Semi-Recumbent Bicycle Seat with Segmented Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semi-recumbent bicycles lack a comfortable and supportive seat design that combines the benefits of upright and recumbent bicycles, as traditional pommel-type seats do not allow reclining, while large, flat seats interfere with pedaling motion.
Innovation Solution
A semi-recumbent bicycle with a seat having a generally flat front surface and a forwardly tilted top surface, adjustable seat back, and a seat frame mounted on a main support tube without additional connections, allowing for height and angle adjustments to support the rider's back and legs while pedaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional pommel-type seat is used on a semi-recumbent bicycle, then the seat allows proper leg movement for pedaling, but the seat does not provide reclining capability and thus reduces comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is divided into two distinct parts: a pommel section at the front that allows leg movement for pedaling, and a separate seat base with backrest that provides reclining capability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing each part to fulfill its specific function without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat design extends into a third dimension by adding a backrest that angles rearward, creating a multi-dimensional seating surface. This allows the rider to recline while maintaining proper leg position for pedaling, thus improving comfort without compromising operability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a large, flat seat is used to increase comfort and allow reclining, then the seat provides superior comfort, but the seat interferes with the pedaling motion
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is segmented into a front pommel portion and a rear seat base portion, with the pommel positioned to clear the pedals. This allows the larger seat base to provide comfort and reclining while the forward-positioned pommel prevents interference with pedaling motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The pommel acts as an intermediary element between the large seat base and the pedals. It provides the necessary clearance and structural connection, allowing the seat base to be large and comfortable while preventing interference with the pedaling motion through its forward positioning.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the seat frame is connected to multiple points on the bicycle frame for stability, then the seat is securely supported, but the design complexity and number of connection points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seat frame design extracts the essential support function to a single primary connection point on the main seat support tube, eliminating the need for multiple connection points. This simplifies the overall structure while maintaining adequate support stability through the optimized single-point mounting arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved semi-recumbent bicycle seat includes a frame having a main seat support tube and a steering mechanism including a front tire support fork. Front and rear wheels are mounted on the front tire support fork and on the frame. A bicycle seat is mounted above and forwards of the rear wheel, the bicycle seat including a bicycle seat frame, a seat base and a seat cushion. A seat back is adjustably mounted on the bicycle seat frame for adjustment of the height and spacing of the seat back relative to the seat base, and the seat cushion includes a generally flat planar front face and a forwardly tilted top surface which is tilted from horizontal between two and thirty degrees (2° and 30°). The bicycle seat frame is adjustably mounted on the main seat support tube free of any other support connection to the bicycle frame.