Integral seamless composite bicycle frame

A bicycle frame comprising a generally cylindrical internally- threaded bottom bracket tube member, a carbon fiber seat tube member, a carbon fiber down tube member and two carbon fiber chainstay tube members, said carbon fiber tube members being secured to said bottom bracket member primarily by a high strength laid-up integrally bonded composite structure comprising a plurality of strips of resin-impregnated unidirectional carbon fibers.

A bicycle frame comprising a seat tube of aero configuration, seatstay and chainstay members extending rearwardly from an upper portion and from near the bottom respectively of the seat tube to the location for the rear axle of the bicycle, the seat tube having a straight leading edge portion, the seat tube having an upper trailing edge portion between the seatstay and chainstay members which is straight and parallel to said leading edge portion, the seat tube having opposite a portion of said leading edge, and below the straight trailing edge portion, an arcuate trailing edge portion, said arcuate portion having its center of curvature at the location of the axis of the rear axle.

A bicycle frame tube consisting essentially of multiple layers of resin-impregnated carbon fibers and comprising at least two flat thin circumferentially continuous layers of unidirectional carbon fibers spirally wound in at least two opposite directions, a plurality of flat thin circumferentially continuous layers of unidirectional carbon fibers each wrapped with the fibers extending parallel to the tube , said plurality of layers constituting a majority of the layers and of the thickness of the tube, at least the two outer layers of the tube being such layers with fibers extending parallel to the tube.

A bicycle frame tube consisting essentially of multiple layers of resin-impregnated carbon fibers and comprising at least two flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers spirally wound in at least two opposite directions with each strip defining a continuous layer of the tube, a plurality of flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers each wrapped to define a further layer of the tube with the fibers extending parallel to the tube, said plurality of wrapped strips constituting a majority of the layers and of the thickness of the tube, at least the two outer layers of the tube being such wrapped strips.

A bicycle frame tube of aero configuration consisting essentially of multiple layers of resin-impregnated carbon fibers, the shape of said aero tube being defined essentially by a multi-layered preformed leading edge portion and a multi-layered preformed V-shaped trailing edge portion, said preformed portions being formed of layers of unidirectional carbon fibers and being bonded together, a plurality of additional layers each continuously surrounding the bonded preformed portions, said additional layers including at least two flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers spirally wound in at least two opposite directions with each strip defining a continuous layer of the tube, a plurality of flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers each wrapped to define a further layer of the tube with the fibers extending parallel to the tube, at least the outer two of said multiple layers of the tube being such wrapped strips.

A bicycle frame tube consisting essentially of multiple layers of resin-impregnated carbon fibers and comprising at least two flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers spirally wound in at least two opposite directions with each strip defining a continuous layer of the tube, a plurality of flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers each wrapped to define a further layer of the tube with the fibers extending parallel to the tube, at least the two outer layers of the tube being such wrapped strips, said tube having an aero configuration, said tube having a transverse support structure extending longitudinally of the tube between the opposite walls thereof.

A bicycle frame comprising a carbon fiber seat tube, a carbon fiber top tube, and carbon fiber seatstay means, said tubes and said stay means being united as an integral high strength composite structure by means of a plurality of layers of carbon fiber laid up across the junctions of the tubes and the stay means, said layers including a plurality of thin flat strips of unidirectional carbon fibers wrapped with portions of each strip overlying portions of at least two of the top tube, the seat tube and the stay means.

A bicycle frame seat tube consisting essentially of multiple layers of resin-impregnated carbon fibers and comprising at least two flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers spirally wound in at least two opposite directions with each stip defining a continuous layer of the tube, a plurality of flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers each wrapped to define a further layer of the tube with the fibers extending parallel to the tube, a bracket secured to said tube for mounting a front derailleur, said bracket comprising a first plate-like member having a curved surface conforming to an outer surface of said tube and a second member having a surface with greater curvature with edge portions thereof brazed to said first member and central portions spaced from said first member to provide a hollow space therebetween, a high tensile strength composite laminate overlying said bracket and bonded thereto and to said tube, bracket comprising a third member extending from said second member through said laminate for supporting said derailleur.

A bicycle frame joint comprising two integrally joined tubular members of composite construction, said members being of different cross sectional dimensions at the joint, adhesive means including relatively high tensile strength strips of unidirectional carbon fibers for securing said members to each other at said joint, filler means for evening the dimensions of said members at said joint to provide non-concave surfaces at said joint, said strips having end portions bonded to each of said members and other portions extending across said filler means at said joint to provide a high strength means for securing said members to each other, said strips being supported by said filler means and said members so that said strips are essentially non-concave on their outer surfaces.

A bicycle frame joint comprising two integrally joined tubular members of composite construction, said members providing indented surfaces at said joint which preclude direct application of thin joining strips of carbon fibers across the joint without external indentations in the fiber strips, means for securing said members to each other at said joint, filler means for evening the indented surfaces of said members at said joint to provide nonconcave surfaces at said joint, relatively high tensile strength strips of unidirectional carbon fibers bonded to each of said members and extending across said filler means at said joint to provide a high strength means for securing said members to each other, said strips being supported by said filler means and said members so that they have essentially non-concave external surfaces.

A bicycle frame seat tube consisting essentially of multiple layers of resin-impregnated carbon fibers and comprising a plurality of flat thin strips of unidirectional carbon fibers each wrapped to define a layer of the tube with the fibers extending parallel to the tube, said seat tube having a transverse web of resin impregnated carbon fibers bonded to the inner walls of the tube and extending upwardly from its lower end approximately one third of the length of the seat tube.

A bicycle frame tube comprising two tubular members each having a flat surface extending lengthwise of said tube, each such flat surface being formed by a thin wall portion of the respective tubular member, means bonding said flat surfaces together along the length of the tube, a plurality of layers of resin-impregnated carbon fiber strips wrapped around both of said tubular members and bonded thereto by said resin.