Bicycle Saddle Assembly with Elastic Leaf Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bicycle saddle assemblies are prone to breakage, structural weakness, and ergonomic issues due to their lightweight and rigid design, leading to frequent breakages, discomfort, and difficulty in adjusting and replacing saddles to accommodate individual rider needs.
Innovation Solution
A saddle assembly featuring a hull supported by a flexible sheet or leaf with adjustable coupling means to the seatpost tube, allowing for easy positioning and inclination adjustments, and enabling interchangeable saddles without replacing the entire assembly, while addressing ergonomic differences between riders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the saddle is made lighter using small dimensions and light materials, then the weight is reduced, but the structural strength is reduced leading to frequent breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials in the saddle construction, combining lightweight materials with high-strength components. The hull uses composite structures that provide both light weight and high strength, while the support system integrates titanium stems with elastic sheets to achieve optimal strength-to-weight ratio, resolving the contradiction between lightweight design and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an elastic sheet as a flexible support element between the saddle hull and the stem seats. This thin film component distributes stresses evenly across the hull bottom, preventing stress concentration that leads to breakage in lightweight saddles, while maintaining the overall lightweight design through the use of thin but high-performance elastic material.
2Weight of moving object
If the stems are made thin and rigid for lightweight design, then the weight is reduced, but the reliability is reduced due to breakage and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the stems from traditional rigid materials to titanium alloy, which offers superior strength-to-weight ratio and fatigue resistance. The elastic sheet also introduces a new parameter - controlled flexibility - that allows the support system to absorb shocks and vibrations, preventing the rigid stems from breaking or deforming under repeated stresses while maintaining lightweight construction.
3Weight of moving object
If the hull is made thin and rigid for lightweight design, then the weight is reduced, but the durability is reduced leading to breaching
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic sheet acts as a flexible reinforcement layer bonded to the hull bottom, creating a composite structure that combines the lightweight advantages of thin hull construction with the durability of the elastic material. This flexible film prevents the hull from breaching under repeated stresses by distributing loads evenly and allowing controlled deformation, thereby extending the service life without significantly increasing weight.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the saddle is designed with standard stems for interchangeability, then the adaptability is improved, but the structural strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains compatibility with standard seatpost clamp systems and conventional stem dimensions, allowing the saddle to be mounted on existing bicycle seatposts and enabling interchangeability with other saddles. The titanium stems are designed to fit standard clamp mechanisms while incorporating enhanced strength through material selection and optimized cross-sectional geometry, achieving both universality and high strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The saddle assembly provides enhanced structural robustness, ergonomic comfort, and ease of adjustment, reducing breakage risks and accommodating anatomical differences, ensuring high reliability and maintainability while allowing for lighter, more performing materials to be used.
Implementation Method 1
said support frame being arranged to support said saddle and comprising an elastic sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A saddle assembly (10) for bicycles comprising a saddle (12) and means for stabilizing and supporting said saddle at one end (13′) of a seatpost tube (13) of the bicycle, the saddle (12) comprising a hull or shield (12″) defining a seat for a rider, a support frame (12′) arranged supporting said saddle and comprising a sheet or leaf (12A) and means for coupling said sheet or leaf (12A) with respect to the seatpost tube (13), the coupling means comprising means for adjusting the distance of the saddle (12) with respect to a handlebar of the bicycle defined in the connection between said sheet or leaf (12A) and the coupling means and means for adjusting the inclination of the same saddle (12) with respect to a horizontal plane defined in the connection between said coupling means and the seatpost tube (13).