Foldable Bicycle Frame With Carry Straps for Compact Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bicycles are difficult to transport due to their bulky nature, making them uncomfortable and inconvenient for travel by vehicles like cars, trains, and planes, requiring manual handling and often incurring additional fees as extraordinary baggage.
Innovation Solution
A foldable bicycle structure with a load-bearing frame divided into hinged front and rear portions, allowing wheels to be parallel in a compact configuration, and equipped with straps for easy transport, including shoulder carrying and meeting airline size limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bicycle is designed with a conventional rigid frame structure, then it provides stable and comfortable riding experience, but it becomes bulky and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The bicycle frame is divided into multiple hinged segments (front triangle, rear triangle, and connecting links) that can fold relative to each other. This segmentation allows the rigid frame to be broken down into movable parts that can be compacted for transport while maintaining structural integrity during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame incorporates hinges and joints that transform the static rigid structure into a dynamic system. These movable connections allow the frame to transition between an extended rigid configuration for riding and a compact folded configuration for transport, adapting the structure to different operational states.
2Volume of moving object
If the bicycle is made foldable to reduce transport dimensions, then it becomes easier to carry, but it increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into modular sections connected by hinges, allowing the complex folding mechanism to be broken down into simple, repetitive joint structures. This modular segmentation reduces the overall complexity compared to a monolithic folding design.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional elements are merged into the hinge joints themselves, which simultaneously serve as connection points, folding mechanisms, and structural supports. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device architecture.
3Volume of moving object
If the bicycle is designed for compact transport, then it can be carried as hand luggage, but it loses the ability to provide stable riding experience
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge joints are designed to be rigid and locked during the riding phase, transforming the dynamic folding structure into a stable, rigid frame. This dynamic-to-static transition ensures that the frame maintains its structural integrity and stability during use while remaining foldable for transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented frame structure is designed with reinforced hinge connections and triangulated geometry that provide structural stability when extended. The segmentation allows each triangle to maintain its rigidity while the entire structure can fold, balancing compactness with riding stability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the bicycle requires manual transport in folded configuration, then it maintains structural integrity, but it limits user mobility with hands occupied
Solution Approach 1:
A carrying strap is introduced as an intermediary element that transfers the load from the user's hands to the shoulder. This mediator allows the user to transport the folded bicycle with one hand while maintaining a secure grip, freeing the other hand for additional tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrying strap is attached directly to the bicycle frame, allowing the bicycle itself to provide the means for its own convenient transport. The strap integrates with the folded structure, enabling the bicycle to serve its own transportation needs without requiring additional external equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable bicycle structure comprises a supporting frame (2) having a rear wheel (3) and a front wheel (4), a handlebar (5) fastened to the frame (2) and a seat post (6). The supporting frame (2) is divided into a front portion (9) and a rear portion (10) adapted to be connected to respective wheels (3, 4) and reciprocally hinged around a first hinge axis (11) to switch between an extended use configuration to a compact configuration. The supporting frame (2) is also provided with one or more straps (14, 15) each having one end fixed to the supporting frame (2) and one free end provided with a hook to allow the respective strap to be unwound (14, 15) and its hooking to another part of the structure and be used as a shoulder strap for transporting the structure in a compact configuration.