Seat tube element, seat tube assembly and bicycle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a seat tube element, a seat tube assembly and a bicycle. A seat tube element is tubular, extends in the direction of a seat tube, is used for being connected with a seat cushion of a bicycle and comprises a first opening and a first end portion. The first opening is located at one end of the seat tube element. The first end portion comprises a first end face which is annular and surrounds the first opening, the first end face comprises a first flat and straight face and a second flat and straight face, the first flat and straight face and the second flat and straight face define a virtual end face connecting line, and the end face connecting line is used for being parallel to the front-back direction from the front side to the rear side of the bicycle. The seat tube included angle between the connecting line of the end faces and the direction of the seat tube is between 65 degrees and 80 degrees, and the thickness of all tube walls of the seat tube element is between 1.5 mm and 3 mm. Therefore, the seat tube element has the characteristics of thinness and light weight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a seat tube element, a seat tube assembly and a bicycle, in particular to a seat tube element with a thin tube wall and a seat tube assembly and a bicycle including the seat tube element. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a bicycle has a seat tube (seat post) installed on a middle tube. The seat tube is for setting a seat cushion. By the relative movement between the seat tube and the middle tube, the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted. The seat tube production technologies in the prior art are divided into two types: aluminum alloy forging and post-processing, and carbon fiber molding. Among them, the aluminum alloy forging and processing process is long and it is difficult to achieve the lightweight project due to the restrictions of the forming conditions, while the carbon fiber molding materials and processing costs are high.

[0003] Therefore, how to balance the lightweight of the seat tube and save costs has become the goal of related manufacturers. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The utility model provides a seat tube element, a seat tube assembly and a bicycle. The first end face of the seat tube element includes a first flat face and a second flat face. The first flat face and the second flat face define a virtual end face connection line. The end face connection line is used to be parallel to the front-to-back direction from the front side to the rear side of the bicycle. The seat tube angle between the end face connection line and the seat tube direction is between 65 degrees and 80 degrees, and the thickness of all the tube walls of the seat tube element is between 1.5 mm and 3 mm, which helps the seat tube element to have the characteristics of being thin and lightweight, and further enables the seat tube assembly to achieve the lightweight goal and stably support the seat cushion.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the utility model, a seat tube element is provided. It is tubular and extends along the seat tube direction. The seat tube element is used to connect the seat cushion of the bicycle and includes a first opening and a first end. The first opening is located at one end of the seat tube element. The first end includes a first end face, which is annular and surrounds the first opening. The first end face includes a first flat face and a second flat face. The first flat face and the second flat face define a virtual end face connection line. The end face connection line is used to be parallel to the front-to-back direction from the front side to the rear side of the bicycle. The seat tube angle between the end face connection line and the seat tube direction is between 65 degrees and 80 degrees, and the thickness of all the tube walls of the seat tube element is between 1.5 mm and 3 mm. <�

[0006] In the embodiment of the foregoing seat tube element, the first flat face and the second flat face can be oppositely arranged and used to extend towards the front side and the rear side of the bicycle respectively, and the seat tube angle can be between 70 degrees and 75 degrees.

[0007] In the embodiment of the foregoing seat tube element, the seat tube element can be integrally formed and all its tube walls have a uniform thickness.

[0008] In accordance with the embodiments of the foregoing seat tube element, the seat tube element may further include a second opening and a second end. The second opening is located at the other end of the seat tube element, and the one end is closer to the seat cushion than the other end. The second end includes a second end face, which is annular and surrounds the second opening.

[0009] In accordance with the embodiments of the foregoing seat tube element, the perimeter of the first opening may be greater than the perimeter of the second opening.

[0010] In accordance with the embodiments of the foregoing seat tube element, the seat tube element may be integrally formed, the second thickness of the tube wall of the second end is greater than the first thickness of the tube wall of the first end, and the difference between the second thickness and the first thickness may be between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

[0011] In accordance with the embodiments of the foregoing seat tube element, the first end face may further include a first concave surface and a second concave surface, and the first flat straight surface, the first concave surface, the second flat straight surface, and the second concave surface are connected in sequence.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a seat tube assembly is provided, including the seat tube element and the fitting element of the foregoing embodiment. The fitting element includes at least one convex surface, which is fitted and connected with the first concave surface and the second concave surface of the seat tube element.

[0013] In accordance with the embodiments of the foregoing seat tube assembly, the seat tube assembly may further include a fixing element and two pins. The fixing element is used to be closer to the seat cushion than the fitting element, there is a gap between the fixing element and the fitting element, and the fixing element and the fitting element are used to clamp and fix at least a part of the seat cushion through the gap. The two pins are oppositely arranged, and each pin is fixedly inserted through the opening of the first end and the opening of the fixing element.

[0014] According to still another embodiment of the present invention, a bicycle is provided, including the seat tube assembly and the seat cushion of the foregoing embodiment, wherein the seat cushion is connected to the seat tube assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1A A side view of the seat tube assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 1B For showing Figure 1A A cross-sectional view of the seat tube assembly in

[0017] Figure 1C For showing Figure 1A A cross-sectional view of the section line 1C-1C in

[0018] Figure 1D For showing Figure 1A An exploded view of the seat tube assembly in

[0019] Figure 2A A side view of the seat tube assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2B To illustrate Figure 2A a cross-sectional view of the middle seat tube assembly;

[0021] Figure 2C To illustrate Figure 2A a cross-sectional view of the middle section line 2C-2C;

[0022] Figure 2D To illustrate Figure 2A an exploded view of the middle seat tube assembly; and

[0023] Figure 3 a schematic diagram of a bicycle according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0024] The following will describe multiple embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity, many practical details will be described together in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details are not used to limit the present invention. That is to say, in the embodiments of the present invention, these practical details are not necessary. In addition, for the purpose of simplifying the drawings, some conventional structures and elements in the prior art will be shown in a simple schematic manner in the drawings; and repeated elements may be represented by the same reference numerals.

[0025] In addition, terms such as first, second, etc. are only used to describe different elements and do not limit the elements themselves. Therefore, the first element can also be referred to as the second element. And the combinations of elements in this article are not well-known, conventional or existing combinations in this field, and it cannot be determined whether the combination relationship is easily completed by those skilled in the art based on whether the elements themselves are existing.

[0026] Figure 1A is a side view of the seat tube assembly 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1B To illustrate Figure 1A a cross-sectional view of the middle seat tube assembly 100, Figure 1C To illustrate Figure 1A a cross-sectional view of the middle section line 1C-1C, Figure 1D To illustrate Figure 1A an exploded view of the middle seat tube assembly 100. Please refer to Figures 1A to 1D , the seat tube assembly 100 includes a seat tube element 110. The seat tube element 110 is tubular and extends along the seat tube direction (axial direction) p1. The seat tube element 110 is used to connect the seat cushion of a bicycle (such as Figure 3 the bicycle 300 shown) and includes a first opening 120 and a first end 121. The first opening 120 is located at one end of the seat tube element 110 (i.e., Figure 1AThe first end portion 121 includes a first end surface 122, which is annular and surrounds the first opening 120. The first end surface 122 includes a first flat surface 123 and a second flat surface 124. The first flat surface 123 and the second flat surface 124 define a virtual end surface line m1, which is parallel to the front side of the bicycle (i.e., Figure 1A to the right side of the Figure 1A The front-to-back direction f3 of the left side of the figure. The seat tube angle a1 between the end surface connecting line m1 and the seat tube direction p1 is between 65 degrees and 80 degrees, and the thickness of all the tube walls of the seat tube element 110 (such as Figure 1B The first thickness t1 and the second thickness t2 shown are between 1.5 mm and 3 mm. This allows the seat tube component 110 to be thin and lightweight, further enabling the seat tube assembly 100 to achieve its lightweight goal while providing stable support for the seat cushion. Furthermore, the seat tube component 110 according to the present invention can be manufactured using a hydraulic (water injection) forging process (the present invention is not limited thereto), allowing the seat tube component 110 to simultaneously achieve the advantages of lightweight and rapid prototyping, while also requiring minimal processing effort, thereby reducing processing time and costs.

[0027] Specifically, the first flat surface 123 and the second flat surface 124 are disposed opposite each other and extend toward the front and rear of the bicycle, respectively. The seat tube angle a1 can be between 70 and 75 degrees. This allows the seat tube element 110 to securely support the seat in accordance with the shape of the seat cushion. In the first embodiment, the seat tube angle a1 is 73 degrees, the first thickness t1 is 1.8 mm, and the second thickness t2 is 2.5 mm.

[0028] The seat tube element 110 may further include a second opening 130 and a second end 131. The second opening 130 is located at the other end of the seat tube element 110 (i.e. Figure 1A The lower end of the middle seat tube element 110), one end being closer to the seat cushion than the other end. The second end portion 131 includes a second end surface 132, which is annular and surrounds the second opening 130. The circumference of the first opening 120 can be greater than the circumference of the second opening 130, that is, the length (circumference) of the first end surface 122 can be greater than the length (circumference) of the second end surface 132. In this way, the seat tube element 110 can be firmly connected between the seat cushion and the middle tube. In addition, the second opening 130 is specifically circular, such as Figure 1C shown.

[0029] The seat tube element 110 can be integrally formed, and the second thickness t2 of the tube wall of the second end portion 131 is greater than the first thickness t1 of the tube wall of the first end portion 121. Figure 1BAs shown. The difference between the second thickness t2 and the first thickness t1 can be between 0.1 mm and 1 mm. Thereby, for the overall strength, the local thickness of the pipe can be used to reinforce, achieving an optimized strength design. Moreover, the part of the seat tube element thickness reinforcement of the present utility model is not limited to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the difference between the second thickness t2 and the first thickness t1 is 0.7 mm.

[0030] The first end face 122 may further include a first concave surface 125 and a second concave surface 126, and the first flat straight surface 123, the first concave surface 125, the second flat straight surface 124 and the second concave surface 126 are connected in sequence, as Figure 1D shown. Thereby, the assembly possibility of the seat tube assembly 100 with different seat cushions can be improved.

[0031] The seat tube assembly 100 may further include a fitting element 140. The fitting element 140 includes at least one convex surface 145, which is fitted and connected with the first concave surface 125 and the second concave surface 126 of the seat tube element 110. Thereby, it is beneficial to the matching assembly of the seat tube assembly 100 with different seat cushions.

[0032] The seat tube assembly 100 may further include a fixing element 150 and two pins 160. The fixing element 150 is used to be closer to the seat cushion than the fitting element 140. There is a gap between the fixing element 150 and the fitting element 140. The fixing element 150 and the fitting element 140 are used to clamp and fix at least a part of the seat cushion through the gap. The two pins 160 are oppositely arranged, and each pin 160 is fixedly inserted through the opening 129 of the first end 121 and the opening 159 of the fixing element 150. Thereby, it helps the seat tube assembly 100 to balance the convenience and stability of supporting the seat cushion.

[0033] Figure 2A FIG. is a side view showing the seat tube assembly 200 of the second embodiment of the present utility model, Figure 2B is for showing Figure 2A a cross-sectional view of the seat tube assembly 200 in Figure 2C is for showing Figure 2A a cross-sectional view of the section line 2C-2C in Figure 2D is for showing Figure 2A an exploded view of the seat tube assembly 200 in. Please refer to Figures 2A to 2D, the seat tube assembly 200 includes a seat tube element 210. The seat tube element 210 is tubular and extends along the seat tube direction p1. The seat tube element 210 is used to connect the seat cushion of the bicycle and includes a first opening 220 and a first end 221. The first opening 220 is located at one end of the seat tube element 210. The first end 221 includes a first end face 222, which is annular and surrounds the first opening 220. The first end face 222 includes a first flat face 223 and a second flat face 224. The first flat face 223 and the second flat face 224 define a virtual end face connection line m1. The end face connection line m1 is used to be parallel to the front-to-back direction f3 from the front side to the rear side of the bicycle. The seat tube angle a1 between the end face connection line m1 and the seat tube direction p1 is between 65 degrees and 80 degrees, and the thickness t3 of all the tube walls of the seat tube element 210 is between 1.5 mm and 3 mm. Further, the seat tube angle a1 is between 70 degrees and 75 degrees. In the second embodiment, the seat tube angle a1 is 73 degrees and the thickness t3 is 1.8 mm.

[0034] Specifically, the first flat face 223 and the second flat face 224 are oppositely arranged and are used to extend towards the front side and the rear side of the bicycle respectively. The seat tube element 210 further includes a second opening 230 and a second end 231. The second opening 230 is located at the other end of the seat tube element 210, and the one end is closer to the seat cushion than the other end. The second end 231 includes a second end face 232, which is annular and surrounds the second opening 230. The circumference of the first opening 220 is greater than the circumference of the second opening 230. In addition, the second opening 230 is specifically an annular shape extending along the front-to-back direction f3, as Figure 2C shown.

[0035] The seat tube element 210 is integrally formed and all its tube walls have a uniform thickness, that is, the values of the thickness t3 of all the tube walls are equal. Thereby, manufacturing convenience can be achieved while meeting lightweight and structural strength requirements.

[0036] The first end face 222 further includes a first concave face 225 and a second concave face 226, and the first flat face 223, the first concave face 225, the second flat face 224, and the second concave face 226 are connected in sequence, as Figure 2D shown.

[0037] The seat tube assembly 200 further includes a fitting element 240. The fitting element 240 includes at least one convex face 245, which is fitted and connected with the first concave face 225 and the second concave face 226 of the seat tube element 210.

[0038] The seat tube assembly 200 further includes a fixing element 250 and two pins 260. The fixing element 250 is used to be closer to the seat cushion than the fitting element 240. There is a gap between the fixing element 250 and the fitting element 240. The fixing element 250 and the fitting element 240 are used to clamp and fix at least a part of the seat cushion through the gap. The two pins 260 are oppositely arranged, and each pin 260 passes through and is fixed in the through hole 229 of the first end 221 and the through hole 259 of the fixing element 250.

[0039] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic view showing a bicycle 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figures 1A to 1D and Figure 3 , the bicycle 300 includes a seat tube assembly and a seat cushion 302 according to the present invention. For example, the bicycle 300 includes the seat tube assembly 100 of the foregoing first embodiment, wherein the seat cushion 302 is connected to the seat tube assembly 100. Thus, due to the thin and lightweight characteristics of the seat tube assembly 100 and its seat tube element 110, the bicycle 300 further achieves the lightweight goal, thereby enhancing the riding comfort and convenience of the user.

[0040] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above in embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0041]

Symbol Description

[0042] 100, 200: Seat tube assembly

[0043] 110, 210: Seat tube element

[0044] 120, 220: First opening

[0045] 121, 221: First end

[0046] 122, 222: First end face

[0047] 123, 223: First flat straight surface

[0048] 124, 224: Second flat straight surface

[0049] 125, 225: First concave surface

[0050] 126, 226: Second concave surface

[0051] 129, 159, 229, 259: Through hole

[0052] 130, 230: Second opening

[0053] 131,231: Second end

[0054] 132,232: Second end face

[0055] 140,240: Fitting element

[0056] 145,245: Convex surface

[0057] 150,250: Fixing element

[0058] 160,260: Bolt

[0059] 300: Bicycle

[0060] 302: Seat cushion

[0061] a1: Seat tube angle

[0062] f3: Front - rear direction

[0063] m1: End face connection line

[0064] p1: Seat tube direction

[0065] t1: First thickness

[0066] t2: Second thickness

[0067] t3: Thickness.

Claims

1. A seat tube component, characterized in that, It is tubular and extends along the seat tube direction. This seat tube element is used to connect the saddle of the bicycle and includes: A first opening, located at one end of the seat tube element; and A first end portion, including a first end face, which is annular and surrounds the first opening. The first end face includes a first flat surface and a second flat surface. The first flat surface and the second flat surface define a virtual end face connection line, and this end face connection line is used to be parallel to the front-to-back direction of the bicycle from the front side to the rear side; Wherein, the seat tube angle between the end face connection line and the seat tube direction is between 65 degrees and 80 degrees, and the thickness of all the tube walls of the seat tube element is between 1.5 mm and 3 mm.

2. The seat tube element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first flat surface and the second flat surface are oppositely arranged and are respectively used to extend towards the front side and the rear side of the bicycle. The seat tube angle is between 70 degrees and 75 degrees.

3. The seat tube element according to claim 1, wherein, The seat tube element is integrally formed and all its tube walls have a uniform thickness.

4. The seat tube element according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: A second opening, located at the other end of the seat tube element, where this end is closer to the saddle than the other end; and A second end portion, including a second end face, which is annular and surrounds the second opening.

5. The seat tube element according to claim 4, characterized in that, The circumference of the first opening is greater than the circumference of the second opening.

6. The seat tube element according to claim 4, characterized in that, The seat tube element is integrally formed. The second thickness of the tube wall of the second end portion is greater than the first thickness of the tube wall of the first end portion, and the difference between the second thickness and the first thickness is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

7. The seat tube element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end face also includes a first concave surface and a second concave surface, and the first flat surface, the first concave surface, the second flat surface and the second concave surface are connected in sequence.

8. A seat tube assembly, characterized in that, It includes: The seat tube element according to claim 7; and A fitting element, including at least one convex surface, which is fitted and connected with the first concave surface and the second concave surface of the seat tube element.

9. The seat tube assembly according to claim 8, wherein, It also includes: A fixing element, used to be closer to the saddle than the fitting element. There is a gap between the fixing element and the fitting element. The fixing element and the fitting element are used to clamp and fix at least a part of the saddle through this gap; and Two pins, oppositely arranged, and each pin is fixedly inserted through the opening of the first end portion and the opening of the fixing element.

10. A bicycle, characterized in that, It includes: The seat tube assembly according to claim 8; and The saddle, connected to the seat tube assembly.

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