Patent ID: 7137639

Claim:
A method of forming a connector element for a bicycle frame comprising the following steps: arranging an expandable core, the core having a main cylindrical portion and one or more branches extending from the main portion, the branches being removably connected to the core by means of screws, applying a number of layers of structural fiber fabric incorporated in a plastic material matrix around the core, to form a layered body, of predetermined shape and thickness, arranging the core with the layered body in the cavity of a mold, increasing the temperature of the mold to a value sufficient to cause reticulation of the plastic material matrix, expanding the core, so as to apply a pressure on the body inside the mold, the expansion of the core being obtained through the dilation of the plastic material matrix, removing the body from the mold and removing the core from the body, so as to obtain a hollow body formed of a single piece of structural fiber based material.