Bicycle frame

Abstract

Front and rear portions of a bicycle frame are connected together by a flexible spring member that includes at least two laterally spaced, elongated rods extending between opposed mounting blocks in the front and rear portions of the frame. The ends of the rods are held in the mounting blocks by releasible clamps that permit removal and replacement of the spring members when desired. One bicycle frame incorporates a folding mechanism that permits front and rear portions of the bike to be folded together for easy portability of the bike. In one frame, the seat is mounted on the front portion, so the spring cushions rear wheel impact. A replaceable wire management tube is attached to the side of the crossbar of the bike by adhesive tape.

1 . A folding bike frame comprising a front portion and a rear portion and a swivel portion pivotally interconnecting the front and rear portions, the front portion supporting a front fork and front wheel and handlebar assembly, the rear portion supporting a rear wheel and a crank assembly, the swivel portion connecting a rear end of the front portion with a front end of the rear portion for pivotal movement of the rear portion between extended and folded positions, the rear portion extending rearwardly from the swivel portion generally in alignment with the front portion when the rear portion is in its extended position, the rear portion extending generally forwardly from the swivel portion so as to overlay the front portion when the rear portion is in its folded position.  
   
   
       2 . A folding bike frame as in  claim 1  wherein: 
 the front portion includes a crossbar having a head tube mounted at a front end thereof that supports the front fork and having a seat tube mounted at a rear end thereof that supports the seat assembly; and    the rear portion includes a rear wheel frame formed in a back triangle configuration, with legs of the triangle comprising chain stays, seat stays, and a down tube, the rear wheel being supported at a corner of the rear wheel frame where ends of chain stays and seat stays are joined.    
   
   
       3 . A folding bike frame as in  claim 2  wherein an elongated flexibly bendable spring is mounted in the frame between the swivel mechanism and at least one of the front and rear portions of the bike frame, such that the front and rear portions are resiliently flexible in a generally vertical direction with respect to each other adjacent the swivel joint where the front and rear portions are connected.  
   
   
       4 . A folding bike frame according to  claim 3  wherein the spring extends between opposed mounting blocks that are releasably mounted on opposite ends of the spring, one mounting block being mounted on the swivel mechanism and the other mounting block being mounted on one of the front and rear portions of the frame.  
   
   
       5 . A folding bike frame according to  claim 4  wherein a rear mounting block is mounted to a rear upper corner of the rear wheel frame, and a front mounting block is mounted to a portion of the swivel mechanism that pivots with respect to the front portion of the frame.  
   
   
       6 . A folding bike according to  claim 5  wherein the spring comprises at least two laterally spaced rod springs, the mounting blocks each comprising releasable clamping means that grip and hold the ends of the rod springs.  
   
   
       7 . A folding bike according to  claim 6  wherein the rod springs are generally cylindrical and comprise a resilient fiberglass reinforced resin.  
   
   
       8 . A folding bike according to  claim 7  wherein the rod springs comprise pultruded fiberglass rods having a diameter of about ⅜ inches to about one inch.  
   
   
       9 . A folding bike frame according to  claim 1  wherein the rear portion of the frame is also connected to the front portion of the frame by a tension cable assembly extending downwardly and rearwardly from the front portion of the frame to the rear portion of the frame, the tension cable including a flexible cable connected to a resilient extension spring, the cable assembly being connected at one end to a forward position on the front portion of the frame and being connected at an opposite end to a lower position on the rear portion of the frame, such that the cable resists downward flexing of the frame.  
   
   
       10 . A folding bike frame according to  claim 3  and further comprising a resiliently extendable reinforcement tension cable extending from a lower position on the rear frame portion to a forward position on the front frame portion, the tension cable resiliently resisting downward flexing of the bike frame by resilient deflection of the spring.  
   
   
       11 . A folding bike frame according to  claim 1  and further comprising a releasable locking mechanism that locks the rear portion of the frame in position when it is moved to its extended position, the locking mechanism being manually releasable to permit the frame to be folded for storing or shipping of the frame.  
   
   
       12 . A folding bike according to  claim 11  wherein the locking mechanism comprises a slidable pin in one of the pivoting and non-pivoting components that engages an opening in the other of the pivoting and non-pivoting components, a spring biasing the pin to a latching position.  
   
   
       13 . A folding bike according to  claim 1  wherein the swivel portion comprises a fixed position pivot shaft mounted to one of the front and rear portions and a pivot arm attached to the other of the front and rear portions, the pivot arm having an opening therein that rotatably fits on the pivot shaft, said pivot arm opening being partially closable to clamp the pivot arm in a fixed position on the pivot shaft, a manually actuable clamping member serving to move the pivot shaft opening between released and clamped positions.  
   
   
       14 . In a bike frame comprising a front portion, to which a front fork and front wheel are mounted, and a rear portion, to which a rear wheel is mounted, wherein the front and rear frame portions are interconnected by a flexible spring that extends between opposed spring mounting blocks on the front and rear portions, the mounting blocks having openings therein that receive and hold opposed ends of the spring, such that the spring flexes between the mounting blocks to provide flex for the frame, the improvement wherein: 
 the spring comprises at least two laterally spaced spring elements in the form of elongated rod springs, the mounting blocks having spaced openings therein to receive ends of the rod springs, the openings in the mounting blocks being of adjustable size and the mounting blocks including clamping means for adjusting the size of the openings in the mounting blocks to cause the ends of the rods spring to become securely clamped in the mounting blocks, the clamping means being releasable to permit removal and replacement of the rod springs, the mounting blocks comprising spaced openings for ends of the respective rod springs, the openings being connected by a slot, the sides of the slot being drawn together by the clamping means to clamp the rods in the mounting blocks, the clamping means in at least one of the mounting blocks comprising at least one bolt that slidably extends through an opening in the mounting block in one side of the slot and engages an internally threaded opening on an opposite side of the slot, a head of the bolt engaging the mounting block on the one side of the slot when the bolt is rotated inwardly, such that the two sides of the slot are drawn together, locking the rod springs in the mounting block.    
   
   
       15 . A bike frame according to  claim 14  wherein the clamping means include at least two laterally spaced bolts that extend through openings in one side of the slot and engage threaded openings in the opposite side of the slot, the openings being positioned so as to be in partial alignment with the rod springs, the rod springs having cutaway portions that fit around the bolts, the bolts thus serving as a safety lock and holding the rod springs in a fixed axial position in the mounting block.  
   
   
       16 . In a bike frame comprising a front portion, to which a front fork and front wheel are mounted, and a rear portion, to which a rear wheel is mounted, wherein the front and rear frame portions are interconnected by an elongated flexible leaf-type spring that extends between opposed spring mounting blocks on the front and rear portions, the mounting blocks having openings therein that receive and hold opposed ends of the spring, such that the spring flexes about its axis between the mounting blocks to provide flex for the frame, the improvement wherein a seat tube for supporting a seat assembly is mounted on the front portion of the frame, such that the spring cushions the seat assembly from a shock impact imparted to the rear portion of the frame.  
   
   
       17 . A bike frame according to  claim 16  wherein the spring comprises at least two laterally spaced spring elements in the form of elongated rod springs, the mounting blocks having spaced openings therein to receive ends of the rod springs, the openings in the mounting blocks being of adjustable size and the mounting blocks including clamping means for adjusting the size of the openings in the mounting blocks to cause the ends of the rods spring to become securely clamped in the mounting blocks, the clamping means being releasable to permit removal and replacement of the rod springs.  
   
   
       18 . A bike frame according to  claim 17  wherein the mounting blocks comprise spaced openings for ends of the respective rod springs, the openings being connected by a slot, the sides of the slot being drawn together by the clamping means to clamp the rods in the mounting blocks, the clamping means in at least one of the mounting blocks comprising at least one bolt that slidably extends through an opening in the mounting block in one side of the slot and engages an internally threaded opening on an opposite side of the slot, a head of the bolt engaging the mounting block on the one side of the slot when the bolt is rotated inwardly, such that the two sides of the slot are drawn together, locking the rod springs in the mounting block.  
   
   
       19 . A bike frame according to  claim 13  wherein the clamping means include at least two laterally spaced bolts that extend through openings in one side of the slot and engage threaded openings in the opposite side of the slot, the openings being positioned so as to be in partial alignment with the rod springs, the rod springs having cutaway portions that fit around the bolts, the bolts thus serving as a safety lock and holding the rod springs in a fixed axial position in the mounting block.  
   
   
       20 . A wire management tube for retaining wiring as it extends from one point to another point in a structure having a mounting surface positioned between the points, the wire management tube comprising an elongated tube formed of a material comprising a flexible, extruded synthetic resin and having an open interior and having a slot in a sidewall extending along one side of the tube, the tube having a pressure sensitive adhesive material on an exterior side of the tube, such that the tube can be adhesively attached to the mounting surface by pressing the side with the adhesive material thereon against the mounting surface, the tube being sufficiently resilient that the slot can be opened to pass wires therethrough and will thereafter be resiliently urged toward a more closed position with sufficient force to urge wires to remain in the open interior of the tube.  
   
   
       21 . A wire management tube as in  claim 20  wherein the tube has a flat exterior side, the pressure sensitive adhesive being mounted on the flat exterior side.  
   
   
       22 . A wire management tube as in  claim 20  wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a double sided adhesive tape, one side of the tape being adhered to the flat outer side of the tube.  
   
   
       23 . A wire management tube as in  claim 20  wherein the tube has an arcuate portion extending from one side edge of the flat side to an opposite side edge of the flat side, with the slot being formed in the arcuate portion.  
   
   
       24 . A wire management tube as in  claim 20  wherein the tube has edges on opposite sides of the slot, one edge having an inwardly curled lip that tends to engage wires on the interior of the tube and restrain the wires from falling out of the tube.  
   
   
       25 . A wire management tube as in  claim 24  wherein an opposite edge of the tube adjacent the slot has a curled out portion that facilitates the insertion of wiring into the tube by permitting the wiring to be wedged between opposite sides of the slot by a wedging engagement with the curled out portion.  
   
   
       26 . A wire management tube as in  claim 23  wherein the slot is oriented so as to be positionable in a generally downward-facing direction when the tube is horizontal and the flat side is oriented vertically, such that wiring can be inserted into and removed from the tube in a generally vertical direction, the tube having side edges on opposite sides of the slot, an outer side edge on a side opposite the flat side of the tube having an inwardly extending lip that restrains wiring from falling out of the tube through the slot, an inner side edge adjacent the flat side of the tube having an outwardly extending lip that facilitates insertion of wiring into the tube.  
   
   
       27 . A wire management tube as in  claim 26  wherein the tube is adhesively mounted on a crossbar of a bike frame.