Patent ID: 6123353
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: B62K

Abstract:
A bicycle frame comprising left and right half-frames, each half-frame having a plurality of adjoining half-tubular elements with longitudinal edges joined along a respective longitudinal axis, said longitudinal edges extending along said longitudinal axis between exterior and interior surfaces of said half-tubular elements, each of said half-tubular elements of said left half-frame having a corresponding half-tubular element of said right half-frame, said corresponding left and right half-tubular elements of said half-frames being coupled together to form a plurality of adjoining tubular elements of said frame, said longitudinal edges of each of said left and right half-tubular elements forming a stepped configuration, each half-tubular element including at least one tread substantially tangent to said exterior surface, an inner substantially radially extending surface forming a riser, and an outer substantially radially extending surface forming another riser, said tread being positioned between said risers, one of said left and right half-tubular elements being stepped from said exterior surface towards said interior surface to form an exterior step, and a corresponding half-tubular element being stepped from said interior surface to said exterior surface to form an interior step, said corresponding tubular elements interengaging to form a smooth joint with said exterior surfaces of said corresponding tubular elements being substantially aligned and coextensive at said joint, said tread of said exterior step being longer than said tread of said interior step so that a zap is formed between said inner substantially radially extending surfaces in which adhesive is placed to bond said half tubular elements together, said outer substantially radially extending surfaces abutting each other.