Bicycle Components Mounting Methods and Apparatus

Abstract

Methods and apparatus may permit the mounting of bicycle components ( 16 ) such as seats, handlebars, and the like, to bicycles. A bicycle component mount ( 3 ) may be isolated from the structure of a bicycle. Forces generated at various points on the bicycle's structure may be substantially impeded or eliminated from transmission through an isolated bicycle component mount ( 3 ). Multidimensional motion of a bicycle component mount ( 3 ) may include rotational, translational, and rototranslational motion with progressive elastomeric resistance in multiple directions. A bicycle component mount ( 3 ) may exhibit movement about its own center of mass ( 12 ). Motions of a rider on a bicycle may be biomechanically compensated for by a bicycle component mount ( 3 ) to facilitate rider comfort, promote efficient transfer of rider motion to the operation of a bicycle, and decrease wear on bicycle components ( 16 ).

1 - 134 . (canceled) 
     
     
         135 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus comprising:
 a bicycle component mount joined to a substantially rigid inner housing;   a center of mass of said bicycle component mount joined to said substantially rigid inner housing;   a progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement within which said bicycle component mount joined to said substantially rigid inner housing is emplaced;   a multidirectional arrangement about said bicycle component mount joined to said substantially rigid inner housing of said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement configured to respond to multidimensional motion of said center of mass;   a motionally resistive substantially rigid outer housing configured to be joined to a structural member of a bicycle and within which said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement is disposed.   
     
     
         136 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said structural member comprises a bicycle seat post, wherein said bicycle component mount comprises a bicycle seat clamp, and further comprising a bicycle seat mounted on said bicycle seat clamp. 
     
     
         137 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said structural member comprises a bicycle handlebar stem, wherein said bicycle component mount comprises a bicycle handlebar clamp, and further comprising a bicycle handlebar mounted on said bicycle handlebar clamp. 
     
     
         138 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said center of mass comprises a resting center of mass coincidental with a center of mass of said substantially rigid outer housing. 
     
     
         139 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 138  further comprising a range of motion of said center of mass of said substantially rigid inner housing relative to said center of mass of said substantially rigid outer housing responsive to a degree of elasticity of said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         140 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion comprises an arrangement configured to respond to rotational motion. 
     
     
         141 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion comprises an arrangement configured to respond to translational motion. 
     
     
         142 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion comprises an arrangement configured to respond to rototranslational motion. 
     
     
         143 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion comprises an arrangement configured to respond to at least three dimensional motion. 
     
     
         144 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion comprises an arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion confined to said substantially rigid outer housing and restricted by said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         145 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement configured to respond to multidimensional motion comprises an arrangement configured to elastically deform progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         146 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said motionally resistive substantially rigid outer housing comprises a stable support for said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         147 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement about said substantially rigid inner housing comprises an arrangement continuously about said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         148 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said arrangement about said substantially rigid inner housing comprises an arrangement surrounding said substantially rigid inner housing on all sides in at least one dimension. 
     
     
         149 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said substantially rigid outer housing comprises an annular substantially rigid outer housing, wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises an annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement disposed within said annular substantially rigid outer housing, and wherein said substantially rigid inner housing comprises an inner housing disposed within said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         150 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 149  further comprising a uniform cross-sectional profile along a lengthwise axis of said of said annular substantially rigid outer housing, said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement, and said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         151 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 150  wherein said uniform cross-sectional profile comprises a cylindrical annular substantially rigid outer housing and a cylindrical substantially rigid inner housing, each said cylinder dimensioned in cross-section as a circle. 
     
     
         152 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 150  wherein said uniform cross-sectional profile comprises a cylindrical annular substantially rigid outer housing dimensioned in cross-section as a horizontally oriented ellipse with respect to the front end and rear end of a bicycle and a cylindrical substantially rigid inner housing dimensioned in cross-section as a circle. 
     
     
         153 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 152  wherein said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a varied degree of thickness corresponding to the volume defined by said uniform cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         154 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 153  wherein said varied degree of thickness comprises a motion limiter for vertical nose and tail rocking of a bicycle seat. 
     
     
         155 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 149  further comprising a varied cross-sectional profile along a lengthwise axis of said of said annular substantially rigid outer housing, said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement, and said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         156 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 155  wherein said varied cross-sectional profile comprises an hourglass-shaped annular substantially rigid outer housing dimensioned in cross-section as a circle and a cylindrical substantially rigid inner housing dimensioned in cross-section as a circle. 
     
     
         157 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 156  wherein said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a varied degree of thickness corresponding to the volume defined by said varied cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         158 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 157  wherein said varied degree of thickness comprises a motion bias for bicycle seat motion selected from the group consisting of side to side rocking and swivel rocking. 
     
     
         159 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 155  wherein said varied cross-sectional profile comprises an hourglass-shaped annular substantially rigid outer housing dimensioned in cross-section as a horizontally oriented ellipse with respect to the front end and rear end of a bicycle and a cylindrical substantially rigid inner housing dimensioned in cross-section as a circle. 
     
     
         160 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 159  wherein said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a varied degree of thickness corresponding to the volume defined by said varied cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         161 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 160  wherein said varied degree of thickness comprises a bicycle seat motion element selected from the group consisting of a motion limiter for vertical nose and tail rocking, a motion bias for side to side rocking, and a motion bias for swivel rocking. 
     
     
         162 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 159  wherein said varied cross-sectional profile comprises a biomechanical rider pedal cranking motion compensator. 
     
     
         163 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 149  further comprising a biomechanical rider motion response cross-sectional profile along a lengthwise axis of said of said annular substantially rigid outer housing, said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement, and said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         164 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 163  wherein said biomechanical rider motion response is selected from the group consisting of rider weight, rider height, rider gender, rider skill, and rider preference. 
     
     
         165 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 163  wherein said biomechanical rider motion response is selected from the group consisting of a motion limiter or a motion bias. 
     
     
         166 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 163  wherein said biomechanical rider motion response cross-sectional profile comprises a profile selected from the group consisting of a varied thickness for said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement, a varied shape for said substantially rigid outer housing, and a varied shape for said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         167 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 149  wherein said annular substantially rigid outer housing comprises a constant diameter. 
     
     
         168 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 149  wherein said annular progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a uniform thickness. 
     
     
         169 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  further comprising an intermediate sleeve structure disposed about said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         170 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 169  further comprising at least one contact opening disposed through said intermediate sleeve structure. 
     
     
         171 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 170  further comprising at least one protrusion established on an interior surface of said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement coordinated to the location and dimension of said at least one contact opening and disposed through said contact opening. 
     
     
         172 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 171  wherein said protrusion disposed through said contact opening comprises a stabilization element for said substantially rigid outer housing, said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement, and said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         173 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said substantially rigid outer housing, said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement, and said substantially rigid inner housing comprise a horizontally oriented structure. 
     
     
         174 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 173  wherein said horizontally oriented structure comprises a horizontally oriented structure straddling a lengthwise axis of said structural member of a bicycle, and wherein said bicycle component mount comprises a bicycle component mount at each end of said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         175 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 174  wherein said bicycle component mount comprises a rail clamp. 
     
     
         176 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  further comprising a clamp to which said substantially rigid outer housing is compressively responsive. 
     
     
         177 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         178 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement selected from the group consisting of a polymer, neoprene, rubber, foam, a spring medium, a pneumatic cushion, and gel. 
     
     
         179 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises an interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         180 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 179  wherein said interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises an elasticity interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         181 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 179  wherein said interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a shape interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         182 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 179  wherein said interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a hardness interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         183 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 179  wherein said interchangeable progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a separable component of said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         184 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 183  wherein said separable component comprises at least one piece of a progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement established as a number of separate pieces. 
     
     
         185 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 184  wherein said number of separate pieces comprises a number selected from the group consisting of two pieces, three pieces, and four pieces. 
     
     
         186 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 183  wherein said separable component comprises a volume reduction and shape preservation separable component. 
     
     
         187 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 186  wherein said volume reduction and shape preservation separable component comprises at least one cutout formed on said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement. 
     
     
         188 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 179  further comprising an interchangeable slide path disposed within said substantially rigid outer housing. 
     
     
         189 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a bicycle component cushioning element. 
     
     
         190 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a biomechanical rider compensation element. 
     
     
         191 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 190  wherein said biomechanical rider compensation element comprises a pedal motion compensator. 
     
     
         192 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 190  wherein said biomechanical rider compensation element comprises a hand grip motion compensator. 
     
     
         193 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a force break. 
     
     
         194 . A bicycle component mounting apparatus as described in  claim 135  wherein said progressively resistive elastomeric emplacement comprises a multidirectional force diffusion path between said substantially rigid outer housing and said substantially rigid inner housing. 
     
     
         195 - 356 . (canceled)