Reclining saddle for bicycles

Abstract: The reclining saddle (1) for bicycles comprises a device for reclining the unit, means (9; 16) for attaching it to the bicycle, and has an arched slide (5) rigidly connected to the saddle, which can move in an arched guide (8); indifferently either the said slide or the said guide are equipped with a positioning device (10, 11, 12; 20, 22, 24). The said positioning device consists of a lever (20) hinged on the moving part (5) or a gear coupling consisting of a section of a gearwheel (10) and a pinion (11) that meshes with it; finally, means for blocking (18; 21) keep the said positioning device in the inserted position.

Description: The invention concerns: a reclining saddle for bicycles, that is, a device that can accommodate a child which may be attached to the frame of a bicycle, the said saddle being equipped with an improved reclining mechanism. A reclining saddle according to the preamble of claim 1 is shown for example in EP-A-0 832 811. The state of the art comprises various types of reclining saddles for bicycles, mainly consisting of devices for reclining just the backrest hinged at the base or for reclining the entire unit, seat, backrest and footrest, by reclining around an axis of rotation positioned in proximity to the mechanism; in this last type the adjustment of the position is achieved by means of a threaded extensible rod, with control knob at the upper end that varies the length of the corresponding positioning arm with respect to the said axis of rotation, causing it to recline. Moreover, the said completely adjustable saddle moves the weight of the child backwards, when reclined, which for the cyclist can be awkward, making it more difficult to balance the bicycle; state of the art saddles resolve this by enabling a horizontal adjustment of the entire saddle, which allows the weight of the child to brought back to the previous position. The adjustment of the angle, as said, is achieved in a number of phases and is difficult to perform, particularly if the child is on the saddle. Such prior art may be subject to considerable improvement as regards the possibility of adjusting the inclination of the saddle complete with footrests in such a way that the position of the mass of the child is not changed and of making the operation easier to perform. From the foregoing emerges the need to resolve the technical problem of inventing a movement for the inclination of the entire saddle that allows the operation to be carried out with one hand, even with the child on the saddle, and which maintains the position of the mass of the said child. EP-A-0 832 811 discloses a bicycle baby-seat comprising an anatomically-shaped structure and adjustable support means adapted to arrange and lock the supporting structure both in a substantially upright operating setting and in at least one second reclined operating setting. In one embodiment of the adjustable support means, said means comprise one base guide and a counter guide sliding member integral with the first portion of the seat body slidably engaged with the base guide. Both the base guide and the sliding member having a curved conformation. The invention resolves the said technical problem by adopting a reclining saddle for bicycles according to claim 1. In a further embodiment: said locking device consisting of a lever hinged on the mobile part and which is pushed by an elastic element so that it inserts at least one tooth, with which it is equipped, into at least one cavity present on a protuberance present on the part which is attached to the bicycle. In a further embodiment: said frontal coupling positioned between the extremity of the said pin and a protuberance on the slide or guide opposite to the slide or guide to which the pin is hinged. Adopting, in a further embodiment: the said frontal coupling positioned between one of the parts attached to the said pin, pinion or control knob, and the slide or guide on which it is hinged. Adopting, in a further embodiment: the said locking device consisting of an elastic element positioned between the said pin, or part attached to it, and the slide or guide on which the said pin is hinged. Adopting, finally, in a further embodiment: the said elastic element consisting of a helical spring coaxial with the said pin. The advantages obtained with the present invention are: the reclining movement of the saddle without moving the centre of gravity of the mass of the child with respect to the frame of the bicycle, thereby the cyclist does not note any difference in the balancing between the upright position and the reclined position of the saddle; furthermore, the movement may be achieved using a single hand of the user, whilst with the other it is possible to hold the bicycle. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated, purely by way of example, in the four tables of drawings attached in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section limited to the reclining device of the bicycle saddle; Figure 2 is a prospective drawing of the saddle as described in the invention mounted on a bicycle; Figure 3 is transverse section III-III of Figure 1, limited to the reclining device; Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section of a different control for the reclining device for the saddle for bicycles. Figure 1, shows the reclining saddle with seat 2, backrest 3 and footrests 4; said saddle is fixed to an arched slide 5 by means of screws 6 and teeth 7; said slide is coupled to a guide 8, also arched, fixed rigidly to the support tube 9 fixed to the frame of the bicycle; the centre of curvature of said slide and guide is very close to the centre of gravity of the mass of the child, when seated on the saddle, and is positioned at the intersection of the axes of the extremities of arc A, in reference number said Figure which represents one of the possible inclinations; reference number 10 corresponds to a section of gearwheel forming part of or rigidly fixed to said arched slide 5, on which meshes pinion 11 splined on pin 12 defining the actuator axis S of the device; reference number 13 corresponds to cavities, in which the extremity of said pin 12 is inserted, located in a portion 14 of said slide 5. Figure 2 shows the control knob 15 splined on the said pin 12, to control the reclining movement; reference number 16 corresponds to prior art locking device to fix said tubes 8 to the frame of the bicycle 17; reference number 18, shown in figure 3, corresponds to the helical spring wound on said pin and acting between said pin 12 and the guide 8, to maintain the inserted position of the extremity 19 of the pin in one of the cavities 13; reference number 20 corresponds to an opening to limit the axial movement D of the pin 12, during which the pinion 11 remains adequately meshed in the said section of gearwheel 10 to enable the inclination by rotating the said knob 15; reference number 20 shown in Figure 4, corresponds to the lever for locking the movement, hinged to slide 5 and placed in contact with spring 21, which presses it against the cavities 22, located on protuberance 23 of the guide 8; reference number 24 corresponds to the tooth of the lever which is inserted in said cavities; reference number 25 corresponds to the handle of the lever. Operation of the device for reclining the saddle 1 is achieved by the axial movement the knob 15 outward, extracting the extremity 19 of the pin from the cavity in which it is positioned, and by rotating the knob in the desired direction, either increasing or decreasing the angle of inclination. Having found the best position for the child, the knob is released and the spring pushes the said extremity into the corresponding cavity 13, locking the rotation of the slide 5, and consequently of the saddle 1, on the guide 8. The extremity 19 of the pin 12 acts with frontal coupling in the slide 5. Moreover, the said coupling device, the cavities 13 and extremity 19 of the pin, may advantageously be replaced with other types of frontal coupling, for example between the pinion 11 and the walls of the opening 20 or on the shoulder of the said knob 15 against the side of the guide 8. Operation of the lever for adjusting the inclination of the saddle is as described above with the difference that the operator grips the handle 25 of the lever 20: the lever is lifted, thereby extracting the tooth 24 from the corresponding cavity 22, the handle is then either pushed or pulled; the saddle 1 is easily inclined in that the operator acts along the tangent of curvature of guide/slide; once the desired position has been reached the operator releases the lever and the tooth 24, under the action of the spring 21, enters securely in the corresponding cavity 22. Although less advantageous, the spring 18 may be replaced by a locking element for the axial movement of the said pin 12. Also, the respective positions of the section 10 of gearwheel and the pinion 11 with corresponding pin 12 may be inverted, achieving the same inclination and operation with the pin 12 that moves with the saddle 1: the operator may still effect the inclination with one hand; the only difference from the embodiment illustrated is the movement of the pin with the saddle and therefore of the control knob 15. In this case the frontal coupling may also be achieved between the parts splined onto the pin 12, pinion 11 or knob 15, and the moving slide. Finally, the arched slide 5 and the guide 8 are indifferently one male the other female or vice versa.

Claims: A reclining saddle for bicycles (1), comprising a device for reclining the entire seat (2), backrest (3) and footrest (4), means (9; 16) for attaching and supporting said device to a frame (17) of the bicycle, said reclining device consisting of an arched slide (5), rigidly connected to the saddle (1) and movable in a correspondingly arched guide (8) which is fixed to said means (9;16), either said arched slide (5) or said arched guide (8) being indifferently equipped with a positioning device (10, 11, 12; 20, 22, 24) consisting of a locking device with external manual control, characterized in that said locking device is a gear coupling consisting of a section of gearwheel (10) and a pinion (11) meshing with it; said pinion (11) being splined on a pin (12), said pin (12) being rotatable and movable in an axial direction actuated by an operator, while said pinion (11) remaining meshed with said section (10); said pin (12), or other part attached to it, being associated with a frontal coupling (13, 19) on the arched guide (8) or said arched slide (5), to prevent free rotation; locking means (18) preventing the axial movement of the pin (12) when not operated by the operator. Saddle, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said frontal coupling (13, 19) is positioned between the extremity (19) of said pin (12) and a protuberance (14) on the slide or guide (5; 8) opposite to the slide or guide (5; 8) to which the pin (12) is hinged. Saddle, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said frontal coupling (13, 19) is positioned between one of the parts attached to said pin (12), pinion (11) or control knob (15), and the slide or guide (5; 8) on which the pin (12) is hinged. Saddle as claimed in one of the previous claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said locking device consists of an elastic element (18) positioned between said pin (12), or part attached to it (11), and the slide or guide (5; 8) on which said pin (12) is hinged. Saddle as claimed in the previous claim, characterized in that said elastic element consists of a helical spring (18) coaxial with said pin (12).

Inventors: BELLELLI TIZIANO, BELLELLI, TIZIANO
Applicants: BELLELLI TIZIANO, BELLELLI, TIZIANO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B62J1
IPC codes: B62J1