Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2001-10-16
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C403S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302422
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a foldable bicycle, more particularly to a positioning device adapted to position a rear frame of a foldable bicycle relative to a front frame when the foldable bicycle is folded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Foldable bicycles are popular because they are convenient to transport and store. A conventional foldable bicycle includes a front frame and a rear frame which is foldable towards the front frame. However, there is no means for positioning the rear frame relative to the front frame when the foldable bicycle is folded. Thus, the rear frame is liable to spread itself relative to the front frame when transporting the foldable bicycle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a positioning device which can position a rear frame of a foldable bicycle relative to a front frame when the foldable bicycle is folded.
According to this invention, the positioning device includes a rear anchoring member and a front anchored member which are adapted to be secured to rear and front wheel axles and outboard to rear and front wheels of a foldable bicycle, respectively.
The rear anchored member includes an outer lateral wall which is adapted to be disposed opposite to the rear wheel in a first axial direction parallel to the first axis, and a circumferential wall which extends from a periphery of the outer lateral wall in the first axial direction and towards the rear wheel. The circumferential wall includes front and rear wall portions opposite to each other in a first direction transverse to the first axial direction. The front wall portion defines an insert slot which is disposed to extend towards the rear wall portion to form a first abutment wall that extends in the first axial direction and in a second transverse direction transverse to both the first axial direction and the first transverse direction. The first abutment wall defines a first distance with the front wall portion. The outer lateral wall includes upper and lower guiding surfaces which respectively extend in the first transverse direction and forwards to communicate with the front wall portion, and rearwards to upper and lower terminal portions that respectively define second and third distances with the front wall portion. The second and third distances are both shorter than the first distance. The upper and lower guiding surfaces respectively extend in the first axial direction, and are disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a fourth distance in the second transverse direction so as to confine a cutout portion which is communicated with the insert slot.
The front anchored member includes an inserted outer annular portion which has an annular inner periphery thereof surrounding the second axis. The inserted outer annular portion is of such a thickness in a second axial direction parallel to the second axis as to be insertable into the insert slot. The inserted outer annular portion includes a second abutment wall which is disposed to be forward to the front wheel axle in the first transverse direction, and which extends in the second axial direction so as to abut against the first abutment wall when the front wheel is folded to thereby bring the second abutment wall to face the first abutment wall, and when the inserted outer annular portion is inserted into the insert slot. A guided annular portion is disposed to extend from the annular inner periphery of the inserted outer annular portion in the first axial direction and towards the front wheel, and has upper and lower contact parts opposite to each other in the second transverse direction. As such, when the inserted outer annular portion is brought to be inserted into the insert slot in the first transverse direction, the upper and lower contact parts will slidably engage the upper and lower guiding surfaces, respectively.
REFERENCES:
patent: 693521 (1902-02-01), Ishoy
patent: 4160540 (1979-07-01), Lindsey et al.
patent: 4422663 (1983-12-01), Hon
patent: 4510355 (1985-04-01), Atsumi et al.
patent: 5052706 (1991-10-01), Tsai et al.
patent: 5136863 (1992-08-01), Richardson
patent: 5433416 (1995-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5590895 (1997-01-01), Hiramoto
Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Hurley Kevin
LandOfFree
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