US5415423A — Modular composite bicycle frame

Claim 1

Independent Claim 181 words

A bicycle comprising: a frame formed of composite material, said frame including a separately formed head unit and at least one separately formed body unit secured to said head unit, said body unit having a center portion coupled to said head unit and two spaced-apart chain stays extending rearward from said center portion; a seat assembly including a seat support beam attached to said head unit, said seat support beam extending rearward from said head unit, and a seat attached to a portion of said seat support beam distal from said head unit; a front wheel assembly including a front fork assembly rotatably coupled to said head unit, a front wheel attached to said front fork assembly below said head unit, and a handlebar assembly attached to said front fork assembly above said head unit; a rear wheel rotatably coupled to said chain stays; and a drive train assembly including a free gear secured to said rear wheel, a crank assembly secured to said center portion of said frame, and a drive chain connecting said crank assembly to said free gear.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 181 words

A bicycle comprising: a frame formed of composite material, said frame including a separately formed head unit and at least one separately formed body unit secured to said head unit, said body unit having a center portion coupled to said head unit and two spaced-apart chain stays extending rearward from said center portion; a seat assembly including a seat support beam attached to said head unit, said seat support beam extending rearward from said head unit, and a seat attached to a portion of said seat support beam distal from said head unit; a front wheel assembly including a front fork assembly rotatably coupled to said head unit, a front wheel attached to said front fork assembly below said head unit, and a handlebar assembly attached to said front fork assembly above said head unit; a rear wheel rotatably coupled to said chain stays; and a drive train assembly including a free gear secured to said rear wheel, a crank assembly secured to said center portion of said frame, and a drive chain connecting said crank assembly to said free gear.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 36 words

The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said body unit of said frame has a top section that defines an upward opening socket and said head unit of said frame includes a portion seated in said socket.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 54 words

The bicycle of claim 1, wherein said frame includes two symmetrically shaped body units, each said body unit having a diagonally extending center section, and each of said body units also forming a separate one of said chain stays, said body units being joined together along at least a portion of their center sections.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 40 words

The bicycle of claim 3, wherein each chain stay is elongated and has a generally horizontally extending longitudinal slot dividing the stay into top and bottom bifurcations, and including a strip of resilient material received in each of said slots.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

The bicycle of claim 3, wherein said body units have top sections that define an upward opening socket and said head unit is seated in said socket.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 63 words

The bicycle of claim 3, wherein said head unit and said body units of said frame are each formed with a foam core and skin formed from rigid, nonmetallic material, and said body units are mated so that said skins of said body units join each other and form at least one rib extending longitudinally through at least a part of said frame.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 17 words

The bicycle of claim 3, wherein said body units and head unit have interfitting portions joined together.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 7, further including a head tube extending longitudinally through said head unit and wherein said front fork assembly is disposed in said head tube.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 7, further including a bottom bracket assembly including a sleeve extending longitudinally through said body units, wherein said crank assembly is rotatably mounted to said bottom bracket assembly.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 3, further including two dropouts for securing said rear wheel to said chain stays, said dropouts being releasably secured in recesses formed in said chain stays.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 60 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 3, further including a front derailleur and rear brake assembly attached to the top side of said body units adjacent said crank assembly and said chain stays, said front derailleur and rear brake assembly including a front derailleur having a chain guide disposed around said drive chain and a brake disposed around said rear wheel.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 76 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 11, wherein said front derailleur and rear brake assembly includes a mount secured to said body units, said mount comprising a base section attached to the top of at least one of said body units adjacent said chain stays; and an upward projection attached to said base section, said upward projection being coupled to said front derailleur, said upward projection also being coupled to said rear brake adjacent said front derailleur.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 77 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 3, further including at least one derailleur attached to said frame to change the position of said drive chain, a shifter attached to said head unit, and a shifter cable extending from said shifter to said derailleur for controlling the position of said derailleur in response to movement of said shifter and one of said body units is formed with a bore and said derailleur cable is partially disposed in said bore.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 44 words

The bicycle assembly of claim 3, further including at least one mounting assembly for securing said seat support to said head unit of said frame, said mounting assembly for said seat support being at least partially disposed under said skin of said head unit.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 126 words

A bicycle frame formed of composite material comprising a head unit and two separately formed body units secured to said head unit, said body units each having a center section coupled to said head unit and two spaced-apart chain stays extending rearward from said center sections, and wherein said head unit and said body units each comprise a core member that is at least partially encased in a rigid, nonmetallic skin and said body units are mated together with at least a portion of said skin of one body unit adjacent at least a portion of said skin of the other body unit so that the adjacent skins of said body units form a rib that extends longitudinally through at least a part of said frame.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 126 words

A bicycle frame formed of composite material comprising a head unit and two separately formed body units secured to said head unit, said body units each having a center section coupled to said head unit and two spaced-apart chain stays extending rearward from said center sections, and wherein said head unit and said body units each comprise a core member that is at least partially encased in a rigid, nonmetallic skin and said body units are mated together with at least a portion of said skin of one body unit adjacent at least a portion of said skin of the other body unit so that the adjacent skins of said body units form a rib that extends longitudinally through at least a part of said frame.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 39 words

The bicycle frame of claim 15, wherein: said body units have top sections that define a first connection component; and said head unit has a bottom section that defines a second connection component interfitted with said first connection component.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 27 words

The bicycle frame of claim 15, further including a head tube disposed in said head unit said head tube being dimensioned to receive a front fork assembly.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 30 words

The bicycle frame of claim 15, further including a bottom bracket assembly including a sleeve extending longitudinally through said body units, said sleeve being dimensioned to receive a crank assembly.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 45 words

The bicycle frame of claim 15, further including recesses formed in the ends of said chain stays and two dropouts for securing a rear wheel to said chain stays, said dropouts being releasably secured to said frame in said recesses formed in said chain stays.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 28 words

The bicycle frame assembly of claim 15, wherein said center section of at least one said body unit is formed with a bore dimensioned to accommodate a cable.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 44 words

The bicycle frame of claim 15, further including at least one mounting assembly for securing a seat support to said head unit of said frame, said mounting assembly for said seat support being at least partially disposed under said skin of said head unit.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 191 words

A bicycle comprising: a frame formed of composite material, said frame including a separately formed head unit and two separately formed body units coupled to said head unit, wherein the size of said head unit determines the frame size of the bicycle said body units including center sections, having forward ends and rearward ends, said center sections being joined together, and a pair of rearwardly extending chain stays, one of said chain stays extending from the rearward end of each center section; a seat assembly including a seat support beam attached to said head unit, said seat support beam extending rearward from said head unit, and a seat attached to a portion of said seat support beam distal from said head unit; a front wheel assembly including a front fork assembly rotatably coupled to said head unit, a front wheel attached to said front fork assembly below said head unit, and a handlebar assembly attached to said front fork assembly above said head unit; a rear wheel rotatably coupled to said chain stays; and a drive train coupled to said frame and connected to said rear wheel for rotating said wheel.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 191 words

A bicycle comprising: a frame formed of composite material, said frame including a separately formed head unit and two separately formed body units coupled to said head unit, wherein the size of said head unit determines the frame size of the bicycle said body units including center sections, having forward ends and rearward ends, said center sections being joined together, and a pair of rearwardly extending chain stays, one of said chain stays extending from the rearward end of each center section; a seat assembly including a seat support beam attached to said head unit, said seat support beam extending rearward from said head unit, and a seat attached to a portion of said seat support beam distal from said head unit; a front wheel assembly including a front fork assembly rotatably coupled to said head unit, a front wheel attached to said front fork assembly below said head unit, and a handlebar assembly attached to said front fork assembly above said head unit; a rear wheel rotatably coupled to said chain stays; and a drive train coupled to said frame and connected to said rear wheel for rotating said wheel.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 39 words

The bicycle of claim 22, wherein each chain stay is elongated and includes a generally horizontally extending longitudinal slot top and bottom bifurcations above and below said slot, respectively, and a strip of resilient material received in said slot.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 106 words

A bicycle frame for securing a seat assembly, a front fork and wheel assembly, a rear wheel, and a crank assembly, said bicycle frame comprising: (a) a head unit configured for securing the front fork and wheel assembly; (b) a bottom body unit extending rearwardly and downwardly from said head unit, said body unit including a bottom bracket bore for securing said crank assembly; and (c) at least one chain stay extending rearwardly from said body unit, said chain stay being elongated and having a slot dividing said chain stay into top and bottom bifurcations, and including a strip of resilient material received in said slot.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 106 words

A bicycle frame for securing a seat assembly, a front fork and wheel assembly, a rear wheel, and a crank assembly, said bicycle frame comprising: (a) a head unit configured for securing the front fork and wheel assembly; (b) a bottom body unit extending rearwardly and downwardly from said head unit, said body unit including a bottom bracket bore for securing said crank assembly; and (c) at least one chain stay extending rearwardly from said body unit, said chain stay being elongated and having a slot dividing said chain stay into top and bottom bifurcations, and including a strip of resilient material received in said slot.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 23 words

The bicycle frame of claim 24, comprising a dropout affixed to the bottom biercation of said chain stay for securing the rear wheel.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 14 words

The bicycle frame of claim 25, wherein said slot extends generally longitudinally and horizontally.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 65 words

The bicycle frame of claim 25, wherein said dropout includes a first plate disposed on one side of said chain stay and a second plate disposed on the opposite side of said chain stay, said first and second plates being affixed to said bottom bifurcation and slidably engaging said top bifurcation such that said top bifurcation is allowed to move relative to said bottom bifurcation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-05-15	1998-11-14	1999-05-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-05-15	2002-11-14	2003-05-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-05-15	2006-11-14	2007-05-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Modular composite bicycle frame

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag