Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
1997-02-03
2001-07-31
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C280S279000, C280S281100, C280S288000, C280S288200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267399
ABSTRACT:
I. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
A. Field of Invention
The invention is directed to the field of manufacturing processes relevant to the production of high strength articles such as any article having a structural component including vehicle frames generally and bicycle frames specifically, and to articles produced by such processes, and composite bicycle forks and other components. In the preferred embodiment the invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a composite bicycle frame such as a filament wound bicycle frame, the related bicycle frame, and related bicycle components including a composite bicycle fork.
B. The Background Art
In the prior art, various bicycle frames and frame components were known, including those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,203 in the name of Trimble et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,322 in the name of Enders, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,589 in the name of Hon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,172 in the name of Bellanca et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,927 in the name of Resele, U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,422 in the name of Michel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,643 in the name of Yamada, U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,895 in the name of Hollingsworth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,203 in the name of Hollingsworth, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,383 in the name of Isaac, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material disclosed therein. Foreign patents containing pertinent disclosure include Italian Patent No. 448,310 in the name of F. Janecek, French Patent No. 895,046 in the name of Delorge et al., and U.K. Patent No. 19,193 in the name of Otto Schonauer, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material disclosed the rein.
In the prior art it was known that traditional bicycle frames could be constructed from metal tubing that was round in cross section. Referring to
FIG. 1
, it can be seen that such traditional round tubing frames typically consisted of two main triangle shapes
101
and
102
. The larger of these two triangle shapes
101
, referred to herein as the front triangle
101
, consisted of a seat tube
103
, a top tube
104
and a down tube
105
which were welded or adhesively joined to appropriate lugs (such as head lug
106
and bottom bracket lug
107
). In the prior art, it should be noted that the bicycle frame could be constructed by laying up composite pre-preg into a female mold to produce a monocoque frame. The two smaller triangle shapes
102
were employed, referred to herein as the rear triangles
102
. Each consisted of a seat stay
108
, a chain stay
109
and a seat tube
103
which was shared with the front triangle. The rear triangle assembly
102
, when viewed from the side, appeared to be a single triangle, but when viewed from the top or rear, actually was two spaced apart rear triangles each terminating at its rear in an axle drop-out
110
for mounting of a rear bicycle wheel.
In the prior art it was known that filament wound tubing could be constructed and that articles could be made therefrom. In the prior art if it was desired to manufacture a bicycle frame using filament wound tubing then typically individual tubing members which were round in cross section would be constructed and then joined to aluminum cast lugs and more recently to composite lugs. Composite tubing used in conventional tube and lug frames to date has largely been produced using carbon/epoxy or graphite/epoxy pre-preg and roll wrapping process. Alternatively, in the prior art a hollow bicycle frame could be made from square tubing using a lay-up, braiding process. The reader's attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,322 and to Pat. No. 4,923,203 for general prior art disclosure. It was also known in the prior art that bicycle frames or portions thereof could be made by injection molding. For general reference the reader is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,011,172 and 4,067,589.
The prior art does not reveal, however, how to manufacture a bicycle frame by a filament winding process so that the resulting frame is light weight, strong, attractive, and cost efficient to manufacture. Nor does the prior art disclose a composite bicycle fork with the structure and characteristics of the invented fork. The invented frame meets these needs by providing a frame useful for road bicycles, mountain bicycles, tandem bicycles, and other wheeled vehicles.
II. SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which is strong. In the preferred embodiment, it is a feature of the invented bicycle frame that it utilizes triangular structural elements which are inherently strong due to their geometry, and which are fiber reinforced composites, such as filament wound composites, which are inherently strong due to their structure and materials.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which is light weight. It is a feature of the bicycle frame that it is made from fiber reinforced composites, such as filament wound composites with structural foam filler, which are exceptionally light yet strong. It is also a feature of the invention that the structure of the invented bicycle frame does not require large amounts of construction material, resulting in a frame that minimizes the use of materials, resulting in a low total weight.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which is durable. The combined preferred geometric structure and preferred materials result in a bicycle frame which shows exceptional durability.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which is cost efficient to manufacture. The preferred net shape filament winding process permits very quick, low cost and labor non-intensive manufacture of bicycle frame components and completed bicycle frames.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which absorbs shock which would ordinarily be transferred from the road or other riding surface to the rider through the bicycle frame. It is an inherent quality of the preferred composite materials, such as the filament wound materials having a structural foam core as in the preferred embodiment, that they have the desired stiffness yet absorb shock, providing the rider with a comfortable, low vibration ride. It is a feature of the invented bicycle fork that it exhibits the desired stiffness while it will also absorb shock and vibration rather than transferring them to the rider.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which is aesthetically appealing. In the preferred embodiment, filament wound components having flat surfaces are finished with a high luster, clear coating resulting in an attractive finished product in which the attractive filament wound pattern is visible. Alternatively, opaque coatings or finishes may also be used.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame of which the majority of the external surface area is flat to facilitate finishing operations such as sanding, filling and painting. It is a feature of the filament wound components used in the preferred embodiment that they are wound and cut so that they have many flat surfaces which make both finishing and bonding easier. As an alternative in some embodiments of the invention, post processing of the frame and/or frame components may be used to achieve a finished product with curved surfaces, such as by molding or securing a quantity of material to the frame or component in a curved configuration.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bicycle frame which is quick and inexpensive to manufacture. It is a feature of the net shape filament winding process that many components may be cut from a single piece of wound component stock, and the components may then be assembled with little effort beyond the application of an adhesive. The result is a frame that is both quick and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is an object of the invention to provide a manufacturing process that enables the production of multiple structural elements or other components from a single filament winding operation. It is a feature of the operation that on a single m
Buckmiller Daniel K.
Erickson David Wayne
Olsen Douglas G.
Philpot Randall J.
Advanced Composites, Inc.
Boehler Anne Marie
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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