Seat post

• US 9,422,018 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Inventors: Allinger, Wes, Pelot, Sante, Haugen, David M., Galasso, Mario, Laird, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/844,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/00 Saddles or other seats for cycles; Arrangement thereof; Component parts
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/02 Saddles resiliently mounted on the frame; Equipment therefor, e.g. springs
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/08 Frames for saddles; Connections between saddle frames and seat pillars; Seat pillars attaching seat pillars to cycle frames B62K19/36
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 2001/085 Seat pillars having mechanisms to vary seat height, independently of the cycle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 19/36 for attaching saddle pillars, e.g. adjustable during ride
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A system including: a seat post; a user interface operatively connected with the seat post, the user interface configured for receiving instructions associated with a height of the seat post and for communicating received instructions to at least one controller coupled with a motive source of the seat post; and a valve assembly in communication with the motive source, the valve assembly regulating fluid flow within a variable finite positioning seat post height mode in response to a translation of the received instructions by the motive source.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a seat post, said seat post comprising;

an upper post;

a lower post within which said upper post telescopically slides; and

an anti-rotation bushing positioned in between an upper post and a lower post of said seat post, said anti-rotation bushing configured for stabilizing said seat post in at least one direction;

a user interface operatively connected with said seat post, said user interface configured for receiving instructions associated with a height of said seat post and for communicating received instructions to at least one controller coupled with a motive source of said seat post; and

a valve assembly in communication with said motive source, said valve assembly regulating fluid flow within a variable finite positioning seat post height mode in response to a translation of said received instructions by said motive source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface is remote from said valve assembly.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said user interface comprises at least one of a GUI, button, dial, smart phone, and lever.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said valve assembly comprises:

at least one set of check valves configured for at least one of opening and closing in response to said translation.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a rate of said opening and said closing of said at least one set of check valves is proportional to a real-time displacement measurement, wherein said real-time displacement measurement is based on a measured difference between a seat post height position instruction of said received instructions and an actual seat post height of said seat post.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said at least one set of check valves comprising:

two sets of check valves positioned, relative to each other, in a series, and opposed to each other, such that one-way only movement is achieved in response to said translation.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a proportional-integral-derivative controller configured for controlling a rate of said opening and said closing of said at least one set of check valves.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a displacement sensor coupled with said controller, said displacement sensor configured for measuring a displacement between a seat post height position instruction and an actual seat post height of said seat post.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said displacement sensor is a pressure sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises:

at least one activation button configured for activating a pre-programmed seat post position, wherein said controller comprises said pre-programmed seat post position.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said anti-rotation bushing comprises:

a first side; and

a second side, wherein a portion of said first side of said anti-rotation bushing is positioned in a first slot of said upper post and a portion of said second side of said anti-rotation bushing is positioned in a second slot of said lower post.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of said portion of said first side and said portion of said second side comprises:

a pre-load configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, said pre-load configuration comprising:

a first arm coupled to a body of said anti-rotation bushing; and

a second arm coupled to said body and separated from said first arm by a gap, wherein said first arm, said gap, and said second arm are configured to fit, with pre-load, into at least one of said first slot and said second slot.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor output shaft coupled with said motive source and internal to said seat post, said motor output shaft configured for rotating in response to said translation; and

a cam coupled with said motor output shaft and said valve assembly and internal to said seat post, said cam configured for moving in response to said rotating of said motor output shaft and configured for at least one of seating and unseating at least one check valve ball set.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller comprises:

a proportional-integral-derivative controller.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one antenna coupled to said seat post, said at least one antenna configured for enabling communication between said user interface and said motive source.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said at least one antenna is coupled to a top of at least one of an upper and a lower post of said seat post.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one power connector location configured for enabling power to be received at said seat post.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one power connector location is positioned at an upper end of a lower post.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch coupled with said seat post, said switch configured for enabling a reprogramming of said valve assembly to only operate in either one of an infinite positioning seat post height mode or a finite positioning seat post height mode.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a voice activated audio detection module coupled with said seat post, said voice activated audio detection module configured for receiving audible position instructions, translating said audible position instructions, and transmitting translated audible position instructions to said at least one controller, such that an instruction for a desired position for said seat post is received at said controller.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said instructions received at said user interface is an audible instruction, wherein said user interface comprises a voice activated audio detection module.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one controller comprises:

an input parameter receiver configured for receiving an input;

a threshold determiner coupled with said input parameter receiver, said threshold determiner configured for determining whether or not a predetermined threshold has been exceeded; and

a comparator coupled with said threshold determiner, said comparator configured for comparing said input and said threshold; and

a signal generator coupled with said comparator, said signal generator configured for generating a signal based upon said comparing.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said input is associated with physiological factor relating to a rider of a vehicle that comprises said seat post.