Shock absorbing bicycle seat mounting post assembly

Claim 2

A shock absorbing bicycle seat mounting post assembly for placement within a tube of a bicycle frame and for supporting a bicycle seat thereon, said mounting post assembly comprising: a tubular member for insertion into the bicycle frame tube; means for securing said tubular member within said frame tube; seat mounting means upon which a bicycle seat can be mounted; shock absorbing means acting between said seat mounting means and the frame tube; a plurality of layered cylindrical shims surrounding said tubular member, said shims having different diameters so as to form a stack of layered shims, each of said shims being removable to permit the sizing of said tubular member, with any remaining shims thereabout, to match the size of the opening in the tube of a bicycle frame.

Claim 3

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 1, comprising: an elongated shaft having an upper portion and lower portion, said seat mounting means being mountable on said upper portion of said shaft, and said tubular member being slidably received along a length of said lower portion of said shaft; means preventing rotation between said shaft and said tubular member; resilient means disposed between said seat mounting means and said tubular member for resiliently urging said tubular member away from said seat mounting means, thereby defining said shock absorbing means; a threaded adjustment means for adjustably positioning said tubular member relative to said lower portion of said shaft and against the urging force of said resilient means to establish a predetermined initial supporting force against which the weight of a person sitting on the bicycle seat counteracts.

Claim 4

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein a portion of said threaded adjustment means extends downwardly beyond the end of said shaft and said tubular member to a distal end, said threaded adjustment means comprising: a flexible piston means carried at said distal end, said flexible piston means including an elastic washer sized to fit snugly into and peripherally engage the inner surface of the bicycle frame tube.

Claim 5

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein: each of said cylindrical shims is slotted in the axial direction for easy removal from said tubular member; each of said cylindrical shims is flared radially outwardly at one end thereof to act as a stop against the top edge of the tube of a bicycle frame; and said mounting post assembly includes an elastic sealing member stretched about and sealing the region between said tubular member and said frame tube.

Claim 6

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said resilient means comprises: a first coil compression spring coaxial with said shaft and coiled in a first circumferential direction; and a second coil compression spring, smaller in diameter than said first coil spring and coaxial therewith, said second coil spring being coiled in a circumferential direction opposite to that of said first coil spring.

Claim 7

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: said seat mounting means comprises an outwardly directed first collar; said tubular member comprises an outwardly directed second collar; said resilient means comprises a coil spring means coupled between said first and second collars; and said post assembly further comprises an insert of plastic or synthetic fluorine-containing resin fitted about said shaft and axially captured between said coil spring and said second collar, said insert having a central opening therein substantially the same shape and size as the outer edge of a cross section of said shaft, thereby minimizing sliding resistance between said second collar and said shaft.

Claim 8

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 5, comprising a flexible bellows surrounding said coil spring and extending between said first and second collars, said bellows being formed of a material which is light and flexible enough to not interfere with the functioning of said resilient means, while heavy and inflexible enough to act as a skin or finger guard.

Claim 9

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said elastic washer is provided with a plurality of small holes to permit a regulated amount of air to pass therethrough when said piston moves within the tube of a bicycle frame.

Claim 10

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in combination with an adjustable air chamber volume reducing means, wherein: the bicycle seat post-receiving tube of the bicycle frame is longer than the maximum penetration of said threaded adjustment means into said frame tube; said volume reducing means is insertable into said frame tube beneath said threaded adjustment means; and said volume reducing means comprises at least one rubber-like disk-shaped stopper engageable with the inner surface of the frame tube in an air-tight relationship and adjustably positionable in said tube frame in the axial direction for varying the volume of air between said threaded adjustment means and said stopper.

Claim 11

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein: said volume reducing means comprises a second stopper engageable with the inner surface of the frame tube; and said volume reducing means further includes an elongated spacer between said stoppers, said spacer being adjustable in length.

Claim 12

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: said shaft has a cross section, throughout its length, having three or more sides and said tubular member has a bore of substantially uniform cross section, throughout its length, corresponding to the cross section of said elongated shaft, thereby defining said means preventing rotation of said elongated shaft within said tubular member, and allowing said shaft to slide up and down within said tubular member.

Claim 13

The bicycle seat mounting post assembly as claimed in Claim 9, including a petcock valve disposed in the wall of said bicycle frame tube between said flexible piston means and said stopper for regulating the air intake and discharge to and from said volume of air.

Claim 14

A shock absorbing bicycle seat mounting post assembly for placement within a tube of a bicycle frame and for supporting a bicycle seat thereon, said mounting post assembly comprising: an elongated shaft having an upper portion and lower portion; a bicycle seat mounting means fixed on said upper portion of said shaft upon which a bicycle seat can be mounted; a tubular member slidably received along a length of said lower portion of said shaft; means preventing rotation between said shaft and said tubular member; resilient means between said seat mounting means and said tubular member for resiliently urging said tubular member away from said seat mounting means; and a threaded adjustment means for adjustably positioning said tubular member relative to said lower portion of said shaft and against the urging force of said resilient means to establish a predetermined initial supporting force against which the weight of a person sitting on the bicycle seat counteracts, said threaded adjustment means comprising a long bolt extending through a bore in said shaft for the entire length of said post assembly, a head on said bolt being accessible at the top of said seat mounting means, a portion of said bolt extending downwardly beyond the end of said shaft and said tubular member to a distal end, said threaded adjustment means further comprising a flexible piston means carried at said distal end, said flexible piston means including an elastic washer sized to fit snugly into and peripherally engage the inner surface of the bicycle frame tube.

Claim 15

A shock absorbing bicycle seat mounting post assembly for placement within a tube of a bicycle frame and for supporting a bicycle seat thereon, said mounting post assembly comprising: an elongated shaft having an upper portion and lower portion; a bicycle seat mounting means fixed on said upper portion of said shaft upon which a bicycle seat can be mounted; a tubular member slidably received along a length of said lower portion of said shaft; means preventing rotation between said shaft and said tubular member; resilient means between said seat mounting means and said tubular member for resiliently urging said tubular member away from said seat mounting means; and a threaded adjustment means for adjustably positioning said tubular member relative to said lower portion of said shaft and against the urging force of said resilient means to establish a predetermined initial supporting force against which the weight of a person sitting on the bicycle seat counteracts, said threaded adjustment means comprising a long bolt extending through a bore in said shaft for the entire length of said post assembly, a head on said bolt being accessible at the top of said seat mounting means, a portion of said bolt extending downwardly beyond the end of said shaft and said tubular member to a distal end, said threaded adjustment means further comprising a flexible piston means carried at said distal end, said flexible piston means including an elastic washer sized to fit snugly into and peripherally engage the inner surface of the bicycle frame tube.