Supports – Resilient support – Including load sustaining bearing or guide
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2001-02-06
King, Anita M. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Resilient support
Including load sustaining bearing or guide
C280S278000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182939
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telescopic bicycle seat posts and more particularly pertains to a new telescopic bicycle seat post system for permitting raising and lowering of a bicycle seat post over a wide range of lengths to adjust the overall height of the seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bicycle frames typically include seat tubes for receiving a lower end of a seat post on which a seat is mounted. The extension of the seat post out of the seat tube is almost always adjustable, with a variable portion of the seat post being situated in the seat tube of the frame. Typically, the seat post has been adjusted once for the primary rider of the bicycle, and rarely, if ever, adjusted after that initial adjustment. The seat tube of the bicycle frame has extended downwardly to the crank housing, and thus the seat tube has heretofore typically provided enough interior length to accept a seat post of sufficient length to provide acceptable adjustment of the distance between the seat and the top opening of the seat tube of the frame.
Various seat post devices have been developed for supporting the seat, including the known prior art of U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,555; U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,856; U.S. Pat. No. 2,566,387; U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,174; U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,504; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 379,783. These devices include various telescopic structures with locking means for locking the seat post at two or more discrete seat post extension positions, and suspension systems integrated into the seat post assembly.
Recent developments in the art have changed the seat adjustment needs of the bicycle user and the structure of the seat tube of the bicycle frame. Many bicycle riders now find it necessary to frequently switch between at least two seat height positions for various types of bicycle riding, such as, for example, for technical riding (which generally requires a relatively lower seat height adjustment) and normal riding (which generally requires a relatively higher seat height adjustment). Thus, easy and quick seat height adjustment on a frequent basis has become a concern for many bicycle riders. Further, recently developed bicycle frame designs often incorporate a suspension for the rear wheel of the bicycle. Many of these frame designs significantly shorten the length of the seat tube of the bicycle frame to accommodate the suspension system. As a result, only much shorter seat post lengths may be accommodated in the seat tube, which is especially a problem if the seat needs to be adjusted to a relatively lower height with respect to the frame.
What has been lacking in the art is a relatively compact, lightweight, and easy to adjust seat post assembly that meets the requirements of recently-evolving riding styles and bicycle frame styles, while avoiding the complexity of some of the solutions heretofore proposed by the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of telescopic bicycle seat posts now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new telescopic bicycle seat post system construction wherein the same can be utilized for permitting raising and lowering of a bicycle seat post over a wide range of lengths to adjust the overall height of the seat.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the telescopic bicycle seat posts mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new telescopic bicycle seat post system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art telescopic bicycle seat posts, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises tubular upper and lower elongate members each has opposite upper and lower ends. The upper end of the lower elongate member telescopically receives therein the lower end of the upper elongate member. The lower end of the lower elongate member is designed for inserting into an upper opening of a seat tube of a bicycle frame. The upper end of the upper elongate member is designed for coupling a bicycle seat thereto. A generally c-shaped extension clamp is disposed around the lower elongate member adjacent the upper end of the lower elongate member. The extension clamp releasably holds the upper elongate member in a fixed position with respect to the lower elongate member.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the telescopic bicycle seat posts mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new telescopic bicycle seat post system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art telescopic bicycle seat posts, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such telescopic bicycle seat post system economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new telescopic bicycle seat post system
King Anita M.
Sanders N.
LandOfFree
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