Aerodynamic brake system

• US 8,356,828 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Felt Racing, LLC (Chartreuse et Mont Blanc SAS)
• Original Assignee: Felt Racing, LLC (Chartreuse et Mont Blanc SAS)
• Inventors: Bell, Richard, Lane, Timothy Saul, Duehring, William, Felt, James Michael, Soucek, Jeffrey A., Buckenberger, David Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS, TASHIANA R
• Application Number:
  US13/271,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 280/288.3, 280/279, 280/281.1, 188/24.12, 188/24.21
• US Class Current: 280/279
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 11/13 specially adapted for mechanical cables
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 19/38 for attaching brake members
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/02 Front wheel forks or equivalent, e.g. single tine

Abstract

An aerodynamic braking system is disclosed herein. In particular, the brake arms may define an aerodynamic leading portion or edge and may be integrated into the legs of the front fork. Also, the brake arms may be disposed behind the bottom bracket shell to take the rear brake out of the air flow path and reduce aerodynamic drag. The rear brake arms are tapered so that the brake arms remain sufficient stiff to provide sufficient brake response times. The rear brake arms may be matched to recesses formed on an underside of chain stays.

Claims

1. A bicycle having an aerodynamic brake system, the bicycle comprising:

left and right brake arms having an aerodynamic shape leading portion; and

a front fork having left and right legs, each of the legs defining a leading edge and a trailing edge with an aerodynamic shape cross section, each of the legs having a recess at a front side of the leg with the left and right brake arms disposed within the recesses of the left and right legs wherein the exterior surfaces of the left and right brake arms and exterior surfaces of the left and right legs collectively have an aerodynamic cross sectional configuration.

2. The bicycle of claim 1 wherein the left and right brake arms are thicker at pivoting portions compared to actuation portions of the left and right brake arms for providing additional stiffness to the left and right brake arms.

3. The bicycle of claim 1 wherein the recesses are shallower closer to a crown of the fork for stiffening the crown of the fork.

4. A bicycle having an aerodynamic brake system, the bicycle comprising:

left and right brake arms, each of the left and right brake arms define a pivoting portion and an actuation portion with the pivoting portion being thicker than the actuation portion; and

a frame defining a bottom bracket shell and left and right chain stays, each chain stay having a recess at a bottom side of the chain stays for pivotally mounting the left and right brake arms within the recesses of the left and right chain stays, each of the recesses having a first depth adjacent to the pivoting portion being greater than a second depth adjacent to the actuation portion, the recesses sized and configured to receive the left or right brake arm and match a profile of the left or right brake arm so that the left and right brake arms are substantially or entirely behind the bottom bracket shell and out of the air flow as the bicycle is moving forward.

5. The bicycle of claim 4 wherein the pivoting portions of the left and right brake arms are thicker compared to the actuation portions of the left and right brake arms for providing a sufficiently stiff brake arms to allow for responsive brakes.

6. The bicycle of claim 4 wherein the left and right brake arms are entirely behind the bottom bracket shell and out of the air flow as the bicycle is moving forward.

7. The bicycle of claim 4 further comprising a cable attached to the left and right brake arms for actuating the brake system.

8. A disc brake system mounted to a road bicycle, the bicycle comprising:

a front fork of the road bicycle, the front fork having curved aerodynamic shaped left and right road bicycle legs;

a front wheel of the road bicycle mounted to the left and right legs;

left and right discs mounted on opposed left and right sides of the front wheel;

left and right brake pads mounted to the left and right legs of the front fork for applying brake forces to the left and right discs simultaneously to mitigate pulling to one side and reducing load on any one of the left and right legs of the front fork.

9. A bicycle having an aerodynamic brake system, the bicycle comprising:

left and right brake arms, each of the left and right brake arms define a pivoting portion and an actuation portion with the pivoting portion being stiffer than the actuation portion;

a front fork having left and right legs, each of the left and right legs having recesses for receiving the left and right brake arms, the recess sized and configured to receive the left or right brake arm and match a profile of the left or right brake arm so that the left and right brake arms are out of the air flow as the bicycle is moving forward.

10. The bicycle of claim 9 wherein a leading surface of the brake arms has an aerodynamic shape.

11. The bicycle of claim 9 wherein the recesses are formed in leading portions of the left and right legs.

12. The bicycle of claim 9 wherein front edges of the left and right brake arms are offset to the outside of the rear edges of the left and right legs defined by the recesses.