Saddle and bicycle

Abstract

To facilitate handling of a body of a bicycle.SOLUTION: A saddle 1 includes: a seat surface 11; and a support portion 12 placed at least a part of a circumferential edge portion 11a of the seat surface 11. The support portion 12 is formed so as to cover a surface including a bottom surface 121a of the circumferential edge portion 11a of the seat surface 11, and an inner circumferential surface 121b of the circumferential edge portion 11a of the seat surface 11 adjacent to the bottom surface 121a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saddle and a bicycle. [Background technology]

[0002] When parking a bicycle, it may be necessary to lift the body and adjust the direction of the body, etc. Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a saddle provided with a handle. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] "ROCKBROS (registered trademark) bicycle saddle", [online], [searched on October 17, 2023], Internet<URL:https: / / www.amazon.co.jp / stores / page / BBE71EA7-8542-4483-AC12-B3A17F56C57F> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when parking a bicycle in a bicycle parking rack, the rider may lift the rear of the bicycle with the front wheel on the rack (rail) to lift the rear wheel, adjust the direction of the bicycle, and then push the entire bicycle into the rack. When doing this, the rider holds the handlebars with one hand while lifting the bicycle with the other. Possible places to grab in order to lift the bicycle include the seat stays and rear carrier, but depending on the shape of the bicycle, these may be far away from the handlebars, making it difficult to operate while holding the handlebars with one hand. Also, if a child seat is installed on the rear of the bicycle, it may be difficult to reach the seat stays or rear carrier.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to make it easier to handle a bicycle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A saddle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a seating surface and a support portion arranged on at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the seating surface, the support portion being formed to cover a surface including a bottom surface of the peripheral edge of the seating surface and an inner surface adjacent to the bottom surface of the peripheral edge of the seating surface. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the bicycle body can be easily handled. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a saddle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the saddle of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the saddle of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the saddle of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing only the support portion extracted from the saddle of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a user's hand position when lifting the vehicle body by holding the support part of the saddle in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the position of the user's hands when lifting the vehicle body by holding the support parts of the saddle in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (Configuration 1) A saddle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a seating surface and a support portion arranged on at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the seating surface, the support portion being formed to cover a surface including a bottom surface of the peripheral edge of the seating surface and an inner surface adjacent to the bottom surface of the peripheral edge of the seating surface.

[0010] According to the above configuration 1, the user can lift the vehicle body by holding the support part arranged on the periphery of the seat surface (main body of the saddle). At this time, since the support part is formed covering a surface including the bottom surface of the periphery of the seat surface and the adjacent inner periphery, the edge of the seat surface does not dig into the hand. Also, when trying to move the vehicle body by putting a finger on the bottom surface of the saddle, the user can grasp the saddle by running the finger along the part covering the bottom surface of the periphery of the seat surface and the part covering the adjacent inner periphery. This improves the ease of holding. Also, it is possible to prevent damage to the seat surface (e.g., tearing of the surface) that is likely to occur when the seat surface is directly grasped.

[0011] (Configuration 2) In the above configuration 1, the support portion may be formed so as to further cover an outer circumferential surface adjacent to a bottom surface of the peripheral edge portion of the seating surface.

[0012] The outer peripheral surface adjacent to the bottom surface of the periphery of the seat is the part that the fingers and the base of the palm touch when placing the fingers on the bottom of the saddle to move the body. Covering this part with the support part improves the ease of holding. It also improves the ease of holding when holding the outer peripheral surface of the saddle to move the body (for example, when supporting the saddle from the side furthest from the body). Furthermore, the support part is located on the outer peripheral surface side of the saddle, making it easier to see. Also, providing the support part on the outer peripheral surface side of the saddle improves the rigidity of the support part.

[0013] (Configuration 3) In the above configuration 1 or 2, the support portion may be formed on a peripheral portion of the seat surface, the peripheral portion including at least a part in the left-right direction when the saddle is viewed from above.

[0014] The left and right parts of the seat are located close to the body when the rider is standing and holding the handlebars, making them easy to operate. The left and right parts of the seat are also easy to access, even when a child seat is mounted on the rear of the bicycle. Forming the support parts in these areas makes the bicycle easier to handle.

[0015] (Configuration 4) In the above configuration 3, the support portion may be formed on a semi-circular portion of the periphery of the seat surface, including a left-right portion and a rear portion when the saddle is viewed from above.

[0016] According to the above configuration, since the support portion is formed over a wide area, the position at which the saddle is gripped can be selected according to the situation.

[0017] (Configuration 5) In the above configuration 4, the width of the support portion may be greatest at a portion in the left-right direction.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the saddle is easier to grasp when gripped from the left or right direction.

[0019] (Configuration 6) In any one of the above configurations 1 to 5, the support portion may be made of resin.

[0020] (Configuration 7) In any of the above configurations 1 to 6, the support portion may be a component separate from the seat surface.

[0021] By making the seat surface and the support part separate, for example, the design of the seat surface can be common between products that include a support part and products that do not include a support part.

[0022] (Configuration 8) In the above-mentioned configuration 7, the support portion may be fixed to the seat surface with a bolt.

[0023] (Configuration 9) In any one of the above configurations 1 to 8, the saddle may further include a spring disposed below the seating surface.

[0024] (Configuration 10) In any of the above configurations 1 to 9, a ratio L / W of a dimension L in a front-rear direction of the seating surface to a dimension W in a left-right direction of the seating surface when the saddle is viewed from above may be 1.10 or less.

[0025] By setting the ratio L / W of the dimension L to the dimension W to 1.10 or less, the contact width between the user's buttocks and the seat surface is increased, improving comfort.

[0026] (Configuration 11) In any of the above configurations 1 to 10, the support portion may have an opening for draining water.

[0027] (Configuration 12) A bicycle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a saddle having any one of the above configurations 1 to 11.

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated. The dimensional ratios between the components shown in each drawing do not necessarily represent the actual dimensional ratios.

[0029] [Overall composition] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a saddle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the saddle 1, Fig. 3 is a left side view, and Fig. 4 is a bottom view. The saddle 1 comprises a seating surface 11, a support portion 12, and a saddle rail unit 13. In this embodiment, the "seating surface 11" refers to the entire member including an upper surface portion 111 (seating surface in the narrow sense) and a side wall portion 112, which will be described later.

[0030] The saddle 1 is a saddle for a bicycle (including electrically assisted bicycles; the same applies below). In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the saddle 1 refer to the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the bicycle when the saddle 1 is attached to the bicycle and the bicycle is in an upright position. The upright position of the bicycle refers to the state in which the up-down axis of the bicycle body (body frame) coincides with the vertical direction (direction of gravity). Also, the reference state is that the saddle 1 is attached to the bicycle so that the parallel portion 131a (see FIG. 3) of the saddle rail 131 is horizontal. F, B, U, D, R, and L in the drawings represent front, rear, up, down, right, and left, respectively.

[0031] The seating surface 11 has an upper surface portion 111 (seating surface in the narrow sense) and a side wall portion 112 formed continuously with the upper surface portion 111. The side wall portion 112 has a shape that extends downward from the upper surface portion 111 at a peripheral portion 11a (see FIG. 2) of the seating surface 11. Here, the "peripheral portion 11a of the seating surface 11" means a portion near the outline of the seating surface 11 when the seating surface 11 is viewed from directly above.

[0032] The upper surface portion 111 has a surface that is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane near the center in the in-plane direction (the in-plane direction of the plane consisting of the front-rear and left-right directions), and has a rounded shape near the peripheral edge portion 11a. This shape is one example, and the upper surface portion 111 may have any shape. For example, the upper surface portion 111 may have an arched shape or a shape with a step.

[0033] The top surface portion 111 also has a shape that, when viewed from directly above (see FIG. 2), is narrower in width (left-right dimension; the same applies throughout this paragraph) at the front and wider at the rear. By narrowing the width at the front, it becomes easier to pedal, and by widening the width at the rear, it becomes possible to increase the area of ​​contact with the buttocks and improve comfort. This shape is also illustrative, and the top surface portion 111 may, for example, have the same width at the front and rear.

[0034] As described above, the side wall portion 112 has a shape that extends downward from the upper surface portion 111 at the peripheral edge portion 11a. As shown in Fig. 4, the side wall portion 112 is formed only on the peripheral edge portion 11a. The side wall portion 112 is also formed over the entire peripheral edge portion 11a, that is, over the entire outline of the seat surface 11 when viewed from directly above.

[0035] The seat surface 11 preferably has a ratio L / W of the front-to-rear dimension L to the left-to-right dimension W when viewed from directly above (see FIG. 2) of 1.10 or less. By making the ratio L / W of the dimension L to the dimension W 1.10 or less, the contact width between the user's buttocks and the seat surface is increased, improving comfort. It also makes it easier to increase the width w1 and the interval c1, which will be described later. The upper limit of the ratio L / W is preferably 1.05.

[0036] On the other hand, if the ratio L / W is too small (i.e., if the left-right dimension W is too large compared to the front-back dimension L), it may be difficult to ensure the strength of the seat surface 11 depending on the size of the saddle rail unit 13. The lower limit of the ratio L / W is preferably 1.00.

[0037] The dimension W is not limited to this, but is preferably 250 mm or more. According to public data (https: / / www.airc.aist.go.jp / dhrt / dhdb.html) from the Artificial Intelligence Research Center Digital Human Research Team, up to 90% of adults have a hip width in a sitting position of 383 mm or less. If the width of the part where the user's buttocks contact the seat surface 11 is 65% of the hip width in a sitting position, by setting the dimension W to 250 mm or more, the dimension W can be made larger than the width of the part where the user's buttocks contact the seat surface 11 for 90% or more of users. The dimension W is more preferably 255 mm or more.

[0038] The support portion 12 is formed on a semicircular portion including a left-right portion and a rear portion of a peripheral portion 11a of the seat surface 11. The support portion 12 is fixed to the seat surface 11 by a bolt 14 (see FIG. 4). The detailed structure and function of the support portion 12 will be described later.

[0039] 4, the saddle rail unit 13 is disposed below the seat surface 11 in a space surrounded by the side wall portion 112. The saddle rail unit 13 includes a saddle rail 131, a spring 132, and a stay 133.

[0040] The saddle rail 131 is a component for connecting the seat surface 11 to the bicycle. The saddle 1 can be fixed to the seat post of the bicycle, for example, by attaching a connecting metal fitting (saddle bracket) (not shown) to the parallel portion 131a of the saddle rail 131. The spring 132 is disposed below the seat surface 11 (more specifically, between the saddle rail 131 and the seat surface 11) and absorbs shocks from the vehicle body, reducing the transmission of the shocks from the vehicle body to the seat surface 11. The stay 133 is a component for reinforcing the saddle rail unit 13.

[0041] [Configuration of support part 12] The configuration of the support part 12 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5, the saddle rail unit 13 is omitted from the illustration. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing only the support part 12 extracted from the saddle 1.

[0042] In a cross section including the up-down direction, the support portion 12 is formed so as to cover three sides of the peripheral portion 11a of the seating surface 11. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the support portion 12 is formed so as to cover a bottom surface 112a of the peripheral portion 11a of the seating surface 11, an inner peripheral surface 112b adjacent to the bottom surface 112a of the peripheral portion 11a of the seating surface 11, and an outer peripheral surface 112c adjacent to the bottom surface 112a of the peripheral portion 11a of the seating surface 11.

[0043] The bottom surface 112a is the end surface located at the lowest position in the peripheral portion 11a of the seating surface 11. As described above, the seating surface 11 has the side wall portion 112 having a shape extending downward from the upper surface portion 111 in the peripheral portion 11a. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 112a is the end surface located at the lowest position of the side wall portion 112. In addition, the inner peripheral surface 112b adjacent to the bottom surface 112a is the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 112, and the outer peripheral surface 112c adjacent to the bottom surface 112a is the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 112.

[0044] More specifically, the support portion 12 includes a bottom portion 12a that covers the bottom portion 112a, an inner peripheral portion 12b that covers the inner peripheral portion 112b, and an outer peripheral portion 12c that covers the outer peripheral portion 112c. The bottom portion 12a is located below the bottom portion 112a. The inner peripheral portion 12b is located on the center side in the in-plane direction (the left side in the left-right direction in the cross section of FIG. 5) from the inner peripheral portion 112b, and the outer peripheral portion 12c is located on the outside in the in-plane direction (the right side in the left-right direction in the cross section of FIG. 5) from the outer peripheral portion 112c. The bottom portion 12a, the inner peripheral portion 12b, and the outer peripheral portion 12c are formed continuously. It is preferable that the boundary portion between the bottom portion 12a and the inner peripheral portion 12b and the boundary portion between the bottom portion 12a and the outer peripheral portion 12c are rounded.

[0045] The inner peripheral portion 12b does not need to cover the entire inner peripheral surface 112b in the vertical direction, but only needs to cover a portion of the inner peripheral surface 112b in the vertical direction. Similarly, the outer peripheral portion 12c does not need to cover the entire outer peripheral surface 112c in the vertical direction, but only needs to cover a portion of the outer peripheral surface 112c in the vertical direction. It is preferable that the bottom surface portion 12a covers the entire bottom surface 112a in the width direction (the direction connecting the center and the outside in the in-plane direction; the left-right direction in the cross section of FIG. 5).

[0046] The surface to be covered and the portion covering it may or may not be in contact. In the example of Fig. 5, the outer peripheral surface 112c and the outer peripheral portion 12c are in contact, and the bottom surface 112a and the bottom portion 12a, and the inner peripheral surface 112b and the inner peripheral portion 12b are not in contact.

[0047] As described above, the support part 12 is formed to cover three sides of the peripheral part 11a of the seat surface 11 in a cross section including the vertical direction. Meanwhile, the support part 12 has an opening 12d at the front end as shown in Fig. 6. Also, the support part 12 is fixed to the seat surface 11 in a state in which the bottom surface part 12a is inclined downward toward the front as shown in Fig. 3. According to this configuration, water such as rainwater that accumulates in the space surrounded by the bottom surface part 12a, the inner peripheral part 12b, and the outer peripheral part 12c moves by gravity toward the opening 12d and is discharged from the opening 12d.

[0048] The material of the support portion 12 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the support portion 12 be made of resin because of its light weight and high degree of freedom in terms of shape.

[0049] The support portion 12 is a separate part from the seat surface 11, and is fixed to the seat surface 11 by bolts 14 (see FIG. 4). With this configuration, the design of the seat surface 11 can be made common between products that include the support portion 12 and products that do not include the support portion 12. This configuration is an example, and the support portion 12 and the seat surface 11 may be formed integrally. Furthermore, the support portion 12 and the seat surface 11 may be fixed by means other than bolts, for example, by adhesive.

[0050] [Effects of Saddle 1, etc.] The configuration of the saddle 1 allows the user to move the bicycle body by holding the support part 12 arranged on the peripheral part 11a of the seat surface 11. For example, when parking the bicycle, the user can hold the support part 12 to lift the rear wheel of the bicycle and adjust the direction of the bicycle body. By holding the saddle 1 and moving the bicycle body, the bicycle body can be easily handled (maneuvered).

[0051] 7 and 8 are diagrams showing examples of the positions of the user's hands when lifting the vehicle body by holding the support part 12 of the saddle 1. As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, when the user puts his / her fingers on the bottom surface of the saddle 1 to move the vehicle body, the support part 12 is formed covering the bottom surface 112a and the inner peripheral surface 112b, so that the edge of the seat surface 11 (the bottom surface 112a and the inner peripheral surface 112b) does not bite into the hand. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, when the user puts his / her fingers on the bottom surface of the saddle 1 deeply (this may be the case when the user grasps the saddle from the side closer to the user's body), the user can grasp the saddle 1 by placing the fingers F along the part covering the bottom surface 112a (the bottom surface part 12a) and the part covering the inner peripheral surface 112b (the inner peripheral part 12b). This improves the ease of holding. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent damage to the seat surface 11 (such as tearing of the surface) that is likely to occur when the seat surface 11 is grasped directly.

[0052] The greater the height (vertical dimension) of the inner periphery 12b, the easier it is to hook a finger and the easier it is to hold. The height h1 (see FIG. 5) of the inner periphery 12b is not limited to this value, but is preferably 15 mm or more, and more preferably 20 mm or more.

[0053] In this embodiment, the support part 12 is formed to cover the outer peripheral surface 112c in addition to the bottom surface 112a and the inner peripheral surface 112b. The outer peripheral surface 112c is the part where the finger F touches the base of the palm P when the finger is placed deeply on the bottom surface of the saddle 1 (see FIG. 7). This part is covered by the support part 12 (outer peripheral portion 12c), which improves the ease of holding. Also, when the finger is placed shallowly on the bottom surface of the saddle 1 (see FIG. 8. This may be the way of holding the saddle when the user grasps the saddle from the side farther from the body), the finger F can be placed along the part covering the bottom surface 112a (bottom surface portion 12a) and the part covering the outer peripheral surface 112c (outer peripheral portion 12c) to grasp the saddle 1, and in this case, the outer peripheral portion 12c also improves the ease of holding.

[0054] Furthermore, the support portion 12 (outer peripheral portion 12c) is provided on the outer peripheral surface side of the saddle 1, which makes the support portion 12 easier to see. The support portion 12 is easier to see, which makes it easier for the user to intuitively recognize the support portion 12 as a "part to grip." Furthermore, by forming the outer peripheral portion 12c in addition to the bottom surface portion 12a and the inner peripheral portion 12b, the second moment of area is increased, and the rigidity of the support portion 12 is improved.

[0055] As in the case of the inner peripheral portion 12b, the outer peripheral portion 12c is easier to hold as the height (dimension in the vertical direction) increases. The height h2 (see FIG. 5) of the outer peripheral portion 12c is not limited to this value, but is preferably 15 mm or more, and more preferably 20 mm or more. The height h1 of the inner peripheral portion 12b and the height h2 of the outer peripheral portion 12c may be the same or different.

[0056] 4, in this embodiment, the support portion 12 is formed on a semicircular portion including a left-right portion and a rear portion of the saddle 1. With this configuration, the support portion 12 is formed over a wide area, so that the position where the saddle 1 is grasped can be selected according to the situation.

[0057] Of the peripheral portion 11a of the seat surface 11 (see FIG. 2), the left and right portions of the seat surface 11 are located closer to the body when the user is standing and holding the handlebars of the bicycle, and are therefore easier to operate. Furthermore, the left and right portions of the seat surface 11 are also easier to access even when, for example, a child seat is mounted on the rear of the bicycle. For this reason, it is preferable that the left and right portions of the seat surface 11 of the support portion 12 are easier to hold than other portions.

[0058] Specifically, it is preferable that the width of support portion 12 (the dimension perpendicular to the extension direction of support portion 12 in the in-plane direction) is greatest in the left-right portion. More specifically, it is preferable that the width w1 (see FIG. 4) of support portion 12 in the left-right portion is greater than other portions of support portion 12 (for example, the width w2 of support portion 12 in the rear portion). The larger the width, the less likely it is to dig into the hand, improving ease of holding. By making the width of support portion 12 in the left-right portion greater than the width in other portions, it is possible to make the left-right portion easier to hold than other portions.

[0059] The width w1 of the support part 12 in the left-right direction is not limited to, but is preferably 25 mm or more, and more preferably 30 mm or more. The width w2 of the support part 12 in the rear part is not limited to, but is preferably 20 mm or more, and more preferably 25 mm or more.

[0060] It is preferable that there is a sufficient space between the support part 12 and the saddle rail unit 13 in the left-right portion of the seat surface 11 so that the fingers can be placed deeply when gripping the left-right portion of the seat surface 11. More specifically, it is preferable that there is a space between the support part 12 and the saddle rail unit 13 in the left-right portion of the seat surface 11, which allows two or more fingers to enter (more preferably, three or more fingers). In the example of FIG. 4, in the left-right portion of the seat surface 11, a space in which the distance between the support part 12 and the saddle rail unit 13 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value c1 exists over a width d1 in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the "distance between the support part 12 and the saddle rail unit 13" here is the distance along the left-right direction from the inner peripheral part 12b (see FIG. 6) of the support part 12 to the outer peripheral surface of the spring 132. The threshold value c1 is preferably 12 mm, and more preferably 15 mm. The width d1 is preferably 40 mm or more, and more preferably 45 mm or more. It is preferable that the position where the bolt 14 is fixed is arranged to avoid this space.

[0061] Similarly, it is preferable that there is sufficient space between the support 12 and the saddle rail unit 13 in the rear part of the seat surface 11. In the example of FIG. 4, in the rear part of the seat surface 11, a space where the distance between the support 12 and the saddle rail unit 13 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold c2 is present over an area of ​​40 mm or more in the vertical direction. More specifically, the "distance between the support 12 and the saddle rail unit 13" here is the distance along the front-rear direction from the inner peripheral part 12b (see FIG. 6) of the support 12 to the outer peripheral surface of the stay 133. The threshold c2 is preferably 12 mm, and more preferably 15 mm. The threshold c1 and the threshold c2 may be the same or different. It is preferable that the position where the bolt 14 is fixed is arranged to avoid this space.

[0062] [bicycle] A bicycle according to one embodiment of the present invention is a bicycle equipped with the above-described saddle 1. The bicycle includes an electrically assisted bicycle.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the user can move the bicycle body by holding the support part 12 of the saddle 1. By gripping the saddle 1 and moving the bicycle body, the bicycle body can be easily handled (maneuvered). This effect is particularly useful when handling the bicycle in a small space, when the bicycle is a heavy electrically assisted bicycle, or when the bicycle is equipped with a child seat or the like on the rear and the seat stays or rear carrier are difficult to reach.

[0064] [Other embodiments] The saddle and bicycle according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above. According to this embodiment, the bicycle body can be easily handled.

[0065] In the above, the case where the support part 12 is formed to cover three sides of the peripheral part 11a of the seat surface 11 in a cross section including the vertical direction has been described. Specifically, the case where the support part 12 is formed to cover the bottom surface 112a, the inner peripheral surface 112b, and the outer peripheral surface 112c has been described (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, if the support part 12 is formed to cover at least two sides of the peripheral part 11a of the seat surface 11 in a cross section including the vertical direction, a certain degree of effect can be obtained. Specifically, the support part 12 may be formed to cover a surface including the bottom surface 112a and at least one of the inner peripheral surface 112b and the outer peripheral surface 112c. In this case, it is preferable that the support part 12 covers a surface including the bottom surface 112a and the inner peripheral surface 112b.

[0066] However, as described above, by forming the support part 12 to cover three sides of the peripheral part 11a of the seating surface 11, it is possible to improve the ease of holding compared to the case where it is formed to cover two sides. The support part 12 may be formed to further cover a surface other than the bottom surface 112a, the inner peripheral surface 112b, and the outer peripheral surface 112c (for example, the back surface 111a of the upper surface part 111 of the seating surface 11 (see FIG. 5)).

[0067] In Fig. 5 and other figures, the bottom surface portion 12a of the support portion 12 is illustrated as being generally flat, but this shape is merely an example, and the bottom surface portion 12a may be of any shape. For example, the bottom surface portion 12a may have a curved surface that bulges downward, and the cross-sectional shape of the support portion 12 may be U-shaped. The shapes of the inner peripheral portion 12b and the outer peripheral portion 12c may also be any shape.

[0068] In the above, a case has been described in which the support portion 12 is formed on a semicircular portion including a left-right portion and a rear portion of the seat surface 11 (see FIG. 4). As described above, this configuration allows the position for gripping the saddle 1 to be selected depending on the situation. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of making the saddle 1 easier to hold, the support portion 12 only needs to be formed on at least a portion of the peripheral portion 11a of the saddle 1. The support portion 12 may be formed, for example, only on a left-right portion of the seat surface 11 or only on a rear portion of the seat surface 11.

[0069] However, as mentioned above, the left and right portions of the seat surface 11 are located closer to the body when the user is standing and holding the handlebars of the bicycle, and are therefore easier to operate. Therefore, when the support portion 12 is formed only on a portion of the peripheral portion 11a of the seat surface 11, it is preferable to form the support portion 12 on a portion that includes a left and right portion of the seat surface 11. The case where the support portion 12 is formed only on one of the left and right sides of the seat surface 11 is also included in the case where the support portion 12 is formed on "a portion of the seat surface 11 in the left and right direction." In other words, the support portion 12 may be formed only on the left side of the seat surface 11 or only on the right side of the seat surface 11.

[0070] In the above, the support part 12 has an opening 12d at the front end (see FIG. 6), and the water accumulated inside is discharged from the opening 12d. In this manner, the support part 12 preferably has an opening for discharging water. The opening 12d shown in FIG. 6 is an example, and the support part 12 may have an opening (through hole or slit) in the bottom surface part 12a, for example.

[0071] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1: saddle, 11: seat, 11a: peripheral portion, 111: upper surface, 111a: underside, 112: side wall, 112a: bottom surface, 112b: inner peripheral surface, 112c: outer peripheral surface, 12: support portion, 12a: bottom surface, 12b: inner peripheral portion, 12c: outer peripheral portion, 12d: opening, 13: saddle rail unit, 131: saddle rail, 132: spring, 133: stay

Claims

1. The seat and A support portion disposed on at least a portion of the periphery of the seat surface, A saddle, wherein the support portion is formed to cover a surface including a bottom surface of a peripheral portion of the seating surface and an inner peripheral surface adjacent to the bottom surface of the peripheral portion of the seating surface.

2. 2. The saddle of claim 1, A saddle, wherein the support portion is formed by further covering an outer peripheral surface adjacent to a bottom surface of a peripheral portion of the seating surface.

3. 3. A saddle according to claim 1 or 2, A saddle, wherein the support portion is formed on a peripheral portion of the seat surface, the peripheral portion including at least a portion in the left-right direction when the saddle is viewed from above.

4. 4. A saddle according to claim 3, The support portion is formed on a semi-circular portion of the periphery of the seat surface, the semi-circular portion including a portion in the left-right direction and a rear portion when the saddle is viewed from above.

5. 5. A saddle according to claim 4, A saddle, wherein the width of the support portion is greatest at a portion in the left-right direction.

6. 3. A saddle according to claim 1 or 2, The support portion of the saddle is made of resin.

7. 3. A saddle according to claim 1 or 2, A saddle, wherein the support portion is a separate part from the seating surface.

8. 8. A saddle according to claim 7, The support portion is fixed to the seat surface by a bolt.

9. 3. A saddle according to claim 1 or 2, The saddle further comprises a spring disposed beneath the seating surface.

10. 3. A saddle according to claim 1 or 2, A saddle in which a ratio L / W of a dimension L of the seating surface in a front-to-rear direction to a dimension W of the seating surface in a left-to-right direction when viewed from above is 1.10 or less.

11. 3. A saddle according to claim 1 or 2, The support has an opening for draining water.

12. A bicycle comprising a saddle according to claim 1 or 2.

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