Lightweight high strength bicycle seat post and associated clamp
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus for securing a bicycle seat to a bicycle frame, the bicycle seat comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending seat rails, said apparatus comprising:
- a seat post comprising a tube and a flange connected to an end of said tube, said flange comprising a pair of opposing ears extending longitudinally outwardly from said tube, said flange having an upper surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical recess;
a clamp connected to said seat post and comprising a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member connected together for securing the seat rails therebetween;
said lower clamp member comprisinga lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical shape received in the recess of said flange, anda pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of said lower clamp body portion, each of said lower rail channel defining portions comprising at least one cantilevered rail support portion extending longitudinally outwardly from said lower clamp body portion;
said upper clamp member comprising an upper clamp body portion and a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposite longitudinally extending sides of said upper clamp body portion; and
a pair of fasteners securing opposing longitudinal ends of said upper clamp body portion to corresponding ears of said flange so as to clamp the bicycle seat rails between upper and lower rail channel defining portions of said upper and lower clamp members.
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Abstract
A bicycle seat post and clamp includes a tube and a flange connected to an end thereof with the flange comprising a pair of opposing ears extending longitudinally outwardly from the tube and having an upper surface defining a laterally extending recess for receiving a lower clamp member. A lower clamp member preferably includes a lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical shape received in the recess of the flange, and a pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of the lower clamp body portion. Each of the lower rail channel defining portions preferably includes at least one cantilevered rail support portion extending outwardly from the lower clamp body portion. The upper clamp member preferably includes an upper clamp body portion and a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposite longitudinally extending sides of the upper clamp body portion. A pair of fasteners secure opposing longitudinal ends of the upper clamp body portion to corresponding ears of the flange so as to clamp the bicycle seat rails between upper and lower rail channel defining portions of the upper and lower clamp members. The flange and the clamp may have relative strengths so that the tube of the seat post bends, responsive to a relatively large force offset from an axis of the tube, and prior to failure of one of the flange and the clamp.
68 Citations
86 Claims
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1. An apparatus for securing a bicycle seat to a bicycle frame, the bicycle seat comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending seat rails, said apparatus comprising:
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a seat post comprising a tube and a flange connected to an end of said tube, said flange comprising a pair of opposing ears extending longitudinally outwardly from said tube, said flange having an upper surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical recess; a clamp connected to said seat post and comprising a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member connected together for securing the seat rails therebetween; said lower clamp member comprising a lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical shape received in the recess of said flange, and a pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of said lower clamp body portion, each of said lower rail channel defining portions comprising at least one cantilevered rail support portion extending longitudinally outwardly from said lower clamp body portion; said upper clamp member comprising an upper clamp body portion and a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposite longitudinally extending sides of said upper clamp body portion; and a pair of fasteners securing opposing longitudinal ends of said upper clamp body portion to corresponding ears of said flange so as to clamp the bicycle seat rails between upper and lower rail channel defining portions of said upper and lower clamp members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for securing a bicycle seat to a bicycle frame, the bicycle seat including a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending seat rails, said apparatus comprising:
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a seat post comprising a tube and a flange connected to an end of said tube, said flange having an upper surface defining a recess; and a clamp connected to said seat post and comprising a lower clamp member received in the recess and an upper clamp member connected to said lower clamp member for securing the seat rails therebetween; said tube, said flange and said clamp having predetermined relative strengths so that the tube of said seat post bends responsive to a relatively large force offset from an axis of the tube and prior to failure of one of said flange and said clamp to thereby define a bending fuse for said apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An apparatus for securing a bicycle seat to a bicycle frame, the bicycle seat including a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending seat rails, said apparatus comprising:
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a seat post comprising a tube and a flange connected to an end of said tube and being integrally formed together as a monolithic unit, said flange having an upper surface defining a laterally extending recess; a clamp connected to said seat post and comprising a monolithic lower clamp member and a monolithic upper clamp member connected together for securing the seat rails therebetween; said monolithic lower clamp member comprising a lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending shape received in the recess of said flange, and a pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of said lower clamp body portion, each of said lower rail channel defining portions comprising at least one cantilevered rail support portion extending longitudinally outwardly from said lower clamp body portion; said monolithic upper clamp member comprising an upper clamp body portion and a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to opposite longitudinally extending sides of said upper clamp body portion; and a pair of fasteners securing opposing longitudinal ends of said monolithic upper clamp body portion to corresponding ears of said flange so as to clamp the bicycle seat rails between the upper and lower rail channel defining portions of said upper and lower monolithic clamp members. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. An apparatus for securing a bicycle seat to a bicycle frame, the bicycle seat comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending seat rails, said apparatus comprising:
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a seat post comprising a tube and a flange connected to an end of said tube, said flange comprising a pair of opposing ears extending longitudinally outwardly from said tube, said flange having an upper surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical recess; a clamp connected to said seat post and comprising a lower clamp member and an upper clamp member connected together for securing the seat rails therebetween; said lower clamp member comprising a lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical shape received in the recess of said flange and a pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of said lower clamp body portion; said upper clamp member comprising an upper clamp body portion, a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposite longitudinally extending sides of said upper clamp body portion, said upper clamp body portion including a pair of fastener receiving recesses at opposing longitudinal ends thereof; and a pair of fasteners securing opposing longitudinal ends of said upper clamp body portion to corresponding ears of said flange so as to clamp the bicycle seat rails between upper and lower rail channel defining portions of said upper and lower clamp members, each fastener comprising a threaded shaft and a mating nut connected thereto; an outer surface portion of at least one fastener receiving recess extending below an imaginary plane defined by upper surface portions of the seat rails and the threaded shafts of each of said fasteners having a predetermined length and being positioned so that said at least one fastener receiving recess serves as a positive rotational stop in cooperation with an adjacent ear of said flange while both threaded shafts are connected to respective nuts and so that said clamp has a relatively low profile. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A bicycle seat post for use with an associated clamp to secure a bicycle seat to a bicycle frame, said seat post comprising:
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a tube; and a flange connected to an end of said tube, said flange comprising a pair of opposing ears extending longitudinally outwardly from said tube, said flange having an upper surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical recess for receiving therein a lower portion of a clamp; said tube having a circular outer diameter and an oval inner diameter so that laterally extending wall portions are thicker than longitudinally extending wall portions. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. A bicycle seat clamp for securing a bicycle seat to a bicycle seat post, said bicycle seat clamp comprising:
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a lower clamp member comprising a lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending partial cylindrical shape for being received in a corresponding recess of a seat post, and a pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of said lower clamp body portion, each of said lower rail channel defining portions comprising at least one cantilevered rail support portion extending longitudinally outwardly from said lower clamp body portion; and an upper clamp member overlying said lower clamp member and comprising an upper clamp body portion and a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to opposite longitudinally extending sides of said upper clamp body portion and cooperating with the lower channel defining portions to secure the bicycle seat rails therebetween, said upper clamp body portion comprising a generally rectangular bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwardly around a periphery of the bottom wall. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A bicycle seat clamp for securing a bicycle seat toga bicycle seat post, said bicycle seat clamp comprising:
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a lower clamp member comprising a lower clamp body portion having a lower surface defining a laterally extending shape for being received in a corresponding recess of a seat post, and a pair of lower rail channel defining portions connected to respective opposing longitudinally extending sides of said lower clamp body portion; and an upper clamp member overlying said lower clamp member and comprising an upper clamp body portion and a pair of upper rail channel defining portions connected to opposite longitudinally extending sides of said upper clamp body portion and cooperating with the lower rail channel defining portions to secure the seat rails therebetween; said upper and lower clamp members having predetermined edge portions exposed to the seat rails being rounded over to further protect against damage to the seat rails. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86)
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Specification