Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Patent
1983-07-12
1985-09-17
Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
295275, 403269, B62K 304, B62K 1912
Patent
active
045416494
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to connections of tubular components for bicycle frames or forks, particularly steering head, bottom bracket bearing, seat head and center connections, wherein the shaped end section of at least one first tube is connected with the other jacket of a second tube by material injection-molded therearound, and to a method for producing such connections.
Such known connections are used in the manufacture of bicycle frames as a substitute for welded, soldered, screwed or riveted junctions as they are employed, in particular, in the production of sturdy children's bicycles and for folding bicycles as well as for modern aluminum bicycles.
The above-mentioned known connections are produced in a metal injection molding process at the end sections of the individual tubes to be connected, with the end sections of the frame tubes being shaped, for example, in the form of flanges and the open ends are closed off with caps. Although such bicycle frames are relatively strong with respect to static and dynamic loads, they have the drawback that the connections produced in this manner are relatively heavy and thus are not consistent with to the present-day trend in bicycle design, namely to produce a bicycle that is as light in weight as possible.
Another drawback of such a metal injection molding process is the considerable amount of time it requires. Moreover, the injection molding and soldering temperatures involved are very high, i.e. several hundred degrees Celsius. This may cause warping of the finished frames and it becomes necessary to correct the frame and the forks by way of aligning them. Moreover, depending on the selected connection process, the tubular frame sections must not exceed a certain wall thickness and no plastic components can be used for the tubular frame sections.
It is also a drawback that the frame sections cannot be lacquered before the metal injection molded connections are produced; thus, the lacquering process can take place only after the bicycle frame is completed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide connections of the above-mentioned type and to provide a method for producing such connections wherein the above-mentioned drawbacks are avoided and which renders it possible to use steel and/or aluminum tubes as well as plastic tube sections for the bicycle frame to thus, in particular, reduce the weight of such frames. It is also an object of the invention to avoid the time and energy consuming connecting work that has necessitated the coating of the frame sections in a metal casting process and particularly the high injection-molding and soldering temperatures connected therewith.
These objects and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the connection between at least one first tube and a second tube of a bicycle frame includes a flared terminus forming part of an end portion of the first tube. The flared terminus is in engagement with an outer surface of the second tube. An injection-molded one-piece plastic casing fully surrounds the end portion of the first tube and fully surrounds a circumferential portion of the outer surface of the second tube in a zone of the flared terminus.
Such connections can be made with significantly less expenditure of time and energy and, in particular, due to the low manufacturing temperatures, it is possible to lacquer the individual frame sections or frame parts already before they are assembled. Moreover, with the same stability, such connections are substantially lighter in weight and contribute to a reduction of the total weight of the bicycle. Due to the low manufacturing temperatures, warping of the finished frame does not occur.
As a further feature of the invention, the widened end sections of the respective pipes are glued to the outer jackets of the connecting tubes.
This further increases the stability of the bicycle frame and at the same time plastic can be prevented from
REFERENCES:
patent: 4145068 (1979-03-01), Toyomasu et al.
McGiehan Donn M.
Peters Jr. Joseph F.
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