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US 6,581,919 B2Granted
Shock absorbing seat post
AssigneeEko Sport, Inc.
InventorsDarek C. Barefoot, David R. Warnick, Thomas A. Hochanadel, Timothy A. Fry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seat post for a cycle has inner and outer members that are slidably mounted together forming a variable volume chamber. The variable volume chamber communicates with a fixed volume chamber in the inner member through orifices and a check valve. Slots are formed in the inner member, and a pin extends from the outer member through the slots. A cushion at one end of the slots prevents hard top-out.
Claims15
A seat post for mounting between a frame and a seat of a cycle, said seat post comprising:
- (a) an outer member having a cylindrical bore defined by a sidewall with an inner cylindrical surface and a floor at one end of the bore;
- (b) an inner member having an end forming a piston and a sidewall with a cylindrical outer surface that slidingly, sealingly engages the inner cylindrical surface of the outer member to form a variable volume chamber in the outer member that is defined by the inner cylindrical sidewall, the piston and the floor;
- (c) a fixed volume chamber formed in the inner member and in fluid communication with the variable volume chamber through a restrictive flow orifice and a fluid passage formed in the inner member, wherein the fluid in the fixed volume chamber can flow into the variable volume chamber only by passing through the restrictive flow orifice and the fluid passage;
- (d) a check valve mounted along the fluid passage for allowing at least some fluid in the variable volume chamber to pass into the fixed volume chamber without passing through the restrictive flow orifice when the pressure in the variable volume chamber reaches a predetermined threshold;
- and
- (e) at least one elongated slot formed on one of the members, said at least one slot slidably receiving a guide pin that extends from the other of said members.
3 more elements
A seat post for mounting between a frame and a seat of a cycle, the seat post comprising:
- (a) an outer member having a cylindrical bore defined by a sidewall with an inner cylindrical surface and a floor at one end of the bore;
- (b) an inner member having a sidewall with a cylindrical outer surface and an end forming a piston, wherein the piston extends into the cylindrical bore of the outer member with the outer cylindrical surface of the inner member slidingly, sealingly engaging the inner cylindrical surface of the outer member to form a variable volume chamber in the outer member defined by the inner cylindrical sidewall, the piston and the floor;
- (c) a port formed in the piston end and open to the variable volume chamber;
- (d) a fixed volume chamber formed in the inner member and in fluid communication with the variable volume chamber through an axial fluid passage and a restrictive flow orifice formed in the inner member in fluid communication with the port, wherein the fluid in the fixed volume chamber can flow into the variable volume chamber only by passing through the restrictive flow orifice, the axial fluid passage and the port;
- (e) a check valve mounted along the axial fluid passage, for allowing at least some of the fluid in the variable volume chamber to pass into the fixed volume chamber without passing through the restrictive flow orifice when the pressure in the variable volume chamber reaches a predetermined threshold;
- (f) a pair of elongated slots formed longitudinally in the sidewall of the inner member;
- (g) a guide pin extending from rigid connection to the sidewall of the outer member through the elongated slots for limiting rotation of the inner member relative to the outer member and limiting longitudinal displacement of the inner member relative to the outer member;
- and
- (h) a cushion mounted near an end of the slots and made of a material that is compressible in its normal use, wherein the guide pin seats against the cushion when the inner member is at an extreme longitudinal displacement relative to the outer member.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.