Detachable bicycle

Abstract

A detachable bicycle comprising at least one frame, a seat tube, a saddle, two wheels, and a handlebar, said frame divided into at least one front half frame and one rear half frame, said rear half frame comprising a female / male cross section and a seat tube housing, said front half frame comprising a sleeve with a counter male / female cross section and a hole for the seat tube, said seat tube, when assembled, passing through said hole in the sleeve of the rear half frame and said seat tube housing of the front half frame to achieve an upper connecting connection between the two half frames and locking the two half frames together, and at the same time, said male cross section of the front half frame further interlocks with said female cross section of the rear half frame to lock the two frame parts and the seat tube together, thereby creating a lower connecting connection between the two half frames, and male and female cross sections of said seat tube and seat tube housing and said seat hole in the sleeve, with non-circular cross sections to prevent co-rotation between the parts.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Scope of the invention The present invention relates to the field of cycling, and in particular to removable bicycles.

[0002] Gradually, many people have become passionate about the world of cycling, which has given rise to cycling tourism, using both conventional and electric bicycles. Because it can be difficult to transport a bicycle using a bike rack, many people rent bikes online. There are folding bicycles that can be stored in trunks or motorhomes, but these types of bicycles are less functional, less attractive, and heavier than conventional bicycles, and folding racing bikes do not exist because their frame is less rigid, lightweight, and aerodynamic. Electric bicycles are also not designed to be folded due to the weight of the battery, and above all, they cannot be loaded onto bike racks as easily as conventional bicycles are usually.

[0003] The prior art has already proposed split frame systems for storage in trunks, but these systems impair the performance of the frame and can result in vibrations that are highly undesirable both in amateur and even professional use of the two-wheeled vehicle.

[0004] Such removable frames also have a large number of components, resulting in a large amount of play, and the connections between the components are subject to wear and tear, often in the form of cylindrical tubes that are subject to relative sliding and rotation, with decisively adverse consequences. In some cases, frame parts are fitted with minimal clearance to limit play between them, which sometimes leads to the undesirable situation of being unable to assemble the frame due to thermal expansion, contamination in the connection areas, etc. Furthermore, such frames are undesirably made of materials (such as steel, aluminum, or titanium) that are prone to deformation in the connection areas between the various parts of the frame, or materials such as carbon fiber or Kevlar®, which have the disadvantage of being prone to scratches and therefore weakening the resistance areas. This makes it difficult to achieve joints with low play and easy assembly. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to describe a bicycle that can be assembled and that consists of a small number of parts.

[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to describe a removable frame with a reduced number of parts.

[0007] A further object of the present invention is to describe a bicycle frame that is also applicable to electric bicycles.

[0008] It is also an object of the present invention to describe a removable frame for a bicycle that guarantees the same performance as a non-removable frame.

[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to describe a bicycle frame that is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to describe a bicycle frame that is simple and economical in construction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] These and other advantages are achieved by the innovative detachable bicycle of the present invention, comprising at least one frame, a seat tube, a saddle, two wheels, and a handlebar; the detachable bicycle, wherein the frame 2 is divided into at least one front half frame 3 and one rear half frame 4; the rear half frame comprises a male (female) section and a seat housing for the seat tube; the front half frame comprises a sleeve with a male (female) section and a hole for the seat tube; the seat tube, when assembled, has a hole in the sleeve that passes through the seat tube housing of the front half frame to create an upper connection between the two half frames and lock the two half frames together; and the male section of the front half section mates with the female section of the rear half frame to lock the two frame parts and the seat tube together, thereby creating a lower connection connecting the two half frames; and the male and female sections of the seat tube, seat tube housing, and seat hole in the sleeve have non-circular cross sections to prevent co-rotation between the parts.

[0012] said front and rear half frames comprising axial hooks to prevent release between said sleeve and rear half frame and between said male cross section and said female cross section;

[0013] The male and female sections are coated with an anti-friction and compression resistant material, and in one embodiment, this material is a ceramic material that is coated or polished to reduce the coefficient of friction for easier engagement and increased resistance to wear.

[0014] The aforementioned female section comprises a gasket at the contact point between the male and female sections on a stop lug to absorb vibrations and prevent wear between the parts.

[0015] The aforementioned seat tube housing is internally reinforced to accommodate the extra material, supporting the weight and added stress of a cycle strut.

[0016] said front and rear half-frames consisting of a reinforcing material or collar located near the separation area between the two half-frames;

[0017] The aforementioned front and rear half-frames comprise reinforcing material in the separation area with a grooved front surface for improved connection between the two half-frames.

[0018] The aforementioned wear-resistant plate contacts the grooved front surface when the bicycle is assembled, improving stress resistance and significantly reducing wear in the connection area.

[0019] Said rear half-frame, in one embodiment, comprises a reinforced area with a carry-over element fixed longitudinally in the area where the rear half-frame unfolds, near the lower connection with the front half-frame, said carrier-over element having a female housing shaped for the purpose of a "male" carry-over element inserted into the front half-frame for fastening / welding (etc.), said male-female connection reinforcing the lower connection area of ​​both half-frames. The female-male connection can also be reversed if the male-female connections of the half-frames can be reversed without modifying the object of the invention.

[0020] The female housing has a single gasket at the bottom to further limit play and vibration between the parts.

[0021] Brief description of the invention These and other advantages will become more apparent from the following description of the figures, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 represents the purpose of a removable bicycle according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 represents the purpose of a removable bicycle according to the present invention. [Figure 3] Represents the assembled frame. [Figure 3a] Stands for Common Quick Release System. [Figure 4] Shows the details of the connection. [Figure 5] Further details of the linkage are shown. [Figure 6] The seat tube housing reinforcement is shown. [Figure 7] The reinforcing collar is shown in detail. [Figure 8] A top view of a variation of the upper connection between the seat tube and the frame is shown. [Figure 9] Variations in the contact surface of the upper link are shown. [Figure 10] A variation of the implementation of the concatenation with carry-over material is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Text description of the illustration image022.gif. In FIG. 1 it is therefore possible to see the object of the detachable bicycle 1 according to the invention in a version which can be seen disassembled into three parts.

[0024] In particular, the frame 2 is divided into a front half frame 3 and a rear half frame 4. A tube sheet 7 connected to one end of a sheet 8 can be completely removed from the rear half frame by disconnecting it from the upper link 5. The front half frame 3 and the rear half frame 4 are connected by a lower link 6 and an upper link 5.

[0025] In particular, with regard to the upper link 5, the locking between the parts is achieved by aligning the axis M of the sleeve 9, which is integral with the front half frame, with the axis H of the rear half frame (movement A), and by sliding the seat tube 7 onto the sleeve 9, which has an axis S that also coincides with M and H (movement B). The seat tube then slides inside the rear half frame, effectively locking it to the front half frame 3 with the upper link 5. At the same time, the two half frames also approach the lower link 6, and thanks to the structural shape adapted to the purpose, the axes T and T' coincide, allowing for a male-female connection between the male part 10, which is integral with the front half frame, and the female part 11, which is integral with the rear half frame.

[0026] It is therefore clear that the detachable bicycle 1 can actually be disassembled into only three pieces. It should be noted that in composite bikes, as described below, the male 10 and female 11 sections of the lower link can be integral with each half-frame by bonding with resin, whereas if the frame is metal or alloy the parts can instead be screwed or welded together and in either case be integral with the half-frame.

[0027] Figure 2 shows the disassembled bicycle 1 in assembled form.

[0028] In figures 3 and 3a the frame 2, the upper link 5 and the lower link 6 are highlighted. The front 3 and rear 4 half frames can for example be kept in place using a common quick release system as shown in figure 3a to prevent the various parts of the bicycle from accidentally coming off.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows the construction of the connection 6 in detail. This is a preferred, but non-limiting, embodiment. The male and female geometric cross sections of the seat tube, and therefore of the seat tube housing, can be any shape other than circular (hexagonal in this case), which prevents rotation around T / T' and allows the frame to be effectively locked at all free angles. It should be noted that the male and female cross sections must be able to interlock over a length greater than, for example, 15 mm to ensure tension and rigidity of the frame. The male and female cross sections can be inserted directly into the frame, or separately manufactured female-male elements can be subsequently connected to the frame using an appropriate method, such as welding, depending on the type of material.

[0030] An important construction consideration is that the contact surface 12 between the male 10 and female 11 sections is coated with an anti-friction coating, making it highly resistant to material compression, preferably a ceramic material that is lapped or polished to reduce the coefficient of friction in order to facilitate engagement. Furthermore, ceramic materials, in addition to having very high compressive strength, are lighter than metallic materials and can be engineered with smaller play dimensions. Finally, and equally importantly, ceramic materials are known to have a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion than metallic materials, which allows for much smaller play between the mating parts and therefore a removable bicycle with much less vibration compared to a single-piece frame.

[0031] Ceramic coating materials can also be adapted to carbon fibres, as the characteristics of ceramic materials (zirconia, silicon nitride, sialon, etc.) - negative coefficient of thermal expansion, high ceramic modulus, high resistance (if the composite is anisotropic) and low specific weight - are optimally combined with the carbon itself, making the material practically similar to a ceramic material. This is particularly important in the case of high-performance bicycles, where high-performance materials are required. A second option is the coating of the contact surface 12, represented by a "wear-resistant coating" with an even lower coefficient of friction.

[0032] Coatings have the advantage of being much lighter than the ceramic plate materials they are applied to the surface, as the coating layers range from a few micrometers to a tenth of a millimeter. Coating materials vary according to the substrate (the substrate is the base material on which the connection is created) onto which they are deposited and applied using different technologies such as CVD, PVD, spraying or immersion.

[0033] In addition to having a very low coefficient of friction, polymer coatings adhere very well to surfaces (especially synthetic ones), are self-lubricating, and are resilient, meaning they are very resistant to stress. In particular, in the present invention, material coatings are used on the seat tube and inside the seat tube housing, which must be inserted and removed each time the bicycle is disassembled.

[0034] Figure 5 shows a detail of the permanent connection 6, in which a gasket 13 is placed at the contact point between the male section 10 and the female section 11 above the stop projection. The purpose of said gasket is to allow elastic deformation when assembling the frame, so that the two parts 10 and 11 are brought together and held together, for example, by means of a quick release 19, not shown in the figure. This gasket also absorbs some of the vibrations to which the frame is subjected.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a detail of the area of ​​the split section between the front 3 and rear 4 half frames in the area where the seat tube housing 16 is located. In this part of the frame, a reinforcement 15 is inserted inside the seat tube housing 16 in order to allow more material to be used and thus to be able to support the weight of the cyclist and greater stresses. In a variant of the embodiment, the seat tube housing 16 can be made with wedge locks according to known solutions.

[0036] Figure 7 shows details of the reinforcing collar 20, which can be selected when the material support in the area of ​​the split of the half frames is insufficient, and the aforementioned reinforcing collar is fixed on the frame parts to be joined; when the frame is assembled, the collar contacts the surface of the U and reinforces the area around where the frame splits into right and left half frames.

[0037] Figures 8 and 9 Detail of the area showing the upper link 5. In one variation, reinforcements 29 are provided in both the front and rear half-frames, where the wear plates 23 are provided with grooves 21, which serve to improve the connection between the two half-frames. The aforementioned wear plates 24 come into contact with each other when the bicycle is assembled, improving the resistance to stresses and significantly reducing wear in the area of ​​the link 5.

[0038] The aforementioned wear-resistant plate 23 may be made of metal (eg, aluminum) or ceramic material.

[0039] It should be noted that the wear-resistant plate, represented here by the embodiment with grooved surface 24, can also be made with a flat surface, but the additional grooved version can also prevent micro-motion and is more hyperstatic.

[0040] Figure 10 shows a variation of the connection between two half-frames using carry-over material or glued carry-over material. The rear half-frame comprises, inside, a reinforced area 27 with carry-over material that is fixed longitudinally in the area where the rear half-frame unfolds, near the lower connection with the front half-frame, said carry-over material having a female housing 30 or mating cavity shaped for the purpose of inserting and fastening / welding (etc.) a male carry-over material 26 into the front half-frame, said male-female connection reinforcing the lower connection area 28 of both half-frames. In particular, the male 26 can be housed between the reinforced area 27 and the rear half-frame 4.

[0041] The female-male connection can also be reversed if the male-female connection of the half frames is reversed without modification to the objectives of this invention. Note that a soft gasket 25 is located in the bottom 30 of the female housing to further limit play and vibration between the parts.

[0042] Without a doubt, the purpose of the detachable bicycle according to the invention is to significantly increase the possibility of combining brakes with wireless gearboxes, which are currently available on the market and can be used on any cycle. The absence of constraints (wires and links) between the front and rear half-frames allows for maximum freedom of management between the two parts, which in fact allows the element to be completely detached, while still retaining the advantages of this case.

[0043] Therefore, it is clear that the present invention solves all the aforementioned problems of the known art, and non-substantial variations of the present invention, such as changes in materials, bicycle models, connections, colors, sizes, etc., are considered as all variations fully defined by the appended claims. (Other possible items) (Item 1) A detachable bicycle (1) comprising at least one frame (2), one seat tube (7), one saddle (8), two wheels and one handlebar, said frame (2) being divided into at least one front half frame (3) and one rear half frame (4), said rear half frame comprising one male (female) cross section (11) and one seat tube housing (16), said front half frame comprising one male (female) cross section (10) and one sleeve (9) comprising one hole for the seat tube, said seat tube (7) being arranged such that when assembled, said hole in said sleeve (9) is inserted into the seat tube housing of the front half frame. a lower connection (6) connecting the two half frames is created by passing said male section (10) of the front half section (3) through said spring (16) and locking the two half frames together, and at the same time, said male section (10) of the front half section (3) engages with said female section (11) of the rear half frame (4) to lock the two frame parts and the seat tube together, wherein the male (10) and female (11) sections, said seat tube (7) and seat tube housing (16) and said seat hole of the sleeve (9) have geometric cross sections, provided that they are non-circular cross sections to prevent co-rotation between the parts. (Item 2) A removable bicycle (1) according to patent item 1, in which the cross sections of the male (10) and female (11), the geometric cross section of the seat tube (7) and therefore the seat tube housing (16) are hexagonal in shape, in order to prevent rotation about the axis (T / T') and therefore to provide effective locking at any free angle relative to the frame (2). (Item 3) A removable bicycle (1) according to patent item 1, wherein said front (3) and rear (4) half frames comprise axial hooks (19) to prevent release between said sleeve (9) and rear half frame (4) and between said male section (10) and said female section (11). (Item 4) A removable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the cross sections of said male (10) and female (11) are made of a coating of anti-friction and compression-resistant material, said material being, for example, a ceramic material that has been lapped or polished to reduce the coefficient of friction, promote engagement and increase resistance to wear. (Item 5) A removable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the female section (11) comprises a gasket (13) at the contact point between the male section (10) and the female section on the stop projection to absorb vibrations and prevent wear between the parts. (Item 6) A removable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 5, in which said seat tube (16) housing has internal reinforcement (15) to accommodate more material and support the weight of the cyclist and greater stresses. (Item 7) A detachable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the front (3) and rear (4) half frames comprise a reinforcing material (29) or a reinforcing collar (20) located near the separation area between the two half frames. (Item 8) A detachable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the front (3) and rear (4) half-frames comprise a wear-resistant plate (23) with a grooved surface (24) near the separation area, which has the function of improving the connection between the two half-frames; in fact, the wear-resistant plate (23) comes into contact with the grooved surface (24) when the bicycle is assembled, improving resistance to stress and significantly reducing wear in the connection area. (Item 9) The rear half frame (4) comprises a reinforced area (27) with a carry-over material inside, near the lower connection (6) with the front half frame (4), fixed longitudinally in the area where the rear half frame (4) unfolds; in the carry-over material, a female housing (30) is shaped for the purpose of inserting and fixing / welding a further "male" carry-over material into the front half frame (3), protruding laterally from the end of the front half frame (3); the male-female connection reinforces the lower connection area (28) of both half frames. A detachable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 8. (Item 10) A removable bicycle (1) according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the bottom of the female housing (30) has a gasket (25) to further limit play and vibration between the parts.

Claims

1. A detachable bicycle comprising at least one frame, a seat tube, a saddle, two wheels and a handlebar, said frame being divided into at least one front half frame and one rear half frame, said rear half frame comprising a male (female) cross-section and a seat tube housing, said front half frame comprising a sleeve with a male (female) cross-section and a hole for the seat tube, said seat tube being adapted to fit into the seat tube housing of the front half frame when assembled, thereby realising an upper connection between the two half frames and locking the two half frames together, and at the same time, said male cross-section of the front half frame mating with said female cross-section of the rear half frame, thereby locking the two frame parts and the seat tube together, thereby creating a lower connection connecting the two half frames, said male and female cross-sections, said seat tube and seat tube housing and the seat hole of the sleeve having geometric cross-sections, as long as they are non-circular cross-sections to prevent co-rotation between the parts.

2. 2. A detachable bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the male and female cross sections, the geometric cross section of the seat tube and therefore the seat tube housing are hexagonal in shape in order to prevent rotation about the axis (T / T') and therefore to provide effective locking at any free angle relative to the frame.

3. 2. The removable bicycle of claim 1, wherein the front half frame and the rear half frame comprise axial hooks to prevent disengagement between the sleeve and the rear half frame and between the male cross section and the female cross section.

4. 2. The removable bicycle of claim 1, wherein the male and female sections are coated with an anti-friction, compression-resistant material, the material being, for example, a ceramic material that is lapped or polished to reduce the coefficient of friction, promote engagement, and increase resistance to wear.

5. 2. The removable bicycle of claim 1, wherein the female section comprises a gasket at the contact point between the male and female sections on the stop projection to absorb vibrations and prevent wear between the parts.

6. 10. The removable bicycle of claim 1, wherein the seat tube housing has internal reinforcement to accommodate more material and support the weight and greater stresses of a cyclist.

7. 2. The detachable bicycle of claim 1, wherein said front half frame and said rear half frame comprise a reinforcing material or collar near the separation area between the two half frames.

8. 2. The detachable bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the front half frame and the rear half frame comprise wear-resistant plates with grooved surfaces near the separation area, which serve to improve the connection between the two half frames; in fact, the wear-resistant plates come into contact with the grooved surfaces when the bicycle is assembled, improving the resistance to stress and significantly reducing wear in the connection area.

9. 2. A detachable bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the rear half frame comprises a reinforced area with a carry-over element inside, near the lower connection with the front half frame, which is fixed longitudinally in the area where the rear half frame unfolds; in the carry-over element, a female housing is further shaped for the purpose of inserting and fixing / welding a "male" carry-over element into the front half frame, protruding laterally from the end of the front half frame; the male-female connection reinforces the lower connection area of ​​both half frames.

10. 10. A detachable bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bottom of the female housing has a gasket to further limit play and vibration between the parts.

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