Bicycle seat rail and method of making same

Abstract

A seat rail for a bicycle seat and a method of fabricating same are disclosed. The seat rail comprises a rod having one or more flutes formed along the length of the rod. The seat rail provides support for a bicycle seat and provides means for securing the seat to the frame of a bicycle. The flutes in the rod reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the rod which results in a significant decrease in the weight of the seat rail, but without a significant loss of rigidity and strength. The fabrication method comprises providing an elongated rod-shaped feedstock, forming at least one flute along the length of the rod-shaped feedstock, and then bending the fluted feedstock to form the seat rail.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A seat rail for supporting a bicycle seat, comprising a rod having a flute formed therein, said elongated rod being adapted for attachment to a bicycle seat and to be securely held in a clamping device connected to a bicycle frame.  
     
     
         2 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1 , wherein the rod comprises a cross section having an arcuate portion and indented portion corresponding to said flute.  
     
     
         3 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1 , wherein the rod comprises two flutes formed therein.  
     
     
         4 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 3 , wherein the two flutes are located at opposing positions on said rod.  
     
     
         5 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1 , wherein the flute comprises a concave surface extending along the length of the rod.  
     
     
         6 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1 , wherein the flute extends along a portion of the rod less than the full length of said rod.  
     
     
         7 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1  which comprises two linear portions disposed in parallel, spaced-apart relation.  
     
     
         8 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 7 , wherein one of the two linear portions is disposed adjacent a first end of said rod and the other linear portion is disposed adjacent a second end of said rod.  
     
     
         9 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 7 , wherein the linear portions are located at a distance away from the first and second ends of the rod.  
     
     
         10 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1  which is substantially U-shaped.  
     
     
         11 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1  which comprises an arcuate portion disposed proximate the midpoint between the first and second ends of the rod.  
     
     
         12 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 1 , wherein the rod is formed from a metallic material.  
     
     
         13 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 12  wherein metallic material is a metal or a metal alloy that provides a combination of high strength and light weight.  
     
     
         14 . The bicycle seat rail according to  claim 12 , wherein the metallic material is titanium or a titanium alloy.  
     
     
         15 . A bicycle seat comprising a shell for supporting a rider and a seat rail attached to the shell wherein the seat rail comprises a rod having a flute formed therein, said rod being adapted for attachment to a bicycle seat and to be securely held in a clamping device connected to a bicycle frame.  
     
     
         16 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the rod comprises a cross section having an arcuate portion and indented portion corresponding to said flute.  
     
     
         17 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the rod comprises two flutes formed therein.  
     
     
         18 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 17 , wherein the two flutes are located at opposing positions on said rod.  
     
     
         19 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the flute comprises a concave surface extending along the length of the rod.  
     
     
         20 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the flute extends along a portion of the rod less than the full length of the rod.  
     
     
         21 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the seat rail comprises two linear portions disposed in parallel, spaced-apart relation.  
     
     
         22 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 21 , wherein one of the two linear portions of the seat rail is disposed adjacent a first end of said rod and the other linear portion of the seat rail is disposed adjacent a second end of said rod.  
     
     
         23 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 21 , wherein the linear portions are located at a distance away from the first and second ends of the rod.  
     
     
         24 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the seat rail is substantially U-shaped or V-shaped.  
     
     
         25 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the seat rail comprises an arcuate portion disposed proximate the midpoint between the first and second ends of the rod.  
     
     
         26 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the seat rail is formed of a metallic material.  
     
     
         27 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 26 , wherein the metallic material is a metal or metal alloy that provides a combination of high strength and light weight.  
     
     
         28 . The bicycle seat according to  claim 26 , wherein the metallic material is titanium or a titanium alloy.  
     
     
         29 . A method of making a seat rail for a bicycle seat comprising the steps of providing a rod-shaped feedstock, forming a first flute along the length of the rod-shaped feedstock, and then bending the fluted feedstock to form a seat rail.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29  further comprising the step of forming a second flute along the length of the rod-shaped feedstock.  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein the step of forming a second flute is performed at the same time as the step of forming the first flute.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the step of forming the first flute comprises the step of compressing the side of the rod-shaped feedstock in a rolling mill.