Patent ID: 6283487
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: B62K

Abstract:
A fully suspended human powered bicycle frame comprising:a nearly vertical seat tube, where the seat attaches to the top thereof, and a bottom bracket attached to the bottom thereof, with;an upper rear suspension arm and a lower rear suspension arm, that are each located on a nearly horizontal plane, thus giving said suspension arms a forward end and a rearward end, and said suspension arms can each be a single unit or comprised of a left half and a right half, with;two rear dropout members, to which the rear wheel attaches to the said rear suspension arms, with one dropout member on the left side of the frame and one dropout member on the right side of the frame, with;the rearward ends of said rear suspension arms being pivotally connected to the said dropout members at incrementally spaced locations thereof, with these locations being exactly the same on each said dropout member, thus making the axis between the upper said rear suspension arm dropout pivot points parallel to the axis between the lower said rear suspension arms dropout pivot points, and;the forward section of said rear suspension arms being pivotally connected to either said seat tube, or brackets attached thereto, at incrementally spaced locations thereof, with the pivots located at either the extreme forward ends of said rear suspension arms, or points intermediately between the forward and rearward ends of each said rear suspension arm, with;the incremental distance on said upper rear suspension arm from the rearward dropout pivot axis to the forward seat tube pivot axis being exactly the same as the incremental distance on said lower rear suspension arm from the rearward dropout pivot axis to the forward seat tube pivot axis, with;the incremental distance between the upper pivot axis and lower pivot axis on said seat tube, being exactly the same as, the incremental distance between the upper pivot axis and lower pivot axis on said dropouts, which;results in the locations of the four rear suspension pivot axes, two axes on said upper rear suspension arm and two axes on said lower rear suspension arm, thusly arranged in a polygon that comprises a first parallelogram, and;an upper front suspension tube and a lower front suspension tube, that are each located on a nearly horizontal plane, thus giving each said suspension tube a forward end and a rearward end, with;the forward end of said front suspension tubes being pivotally connected to either a head tube of conventional design, or to brackets attached thereto, at incrementally spaced locations thereof, with;the rearward section of said front suspension tubes being pivotally connected to either the said seat tube or to brackets attached thereto, at incrementally spaced locations thereof, or, being pivotally connected to a frame assembly, that is structurally connected to said seat tube, at incrementally spaced locations thereof, with;the rearward pivots of said front suspension tubes being located at either the rearward end of the said suspension tubes, or points intermediately between the forward and rearward ends thereof, with;the incremental distance on said upper front suspension tube from the forward head tube pivot axis to the rearward pivot axis being exactly the same as the incremental distance on said lower front suspension tube from the forward head tube pivot axis to the rearward pivot axis, with;the incremental distance between the upper pivot axis and lower pivot axis on said head tube being exactly the same as the incremental distance between the upper pivot axis and lower pivot axis on said rearward attachment to either the seat tube or the frame assembly, which;results in the locations of the four front suspension pivot axes, two axes on said upper front suspension tube and two axes on said lower front suspension tube, thusly arranged in a polygon that comprises a second parallelogram, with;a shock member that is pivotally connected to said rear parallelogram suspension system, and a shock unit that is pivotally connected to said front parallelogram suspension system, and each said suspension system can use individual shock members that are connected from each individual suspension system to the main frame of the bicycle, or the two said suspension systems could share opposite ends of a single shock member, and;any said shock member configuration could attach either directly, or through a plurality of linkages, to either one or both of said suspension systems and/or the bicycle frame, and;a spring member that is pivotally connected to said rear parallelogram suspension system, and a spring member that is pivotally connected to said front parallelogram suspension system, and each suspension system could use individual said spring units that are connected between each suspension system and the main frame of the bicycle, or the two said suspension systems could share opposite ends of a single spring member, and;any said spring member configuration could attach either directly, or through a plurality of linkages, to either one or both of said suspension systems, and/or the bicycle frame, and;the said shock and spring members, for any possible configuration thusly described, could attach to their respective said suspension systems individually, or they could be combined into a sub-assembly unit, with the sub-assembly pivotally connecting the respective suspension system to the main frame of the bicycle, or connecting to both said suspension systems in such a fashion as to provide shock absorption and lift to the main frame of the bicycle, and;the said shock and spring members can pivotally attach to either an individual or to both said rear suspension arms, in such a fashion that if the connections are to both said rear suspension arms, through a plurality of linkages, the axis of the pivot points of the linkages is parallel to the axis of the upper and lower said seat tube pivot axis and the upper and lower said dropout pivot axis, and;the said shock and spring members can pivotally attach to either an individual, or to both, said front suspension tubes in such a fashion, that if the connections are to both said front suspension tubes, through a plurality of linkages, the axis of the pivot points of the linkages is parallel to the axis of the upper and lower said head tube pivot axis and the upper and lower said main frame pivot axis, to the said suspension tubes.