NON-UNIFORM STEERER TUBE OR FORK LEG

• US 20200130772A1
• Filed: 10/21/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Inventors: BROWN, IV, William O., MCCORMICK, Daniel, COAPLEN, Joshua, OTTERNESS, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 11,305,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/02 Front wheel forks or equivalent, e.g. single tine
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/18 Connections between forks and handlebars or handlebar stems

Abstract

A non-uniform steerer tube. The non-uniform steerer tubes includes an axis-symmetric outer surface and a non axis-symmetric inner surface. The axis-symmetric outer surface and the non axis-symmetric inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween. The wall thickness varying along an axial length of the non-uniform steerer tube.

Claims

1. A non-uniform steerer tube comprising:

an axis-symmetric outer surface; and

a non axis-symmetric inner surface, said axis-symmetric outer surface and said non axis-symmetric inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween, said wall thickness varying along an axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

2. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said axis-symmetric outer surface has a uniform diameter length at any given location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

3. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 2 wherein said uniform diameter length of said axis-symmetric outer surface is different at various locations along said axial length of non-uniform steerer tube.

4. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has a non-uniform diameter length at any given location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

5. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has a non-uniform diameter length at multiple locations along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

6. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 5 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has said non-uniform diameter length along said entire axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

7. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has a uniform diameter length at, at least, one location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

8. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non-uniform steerer tube has a round outer profile but non-round inner profile at, at least, some location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

9. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 5 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has a shape selected from the group consisting of:

oval-shaped, egg-shaped, elliptically-shaped, rectangularly-shaped and some combination of said shapes.

10. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface is configured to provide additional support for said non-uniform steerer tube at locations of said non-uniform steerer tube which are subjected to greater stress during use than other locations of said non-uniform steerer tube.

11. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 10 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface is configured to provide said additional support for said non-uniform steerer tube at both a top portion of said non-uniform steerer tube and a bottom portion of said non-uniform steerer tube.

12. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 10 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface is configured to provide said additional support for said non-uniform steerer tube at locations of said non-uniform steerer tube selected from the group consisting of:

a bottom portion of said non-uniform steerer tube, a top portion of said non-uniform steerer tube, a middle portion of said non-uniform steerer tube.

13. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface is configured to reduce and/or change unwanted frequencies occurring in said non-uniform steerer tube during use of said non-uniform steerer tube.

14. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface is configured to reduce and/or change said unwanted frequencies selected from the group consisting of:

fore and aft vibrational and/or resonant frequencies, side-to-side vibrational and/or resonant frequencies, a combination of fore and aft and side-to-side vibrational and/or resonant frequencies.

15. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 1 wherein said axis-symmetric outer surface of said non-uniform steerer tube remains circular along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube such that no visual differences are detectable between a conventional steerer tube and said non-uniform steerer tube.

16. A non-uniform steerer tube comprising:

an axis-symmetric outer surface; and

a non axis-symmetric inner surface, said axis-symmetric outer surface and said non axis-symmetric inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween, said wall thickness varying along an axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube, said non axis-symmetric inner surface having a non-uniform diameter length at multiple locations along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube, said non-uniform steerer tube having a round outer profile and a non-round inner profile at, at least, one location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

17. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 16 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has said non-uniform diameter length along said entire axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

18. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 16 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface has a uniform diameter length at, at least, one location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube.

19. The non-uniform steerer tube of claim 16 wherein said non axis-symmetric inner surface is configured to provide additional support for said non-uniform steerer tube at locations of said non-uniform steerer tube which are subjected to greater stress during use than other locations of said non-uniform steerer tube.

20. A non-uniform steerer tube comprising:

an axis-symmetric outer surface; and

a non axis-symmetric inner surface, said axis-symmetric outer surface and said non axis-symmetric inner surface defining a wall thickness therebetween, said wall thickness varying along an axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube, said non axis-symmetric inner surface having a non-uniform diameter length at multiple locations along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube, said non-uniform steerer tube having a round outer profile and a non-round inner profile at, at least, one location along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube, said axis-symmetric outer surface of said non-uniform steerer tube is circular along said axial length of said non-uniform steerer tube such that no visual differences are detectable between a conventional steerer tube and said non-uniform steerer tube.