Compact folding bicycle
OwnerFook Fah Yapinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle having a front wheel, a main frame member and a rear wheel assembly including a rear wheel is configured for conversion between expanded and folded arrangements. A hinge coupling enables relative pivoting of forward and rearward portions of the main frame member about a main frame pivot axis extending at an acute angle relative to a rear vertical transverse plane and at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane. A rear wheel assembly hinge is configured to allow the rear wheel assembly to pivot relative to the main frame member within a vertical plane coincident with the rear vertical longitudinal plane. The front vertical longitudinal plane and the rear vertical longitudinal plane are spaced apart and approximately parallel, in the folded arrangement.
Claims20
A vehicle configured for conversion between expanded and folded arrangements, comprising:
- a front wheel having a circumference defining a front vertical longitudinal plane and an axle defining a front vertical transverse plane orthogonal to the front vertical longitudinal plane;
- a rear wheel assembly including a rear wheel having a circumference defining a rear vertical longitudinal plane and an axle defining a rear vertical transverse plane orthogonal to the rear vertical longitudinal plane;
- a main frame member having forward and rearward portions extending between the front wheel and the rear wheel and including, for receiving a steering tube, a head tube formed at a distal end of the forward portion and, for receiving a seat post, a seat tube formed at a distal end of the rearward portion;
- a hinge coupling enabling relative pivoting of the forward and rearward portions about a main frame pivot axis extending at an acute angle relative to the rear vertical transverse plane and at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane orthogonal to both the rear vertical longitudinal and rear vertical transverse planes;
- and
- a rear wheel assembly hinge configured to allow the rear wheel assembly to pivot relative to the main frame member within a vertical plane coincident with the rear vertical longitudinal plane;
- wherein the front vertical longitudinal plane and the rear vertical longitudinal plane are spaced apart and approximately parallel, in the folded arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.