EP2190727A1 - Ensemble de roue avant pour bicyclette pliable - Google Patents

Ensemble de roue avant pour bicyclette pliable

Info

Publication number
EP2190727A1
EP2190727A1 EP08776143A EP08776143A EP2190727A1 EP 2190727 A1 EP2190727 A1 EP 2190727A1 EP 08776143 A EP08776143 A EP 08776143A EP 08776143 A EP08776143 A EP 08776143A EP 2190727 A1 EP2190727 A1 EP 2190727A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
forks
wheel
assembly
spindle
bicycle
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP08776143A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Patrick James Alexander
Ian Christopher Andrew Alexander
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ATB Sales Ltd
Original Assignee
ATB Sales Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ATB Sales Ltd filed Critical ATB Sales Ltd
Publication of EP2190727A1 publication Critical patent/EP2190727A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
    • B62K15/00—Collapsible or foldable cycles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
    • B62K15/00—Collapsible or foldable cycles
    • B62K15/006—Collapsible or foldable cycles the frame being foldable
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
    • B62K25/00—Axle suspensions
    • B62K25/02—Axle suspensions for mounting axles rigidly on cycle frame or fork, e.g. adjustably
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
    • B62K2206/00—Quick release mechanisms adapted for cycles

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a front wheel assembly for a folding bicycle and to a folding bicycle equipped with such an assembly.
  • Folding bicycles normally include, as an aspect of reduction to a more compact form, a folding front wheel which can be pivoted to, for example, overlie the bicycle frame.
  • a folding front wheel which can be pivoted to, for example, overlie the bicycle frame.
  • This provides a wheel carrier pivotably connected to front wheel forks of the bicycle and carrying the wheel in the manner of a subframe.
  • the wheel carrier with wheel is releasable from the forks by a quick-release clamp of a kind employed in non-folding bicycles to enable rapid wheel removal for the purpose of puncture repair or tyre replacement.
  • Such clamps are relatively simple and convenient to operate, particularly by comparison with conventional methods requiring tools for wheel removal and refitting, but are accompanied by issues of safety and constructional integrity if the quick-release clamp is improperly applied and the wheel, despite appearances, is not securely fixed. In such circumstances the wheel may be loose in its mount and the risk then arises of detaching of the wheel from the forks when the bicycle is riden. Measures have been proposed for safeguarding the wheel from detaching, i.e. keeping it retained in the forks even if still loose, but the problem is then present that riding of the bicycle in this state inevitably imposes loads on the clamp outside the original design specification and the risk arises, at least in the long term, of component distortion or fracture due to these loads.
  • a front wheel assembly for a folding bicycle having front forks provided with aligned open-ended slots for mounting the hub of a front wheel and with recesses formed in the forks at mutually remote sides thereof and communicating with the slots, the assembly comprising a front wheel with a hub, a wheel carrier carrying the wheel between two carrier arms thereof and pivotably connectible with the bicycle to be movable between a use position with the wheel fastened to the front forks of the bicycle and a folded position with the wheel removed from the front forks, and quick- release fastening means for releasably fastening the wheel carrier together with the wheel to the forks, the carrier arms receiving the hub of the wheel therebetween and each having a spigot which is coaxial with and projects away from the hub and which is slidably engageable in the slot of a respective one of the forks, and the fastening means comprising a spindle, which extends through the hub and the arms inclusive of the spigots and end portions of
  • the risk of breaking or bending of the spindle is eliminated or at least reduced by the interlocking of the locating members and the wheel carrier arms and the risk of accident, in the event of insufficient or absent tightening of the locating members, to a rider of a bicycle fitted with the wheel assembly is diminished.
  • the structural integrity of the front wheel assembly and thus the safety of a bicycle equipped with the assembly can be further enhanced if the hub has coaxial stub axles and the carrier arms have recesses receiving the stub axles. In that case, if the locating members are left or become untightened the resulting loads are additionally absorbed by the stub axles engaged in the carrier arm recesses.
  • the stub axles, carrier arms and locating members then form a load-bearing unit capable of accepting the shock loads and stresses liable to occur due to the absence of firm fixing of the front wheel assembly in the bicycle forks. This unit isolates such loads from the comparatively low-strength - in terms of bending - spindle of the fastening means.
  • the spigots of the carrier arms preferably have smaller diameter parts seated in the recesses in the locating members and larger diameter parts for seating in the slots in the forks.
  • This step in the spigot diameter allows a relatively generously dimensioned width of fork slot, which is approximately matched by the width of the larger diameter part of the spigot, but avoids the need for oversizing the locating member, the recess in which only has to be dimensioned to accept to the smaller diameter part of the spigot. It is entirely possible, however, for the spigot to be of unchanging diameter and to dimension the cooperating parts of the forks and quick-release fastening means to accommodate this diameter.
  • one of the locating members of the fastening means is threadedly engaged on the spindle and the other locating member of the fastening means is slidably engaged on the spindle and resiliently biassed towards the threadedly engaged locating member.
  • the threadedly engaged member can function as, for example, an adjuster nut by which the forces, for example clamping forces, to be exerted by fastening means can be appropriately preset.
  • the slidably engaged locating member on the other hand, can be arranged to be manually movable, for example against a spring bias, to assist with removal of the assembly from the forks after the clamping pressure has been released.
  • the threaded locating member can be locked in a set position on the spindle by a lock nut similarly screwed onto the spindle.
  • the wheel carrier preferably includes a mudguard for the front wheels, in which case it can be advantageous to carry the wheel between the carrier arms of two pairs of arms which form, together with the mudguard, a rigid triangulated structure.
  • the invention also relates to a bicycle comprising a front wheel assembly as defined above.
  • the slots in the forks of the bicycle are oriented in its fore and aft direction with the open ends of the slots facing forwardly. This orientation of the slots tends to promote gravitation of the assembly, if left loose, away from the open ends of the slots during riding and generally reduces the chances of the loose assembly departing from the slots except by intention.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a front wheel assembly embodying the invention, the assembly being fitted to the front forks of a folding bicycle and shown in a use position;
  • Fig. 2 is a schematic side view, to an enlarged scale, of part of the front wheel assembly of Fig. 1 , the assembly being removed from the front forks and shown in the process of being transferred to a folded position;
  • Fig. 3 is a perspective view, to an enlarged scale, of the lower end of one of the forks;
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-section, to an enlarged scale, of the centre part of the front wheel assembly, along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1 ;
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-section similar to Fig. 4, but of a scale enlarged to a lesser extent and showing the front wheel assembly in a state of partial release from the forks;
  • Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-section similar to Fig. 5, but showing the front wheel assembly in a state of removal from the forks.
  • a front wheel assembly 10 for a folding bicycle which is illustrated only in fragmentary form in Fig. 1 and which includes, apart from elements which are not illustrated, a frame down tube 11 carrying a pair of front wheel forks 12 movable in usual manner by handlebars (not shown).
  • the folding bicycle can be transformed from an extended use state to a folded state for carriage or storage.
  • the front wheel assembly 10 when incorporated in such a bicycle, is pivotably attached to a bracket 13 at the forks 12 to be pivotable between a use position in which the assembly is fitted to the forks, as shown in Fig. 1 , and a folded position in which the assembly is removed from the forks.
  • the principal elements of the front wheel assembly 10 are a front wheel 14, which includes a hub 15, a front wheel carrier 16 carrying the wheel 14 and a quick-release clamp 17 for fastening the wheel carrier 16 together with the wheel 14 to the forks 12.
  • the wheel carrier 16 is a rigid structure composed - in this embodiment - of two pairs 18 and 19 of arms, the arms of each pair 18 or 19 being disposed on either side of the wheel 14 and each meeting an arm of the respective other pair 19 or 18 at the wheel hub 15, and a mudguard 20 uniting the arms in the region of the wheel circumference.
  • the mudguard carries a lug 21 serving for the pivot coupling with the bracket 13.
  • the quick-release clamp 17, which is indicated merely schematically in Figs. 1 and 2 and shown in more detail in Figs.
  • the forks 12 have, in the vicinity of the open ends of the slots 22, chamfers 24 which assist in the process of refitting the front wheel assembly 10 to the forks 12 by urging components of the clamp 17 apart.
  • the front wheel assembly 10 described thus far is generally known and similar to that described in the specification of United Kingdom Patent No. 2 401 590.
  • the quick-release clamp 17 is shown in more detail in the schematic cross-section of Fig.
  • the hub 15 includes a central tubular through axle 25, which extends beyond mutually opposite ends of a body of the hub to form protruding coaxial stub axles 25a.
  • the body of the hub conventionally incorporates ball or other bearings (not shown) by which the wheel is rotatable about the axis of the stub axles 25a or axle 25.
  • Each of the arms of the pair 19 of carrier arms has a stepped-diameter spigot 26 coaxial with the stub axles and projecting away from the hub 15.
  • An inner, larger diameter part couple the front wheel assembly 10 to the forks 12.
  • An outer, smaller diameter part 26b of each spigot co-operates with a respective part of the quick-release clamp 17 as described further below.
  • the wheel carrier arms of the pair 19 additionally have, at mutually facing sides, recesses in which the stub axles 25a are seated to provide firm location of the hub 15 in the arms.
  • the quick-release clamp 17 comprises a spindle 27 which extends through the tubular axle 25 and through coaxial bores in the spigots 26 to protrude, by mutually opposite end portions, outwardly of the smaller diameter parts 26b of the spigots.
  • One end portion 27a of the spindle is threaded and the other end portion 27b is plain, but terminates in an eye 27c.
  • a respective locating member for locating the clamp 17, and with it the wheel carrier and wheel, in the forks 12 is placed on each of the end portions 27a and 27b.
  • the locating member placed on the threaded end portion 27a of the spindle 27 consists of a threaded adjuster nut 28 which is screwed onto the end portion 27a and which has at its inner end, i.e. end facing the hub 15, a recess firmly seating - thus without radial play - the smaller diameter part 26b of the respectively adjacent spigot 26.
  • the nut 28 has at its outer end a recess accommodating a lock nut 29 similarly screwed onto the threaded end portion 27a of the spindle.
  • the adjuster nut 28 is engaged, with a circumferential clearance, in the recess 23 of the associated fork 12.
  • the locating member placed on the plain end portion 27b of the spindle 27 consists of a waisted bobbin 30 which is slidably engaged on the end portion 27b and which has at its inner end, i.e. end facing the hub 15, a recess firmly seating the smaller diameter part 26b of the adjacent spigot 26.
  • the bobbin 30 is engaged, with circumferential clearance, in the recess 23 of the adjacent one of the forks 12.
  • a cam lever 31 acting by way of a cam track 31a thereof on a two-part cam follower 32 bearing against an adjacent end face of the bobbin 30.
  • the cam follower 32 has a cavity receiving a spring 33 similarly acting on the adjacent end face of the bobbin.
  • the cam lever 31 urges the slidably mounted bobbin 30, by way of the cam follower 32, towards the adjuster nut 28, which is fixed by its screw thread on the spindle 27, and thus clamps the entire wheel assembly 10 in place between the forks 12.
  • the spring 33 is stressed, but ineffective.
  • the principle of operation, including assembly and disassembly, of quick-release clamps of this kind is known and therefore not described in detail.
  • the cam lever 31 For release of the front wheel assembly 10 from the forks 12 the cam lever 31 is pivoted through approximately 180° so that a receding section of the cam track 31a comes into contact with the cam follower 32 and the pressure exerted on the bobbin 30 is relieved. Sufficient tolerance is then created for the bobbin to slide on the spindle 27.
  • the spring 33 is now able to relax and displace the bobbin 30 away from the cam follower 32 to create the state depicted in Fig. 5, in which the clamping of the front wheel assembly 10 to the forks 12 is cancelled, but the assembly still remains attached to the forks due to the continued seating of the adjuster nut 28 and bobbin 30 in the recesses 23.
  • Removal of the assembly 10 entirely from the forks 12 is achieved by manually drawing the bobbin 30 back along the spindle 27 towards the cam lever 31 against the force of the spring 33 while simultaneously pushing the spindle a sufficient distance through the axle 25 to disengage the adjuster nut 28 from its associated fork recess 23. With both the bobbin 30 and the adjuster nut 28 clear of the recesses 23 the spigots 26 are free to slide out of the slots 22 in the forks for removal of the wheel assembly, as shown in Fig. 6.
  • the arrows in Fig. 6 indicate the movement of the bobbin 30 towards the cam lever 31 , the axial movement of the spindle to release the adjuster nut 28 from its recess 23 and the forward movement of the wheel assembly to detach from the forks.
  • Refitting of the assembly 10 to the forks 12 is carried out in reverse sequence, in the course of which, however, the chamfers 24 of the forks 12 co-operate with the adjusting nut 28 and bobbin 30 to cause the latter to slide along the spindle 27 towards the cam lever 31 and thus spread the nut and bobbin sufficiently far apart to allow them to pass into the recesses 23 in the forks. Consequently, this aspect of refitting is executed automatically and it is not necessary to manually displace the bobbin against the biasing spring 33.
  • the nut 28 and bobbin 30 have chamfered edges by which they slide along the chamfers 24 so as to provide a smooth action and to reduce wear.
  • the intermediate release state shown in Fig. 5 embodies an important safety aspect of the method of fastening the wheel assembly 10 to the forks 12 inasmuch as this state may arise not only intentionally in the course of removal of the assembly, but also unintentionally as a result of failure to correctly operate the cam lever 31 to generate the clamping pressure.
  • the spigots 26 of the wheel carrier arms will be able to move simultaneously to a limited extent in the fork slots 22, but not escape from the slots due to the continued engagement of the adjuster nut 28 and bobbin 30 in the recesses 23 of the forks, the resultant loads being evenly distributed to the nut and bobbin.
  • the spigots on the wheel carrier arms could be of uniform, rather than stepped, diameter, in which case appropriate change in the relevant dimensions of the locating members, the fork recesses that receive the members and, if necessary, the width of the slots in the forks may be needed.
  • the tightening or clamping pressure in the quick-release clamp can be generated by other forms of cam and cam follower or by other systems for quick application and quick removal of tightening force.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Axle Suspensions And Sidecars For Cycles (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un ensemble de roue avant pour une bicyclette pliable, lequel ensemble est destiné à une bicyclette ayant des fourches de roue avant (12) comportant des fentes alignées à extrémité ouverte (22), pour le montage d'une roue avant, et des cavités (23) sur les côtés mutuellement éloignés des fourches. L'ensemble comprend une roue avec un moyeu (15), un support de roue portant la roue entre deux bras (19), le support étant apte à être relié par pivotement à un cadre de la bicyclette pour aider au pliage de la bicyclette avec un encombrement plus compact, et une attache à libération rapide (17) pour fixer de façon libérable aux fourches le support de roue et la roue. Les bras (19) ont des ergots coaxiaux (26) qui s'engagent par coulissement dans les fentes de fourche (22). L'attache comprend une broche (27), qui s'étend à travers le moyeu (15) et les ergots (26) et des éléments de positionnement (28, 30) agencés sur les parties d'extrémité libres de la broche. Les éléments de positionnement ont des cavités recevant les ergots avec un ajustement par encliquetage de façon à verrouiller réciproquement les composants d'une manière telle que la broche est protégée vis-à-vis des charges de flexion dans le cas d'une application incorrecte de l'attache.
EP08776143A 2007-08-09 2008-08-06 Ensemble de roue avant pour bicyclette pliable Withdrawn EP2190727A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0715583A GB2451689B (en) 2007-08-09 2007-08-09 Front wheel assembly for a folding bicycle
PCT/GB2008/002673 WO2009019474A1 (fr) 2007-08-09 2008-08-06 Ensemble de roue avant pour bicyclette pliable

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2190727A1 true EP2190727A1 (fr) 2010-06-02

Family

ID=38543346

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP08776143A Withdrawn EP2190727A1 (fr) 2007-08-09 2008-08-06 Ensemble de roue avant pour bicyclette pliable

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2190727A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB2451689B (fr)
WO (1) WO2009019474A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE202012002736U1 (de) 2012-03-13 2012-05-23 Markus Hartmann Faltrad

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5121973A (en) * 1991-06-06 1992-06-16 S.A.F.E. Q-R Corp. Push button quick release safety hub assembly
US6089675A (en) * 1997-08-19 2000-07-18 Schlanger; Raphael Quick release bicycle hub assembly
GB2401590B (en) * 2003-05-16 2005-03-30 Atb Sales Ltd Folding bicycle

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2009019474A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2009019474A1 (fr) 2009-02-12
GB2451689B (en) 2009-09-30
GB2451689A (en) 2009-02-11
GB0715583D0 (en) 2007-09-19

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