Patent ID: 6793230
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: B62K

Abstract:
A shock absorbing frame assembly for a bicycle which has front and rear wheels opposite to each other and rotatable in a longitudinal direction, said shock absorbing frame assembly comprising:a front frame unit which includes a head tube extending in an upright direction, a fork extending downwardly from said head tube, and adapted for mounting of the front wheel to permit rotation of the front wheel relative thereto about a front axis which is transverse to the upright and longitudinal directions, and a down tube extending downwardly and rearwardly from said head tube and terminating at a bottom end; a seat mount disposed opposite to said bottom end of said down tube in the upright direction; a rear frame unit which includes a seat stay having an upper coupling end which is coupled relative to said seat mount, and an intermediate segment which extends from said upper coupling end rearwardly and downwardly and which terminates at a rear mount end that is adapted for mounting of the rear wheel to permit rotation of the rear wheel relative thereto about a rear axis parallel to the front axis, and a chain stay extending forwardly from said rear mount end and terminating at a lower coupling end; a coupling mount disposed on and extending downwardly from said down tube, and having a first gripping member which includes first front and rear jaw walls, said first front and rear jaw walls being spaced apart from each other along a first line which is radial to and which is bisected by a first centerline that is parallel to the front axis; a linking unit including an anchoring end secured to said lower coupling end, a middle arm extending forwardly from said anchoring end, and a second gripping member which extends forwardly from said middle arm and which is spaced apart from said first gripping member along the first centerline, said second gripping member having second front and rear jaw walls spaced apart from each other along a second line which is radial to and which is bisected by a second centerline that is parallel to the front axis, said second gripping member being disposed such that the first and second centerlines are aligned with each other on a twisting axis, and such that, when said chain stay is caused to move angularly relative to said front frame unit due to shock generated as a result of running of the rear wheel on an uneven or bumpy road, said second gripping member is caused to turn from a normal position, where the first and second lines are in a same normal plane, to a strained position, where one of the first and second lines is out of the normal plane; an elongated twistable member which extends along the twisting axis, and which includes left and right gripped regions opposite to each other and in frictional engagement with said first and second gripping members, respectively, so as to prevent angular movements of said left and right gripped regions relative thereto, respectively, when said second gripping member is turned between the normal and strained positions, and an intermediate segment made of a material, which is twistable about the twisting axis so as to permit said second gripping member to turn to the strained position, and so as to acquire a first biasing force for urging said second gripping member to turn to the normal position, thereby counteracting the shock; and a bearing member disposed to hold said intermediate segment on the twisting axis when said second gripping member is turned between the normal and strained positions.