Patent ID: 8066295
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: B29C,B29L,B62J,B62K

Abstract:
1. An improved substantially all composite bicycle frame of a diamond configuration geometrically formed to have a longitudinal axis, a head tube axis, a seat tube axis, a down tube axis and a bottom bracket axis, having a main triangle and rear triangle, said triangles being joined at the seat tube axis, a seat attachment arrangement, a crank attachment arrangement, and a fork attachment arrangement, the improvement comprising: the main triangle formed of a first integral mating portion, a second integral mating portion and a third integral mating portion; the rear triangle formed of a seat stay structure and a chainstay structure; the crank attachment arrangement being an asymmetric bottom bracket aligned with the bottom bracket axis and perpendicular to the seat tube axis; said crank attachment arrangement having a drive side bearing seat adapted to directly receive a drive side bearing therein and a non-drive side bearing seat adapted to directly receive a non-drive side bearing therein such that said non-drive side bearing seat is spaced farther from said seat tube axis than said drive side bearing seat; the seat attachment arrangement being an integral seat mast receiving a telescoping seat cap; the fork attachment arrangement being a head structure aligned with the head tube axis; said head structure having an upper fork bearing and a lower fork bearing, the head structure directly and coaxially receiving said upper and lower fork bearings therein, said lower fork bearing being of a diameter larger than said upper fork bearing; said first integral mating portion being a cruciform seat support subassembly including a seat tube portion, an upwardly extending seat mast, a downwardly and rearwardly extending seatstay joiner for receiving the seatstay structure and a top tube joiner so that the functions of a traditional seat lug and seat tube are combined into a single unitary structure; said seat tube portion of first integral mating portion extends downwardly and is bonded to said second integral mating portion; said second integral mating portion being a bottom bracket subassembly having an upwardly extending seat tube joiner, a down tube portion, a bottom bracket member and chainstay joiner; said seat tube joiner being formed of continuous hollow walls having a seat tube width relative to said seat tube axis and longitudinal axis; said bottom bracket member extending from a drive side edge to a non-drive side edge to define a bottom bracket width; said bottom bracket width being substantially greater than said seat tube width and said seat tube joiner depending asymmetrically outwardly from said seat tube width to said bottom bracket width; said chainstay joiner projects rearwardly to join chainstays; said chainstay joiner is formed to have a drive side wall and a non-drive side, said drive side wall is substantially flat and said non-drive side has a curvature relative to said drive side wall to better resist force transmission by a chain extending between a crank mounted to said bottom bracket and a wheel mounted at the end of the chainstays; said second integral mating portion extending from said bottom bracket subassembly with a down tube portion to join said third integral mating portion; said third integral mating portion having a head segment, and top tube portion formed in a single head subassembly and a down tube joiner adapted to receive down tube portion of said second integral mating portion and said top tube portion adapted to join said seat support subassembly, to form the complete diamond frame; said head segment has an upper edge and a lower edge and is formed and arranged so that said upper bearing seat and lower bearing seat have walls inward from said upper and lower edges and are fully defined for receiving upper and lower bearings directly therein; said seat mast telescopingly receives an elliptical seat cap formed from a fiber reinforced plastic shell having a cap wall and top, said cap wall defining an interior chamber having a surface which closely corresponds to an exterior surface of said mast, said cap telescoping on said mast for seat height adjustment; a fork is fitted to said head structure for rotation about said head tube axis, said fork having a steer tube with a top end and a lower bearing seat, a fork crown and blade terminating in a tip, and being formed substantially entirely of fiber reinforced plastic made up of a plurality of layers formed in laminations in which at least one layer is formed of unidirectional fibers in which a plurality of said fibers in said layers extends the entire length of said fork from said tip to said top end and passing through said fork crown; said fork is formed to have additional reinforcements proximate said fork crown in which said reinforcements strengthen said fork crown but also provide evident areas of stress in the event selected loads are exceeded; said seat cap terminates in a top having a transverse aperture, said transverse aperture having transversely opposed beveled walls, said beveled walls receiving a seat clamp mechanism formed to mate with said walls and provide seat angle adjustment by rotation about more than a single axis.