Adjustable Bicycle Fender Assembly

• US 20120038127A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trek Bicycle Corporation
• Original Assignee: Trek Bicycle Corporation
• Inventors: Bybee, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/152.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 15/02 Fastening means; Stays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]

Abstract

A fender mounting system that is particularly applicable to bicycles and that includes one or more adjustable strap assemblies that connect the fender to the bicycle. The strap assemblies include a first portion that is individually securable to the fender and a second portion that is individually securable to the underlying bicycle. A clamp assembly cooperates with the respective portions of the strap assembly so that the portions of the strap assembly bypass one another when the clamp assembly is loose to allow positioning of the fender relative to the wheel while the fender assembly is attached, albeit loosely, to the bicycle. Tightening of the clamp assembly fixes the position of the fender relative to an adjacent wheel.

Claims

1. A bicycle fender assembly comprising:

a fender body shaped to be positioned radially outward and circumferentially about a bicycle wheel;

a strut attached to the fender and oriented to extend in a radially inward direction from the fender body;

a mount arm removably secured to a bicycle;

a clamp body having a first portion that extends along a first side of the mount arm and the strut and a second portion that extends along a second side of the mount arm and the strut opposite the first portion; and

a fastener that passes through one of the first portion and the second portion of the clamp body and operatively engages the other of the first portion and the second portion so that tightening the fastener captures the strut and the mount arm relative to the first portion and the second portion of the clamp body and fixes a radial position of the fender body with respect to the bicycle wheel.

2. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 1 further comprising another clamp body engaged with the strut and the mount arm and offset along a longitudinal axis of the strut and the mount arm from the first clamp body.

3. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 2 wherein the clamp body is engaged with an end of one of the strut and the mount arm and the another clamp body is engaged with an end of the other of the strut and the mount arm.

4. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 1 wherein the strut includes a first section and a second section that extend in a radial direction along opposite lateral sides of the bicycle wheel.

5. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 4 wherein the mount arm is engaged with the first section of the strut and the assembly further comprises another mount arm engaged with the second section of the strut so that each mount arm is bypassingly engaged with one of the first section and the second section of the strut.

6. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 1 wherein the bicycle wheel is at least one of a front wheel and a rear wheel of a bicycle.

7. A bicycle fender assembly comprising:

a strap attached to a fender, the strap having a first end and a second end that extend in an inward radial direction from opposite lateral sides of the fender;

a first mount shaft and a second mount shaft wherein each mount shaft includes a first end secured to a bicycle so that the mount shafts flank a wheel and each mount shaft extends in an outward radial direction toward the strap so that the first mount shaft overlaps the first end of the strap and the second mount shaft overlaps the second end of the strap; and

a first clamp assembly engaged with the first mount shaft and the strap and a second clamp assembly engaged with the second mount shaft and the strap, each clamp assembly being adjustable so that the respective mount shaft and strap can bypass one another when the clamp assembly is loose and fix a position of the strap relative to the respective mount shaft when the clamp assembly is tightened.

8. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 7 further comprising a third clamp assembly engaged with the first mount shaft and the strap and a fourth clamp assembly engaged with the second mount shaft and the strap.

9. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 8 wherein the first clamp assembly engages a second end of the first mount shaft and is positionable along the strap, the second clamp assembly engages a second end of the second mount shaft and is positionable along of the strap, the third clamp assembly engages the first end of the strap and is positionable along a length of the first mount shaft, and the fourth clamp assembly engages the second end of the strap and is positionable along a length of the second mount shaft.

10. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 9 further comprising a bend formed on at least one of the end of each of the first end and second end of the strap and the second end of each of the first mount shaft and the second mount shaft and configured to be captured by the respective clamp assembly.

11. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 7 further comprising another strap and third and fourth mount shafts that are radially offset from the strap and first and second mount shafts.

12. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 7 further comprising a tang that is attached to the fender and extends in a radially outward direction for directly engaging the bicycle.

13. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 7 further comprising a deflector that extends in a circumferential direction from the fender.

14. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 7 wherein each clamp assembly includes a first portion and a second portion that are inseparable and positioned on generally opposite lateral sides of the strap and respective mount shaft.

15. The bicycle fender assembly of claim 14 wherein each clamp assembly further comprising a fastener having a head that passes through one of the first portion and the second portion and a shaft portion that passes between the strap and the respective mount shaft.

16. A method of mounting a fender relative to a bicycle wheel comprising:

positioning a mount arm along alternate ends of a strap attached to a fender;

engaging a clamp with each mount arm and the strap so that each mount arm and strap are loosely attached to one another and can bypass one another in a direction generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the strap and the respective mount arm;

securing a distal end of each mount arm to alternate sides of a bicycle so that the mount arms and at least a portion of the alternate ends of the strap flank the bicycle wheel;

positioning the fender in a radial direction thereby altering an overlap length of the strap and the respective mount arm; and

adjusting the clamp to compress about the strap and the respective mount arm and thereby defining the overlap length with the fender in a desired position about the bicycle wheel.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein adjusting the clamp further comprising compressing the strap and the respective mount arm confined therebetween into a sidewall of the clamp.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising engaging a fastener with the clamp and orienting a driven end of the fastener in an outward direction so that translation of the fastener in an inward direction compresses the mount arm and the strap between the clamp and a head portion of the fastener.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising engaging a clamp with an end of the respective mount arm and the strap so that the respective mount arm and strap extends only from one side of the clamp.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising engaging another strap with the fender wherein the another strap is engaged by another clamp that cooperates with another mount arm securable to the bicycle.