Foldable Alpine Bicycle with Weight-Tensioned Cable Stabilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mountain bikes designed for downhill riding are complex, heavy, and unsuitable for transport over rough terrain, making them less ideal for hiking and climbing.

Innovation Solution

A lightweight downhill bicycle with a folding support bar and a tensioning cable system that aligns and stabilizes the bike using the user's weight, eliminating the need for complex mechanisms and allowing easy folding and unfolding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mountain bikes are designed with large frames and complex suspension and braking systems to provide sufficient robustness and comfort for downhill riding, then the robustness and comfort are improved, but the weight and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproverobustnessVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bicycle frame is divided into multiple segments (first rod section, second rod section, third rod section) connected by joints, allowing the structure to be both lightweight and sufficiently robust for downhill riding while maintaining foldability for transport

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If mountain bikes are designed with large frames and complex suspension and braking systems to provide sufficient robustness and comfort for downhill riding, then the robustness and comfort are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproverobustnessVSAvoidcomplexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The frame is segmented into multiple rod sections connected by joints, providing robustness through modular construction while keeping each component simple and lightweight for easy assembly and transport

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bicycle incorporates a foldable frame mechanism with joints that allow the structure to dynamically change between extended (robust for riding) and folded (compact for transport) configurations, adapting to different usage scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If mountain bikes are designed with large frames and complex suspension and braking systems, then the robustness for downhill riding is improved, but the ease of transport over rough terrain deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproverobustnessVSAvoidease of transport
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The foldable frame mechanism allows the bicycle to dynamically transition between an extended configuration for robust downhill riding and a compact folded configuration for easy transport over rough terrain by hikers or climbers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If a lightweight design is used to improve ease of transport, then the ease of transport is improved, but the robustness for downhill riding may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of transportVSAvoidrobustness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The frame uses multiple lightweight rod sections connected by joints, achieving both lightweight construction for easy transport and sufficient robustness for downhill riding through the modular segmented structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rod sections are made from lightweight materials such as aluminum or fiber composite materials like carbon fiber composite or glass fiber composite, providing high strength-to-weight ratio that ensures both ease of transport and robustness for downhill riding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 design provides a robust, lightweight bicycle suitable for downhill riding that can be easily carried and stored, maintaining stability through a simple, efficient mechanism.

Implementation Method 1

when a weight force is exerted on the foot section, the foot bar can be aligned in the direction of the weight force and the tensioning cable system can be tensioned

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP4172033B1Alpine bicycle
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 MICADO SMART ENG GMBH
  • EP4172033B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4172033B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4172033B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a bicycle (100) for riding downhill, with a front wheel region (101), a rear wheel region (102) and a supporting rod (110) which couples the front wheel region (101) and the rear wheel region (102) to each other. The supporting rod (110) has at least one joint for the unfolding and collapsing, wherein the supporting rod (110) has a front rod section (111) between the front wheel region (101) and the joint (103) and a rear rod section (112) between the rear wheel region (102) and the joint (103). A foot rod (104) is fastened pivotably to the supporting rod (110) by a coupling section (105), wherein a foot section of the foot rod (104) opposite the coupling section (105) has a footrest region (108) on which the feet of a user of the bicycle (100) rest. A tensioning-cable system (120) has a first cable-tensioning section (121) and a second cable-tensioning section (122), wherein the first cable-tensioning section (121) on the foot section and on the front rod section (111) and the second cable-tensioning section (122) on the foot section and on the rear rod section (112) are coupled in such a manner that, when a weight force is exerted on the foot section, the foot rod (104) can be aligned in the direction of the weight force and the tensioning-cable system (120) can be tensioned.