US 6,206,396 B1Granted

Cycle incorporating shock absorber

AssigneeEzryd, LLC

InventorJerry R. Smith

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Abstract

A cycle adapted to travel in an upright position along a support surface comprises a rigid frame, a plurality of wheels rotatably journaled with respect to the frame, a suspension tube mounted to the frame for reciprocal movement in upward and downward directions, a seat assembly disposed on an upper end portion of the suspension tube, a drive assembly disposed on a lower end portion of the suspension tube for common movement with the seat assembly, a steering mechanism, and a biasing assembly disposed between the frame and the suspension tube. The biasing assembly is operative to bias the suspension tube into a pre-impact position relative to the frame such that movement of the suspension tube in the downward direction is resisted by the biasing assembly through exertion of a restorative force which urges the suspension in a upward direction toward the pre-impact position, thereby cushioning the seat assembly and the drive assembly relative to impacts occurring during operation of the cycle.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A cycle adapted to travel in an upright position along a support surface, comprising:

(a) a rigid frame;
(b) a plurality of wheels rotatably journaled with respect to said frame;
(c) a suspension tube mounted to said frame for reciprocal movement in an upward direction and a downward direction;
(d) a seat assembly disposed on an upper end portion of said suspension tube;
(e) a drive assembly disposed on a lower end portion of said suspension tube for common movement with said seat assembly, said drive assembly including a pair of foot supports and operative upon actuation to impart rotary movement to one of said wheels;
(f) a steering mechanism coupled to a selected one of said wheels;
and
(g) a biasing assembly disposed between said frame and said suspension tube and operative to bias said suspension tube into a pre-impact position relative to said frame such that movement of said suspension tube in the downward direction is resisted by said biasing assembly, said biasing assembly operative in response to downward movement of said suspension tube to exert a restorative force to urge said suspension tube in an upward direction toward the pre-impact position, thereby to cushion said seat assembly and said drive assembly relative to impacts occurring during operation of the cycle.

5 more elements

A cycle adapted to travel in an upright position along a support surface, comprising:

(a) a rigid frame including an upwardly extending rigid seat tube having a seat tube interior and a surrounding seat tube side wall that includes a pair of diametrically opposed apertures extending therethrough;
(b) a plurality of wheels rotatably journaled with respect to said frame;
(c) a suspension tube telescopically received within said seat tube for reciprocal movement in an upward direction and a downward direction, said suspension tube formed as a rigid cylinder having a suspension tube interior and a suspension tube side wall that includes a pair of diametrically opposed and longitudinally extending tracking slots that are alignable with said opposed apertures, there being a guide pin extending through said tracking slots and said apertures;
(d) a seat assembly disposed on an upper end portion of said suspension tube;
(e) a drive assembly disposed on a lower end portion of said suspension tube for common movement with said seat assembly, said drive assembly including a pair of foot supports and operative upon actuation to impart rotary movement to one of said wheels;
(f) a steering mechanism coupled to a selected one of said wheels;
and
(g) a biasing assembly disposed between said frame and said suspension tube and operative to bias said suspension tube into a pre-impact position relative to said frame such that movement of said suspension tube in the downward direction is resisted by said biasing assembly, said biasing assembly operative in response to downward movement of said suspension tube to exert a restorative force to urge said suspension tube in an upward direction toward the pre-impact position, thereby to cushion said seat assembly and said drive assembly relative to impacts occurring during operation of the cycle.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.