Chairs and seats – Straddle seat – Sectional or split relatively movable supporting surface
Patent
1999-07-16
2000-11-28
Nelson, Jr., Milton
Chairs and seats
Straddle seat
Sectional or split relatively movable supporting surface
297202, 2972151, 29745241, B62J 100
Patent
active
061525243
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to saddles for pedal-operated machines. It is more particularly concerned with hornless saddles for bicycles, tricycles and other pedal-driven vehicles, but it is of course equally relevant to pedal-operated exercise or other machines--all which are included, when the context so allows, in the term `cycle` wherever that for convenience is used hereinafter.
Bicycles and like machines have been used for more than a hundred years, and have indeed achieved mass popularity world-wide. One might suppose that over so long a period more than one kind of saddle might have been devised to fulfil the necessary requirements. It has however been said that over the long period since bicycles were invented and first came into use there have been immense improvements in every aspect of the machine save only in the saddles, which in practice remain much as they were long, long ago.
The function of any cycle saddle must be to support the rider's weight on the cycle and to restrain the rider's seat against slipping off the saddle, while leaving his or her legs and feet free to rotate the pedals. No-one can know every form of saddle that has ever been devised for this purpose, but based upon experience of what is actually available it seems a safe generalisation to say that all conventional bicycle saddles have achieved these objectives by providing a rearward, generally-planar and relatively-broad buttock-adjacent platform, which merges into a single, forwardly-projecting, relatively-narrow upwardly-convex saddle horn. Where research has revealed any exceptions to that general rule they will be mentioned hereinafter, but it is certainly that kind of single-horned saddle which seems nowadays to be in universal use--and yet it has distinct drawbacks.
With the conventional single-horned saddle one supposes that the rider's weight ought to be carried wholly or at least mainly by the rider's buttocks on the relatively-broad rearward platform, and that the horn serves only to pass between the rider's legs and thereby prevent the rider from slipping off the saddle--but all too often in practice much or even virtually all of the weight is actually borne by the rider's crotch on the relatively-narrow, forwardly-projecting, upwardly-convex saddle horn. Sportsmen and other cycling enthusiasts should be aware that there are medical conditions which can arise from prolonged and excessive cycling on such conventional saddles, due to the pressure exerted on the rider's crotch when in contact with the horn of this conventional type of saddle.
There is indeed an essentially incurable medical condition known as chronic pressure neuropathy, from which competition cyclists and other cycling enthusiasts are liable to suffer, and which though not life-threatening is at best unpleasant and better avoided, while at worst its consequences can be socially unacceptable.
It is the object of this invention to address and so far as possible to solve this problem by providing an hornless cycle saddle, which will support the buttocks rather than the crotch of the rider and which because there is no forwardly-projecting horn passing between the rider's legs thus eliminates the danger of bruising to the nervous tissues and local blood-supply vessels and other associated, more long-term effects in the region of the rider's crotch, but which nevertheless is adapted to retain the rider's seat firmly in the saddle while leaving his or her legs free to rotate the pedals.
According to the present invention there is provided an hornless saddle for a pedal-operated cycle, which comprises an upwardly-concave, substantially semi-circular saddle including two adjacent generally quadrant-shaped, planar surfaces for supporting a rider's respective buttocks, said surfaces being each bounded at one or more points along its arcuate periphery by upstanding embankments arranged to the side and rear thereof so as to embrace and thereby retain the rider's buttocks in situ thereon, as well as means for mounting said saddle upon the cycle for lateral titlin
REFERENCES:
patent: 701390 (1902-06-01), Provoost
patent: 1350987 (1920-08-01), Cherry
patent: 5356205 (1994-10-01), Calvert et al.
patent: 5645315 (1997-07-01), Walker et al.
patent: 5670232 (1997-09-01), Bigolin
patent: 5863094 (1999-01-01), Endo
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