
- and
- a handlebar stem device vibration isolator operatively connected to at least one of the first and second swing arms, whereby the frame vibration isolator, the one or more front-end vibration isolators, and the handlebar stem device vibration isolator are configured to synergistically isolate different body portions of a rider of the bicycle from vibrations transferred through the frame and the handlebar assembly.
A bicycle, comprising:
- a frame including a front steering axle, a front fork assembly, and a handlebar assembly for steering a front wheel of the bicycle and including a handlebar stem device including first and second swing arms operatively connected to a mounting shaft;
- and
- a plurality of vibration isolators each located internally within and directly connected to the frame, pre-compressed to an operational load prior to installation to the frame, and configured to exhibit a non-linear stiffness profile including a region of quasi-zero stiffness, and the plurality of vibration isolators including:
- a frame vibration isolator operatively connected to the frame;
- a front steering axle vibration isolator operatively connected to the front steering axle;
- two front fork vibration isolators each operatively connected to the front fork assembly;
- one or more handlebar assembly vibration isolators each operatively connected to the handlebar assembly;
- and
- a handlebar stem device vibration isolator operatively connected to at least one of the first and second swing arms, whereby the plurality of vibration isolators are configured to synergistically isolate an upper body portion and a lower body portion of a rider of the bicycle from vibrations transferred through the frame and the handlebar assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.