Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-29
2003-11-04
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C280S261000, C280S287000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641159
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to bicycles, specifically a compound drive foldable bicycle.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Available in range differing structural arrangements, foldable bicycles essentially consist of a foldable locking device situated next to the crankarm mounting area that enables the unfolding and folding of the bicycle frame, thereby reducing the overall physical size of the bicycle to facilitate portability, shipping, and storage. As indicated in
FIG. 1
, the said foldable locking device
10
that provides for the unfolding and folding of the bicycle frame is generally disposed on the down tube
3
(or the top tube) in front of the crankarm mount
2
and functions as a pivot point on the down tube
3
(or the top tube) that enables the front wheel
4
to be unfolded forward into the state of utilization or folded backward into the state of non-utilization. That is, the physical size of the said bicycle is lessened by utilizing the down tube
3
(or the top tube) to fold the front wheel
4
rearward to the seatstays
5
and the chainstays
6
, wherein the distance b between the said rear wheel axle
71
and the crankarm mount
2
remains totally unchanged.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the structure of the said foldable locking device
10
is comprised of a female connector
101
, a male connector
102
, and a quick release handle
103
, wherein the said female connector
101
and male connector
102
are respectively disposed at the anterior and the posterior sections
31
and
32
of the down tube
3
(or the top tube), with a locating pin
100
inserted to maintain them in a free swinging state; the said quick release handle
103
is installed to the male connector
102
by means of an adjustment screw
1031
that is capable of coupling the male and female connector
102
and
101
. When the bicycle frame down tube
3
(or top tube) is unfolded, the said male and female connector
102
and
101
are brought into union and the said quick release handle
103
adjustment screw
1031
is horizontally guided into the locating notch
1011
at the exterior side of the female connector
101
, thereby tensively nesting the handle
103
to effectively secure the coupling of the said male and female connector
102
and
101
and, furthermore, the anterior and the posterior sections
31
and
32
of the down tube
3
(or top tube) enable folding as required by the bicycle-use situation. After the quick release handle
103
is released, the adjustment screw
1031
is horizontally moved out of the female connector
101
locating notch
1011
to decouple the said male and female connector
102
and
101
, following which the anterior and the posterior sections
31
and
32
of the down tube
3
(or the top tube) are folded by means of the locating pin
100
that functions as a pivot point, enabling the bicycle to be configured into the folded state as required.
Although utilizing the foldable locking device
10
as a pivot point to fold the front wheel
4
and down tube
3
towards the rear when the bicycle is not in use effectively reduces its overall physical size and, furthermore, virtually all currently available foldable bicycles have adopted such a method, the inventor of the invention herein realized following long-term usage that there are still several shortcomings that require further improvement, including:
(1) When folded, only the down tube
3
and the front wheel
4
are folded to the rear and the position of the rear wheel
7
at the other extremity of the bicycle frame remains unchanged and given that the distance b between the said rear wheel axle
71
and the crankarm mount
2
is typically of a definite proportion that cannot be too short (bicycle handling and comfort is adversely affected if the distance b is too long or too short), resulting in the drawback that the extent to which folding the down tube
3
and the front wheel
4
rearward for a decrease in overall physical size is limited by the said condition and cannot be further reduced.
(2) Since the coupling and decoupling of the said male and female connector
102
and
101
necessitates the turning of the quick release handle
103
at one side (the side opposite the locating pin
100
) of the male and female connector and, furthermore, the down tube
3
(or the top tube) is typically folded towards the side of the chainring
8
(in the direction of the locating pin
100
) to prevent hitting the chainring
8
when the bicycle frame down tube
3
(or top tube) is folded because the said quick release handle
103
is situated on the same side as the chainring
8
, to facilitate turning it without hazardously impacting the chainring
8
, virtually all said male and female connectors
102
and
101
(i.e., foldable locking devices) are usually installed at the anterior extent, upper extent, or lower extent (generally the upper or anterior extent ) of the chainring
8
and thus cannot be placed adjacent to the crankarm mount (the center of the chainring), the folded length and height of the said bicycle frame is subject to limitations and the smallest, most space-saving dimensions cannot be achieved and, at the same time, the design of the bicycle frame is also limited in that additional flexibility and variation is not possible.
(3) After the said male and female connector
102
and
101
are brought into union, since the said quick release handle
103
adjustment screw
1031
must be horizontally guided into the locating notch
1011
, with the quick release handle
103
then nested under tension to achieve secure coupling, in addition to the relatively troublesome operation involved, notably because the said quick release handle
103
necessarily involves the application of considerable force to solidly couple the said male and female connector
102
and
101
, the quick release handle
103
requires much strength to operate and, as such, has the shortcomings of exhaustive physical effort and attendant inconveniences.
(4) Since the said quick release handle
103
adjustment screw
1031
is horizontally guided into the locating notch
1011
formed in the female connector
101
, if the tensive nesting of the quick release handle
103
is inadequate and the bicycle is ridden on roughly surfaced road, the said adjustment screw
1031
becomes dislodged and results in the dangerous separation of the anterior and the posterior sections
31
and
32
of the down tube
3
(or the top tube).
(5) Since the said adjustment screw
1031
of the said quick release handle
103
is horizontally articulated for engagement of the female connector
101
and disengagement of the female connector
101
, the stance of the operator relative to the horizontally oriented quick release handle
103
is typically not within a natural angle of vision and conflicts with common working practices and, thus, does not comply with ergonomic principles of operation.
Based on the preceding section, the folding method of the said conventional foldable bicycle is obviously still unperfected and has numerous shortcomings that require further improvement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the invention herein is to provide a compound drive foldable bicycle in which the bicycle in an unfolded state has a length between the outer edges of a front and a rear wheel that is divided into three sections such that the said rear wheel is swung up and down into the unfolded and folded state on a second drive shaft that serves as a pivot point and, furthermore, the rear wheel is postured at the lower extent of the chainring when it is folded, while the front wheel is horizontally swung for unfolding and folding via a foldable locking mechanism positioned on the down tube (or the top tube) and situated within the circumferential perimeter of the chainring such that the front wheel is postured at the lower extent of the saddle; as such, when the bicycle is in the folded state, it is of the smallest and most flexible physical dimensions to save space and reduce packaging material requi
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