PIVOTING BICYCLE SEAT

A bicycle seat assembly for reducing frictional and pressure discomfort to the buttocks and urogenital region of a cyclist. The seat assembly provides for rotation of a bicycle seat about a longitudinal axis of a bicycle to accommodate the movement of the cyclist's legs and hips while pedaling. The assembly may also provide for rotation of the seat about a vertical axis to provide additional relief of frictional and pressure discomfort.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to bicycles, and more particularly to bicycle seats. Bicycle riding on a conventional seat is a pain in the seat, causing urogenital friction. This reality has discouraged many people from riding a bike.

Many contraptions for bicycle seats have been tried, yet none seem to offer a solution for relieving rider discomfort. The problem lies in the momentum that is lost when a cyclist tries to throw the weight of their upper body in order to contribute to the effort applied by the cyclist's a leg against the pedal. The forces applied by the cyclist encounters resistance from the body's stationary midsection in not only non-cooperating but also interrupts this momentum continuum intended to reach the limb in question.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved bicycle seat that moves in synchrony with the upper and lower body as the rider pedals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the of the present invention, a bicycle seat assembly includes: a seat having an upper surface configured to support the buttocks of a cyclist; a horizontal pivot assembly operatively coupled to a bottom surface of the seat for rotation of the seat about a longitudinal centerline of the bicycle; a bracket assembly operatively connected between the horizontal pivot assembly and a post; wherein the post is adapted to connect the bicycle seat assembly to the bicycle. The horizontal pivot assembly may further include a pivot shaft attached at a fore and an aft end thereof to the bracket assembly; a distended portion extending from a bottom portion of the seat having a hole defined therein that extends along a longitudinal centerline of the distended portion; with the pivot shaft received through the hole. In some embodiments, the horizontal pivot assembly includes a bearing disposed to support the pivot shaft for rotational movement within the hole and the bearing may be a roller bearing. One or more stops may be configured to limit a left and a right rotation of the seat around the shaft. A biasing means may also be included to urge the seat to a neutral position.

In other aspects of the invention, the bicycle seat assembly may also be provided with a vertical pivot assembly that is operatively coupled between the seat and the horizontal pivot assembly for rotational movement of the seat about a vertical axis. The vertical pivot assembly may include a pivot pin extending from the bottom surface of the seat; and a pivot plate having an aperture adapted to receive the pivot pin. As with the longitudinal pivot assembly, the vertical pivot assembly may include a pivot stop extending from the bottom surface of the seat; and an arcuate slot formed in the pivot plate adapted to receive the pivot stop. In some embodiments, a seat retainer is coupled to the pivot stop to retain the seat on the pivot plate. The vertical pivot assembly may further include a pivot disk supported in the pivot plate via a bearing, wherein the aperture is defined in the pivot disk. A bias mechanism may be include to urge the seat in a neutral condition about the vertical axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a bicycle seat that provides for pivotal movement of a bicycle seat to accommodate for the smooth application of pedaling forces by a cyclist.

The seat can be made to move forward and back or side to side. Making a seat that moves forward and back won't solve but create new problems. Why? Because while the upper body leans forward to help the leg that is pressuring the pedal has, at the same time the body has to deal with the other leg that is receding. This contortion is adding too and not solving the problem.

The present invention was made after a lifetime of observation of how cyclists shift their body as they pedal gave me a hint on how to resolve the problem once for all. Pedaling is about shifting the body side to side in a rolling fashion and the seat should likewise mimic this movement and eliminate the friction in the cyclist's groin and seat area.

This is what the claimed Side Roller seats do. In one embodiment shown in reference toFIG. 8, a Side Roller seat assembly10is made of three primary components: a seat portion12; a longitudinal pivot assembly20that permits rotation of the seat12substantially about a longitudinal axis L of the bicycle5; and a seat mount30to operatively attach the seat assembly10to a bicycle5. In a preferred embodiment, shown in reference toFIGS. 1-5, the side roller seat assembly10may also include a vertical pivot assembly40that permits the seat12to pivot about a substantially vertical axis V. Each embodiment of the seat assembly10may also include an elastic, elastomeric, or spring bias centering mechanism to return the seat to a neutral position when the rider is not seated upon the assembly.

As shown in reference toFIG. 1, the seat12of the preferred embodiment may pivot substantially about the longitudinal axis of the bicycle and the substantially vertical axis of the bicycle. As will be appreciated by those familiar with bicycle seats, the exact alignment of the longitudinal and vertical axes of rotation will vary based upon the bicycle's dimensions and orientation of its components, such as wheel diameter, fork lengths, handle bar height, pedal length and position. The axes of rotation will also be influenced by consideration of the cyclist's anthropomorphic measurements with respect to the bicycle's dimensions.

As seen in reference toFIGS. 2 and 5, the preferred embodiment of the seat assembly10will have a seat12mounted to a vertical pivot assembly40. The seat12has a top surface and a bottom surface. A pivot post14is defined in the bottom surface of the seat12at a desired pivot point, preferably centered with respect to the lateral aspects of the seat12and is positioned along the longitudinal length of the seat12. The pivot post14is adapted to be received in a pivot aperture42defined in an upper surface of a pivot plate44. The pivot aperture42may be formed in a pivot disk46that is carried in the pivot plate44via a bearing48.

In some embodiments, at least one pivot stop16extends from the bottom surface of the seat12. The pivot stop16is adapted to be received in an arcuate slot50formed in the top surface of the pivot plate44. The arcuate slot50has a first end and a second end that limits the rotation of the seat12when the stop16engages the ends. A seat retainer18may engage with the stop16to retain the seat12on the pivot plate44. The seat retainer18may also be selectively positioned so as to lock the seat12in a neutral position and prevent rotation about the vertical axis.

In reference toFIG. 3-7, the longitudinal pivot assembly20includes a pivot shaft22. A forward and an aft end of the pivot shaft22is mounted to a pivot bracket32operatively coupled to the post assembly30. The forward end and the aft end of the pivot shaft22may have a bore24extending through the lateral sides of the shaft22to receive a fastener, such as a bolt, screw, rivet, or pin, to attach the shaft to the bracket32. The shaft22is also provided with a bearing26, which may be a roller bearing, or the like to support rotation of the pivot assembly40about the shaft22. The shaft22may also include a longitudinal slot28to retain the bearing26.

A lower portion of the pivot assembly40includes a distended portion50, which may extend along the longitudinal length of the pivot assembly40or may define a plurality of lobes or collars to support the pivot assembly40on the shaft. The distended portion50has a hole extending there through to receive the shaft22and the bearing26. The distended portion52may also include a lateral stop54positioned to engage with the bracket32when reaching a left and a right limit of rotation about the longitudinal centerline of the bicycle14. The lateral stop54may also be formed as a progressively compressible or resilient member to provide for centering of the seat12in a neutral position.

In further reference toFIG. 5, the bracket32is operatively coupled to a seat post tube34of the post assembly30via a coupling36. The coupling36may be a weld, or a conventional bicycle seat attachment bracket that permits adjustment for rotational alignment of the seat12on the post34as well as a fore and aft tilt adjustment of the seat assembly10. In certain embodiments, the coupling36may also permit adjustments for longitudinal positioning of the seat12on the post34.

An alternative embodiment of the seat assembly10may be seen in reference toFIG. 8. In this alternative embodiment, the seat assembly10does not include the vertical pivot assembly40. The lower portion of the seat assembly10is formed with a distended portion50to retain the bearing assembly48.

The components of the vertical pivot assembly40may be formed from any suitable material, such as light weight high strength metals, carbon fiber, or composites. The pivot stops16may be formed from similar materials, or may be formed of an elastomeric or resilient material so as to cushion the plate44stoppage as the limits of rotation are reached.

The seat12may be formed in any desirable shape according to a cyclist's comfort preference. However, because the seat12of the present invention is able to pivot to accommodate for the deflection of the cyclist's hips and legs during pedaling, the surface area of the seat12may be formed substantially wider than that of a conventional bicycle seat. The seat12may be formed with the upper surface and lower surface and a substantially hollow interior. The upper surface may have a plurality of perforations to permit ventilation. The upper surface may also be formed such that it may flex and absorb impacts the rider may encounter along a trail or roadway. Because the seat assembly10of the present invention permits greater support to a cyclist's buttocks, the forward end of the seat12may be substantially cut away so as to avoid the pressure experienced on the cyclist's urogenital region of conventional bicycle seats. The seat12may also be provided with an aft stop rail56to support an aft aspect of the cyclist buttocks.