US RE40,200 E1Granted

Bicycle with improved frame configuration

OwnerThomas M. Fritscheninventor

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Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments, including but not limited to a bicycle that includes, among other features, an elongated down tube and a single elongated seat tube, the longitudinal axis of the seat tube intersecting the longitudinal axis of the down tube at a location substantially intermediate between the first and second ends of the down tube, wherein the distance between the spaced apart side outer surfaces of each of the down tube and the seat tube are less than the distance between the upper and lower outer surfaces of each of the down tube and seat tube; additionally including a seat tube, a seat tube sleeve, a crank assembly and a bottom bracket sleeve for mounting the crank assembly, wherein the seat tube sleeve has an upper end, a lower end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the upper end to the lower end; the seat tube being disposed within the seat tube sleeve, the longitudinal axis of the seat tube sleeve intersecting the bottom bracket sleeve.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A bicycle, comprising:

a single seat tube sleeve, an elongated seat tube, an elongated down tube, a bottom bracket sleeve, a crank assembly, a front fork assembly, a front fork assembly mounting means, a front tire, a rear tire, and means for braking the front and rear tires, wherein:
(a) the seat tube sleeve has an upper end, a lower end and a longitudinal axis extending through the upper end and the lower end of the seat tube sleeve;
(b) the elongated seat tube has a first end disposed adjacent the seat tube sleeve, a second end disposed adjacent the down tube, upper and a lower outer surfaces, spaced apart side outer surfaces extending between the upper and lower outer surfaces and a longitudinal axis disposed substantially between the upper and lower outer surfaces of the seat tube;
(c) the elongated down tube has a first end disposed adjacent the front fork assembly mounting means and a second end disposed adjacent the crank assembly, upper and lower outer surfaces, spaced apart side outer surfaces extending between the upper and lower outer surfaces and a longitudinal axis disposed substantially between the upper and lower outer surfaces of the down tube;
(d) the front fork assembly is disposed adjacent the front fork assembly mounting means;
(e) the bottom bracket sleeve supports the crank assembly and is adjacent the second end of the elongated down tube;
(f) the longitudinal axis of the elongated seat tube intersects the longitudinal axis of the upper elongated down tube at a location substantially intermediate between the first and second ends of the upper elongated down tube;
and
(g) the longitudinal axis of the seat tube sleeve intersects the bottom bracket sleeve.

6 more elements

A bicycle frame comprising:

a seat tube sleeve, an elongated seat tube, an upper elongated down tube member, a lower elongated down tube member, a bottom bracket sleeve, a front fork assembly mounting means, wherein:
the seat tube sleeve has an upper end, a lower end and a longitudinal axis extending through the upper end and the lower end of the seat tube sleeve;
the elongated seat tube has a first end disposed adjacent the seat tube sleeve, a second end disposed adjacent the upper elongated down tube member, upper and lower outer surfaces, spaced apart side outer surfaces extending between the upper and lower outer surfaces and a longitudinal axis disposed substantially between the upper and lower outer surfaces of the seat tube;
at least one of the elongated down tube members has a first end disposed adjacent the front fork assembly mounting means and a second end disposed adjacent the bottom bracket sleeve, upper and lower outer surfaces, spaced apart side outer surfaces extending between the upper and lower outer surfaces and a longitudinal axis disposed substantially between the upper and lower outer surfaces of the down tube member;
the longitudinal axis of the elongated seat tube intersects the longitudinal axis of at least one of the upper and lower elongated down tube members at a location substantially intermediate between the first and second ends of at least one of the upper and lower elongated down tube members;
and
the longitudinal axis of the seat tube sleeve intersects the bottom bracket sleeve.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/491,530Filed 24 Jul 2006 · reissue
Priority: 5 Jun 1992
Granted: 1 Apr 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification0 codes

Family

Application07/894,576Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Jun 1992
Application08/112,449Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Aug 1993
Application08/687,266Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jul 1996
Application08/811,138Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Mar 1997
Application09/490,371Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jan 2000
Application10/313,294Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Dec 2002
Application11/021,462Reissue · filed 22 Dec 2004
US 6,955,372 B1Reissue · filed 18 Oct 2005
US 6,848,700 B1Parent of this continuation
Application11/021,462Parent of this continuation
US 6,503,589 B1Parent of this continuation
US 6,017,048 AParent of this continuation
Application08/112,449Parent of this continuation-in-part
US RE40,200 E1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.