Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods

Abstract

Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods designed to be positioned between a seat tube and a saddle, comprising at least the following: a lower seat body which is mounted on the seat post, wherein the front and rear of the lower seat body are each provided with a front lower pivot end and a rear lower pivot end; an upper seat body which can be pivotally connected to the saddle, wherein the front and back of the upper seat body are each provided with a front upper pivoting end and a rear upper pivoting end; a first connecting rod which is located at the front end of the seat post and between the front lower pivot end and the front upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two; a second connecting rod, which is located at the rear end of the seat post and between the rear lower pivot end and the rear upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two; a recess seat connected to the first connecting rod or the second connecting rod and located between the front upper pivot end and the rear upper pivot end or between the front lower pivot end and the rear lower pivot end; and a damping arrangement, the upper end of which is pivotably arranged at the front upper pivot end or rear upper pivot end or recess seat and the lower end of which is pivotably arranged at the front lower pivot end or rear lower pivot end or recess seat.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods and in particular to a shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods which has a good shock-absorbing effect to provide the user with more comfort when cycling. State of the art

[0002] The bicycle is a frequently used vehicle. It is powered by human effort generated through pedaling, without electricity or gasoline, and is extremely environmentally friendly. It is ideal for use as a general vehicle or as a recreational device.

[0003] In today's traffic environment, however, there are very few completely smooth roads. When a cyclist rides on uneven roads, or when climbing hills on rocky, sloping terrain, the unevenness of the ground causes the bicycle to vibrate. To solve this problem, most ordinary bicycles are equipped with shock absorbers, whose function is to absorb the impact force and thus provide the rider with greater comfort.

[0004] The shock absorber is typically attached to the handlebars, fork, seat stay, and seatpost of a bicycle. Currently, a shock-absorbing seatpost comprises an inner tube, an outer tube, and a spring. The upper end of the inner tube is connected to the saddle, the outer tube is fitted onto the inner tube, the lower end of the outer tube is connected to the frame, and the spring is fitted onto the outer tube, with both ends of the spring bearing against the inner and outer tubes, respectively, to provide damping force to the inner tube. A small gap exists between the outer and inner tubes to limit the axial movement of the inner tube and to further reduce friction between them.

[0005] However, the vibrations generated while riding a bicycle are not solely axial forces; several component forces are inevitably generated in the front and rear directions. These component forces can cause the inner tube to rub against the outer tube. Due to the frictional resistance between the inner and outer tubes, effective shock absorption is not guaranteed. Furthermore, the tube wall wears down over time, and the gap between the inner and outer tubes widens. This means the outer tube can no longer effectively limit the axial movement of the inner tube, causing the inner tube to wobble back and forth within the outer tube. This, in turn, causes the saddle to wobble if the impact is not absorbed.

[0006] Numerous damping structures for seatposts have therefore appeared on the market, such as those disclosed in Taiwanese patent publications M528906, M250849, M250851, and M610848. All of these known patents utilize multiple connecting rods positioned between a saddle and a seatpost, with an elastic element arranged diagonally between the saddle and the seatpost, providing an elastic restoring force for pivoting the connecting rods. The elastic element absorbs shocks to achieve a shock-absorbing effect. However, the aforementioned known patents have the disadvantage that the elastic element cannot be effectively compressed, and smooth pivoting of the saddle relative to the seatpost is not permitted. Object of the invention

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods that has a good shock-absorbing effect and with which the wobbling of the saddle can be effectively reduced in order to offer the user more comfort when cycling.

[0008] The shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention is designed to be arranged between a seat tube and a saddle and comprises at least the following: a lower seat body which is mounted on the seatpost, wherein the front and rear of the lower seat body are each provided with a front lower pivot end and a rear lower pivot end; an upper seat body which is pivotably connected to the saddle, wherein the front and rear of the upper seat body are each provided with a front upper pivot end and a rear upper pivot end; a first connecting rod which is arranged at the front end of the seatpost and between the front lower pivot end and the front upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two;a second connecting rod, arranged at the rear end of the seat post and between the rear lower pivot and the rear upper pivot, and pivotably connected to both; a recess seat, connected to the first connecting rod or the second connecting rod, and located between the front upper pivot and the rear upper pivot, or between the front lower pivot and the rear lower pivot; and a damping assembly, the upper end of which is pivotably attached to the front upper pivot or rear upper pivot or recess seat, and the lower end of which is pivotably attached to the front lower pivot or rear lower pivot or recess seat.

[0009] The present invention further provides a shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods, which is also designed to be arranged between a seatpost and a saddle, and comprises at least the following: a lower seat body which is mounted on the seatpost, wherein the front and rear of the lower seat body are each provided with a front lower pivot end and a rear lower pivot end; an upper seat body which is pivotably connected to the saddle, wherein the front and rear of the upper seat body are each provided with a front upper pivot end and a rear upper pivot end; a first connecting rod which is arranged at the front end of the seatpost and between the front lower pivot end and the front upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two;a second connecting rod, arranged at the rear end of the seat post and between the rear lower pivot end and the rear upper pivot end, and pivotably connected to both; a recessed seat, connected to the second connecting rod and located between the front lower pivot end and the rear lower pivot end; and a damping assembly, the upper end of which is pivotably connected to the upper seat body and projects from the first connecting rod, and the lower end of which is pivotably attached to the recessed seat.

[0010] According to the above technical features, the upper seat body extends outwards from the first connecting rod with an extension section, the upper end of the damping arrangement being pivotably connected to the extension section.

[0011] According to the above technical features, the damping arrangement comprises an upper and a lower attachment body with different outer diameters that can be plugged into one another, an elastic element surrounding the upper and lower attachment bodies, and a fastening arrangement located on one side of the upper attachment body or on one side of the lower attachment body, enabling the damping arrangement to be pivotally mounted between the upper and lower seat bodies, with the elastic element being pressed through the upper and lower attachment bodies and being movably located between the upper and lower seat bodies in a compressed or stretched state.

[0012] According to the above technical features, the first connecting rod, the upper mounting body and the front upper pivoting end are pivotably connected to each other by means of an axle element.

[0013] According to the above technical features, the first connecting rod and the front upper pivoting end are pivotably connected to each other by means of an axle element, wherein one end of the upper attachment body is concavely arcuate and can be attached to the outside of the axle element, and the upper attachment body can be pivoted along the surface of the axle element by means of this concave arcuate shape.

[0014] According to the above technical features, the fastening arrangement has a fastening element, wherein the recess seat and the fastening element have internal and external threads for locking, and the surface of the fastening element has a recessed section for receiving the upper mounting body or the lower mounting body.

[0015] According to the above technical features, the recessed section is arc-shaped, with one side of the upper mounting body or one side of the lower mounting body forming a corresponding arc-shaped surface.

[0016] According to the technical features above, the fastening element also has an adjustment hole on the outside side facing away from the recessed section. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the construction of a first embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention; Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the construction of the first embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention; Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the state of use of the first embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention; Fig. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the construction of a second embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention; Fig. Figure 5 shows a schematic view of the construction of the second embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention; Fig. Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the construction of a third embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention; Fig. Figure 7 shows a schematic view of the construction of the third embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention. Detailed description of the exemplary implementations

[0017] To better understand the technical features, content, advantages, and beneficial effects of the present invention, the preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided primarily for illustrative and descriptive purposes. The proportions and arrangement of the individual components in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual conditions and arrangement and may therefore differ from the realized invention. In actual implementation, the arrangement relationships shown in the accompanying drawings should therefore not limit the scope of protection of the invention.

[0018] It will be on Fig. 1 and Fig. Reference is made to Figure 2, which shows a perspective view of the structure of a first embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention and a schematic view of the structure of the first embodiment of the shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention. The shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention is designed to be arranged between a seat tube and a saddle and comprises at least a lower seat body 20, an upper seat body 30, a first connecting rod 40, a second connecting rod 50 and a damping arrangement 60.

[0019] The seatpost has a tube body 11, wherein the lower seat body 20 is mounted on the tube body 11 of the seatpost 10, the front and rear of the lower seat body 20 are each provided with a front lower pivot end 21 and a rear lower pivot end 22, and both the front lower pivot end 21 and the rear lower pivot end 22 are each provided with a through-hole.

[0020] The upper seat body 30 serves for pivot connection with the saddle (not shown) of a bicycle. The upper seat body 30 has a rail clamping section 31 and a pivoting section 32, wherein the rail clamping section 31 is arranged on both sides of the pivoting section 32 and serves to clamp the saddle rail of the saddle, the pivoting section 32 of the upper seat body 30 has a front upper pivoting end 321 and a rear upper pivoting end 322, and both the front upper pivoting end 321 and the rear upper pivoting end 322 are provided with a through-hole.

[0021] The first connecting rod 40 is located at the front end of the seatpost tube 11, between the front lower pivot end 21 and the front upper pivot end 321, and is pivotably connected to both. The second connecting rod 50 is located at the rear end of the seatpost tube 11, between the rear lower pivot end 22 and the rear upper pivot end 322, and is pivotally connected to both. It is simultaneously applied to Fig. 3. The first and second connecting rods 40, 50 are each connected to the lower seat body 20 and the upper seat body 30 by passing an axle element 71 through a through-hole. Furthermore, bearings (not shown) are arranged on two sides of the axle element 71 extending through the lower seat body 20 and on two sides of the axle element 71 extending through the upper seat body 30, so that the first and second connecting rods 40, 50 can be movably rotated about the axle element 71 relative to the lower seat body 20 and the upper seat body 30, respectively. In addition, the first and second connecting rods 40, 50 can each have a cover area 51 extending towards the elastic element 63, which covers the gap between the connecting rod 40 or 50 and the elastic element 63 without affecting the deformation range of the elastic element 63.This prevents the user's hand from getting into the gap, which could otherwise lead to injuries.

[0022] The upper end of the damping arrangement 60 is pivotably arranged at the front upper pivot end 321 or the rear upper pivot end 322, or between the front upper pivot end 321 and the rear upper pivot end 322. The lower end of the damping arrangement 60 is pivotably arranged at the front lower pivot end 21 or the rear lower pivot end 22, or between the front lower pivot end 21 and the rear lower pivot end 22. In the first embodiment shown in the figures, the upper end of the damping arrangement 60 is pivotably arranged at the front upper pivot end 321, while the lower end of the damping arrangement 60 is pivotably arranged on the lower seat body 20 between the front lower pivot end 21 and the rear lower pivot end 22.The damping arrangement 60 comprises an upper mounting body 61 and a lower mounting body 62 with different outer diameters, which are interlockable, an elastic element 63 that surrounds the upper and lower mounting bodies 61, 62, and a mounting arrangement 64 located on one side of the upper mounting body 61 or on one side of the lower mounting body 62, which allows the damping arrangement 60 to be pivotally mounted between the upper seat body 30 and the lower seat body 20. The elastic element 63 is pressed through the upper mounting body 61 and the lower mounting body 62 and is movably located between the upper seat body 30 and the lower seat body 20 in a compressed or stretched state. Furthermore, the first connecting rod 40, the upper mounting body 61, and the front upper pivot end 321 are pivotably connected to one another by means of an axle element 71.In the embodiment shown in the figures, the upper mounting body 61 is designed as a tubular structure, while the lower mounting body 62 is designed as a columnar structure. The inner diameter of the upper mounting body 61 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower mounting body 62. By fitting the upper and lower mounting bodies 61, 62 together, a guiding effect is achieved which ensures a stable range of motion during the compression or expansion process of the elastic element 63 and prevents deflection of the elastic element 63.

[0023] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the fastening arrangement 64 has a recessed seat 641 and a fastening element 642. The recessed seat 641 and the fastening element 642 have internal and external threads for locking. The recessed seat 641 is connected to the second connecting rod 50 and is located between the front lower pivot end 21 and the rear lower pivot end 22. The lower seat body 20 has a recess 24 for receiving the recessed seat 641. The surface of the fastening element 642 has a recessed section 643 for receiving the upper mounting body 61 or the lower mounting body 62. The recessed section 643 can be arcuate, with one side of the upper mounting body 61 or one side of the lower mounting body 62 forming a corresponding arcuate surface 65.Due to the coordinated arc shapes of the arc-shaped surface 65 and the recessed section 643, one side of the upper mounting body 61 or one side of the lower mounting body 62 can be freely rotated within the recessed section 643. Furthermore, the fastening element 642 has an adjustment hole 644 on its outer side facing away from the recessed section 643, and the lower seat body 20 also has a through-hole 23 through which the adjustment hole 644 is exposed. Thus, the user can use a tool to adjust the positional depth of the fastening element 642 relative to the recessed seat 641 via the adjustment hole 644 in order to adjust the degree of elasticity of the elastic element 63 or to release the fastening element 642 from the recessed seat 641, thereby facilitating maintenance or replacement of the elastic element 63.Of course, the recess seat 64 can also be connected to the first connecting rod and be located between the front upper pivot end and the rear upper pivot end.

[0024] When the user sits on the saddle and the bicycle vibrates up and down, the upper seat body 30 moves with the vibrating saddle and presses against the first connecting rod 40 and the second connecting rod 50, so that the first connecting rod 40 and the second connecting rod 50 are movable in the space between the lower seat body 20 and the upper seat body 30, and thus the upper seat body 30 is pivotable relative to the lower seat body 20 to counter-press the elastic element 63. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the vibration forces are absorbed by the elastic element 63, and a damping force is transmitted to the saddle via the first connecting rod 40 or the second connecting rod 50, thereby achieving a shock-absorbing effect. It is particularly noteworthy that in the present invention, the elastic element 63 is arranged between the lower seat body 20 and the upper seat body 30 and is pivotably mounted both on one of the pivot ends of the lower or upper seat body 20, 30 and on the recessed seat 641 located between the two pivot ends. The recessed seat 641 moves with the movement of the first connecting rod 40 or the second connecting rod 50, which allows the elastic element 63 to be compressed more effectively. This ensures smoother pivoting of the saddle relative to the seat post.

[0025] As in the second embodiment by the Fig. 4 and Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the first connecting rod 40 is pivotably connected to the front upper pivot end 321 by means of an axle element 71. One end of the upper mounting body 61 is concavely arcuate and can be mounted on the outside of the axle element 71, the upper mounting body 61 being pivotable along the surface of the axle element 71 by means of this concave arcate shape. The other end of the upper mounting body 61, opposite the concave arcate shape, can also press against the elastic element 63, thereby allowing the elastic element 63 to be movably held between the upper seat body 30 and the lower seat body 20 in a compressed or stretched state.

[0026] As in the third embodiment by the Fig. 6 and Fig.As shown in Figure 7, the upper end of the damping arrangement 60 is pivotably connected to the upper seat body 30 and projects out from the first connecting rod 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper seat body 30 extends outwards from the first connecting rod 40 with an extension section 33, the upper end of the damping arrangement 60 being pivotably connected to the extension section 33. The lower end of the damping arrangement 60, on the other hand, is pivotably connected to the recessed seat 641 and is arranged between the front lower pivot end 21 and the rear lower pivot end 22.The damping arrangement 60 also comprises an upper plug-in body 61 and a lower plug-in body 62 with different outer diameters which can be plugged into one another, an elastic element 63 which surrounds the upper and the lower plug-in bodies 61, 62, and a fastening arrangement 64, wherein one end of the upper plug-in body 61 is pivotably arranged on the extension section 33, while in the fastening arrangement 64 one end of the lower plug-in body 62 is pivotably arranged on the recess seat 641 and is located between the front lower pivot end 21 and the rear lower pivot end 22.

[0027] The shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to the invention is thus designed such that it is arranged between a seat tube and a saddle, and comprises at least an upper seat body, a lower seat body, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a recessed seat and a damping arrangement, wherein the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are each pivotably connected to the pivoting end of the upper seat body and the pivoting end of the lower seat body, the recessed seat is connected to the first connecting rod or the second connecting rod and is arranged between the pivoting ends, while the damping arrangement is pivotably arranged on one of the pivoting ends and the recessed seat.The damping mechanism is designed to transmit a damping force to the saddle via the first or second connecting rod, thereby achieving good shock absorption and providing the user with greater comfort while cycling. The damping mechanism also ensures smoother saddle movement relative to the seatpost.

[0028] In summary, the present invention provides a shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods. The invention thus meets the requirements for a utility model application. The application is filed in accordance with the law. The technical content and features of the present invention are disclosed above. All further embodiments that a person skilled in the art could arrive at without creative input based on the embodiments of the present invention also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Reference symbol list 11 pipe bodies 20 lower seat body 21 front lower pivot end 22 rear lower swivel end 23 Through hole 24 Exclusion 30 upper seat body 31 Rail clamping section 32 Swivel section 321 front upper pivot end 322 rear upper pivot end 33 Extension section 40 first connecting rod 50 second connecting rod 51 Convertible top area 60 Damping arrangement 61 upper attachment body 62 lower attachment body 63 elastic element 64 Mounting arrangement 641 Recessed seat 642 Fastening element 643 In-depth section 644 Adjustment hole 65 arc-shaped area 71 Axis element

Claims

[1] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods designed to be positioned between a seat tube and a saddle and comprising at least the following: a lower seat body which is mounted on the seat post, wherein the front and rear of the lower seat body are each provided with a front lower pivot end and a rear lower pivot end; an upper seat body which can be pivotally connected to the saddle, wherein the front and back of the upper seat body are each provided with a front upper pivoting end and a rear upper pivoting end; a first connecting rod which is located at the front end of the seat post and between the front lower pivot end and the front upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two; a second connecting rod, which is located at the rear end of the seat post and between the rear lower pivot end and the rear upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two; a recess seat connected to the first connecting rod or the second connecting rod and located between the front upper pivot end and the rear upper pivot end or between the front lower pivot end and the rear lower pivot end; and a damping arrangement, the upper end of which is pivotably arranged at the front upper pivot end or rear upper pivot end or recess seat and the lower end of which is pivotably arranged at the front lower pivot end or rear lower pivot end or recess seat. [2] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods designed to be positioned between a seat tube and a saddle and comprising at least the following: a lower seat body which is mounted on the seat post, wherein the front and rear of the lower seat body are each provided with a front lower pivot end and a rear lower pivot end; an upper seat body which can be pivotally connected to the saddle, wherein the front and back of the upper seat body are each provided with a front upper pivoting end and a rear upper pivoting end; a first connecting rod which is located at the front end of the seat post and between the front lower pivot end and the front upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two; a second connecting rod, which is located at the rear end of the seat post and between the rear lower pivot end and the rear upper pivot end and is pivotably connected to the two; a recess seat connected to the second connecting rod and located between the front lower pivot end and the rear lower pivot end; and a damping arrangement, the upper end of which is pivotably connected to the upper seat body and protrudes from the first connecting rod, and the lower end of which is pivotably arranged on the recess seat. [3] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to claim 2, wherein the upper seat body extends outwards from the first connecting rod with an extension section, the upper end of the damping arrangement being pivotably connected to the extension section. [4] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the damping arrangement comprises an upper attachment body and a lower attachment body with different outer diameters which are interlockable, an elastic element surrounding the upper and lower attachment bodies, and a fastening arrangement located on one side of the upper attachment body or on one side of the lower attachment body which enables the damping arrangement to be pivotally mounted between the upper seat body and the lower seat body, wherein the elastic element is pressed through the upper attachment body and the lower attachment body and is movably located between the upper seat body and the lower seat body in a compressed or stretched state. [5] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to claim 4, wherein the first connecting rod, the upper mounting body and the front upper pivoting end are pivotably connected to each other by means of an axle element. [6] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to claim 4, wherein the first connecting rod and the front upper pivoting end are pivotably connected to each other by means of an axle element, wherein one end of the upper attachment body is concavely arcuate and can be attached to the outside of the axle element and the upper attachment body can be pivoted along the surface of the axle element by means of this concave arcuate shape. [7] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to claim 4, wherein the fastening arrangement has a fastening element, the recess seat and the fastening element having internal and external threads for locking, and the surface of the fastening element having a recessed section for receiving the upper attachment body or the lower attachment body. [8] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to claim 7, wherein the recessed section is arc-shaped, with one side of the upper mounting body or one side of the lower mounting body forming a corresponding arc-shaped surface. [9] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to claim 7, wherein the fastening element further has an adjustment hole on the outside side facing away from the recessed section. [10] Shock-absorbing seatpost with connecting rods according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and the second connecting rod are each connected to the lower seat body and the upper seat body by passing an axle element through a through hole.

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