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US 4,850,607 AGranted
Composite bicycle frame and production method
OwnerBrent J. Trimbleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-piece, ultralight, generally hollow bicycle frame having no internal structural components, and a method of manufacturing such a frame, are disclosed.
Claims36
A bicycle frame comprising:
- a steering support means for supporting a front fork assembly;
- a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly;
- a pedal support means for supporting a pedal crank assembly;
- a rear wheel support means for supporting a rear wheel assembly;
- and
- a generally hollow unitary frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of said support means and comprising at least one generally hollow junction connected to at least one generally hollow tube portion, said tube portion comprising at least one elongated strip of resin-impregnated fibrous material and said hollow junction comprising at least one corner patch of said resin-impregnated fibrous material, said tube strip being integrally united to said corner patch by overlapped edges molded together along a molded juncture to provide a unitary wall integrally uniting said tube portion and said hollow junction and extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
3 more elements
A bicycle frame comprising:
- a steering support means for supporting a front fork assembly;
- a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly;
- a pedal support means for supporting a pedal crank assembly;
- a rear wheel support means for supporting a rear wheel assembly;
- and,
- a generally hollow unitary frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of said support means and comprising a pair of molded junctures in opposing relation and at least one generally hollow junction connected to at least one generally hollow tube portion, said hollow junction comprising first and second patches of resin-impregnated fibrous material forming opposite halves of said hollow junction, the transverse width of said first patch being substantially equal to one-half of the circumference of said hollow junction and the transverse width of said second patch being greater than one-half of the circumference of said hollow junction by an amount sufficient to form said pair of molded junctures in opposing relation, each of said molded junctures integrally uniting corresponding edges of said opposite halves to provide a unitary junction wall extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
3 more elements
A bicycle frame comprising:
- a steering support means for supporting a front fork assembly;
- a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly;
- a pedal support means for supporting a pedal crank assembly;
- a rear wheel support means for supporting a rear wheel assembly;
- and,
- a generally hollow unitary frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of said support means and comprising a pair of molded junctures in opposing relation and at least one generally hollow junction connected to at least one generally hollow tube portion, said hollow tube portion comprising first and second elongated strips of resin-impregnated fibrous material forming opposite halves of said hollow tube portion, the transverse width of said first strip being substantially equal to one-half of the circumference of said hollow tube portion and the transverse width of said second strip being greater than one-half of the circumference of said hollow tube portion by an amount sufficient to form said pair of molded junctures in opposing relation, each of said molded junctures integrally uniting corresponding edges of said opposite halves to provide a unitary wall extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
3 more elements
A bicycle frame comprising:
- a steering support means for supporting a front fork assembly;
- a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly;
- a pedal support means for supporting a pedal crank assembly;
- a rear wheel support means for supporting a rear wheel assembly;
- and
- a generally hollow unitary frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of said support means and comprising a pair of molded junctures in opposing relation and first and second pieces of resin-impregnated fibrous material forming opposite halves of at least a hollow portion of said unitary frame component, the transverse width of said first piece of fibrous material being substantially equal to one-half of the circumference of said hollow portion and the transverse width of said second piece of fibrous material being greater than one-half of the circumference of said hollow portion by an amount sufficient to form said pair of molded junctures in opposing relation, each of said molded junctures integrally uniting corresponding edges of said opposite halves to provide a unitary wall extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
3 more elements
A generally hollow unitary frame component for a cycle frame, said frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of a steering support means for supporting a fork assembly, a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly, a pedal support means for supporting a pedal assembly, and a wheel support means for supporting a wheel assembly, and said frame component comprising:
- at least one generally hollow junction connected to at least one generally hollow tube portion, said hollow junction comprising first and second patches of resin-impregnated fibrous material forming opposite halves of said hollow junction, and the transverse widths of said first and second patches being sufficient to form two pairs of overlapped edges, each of said pairs of overlapped edges providing a molded juncture in opposing relation to a molded juncture provided by the other pair, and said molded junctures integrally uniting said opposite halves to provide a unitary junction wall extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
A generally hollow unitary frame component for a cycle frame, said frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of a steering support means for supporting a fork assembly, a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly, a pedal support means for supporting a pedal assembly, and a wheel support means for supporting a wheel assembly, and said frame component comprising:
- at least one generally hollow junction connected to at least one generally hollow tube portion, said hollow tube portion comprising first and second elongated strips of resin-impregnated fibrous material forming opposite halves of said hollow tube portion, and the transverse widths of said first and second strips being sufficient to form two pairs of overlapped edges, each of said pairs of overlapped edges providing a molded juncture in opposing relation to a molded juncture provided by the other pair, and said molded junctures integrally uniting said opposite halves to provide a unitary wall extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
A generally hollow unitary frame component for a cycle frame, said frame component extending longitudinally between and connecting at least two of a steering support means for supporting a fork assembly, a seat support means for supporting a seat assembly, a pedal support means for supporting a pedal assembly, and a wheel support means for supporting a wheel assembly, and said frame component comprising:
- first and second pieces of resin-impregnated fibrous material forming opposite halves of at least a hollow portion of said unitary frame component, the transverse widths of said first and second pieces of fibrous material being sufficient to form two pairs of overlapped edges, each of said pairs of overlapped edges providing a molded juncture in opposing relation to a molded juncture provided by the other pair, and said molded junctures integrally uniting said opposite halves to provide a unitary wall extending around an interior cavity of said generally hollow unitary frame component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.