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US 7,350,797 B2Granted
Rear bicycle suspension
AssigneeNone recorded
InventorRyan Michael Carroll
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNone recorded
InventorRyan Michael Carroll
Estimating the term…
A rear bicycle suspension has a main frame including a seat riser tube, a down tube, head tube, and a bottom bracket housing having left and right sides, a guide arm and a shock mount attached to the main frame, a pair of swing arm assemblies each one in pivotal attachment on either side of the main frame at a first pivot point and to a bell crank at a second pivot point, the swing arms in rearward extension form the first and second pivot points to at least one rear swing arm attachment point, and further including a lever arm connected between the first and the second pivot points, a guide arm having first and second ends wherein the first end in pivotal attachment to the guide arm bracket at a fifth pivot point and the second end extends upward and rearward from the fifth pivot point, wherein the bell crank is pivotally connected between the lever arms at the second pivot point and to the guide arm at a third pivot point, a shock absorbing member in pivotal attachment at one end to the shock mount and at another end at a fourth pivot point to the bell crank.
A rear bicycle suspension, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
For mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork: with pivoted chain-stay
Cycles
Term ended 13 Apr 2024 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rear bicycle suspensions. More particularly, it relates to rear shock absorbing suspensions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and which constitute a part of the specification, illustrate at least one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of my suspension system in a single pivot suspension.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of my suspension system in the single pivot suspension shown in FIG. 1.
Referring now to the drawing figures wherein like numerals represent like features there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 an embodiment of my suspension system when used in conjunction with a single pivot system. This system utilizes an optimized single pivot suspension location that works with my progressive link assembly, described below, to optimize the rear shock spring tuning. The single pivot system works because the travel is limited to four inches and the swing arms only follow a rear arching path. If the travel were more than this an arching forward problem encountered with many prior art suspensions would arise.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a bicycle frame is shown which incorporates the rear suspension 10, according to the present invention, in the single pivot configuration. The rear suspension 10 of the present invention can also be used on other types of bicycles, as well as motorcycles, but the preferred embodiment is described herein as used on a mountain bike. The mountain bike includes a frame which rotatably supports a steering assembly. The bicycle frame is of a conventional type which also includes a seat tube 2 for adjustably supporting a seat and a down tube 4 extending from the head tube 6 to the bottom of the seat tube 2. A top tube 8 extends from the head tube 6 to the bottom of the seat tube 2. A bottom bracket 12 is attached to the frame at the intersection of the seat tube 2 and the down tube 4. The frame also includes a shock mount 14 and a guide arm bracket 16 connected to the down tube 4.
The suspension system includes a pair of swing arm assemblies 20 each one in pivotal attachment on either side of the main frame at a first pivot point A and to a bell crank 34 at a second pivot point B. The swing arms 20 extend in a rearward direction from the first A and the second B pivot points to at least one rear swing arm attachment point 24. In this single pivot embodiment, the rear attachment point 24 is a point for receiving the rear axles of a bicycle wheel, in any conventional manner. The swing arms 20 further include a lever arm 21 which is connected between the first A and the second pivot points B.