US 6,979,013 B2Granted

Bicycle foldable to align front and rear wheels along a transverse direction of the bicycle

AssigneeGiant Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

InventorMing-Chang Chen

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Abstract

A foldable bicycle includes a front wheel, a rear wheel, and a frame assembly that interconnects the front and rear wheels and that has a plurality of elements, which are interconnected by means of a plurality of horizontal pivot pins. Each of the pivot pins is inclined relative to a transverse direction of the bicycle. As such, the bicycle frame can be folded to align the front and rear wheels along a transverse direction of the bicycle.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A foldable bicycle comprising:

a seat rod unit including a saddle, an upper seat rod connected fixedly to said saddle and having a lower end, and a lower seat rod that is located below said upper seat rod, that is connected pivotally to said lower end of said upper seat rod, and that has a lower end;
a rear fork rod connected fixedly to said lower seat rod;
a rear wheel mounted rotatably on said rear fork rod;
a front frame unit including a head tube, a front fork rod extending through said head tube, a handle connected to and disposed above said head tube, a frontwardly and upwardly inclined front frame rod having an upper end and a lower end, a horizontal first pivot pin extending through said lower ends of said lower seat rod and said front frame rod such that an assembly of said lower seat rod and said front frame rod is V-shaped, and a horizontal second pivot pin for connecting said front frame rod rotatably to said head tube;
a front wheel mounted rotatably on said front fork rod and aligned with said rear wheel along a longitudinal direction of said bicycle;
and
a link unit including
a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rear connecting rod disposed between said upper seat rod and said front frame rod and having a front distal end, a rear end, and a front end portion that is disposed between said rear end and said front distal end of said rear connecting rod and that is disposed adjacent to said front distal end of said rear connecting rod,
a horizontal third pivot pin for connecting said rear end of said rear connecting rod rotatably to said upper seat rod,
a horizontal fourth pivot pin for connecting said front end portion of said rear connecting rod rotatably to said front frame rod,
a locking device for locking said front frame rod releasably relative to said lower seat rod,
a frontwardly and upwardly inclined front connecting rod disposed between said head tube and said front frame rod and having a front end and a rear end,
a front pivot pin for connecting said front end of said front connecting rod rotatably to said head tube, and
a rear pivot pin for connecting said rear end of said front connecting rod rotatably to said front distal end of said rear connecting rod, each of said first, second, third, fourth, and front pivot pins forming an inclination angle with respect to a transverse direction of said bicycle so that, when said saddle is turned rearwardly away from said handle to a completely folded position, said front and rear wheels are aligned along said transverse direction of said bicycle.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A foldable bicycle comprising:

a seat rod unit including a saddle, an upper seat rod connected fixedly to said saddle and having a lower end, and a lower seat rod that is located below said upper seat rod, that is connected pivotally to said lower end of said upper seat rod, and that has a lower end;
a rear fork rod connected fixedly to said lower seat rod;
a rear wheel mounted rotatably on said rear fork rod;
a front frame unit including a head tube, a front fork rod extending through said head tube, a handle connected to and disposed above said head tube, a frontwardly and upwardly inclined front frame rod having an upper end and a lower end, a horizontal first pivot pin extending through said lower ends of said lower seat rod and said front frame rod such that an assembly of said lower seat rod and said front frame rod is V-shaped, and a horizontal second pivot pin for connecting said front frame rod rotatably to said head tube;
a front wheel mounted rotatably on said front fork rod and aligned with said rear wheel along a longitudinal direction of said bicycle;
and
a link unit including
a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rear connecting rod disposed between said upper seat rod and said front frame rod and having a front distal end, a rear end, and a front end portion that is disposed between said rear end and said front distal end of said rear connecting rod and that is disposed adjacent to said front distal end of said rear connecting rod,
a horizontal third pivot pin for connecting said rear end of said rear connecting rod rotatably to said upper seat rod,
a horizontal fourth pivot pin for connecting said front end portion of said rear connecting rod rotatably to said front frame rod,
a locking device for locking said front frame rod releasably relative to said lower seat rod,
a frontwardly and upwardly inclined front connecting rod disposed between said head tube and said front frame rod and having a front end and a rear end,
a front pivot pin for connecting said front end of said front connecting rod rotatably to said head tube, and
a rear pivot pin for connecting said rear end of said front connecting rod rotatably to said front distal end of said rear connecting rod, each of said first, second, third, fourth, and front pivot pins forming an inclination angle with respect to a transverse direction of said bicycle so that, when said saddle is turned rearwardly away from said handle to a completely folded position, said front and rear wheels are aligned along said transverse direction of said bicycle.

11 more elements