Dismountable bicycle

Abstract

Dismountable bicycle comprising at least a frame, a seat tube, a saddle, two wheels and a handlebar, said frame is split into at least a front half-frame and a rear half-frame, said rear half-frame comprising a female / male section and a seat tube housing, said front half-frame comprising a counter male / female section and a sleeve comprising a hole for the seat tube, the seat tube, when assembled, passing through said hole of the sleeve of the rear half-frame and said seat tube housing of the front half-frame, thus realizing an upper connection coupling between the two half-frames thus locking the two half-frames together, simultaneously, further said male section on the front half-frame engaging with said female section of the rear half-frame creating a further lower coupling connecting the two half-frames by locking the two parts of the frame and the seat tube together. The male and female sections, said seat tube and seat tube housing and said seat hole on the sleeve having a non circular geometric section, to prevent reciprocal rotations between the parts.

Description

[0001] "Dismountable bicycle"

[0002] TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

[0003] Scope of the invention

[0004] The present invention is included in the cycling field, in particular in the field of dismountable bicycles.

[0005] More and more people are becoming passionate about the world of bicycles and this has led to the birth of cycling tourism, both with traditional and electric bicycles. Many people rent bicycles on site because transporting them with a bike rack can be difficult. There are folding bikes to be placed in the trunk of the car or motorhome, but they do not perform as well as traditional bikes and have a less pleasant appearance and are heavier, in addition there are no folding racing bikes, as this would result in a loss of performance from the point of view of frame rigidity, lightness and aerodynamics. Electric bikes are also not designed to be folded due to the weight of the battery and, above all, they cannot be mounted on a bike rack as easily as it usually happens with traditional bikes.

[0006] The prior art already proposes frame division systems for storage in a trunk, but these compromise the frame performance and can cause very undesirable vibrations both in the case of amateur use and, even more, for professional use of the two-wheeled vehicle.

[0007] These dismountable frames also, in addition to the presence of many plays due also to the presence of many parts to be composed, have connections between the elements that must be subject to easy wear and tear as well as often appearing as couplings of cylindrical tubes subject to slides and rotations on each other that are decidedly disadvantageous. In some cases, to limit the play between the parts of the frame, minimum coupling tolerances are adopted which, disadvantageously, sometimes make it impossible to assemble the frame due to the presence of thermal expansions, dirt in the coupling area, etc. Still, disadvantageously, they are used for the coupling areas between the various parts of the frame, or materials that are subject to deformation (eg: steel, aluminum, titanium) or carbon fibre I Kevlar materials that instead have the disadvantage of being scratchable and therefore undergo weakening of the resistant sections. All this making it impossible to make joints with low play and easy to disassemble.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to describe a bicycle frame that can be disassembled and is composed of few parts.

[0009] Still an object of the present invention is to describe a detachable frame for bicycles that have reduced plays.

[0010] A further object of the present invention is to describe a bicycle frame that can also be suitable for electric bicycles.

[0011] It is also an object of the present invention to describe a dismountable frame for bicycles that guarantees the same performance as a non-dismountable frame.

[0012] A further object of the present invention is to describe a bicycle frame that is simple to assemble and disassemble.

[0013] An object of the present invention is further to describe a bicycle frame that is simple in construction and economical.

[0014] These and further advantages will be obtained thanks to the innovative demountable bicycle object of the present invention, said bicycle comprising at least a frame, a seat tube, a saddle, two wheels and a handlebar, said frame 2 is split at least into a front half-frame 3 and a rear half-frame 4, said rear half-frame comprising a male (orfemale) section and a seat housing for the seat tube, said front half-frame comprising a female (or male) section and a sleeve comprising a hole for the seat tube, the seat tube, when assembled, passing through said hole of said sleeve is housed in the seat tube housing of the front half-frame, thus realizing an upper connection coupling between the two half-frames thus locking the two half-frames together, simultaneously, further said male section on the front half-frame engaging with said female section of the rear half-frame creating a further lower coupling connecting the two half-frames by locking the two parts of the frame and the seat tube together, characterized in that said male and female sections, said seat tube and seat tube housing and said seat hole on the sleeve having a non-circular geometric section to prevent reciprocal rotations between the parts.

[0015] Said front and rear half-frame comprising axial hooks for preventing the release between said sleeve and the rear half-frame and between said male section and said female section.

[0016] Said male and female sections comprise coatings of anti-friction and compression- resistant material in particular, in one embodiment, this material being ceramic material lapped or polished to obtain reduced coefficients of friction to facilitate engagement and increase wear resistance.

[0017] Said female section comprising a gasket located at the point of contact between the male section and the female section on the stop ledge to absorb vibrations and prevent wear between the parts.

[0018] Said seat tube housing including a reinforcement inside to ensure the presence of more material and allows the support of the cyclist’s weight and greater stresses.

[0019] Said front and rear half-frame comprising reinforcing material or reinforcing collars in proximity of the separation area between the two half-frames.

[0020] Said front and rear half-frames comprising in the separation area reinforcing material and wear-resistant plates having grooved faces with the function of improving the coupling between the two half-frames.

[0021] Said wear-resistant plates, when the bicycle is assembled, will be in contact on the grooved face improving the resistance to stresses and significantly reducing wear in the coupling area.

[0022] Said rear half-frame comprises in one embodiment internally in the area close to the lower coupling with the front half-frame, a reinforced area with carry-over material fixed in the longitudinal direction to that of the development of the rear half-frame, in said carry-over material a female housing is formed in which further "male" carry-over material of a shape suitable for the purpose is inserted fixed / welded (etc.) inside the front half-frame and which protrudes out of the end side of the front half-frame, said male-female coupling reinforcing the lower coupling area of the half-frames. Note that the female male coupling could also be reversed if the male-female sections of the half-frames are reversed without modifying the objects of the present invention.

[0023] At the bottom of the female housing there is a gasket to further limit play between the parts and vibrations.

[0024] Brief description of the invention

[0025] These and further advantages will be further elucidated by the description of the figures below, it being noted that they are intended merely to illustrate and not to limit the purposes of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 1 and 2 show the innovative dismountable bicycle object of the present invention.

[0027] Fig.3 shows the assembled frame.

[0028] Fig.4 shows the detail of a coupling.

[0029] In fig.5 a further detail of a coupling.

[0030] In fig.6 the reinforcement at the seat tube housing.

[0031] In fig.7 the detail of a reinforcing collar.

[0032] In fig.8 a plan view of a variant of the upper coupling area between seat tubes and frame.

[0033] In fig.9 a variant of the contact surfaces in the upper coupling.

[0034] In fig. 10 an implementation variant of the couplings with carry-over material.

[0035] Description of the figures

[0036] In fig.1 is therefore visible the innovative demountable bicycle 1 object of the present invention in a version in which the three parts in which it is split are seen.

[0037] In particular, the frame 2 is split into a front half-frame 3 and a rear half-frame 4. The seat tube 7, connected at one end to a seat 8, can be removed from the rear half-frame completely freeing itself from the upper coupling 5. The front half-frame 3 and the rear half-frame 4 are connected by means of a lower coupling 6 and an upper coupling 5. In particular, with regard to the upper coupling 5, the locking between the parts takes place by coinciding the axis M of the sleeve 9 integral with the front half-frame with the axis H of the rear half-frame (movement A) and by sliding the seat tube 7 in the sleeve

[0038] 9 with axis S also coinciding with M and H (movement B). The seat tube will then slide inside the rear half-frame, effectively locking the front half-frame 3 in the upper coupling 5. At the same time, the two half-frames will also have moved closer at the lower coupling 6, being, due to the construction geometry suitable for the purpose, with the axis T and T’ coinciding and being able to make a male-female connection with the male parts 10 integral with the front half-frame and the female part 11 integral with the rear half-frame.

[0039] It is therefore evident that the disassemblable bicycle 1 can actually be disassembled into just 3 pieces. It should be noted that in the case of composite bicycles, the male

[0040] 10 and female 11 sections of the lower coupling can be made integral with the respective half-frames by gluing resin as will be described below, while, if the frame is metal or alloy, the parts can instead be screwed or welded, making them in any case integral with the half-frames.

[0041] Fig.2 shows the innovative detachable bicycle 1 in an assembled configuration.

[0042] In fig.3 and 3a the frame 2, the upper coupling 5 and the lower coupling 6 are highlighted. The front 3 and rear 4 half-frames will, for example, also be kept in position by means of, for example, common quick release systems such as the examples shown in fig. 3a of the axial type to prevent accidental releases of the various parts of the bicycle.

[0043] Fig. 4 shows a detail of the construction of a coupling 6. This is a possible preferred but not limiting embodiment. The geometric section of the male and female sections, of the seat tube and therefore of the seat tube housing can have a geometry at will but not circular (in this case it is hexagonal), this to prevent rotations around the T / T’axis and therefore giving the frame an effective locking of all degrees of freedom. It should also be noted that the male and female section must be able to engage for a length of, for example, more than 15 mm to ensure the tightness and solidity of the frame. The male and female sections can be made either directly on the frame or with female male elements built separately and connected to the frame at a later time, for example with welding or other suitable for the purpose depending on the type of material.

[0044] Important constructive note concerns the contact surfaces 12 between the male 10 and female 11 section which will be coated with an anti-friction and very resistant to compression material, in particular this material will preferably be lapped or polished ceramic material to obtain reduced coefficients of friction to facilitate engagement. In addition, the ceramic material, in addition to its very high compressive strength, is lighter than a metallic material and can be machined to low dimensional tolerances. Last but not least, said ceramic material has, as is well known, much lower coefficients of thermal expansion than metallic materials, which is to the advantage of very small plays between the coupled parts and, therefore, of a dismountable frame with very little vibration compared to a frame in a single piece.

[0045] The ceramic coating material will also be adoptable in the case of carbon fibre frames since it is known that the characteristics of ceramic materials (e.g. zirconia, silicon nitride, sialon, etc.) combine optimally with the carbon itself given the negative coefficient of thermal expansion, the high elastic modulus, the high resistance (if the composite is anisotropic) and low specific weight, making it a material in fact similar to ceramic materials. This is especially important for high-performance bicycles where high-performance materials are required. A second choice in the coating of the contact surfaces 12 is represented by an "anti-wear coating" that lowers the coefficient of friction.

[0046] The coating has the advantage of being much lighter than the ceramic plate material applied to the faces as it is a layer ranging from a few micrometers to tenths of a millimeter. The coating material can be different depending on the substrate on which it is deposited (the substrate is the base material with which the coupling is made) and can be applied with different technologies such as CVD, PVD, spray or immersion.

[0047] The polymer coating, in addition to having a very low coefficient of friction, adheres very well to surfaces (especially composite), is self-lubricating and is elastic, which means that it resists stress very well. In particular, in the present invention, the coating of material will be used in the application on the seat tube and inside the seat tube housing as the latter must be inserted and removed each time the bicycle is disassembled.

[0048] Fig. 5 always shows the detail of a coupling 6 in which a gasket 13 is visible placed at the point of contact between the male section 10 and the female section 11 , on the stop ledge. Said gasket has the purpose of elastically deforming when the frame is assembled and the two parts 10 and 11 are drown nearer and held together by means of, for example, the quick release 19 not visible here. This gasket will further absorb part of the vibrations to which the frame will be subjected.

[0049] Fig. 6 shows a detail in section of the dividing area between the front 3 and rear 4 halfframes in the area where the seat tube housing 16 is located. In this portion of the frame, to ensure the presence of more material and allow the support of the weight of the cyclist and the greater stresses, a reinforcement 15 can be inserted inside the seat tube housing 16. The seat tube housing 16 in an embodiment variant can be made with a locking wedge according to already known solutions.

[0050] Fig. 7 instead shows the detail of a reinforcing collar 20 that can be adopted in case of scarce support material in the area of division of the half-frames, said reinforcing collars are fixed on the frame parts to be coupled; when the frame is assembled, the collars will be in contact on a surface II acting as reinforcement near the area where the frame has the dividing line between right and left half-frame.

[0051] Fig. 8 and 9

[0052] A detail of the area where the upper coupling 5 is made is visible. In a variant, reinforcing material 29 can be provided on both the front and rear half-frame in which grooves 21 can be obtained for wear-resistant plates 23 having the function of improving the coupling between the two half-frames. Said wear plates have grooved faces 24 which, when the bicycle is assembled, will be in contact with each other improving the resistance to stresses and significantly reducing wear in the area of the coupling 5.

[0053] Said wear-resistant plates 23 can be made of metal (e.g. aluminium) or ceramic material.

[0054] It should be noted that the wear-resistant plates, here represented in an exemplary embodiment having grooved faces 24 can also be made with a flat face, however the complementary grooved version also avoids micromovements and makes the structure even more hyperstatic.

[0055] Fig.10 shows, in section, a variant of the connection between the two half-frames with carry-over materials or with glued carry-over material. The rear half-frame comprises inside it, in the area near the lower coupling with the front half-frame, a reinforced area 27 with carry-over material fixed in the longitudinal direction to that of the development of the rear half-frame, in said carry-over material a female housing 30 or engagement cavity is formed in which a male carry-over material 26 of a shape suitable for the purpose is inserted fixed / welded (etc.) inside the front half-frame and which protrudes out of the end side of the front half-frame, said male-female coupling reinforcing the lower coupling area 28 of the half-frames. In particular, the male 26 can be housed between the reinforced area 27 and the rear half-frame 4.

[0056] Note that the female male coupling could also be reversed if the male-female sections of the half-frames are reversed without modifying the objects of the present invention. A soft gasket 25 will be present at the bottom of the female housing 30 to further limit play between the parts and vibrations.

[0057] Without a doubt, an advantage of being able to have the dismountable bicycle object of the present invention considerably increases the practicality of use concomitantly with brakes and wireless gearbox, currently available on the market and easily installable on any cycle. The absence of constraints (wires and links) between the front half-frame and the rear half-frame creates maximum freedom of management of the two parts which become, in fact, elements completely detached from each other with all the benefits of the case.

[0058] It is therefore evident that the present invention allows to solve all the aforementioned problems of the known art, it is understood that non-substantial variants of the present invention, such as modifications to the materials, the model of the bicycle, the couplings, colour, dimensions etc. are all variants included in the present invention as better defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) comprising at least a frame (2), a seat tube (7), a saddle (8), two wheels and a handlebar, said frame (2) is split into at least a front halfframe (3) and a rear half-frame (4), said rear half-frame comprising a female (or male) section (11 ) and a seat tube housing (16), said front half-frame comprising a male (or female) section (10) and a sleeve (9) comprising a hole for the seat tube, the seat tube (7), when assembled, passing through said hole of said sleeve (9) is housed in the seat tube housing (16) of the front half-frame, thus realizing an upper connection coupling between the two half-frames thus locking the two half-frames together, simultaneously, further said male section (10) on the front half-frame (3) engaging with said female section (11 ) of the rear half-frame (4) creating a further lower coupling (6) connecting the two half-frames by locking the two parts of the frame and the seat tube together, characterized in that said male (10) and female (11) sections, said seat tube (7) and seat tube housing (16) and said seat hole on the sleeve (9) having any geometric section as long as it is not circular, to prevent reciprocal rotations between the parts.

2. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the geometric section of the male (10) and female (11 ) sections, of the seat tube (7) and therefore of the seat tube housing (16) have a hexagonal geometry to prevent rotations around the axis (T / T) and therefore giving the frame (2) an effective locking of all degrees of freedom.

3. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said front (3) and rear (4) half-frame comprising axial hooks (19) to prevent the release between said sleeve (9) and the rear half-frame (4) and between said male section (10) and said female section (11 ).

4. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein said male (10) and female (11 ) sections comprise coatings of anti -friction and compression- resistant material, said material being for example lapped or polished ceramic material to obtain reduced coefficients of friction to facilitate engagement and increase wear resistance. io5. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein said female section (11 ) comprises a gasket (13) placed at the point of contact between the male section (10) and the female section on the stop ledge to absorb vibrations and prevent wear between the parts.

6. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein said seat tube housing (16) comprises an internal reinforcement (15) to guarantee the presence of more material and allows the support of the cyclist’s weight and greater stresses.

7. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein said front (3) and rear (4) half-frame comprising reinforcing material (29) or reinforcing collars (20) in proximity of the separation area between the two half-frames.

8. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein said front (3) and rear (4) half-frames comprising in the separation area wear-resistant plates (23) having grooved faces (24) with the function of improving the coupling between the two half-frames, in fact said wear-resistant plates (23), when the bicycle will be assembled, will be in contact on the grooved faces (24) improving the resistance to stresses and significantly reducing the wear in the coupling area.

9. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein said rear half-frame (4) comprises internally in the area close to the lower coupling (6) with the front half-frame (4), a reinforced area (27) with carry-over material fixed longitudinally to that of the development of the rear half-frame (4), in said carry-over material a female housing (30) is formed in which further "male" carry-over material of a shape suitable for the purpose is inserted fixed / welded inside the front half-frame (3) and which protrudes out the end side of the front half-frame (3), said male-female coupling reinforcing the lower coupling area (28) of the half-frames.

10. Dismountable bicycle (1 ) according to the preceding claims, wherein at the bottom of the female housing (30) there is a gasket (25) to further limit play between the parts and vibrations.

Images