BE1019264A3 - ERGONOMIC BIKE SADDLE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The object in question is the realization of a saddle-pain-free bicycle saddle (1), consisting of a seat part (2) and a saddle nose (3), in which the front saddle edge (4a, 4b) forms an obtuse angle and the seat part (2) perfectly fits the ischial tubercles. supports. The invention in question has two concave surfaces, adapted to the anatomical shape of the buttocks, which spread the pressure on the ischium tubercles to less sensitive areas with a lowered area at the back to relieve the coccyx and a flattened area at the front to prevent pressure on the pubic bone. .

Description

ERGONOMIC BIKE SADDLE

This invention relates to a saddle with ergonomic design, intended in particular for use on a bicycle but also applicable in other sectors (seating furniture, public transport, fitness equipment, etc.) with the intention of eliminating the saddle pain phenomenon during cycling and an excellent sitting position. and driving comfort.

Saddle pain is a common inconvenience, both for professional cyclists and for recreational (occasional) cyclists, so choosing the right saddle is very important. Most competition cyclists opt for a hard saddle, while recreational cyclists will opt for a wider and more comfortable saddle.

The known saddles, however, present many problems.

University medical studies into saddle pain, erectile dysfunction and other complaints show that: • 94% of cyclists experience physical complaints while cycling; • 64% have saddle pain; • Long-term cycling (from 3 hours a week) can lead to erectile dysfunction and possibly even to impotence; • the blood circulation in the penis drops on average by 70% after 10 minutes of cycling.

• The sporty saddles (narrow and hard) have a negative effect on blood circulation of 66%, with recreational saddles (wide and comfortable) this is only 25%.

Various factors play a role in this: 1) The sit bone nodules

When cycling, the body weight is largely supported by the sit bone nodules. When these are insufficiently supported, the surrounding connective tissue comes under increased pressure and the blood vessels, tendons and nerves are pinched with saddle pain as a result.

2) The symphysis of the pubis (cross)

The sit bones merge into the pubic bones that fuse together at the level of the cross into the pubic symphysis. The pubis (crotch) is loaded seven times more when cycling than when sitting on a chair and can cause serious discomfort. The pubis and the tail bone form the ends of the buttock (perineum), the area between the external genitalia and the anus. In this perineal zone is the Alcock canal with its important blood vessels and nerve bundles (pudendus nerve).

When cycling, these blood vessels and nerves are compressed at the level of the pubic bone, compromising the flow of blood to the penis and causing a "dead" feeling in the noble parts. In time this can affect the swelling bodies with erectile dysfunction and even impotence as a result. Sexologist Dr. Steven Schräder states: "The question is no longer whether or not cycling leads to erectile dysfunction, but what we can do about it." Urologist Dr Irwin Goldstein puts it even more lapidarily: "There are two types of riders: those who are impotent and those who will become them." It is a fact that erectile dysfunction is more common among cyclists (estimated at least 5%) and that prostate complaints worsen due to cycling.

Also with the woman there is a painful pressure on the pubic bone and the nerves of the clitoris can be affected. The reduced blood supply can cause a hardening of the genital arteries with a reduced orgasm as a result. The rubbing of the labia that, as it were, are crushed between the saddle and the pubic bone can also cause a painful irritation.

3) The tail bone (rump)

In the case of a poorly adjusted saddle, the tailbone (rump) can also come under elevated dmk and lead to saddle pain.

4) Low back pain

A poorly adjusted saddle causes a wrong sitting position and low back pain. A good saddle, on the other hand, induces a slightly bent posture. The resulting forward tilt of the pelvis reduces the curvature of the back, relieves lumbar vertebrae and elongation on the ligaments and thus prevents low back pain.

5) Skin injuries

Rubbing the seat back and forth over the saddle causes heat to develop and excessive sweating, causing the skin to become irritated and inflamed, sometimes to bleed. This can best be compared with bedsores (pressure ulcers). The exaggerated local pressure at the level of the buttocks, the pubic bone and the tailbone can also damage the skin

To offer a solution to this, manufacturers have already come up with different solutions. The enormous proliferation of all kinds of bicycle saddle models is an indirect proof that the ideal solution for the saddle pain problem has still not been found. Moreover, the proposed solutions often create new problems, so the remedy is sometimes worse than the disease.

Some known solutions are listed below:

Some saddles are provided with a cut-out (slot, "cut-out") to relieve pressure on the perineum. Such saddles, however, are not very efficient because certain veins are not above the cut itself, but run sideways and are therefore pinched by the edges of the cut;

Gel saddles where the saddle surface is locally provided with gel cushions. Such gel saddles feel soft and comfortable during the first kilometers, but over time saddle pain often occurs in full intensity. The softer the saddle, the deeper the sit bones sink in and the more tendons, nerves and blood vessels are pinched. A gel saddle also feels sultry and can cause the driver's seat to heat up;

Leather saddles have the advantage that they mold to the seat. However, the disadvantage is that they have to be run in for quite a long time, are fairly sensitive to humidity, they have to be regularly treated with saddle fat and are quite expensive to purchase. Moreover, leather does not have the same freedom of design as with the use of modern plastics; With a classic saddle with a wide and long saddle nose, the inside of the thighs often rubs strongly against the saddle nose, resulting in energy waste, heating and rubbing wounds. The omission of the saddle nose, as described in the American patent publication US 2005/0258675, is not an option, because the saddle nose is essential for steering, stability and safety, especially when cornering and looking back when cycling.

The present invention has for its object to provide a saddle for use on a bicycle and for analogous applications (seating furniture, public transport, fitness equipment, etc.), which offers excellent riding comfort and eliminates the occurrence of saddle pain while riding.

The object of the invention is achieved by providing a bicycle saddle according to the appended claims.

In the following detailed description of the bicycle saddle according to this invention, the mentioned features and advantages of the invention are further clarified. It is clear that the sole purpose of this description is to clarify the general principles of this invention by a concrete example, and that nothing in this description can therefore be interpreted as limiting the scope of the patent rights claimed in the claims, nor from the scope of this invention.

In the description below, reference is made to the accompanying figures by reference numerals, wherein: Figure 1 is an anatomical representation of the human seat with the following references: IA: sit bone nodules; IB: Symphysis of the pubis; figure 2 is a top view of the saddle according to the present invention with the following references: 1: saddle; 2: seating area; 3: saddle nose; 4a and 4b: front edge of the seating area; 4as and 4bs: linear segment of 4a and 4b; 5: rear edge of the seating area; 6a and 6b: concave surfaces of the seating area; 7: transition zone between seat and base of the saddle nose; 8: wedge-shaped zone with lowered profile; Figure 3: is a representation of a classic saddle; Figure 4 is a representation of a cyclist's saddle; Figure 5 is a representation of the underside of the saddle and the method of fixing the fixation rail on the saddle with the following references: 9: underside of the saddle; 10, 11, 12: bulges; 13, 14, 15: ends of the metal fixation rail; 16: fixation rail.

The object of the invention is achieved by providing a saddle with the following specific characteristics: 1) Large supporting surface

The proposed design of a saddle (1), for use on a bicycle, in particular a bicycle, but also for other analogous applications, as shown on the top view (Fig. 2), comprises on the one hand a seating area (2) and on the other a saddle nose ( 3) which is narrower than the stated seating area.

In the proposed design, the front saddle edge comprises two separate parts (4a and 4b), separated from one another by the saddle nose (3) and symmetrically located on both sides of the axis of symmetry A, the contour line B of the plan view of the proposed saddle design (FIG. 2) has a linear segment 4as and 4bs at the height of the center of each of the parts 4a and 4b, the extensions of which intersect at point C at the axis of symmetry A at an angle α of preferably between 125 and 165 and in particular of 145 degrees.

The proposed design aims for a maximum saddle width. In the proposed design, the seating area preferably has a width between 22 and 30 cm and in particular 26 cm.

By designing the saddle in such a way, the largest possible contact surface (supporting surface) is obtained between the saddle and the rider's seat, corresponding to the anatomy of the seat. The greater the contact surface between the saddle and the seat, the smaller the pressure per cm 2 and the lower the load on the sit bones (IA).

In the proposed design, the seating area (i.e. without the saddle nose) preferably has a length between 10 and 16 cm and in particular of 13 cm. In the proposed design, the saddle nose, which has no supporting function and only serves for stability and steering, preferably has a length of between 4 and 10 cm and in particular of 7 cm.

The proposed bicycle saddle design thus has a seating area whose width is approximately twice as long as the length.

2) Saddle surface with anatomically responsible shape and optimum support of the buttocks.

As described above, the front saddle edge consists of two parts (4a and 4b), separated from one another by the saddle nose (3) and symmetrically located on both sides of the axis of symmetry A, the contour line B of the top view of the saddle (Fig.2) has a linear segment 4as and 4bs at the height of the center of each of the parts 4a and 4b, the extensions of which intersect at point C at the axis of symmetry A at an angle of preferably between 125 and 165 and in particular of 145 ° .

The traditional bicycle saddles, on the other hand (Fig. 3), have a triangular base surface in which the saddle nose and the seat area form a continuous whole and in which the two halves of the front saddle edge form an angle β of approximately 70 ° with respect to each other. In the traditional saddle, the points of contact of the sit bone nodules roughly coincide with the saddle edge, so that the surrounding connective tissue is placed under an asymmetrically increased pressure, the blood vessels and tendons are pinched and the bursa on the bone of the sit bone becomes inflamed. With a cyclist saddle (Fig. 4), the nose is very long and the seat area narrow so that the contact points of the seat bone nodules fall completely outside the saddle and the full body weight presses on the perineal zone and the pubic bone resulting in saddle pain.

Given that the body weight is mainly supported by the two sit bone nodules, optimum support is extremely important for the prevention of saddle pain.

The sit bone nodules are 11 cm on average for men and 13 cm apart for women; this means an average distance of 12 cm.

In the proposed design (Fig. 2), the large base area and the above-described shape of the front saddle edge ensure that the sit bone nodules and their surrounding area are completely within the saddle surface and are well supported.

3) Ergonomically profiled front saddle edge

A bicycle saddle is not only a static design, intended for optimum seating comfort, but above all a dynamic fact, in which the motor movement and the freedom of movement of the legs are extremely important.

The front saddle edge (4a and 4b) has a gently sloping and rounded profile, without protrusions, ribs or combs, which can hinder the pedaling movement of the legs.

4) Ergonomic surface relief

With the proposed design, the pressure on the seat bone nodules is further reduced by moving the weight to the less sensitive areas of the seat. This is achieved through a local relief: the higher the relief, the more intense the contact between saddle and seat and the better the support effect. By allowing body weight to rest on the less vulnerable areas as much as possible, the pressure on the sensitive sit bone nodules is reduced.

The proposed saddle design includes a rear saddle edge (5) with the saddle surface showing a local relief elevation that follows the anatomical imprint of the seat and extends in an ascending direction toward the axis of symmetry A and the rear saddle edge (5) and thus results in two concave surfaces 6a and 6b, symmetrically located on both sides of the axis of symmetry A, whereby the seat is stably positioned on the saddle and the pressure on the sensitive sit bone nodules is moved to the less pressure-sensitive parts.

This biconcave surface profile is therefore not the result of a local depression but of a local relief increase

The local embossing also proceeds further into the zone (7) of the seating area adjoining the base of the saddle nose, blocking the seat bone nodules, preventing the seat from sliding forward on the saddle and ensuring stable positioning of the seat on the saddle .

The front edge (4a and 4b) of the seating area, on the other hand, has a lowered and rounded profile without annoying protrusions, ribs or ridges that impede the pedaling movement of the legs when cycling.

The longitudinally central saddle section (6), which forms the separation zone between the two concave surfaces 6a and 6b, ends at the rear in a wedge-shaped zone (8) with lowered relief, so that all pressure on the sensitive sitting leg (rump) is prevented. The flattened and lowered saddle nose (3) progressively overflows into the seating area (2) so that all pressure on the pubic bone is prevented and the main cause of saddle pain is eliminated.

The relief elevations described above ensure good support and stable positioning of the seat bumps, thereby preventing both forward and lateral shearing of the seat surface.

This prevents energy loss, friction, heating, excessive sweating and skin injuries. The saddle profile also takes into account the aerodynamic position of the cyclist on the saddle. With a bent-over position, the pelvis is tilted forward, so that the contact points of the sitting bones are positioned more in front and closer to each other.

With an upright sitting posture, the contact points of the sitting bones are then more to the back and further apart.

The orientation of the biconcave profile takes this into account.

With a traditional saddle (Fig. 3) and a cyclist's saddle (Fig. 4) on the other hand, the top of the saddle has a convex shape with sloping edges with the longitudinal axis of the saddle forming the highest point. As a result, the pubic bone is put under extra strain and the seat tends to slide sideways.

5) Sloping profile

The relief elevation described above results in a longitudinally inclined saddle profile, with the rear saddle edge forming the highest point, with an inclination that is preferably between 10 and 20 and in particular 15 degrees. This sloping profile induces a slightly bent body posture, a better use of force and a lower load on the seat surface because a larger part of the body weight is transferred to the handlebar.

The resulting forward tilt of the pelvis reduces the curvature of the back, relieves lumbar vertebrae, reduces elongation on the ligaments and prevents low back pain.

The bent-over posture also offers less air resistance and thus improves efficiency.

The raised rear edge is also important in another respect. The pedaling force and the weight of the body create a force that is perpendicular to the saddle, but also a horizontal component, parallel to the contact surface between the seat and the saddle. If the skin and underlying tissue have to absorb this so-called shear force, this quickly leads to pain and irritation. This horizontal component is largely switched off due to the tilt of the saddle.

6) Short and narrow saddle nose

The saddle nose (3) is important for balance, steering and stability when cycling, especially when cornering and looking back. With the proposed design, the stable positioning of the seat provides extra balance control, so that a short saddle nose is already sufficient.

The saddle nose itself and the adjacent zone of the front saddle edge are also lowered and flattened, so that any direct contact between saddle and pubis is avoided and the main cause of saddle pain is eliminated.

Due to the narrow and short saddle nose there is also much less contact between the inside of the thighs and the sides of the saddle nose when cycling, which prevents friction, energy loss, heating and skin injuries.

Moreover, the knees and legs thus come closer together, giving the body a more aerodynamic shape, reducing air resistance and increasing efficiency.

Since women naturally have a wider pelvis than men and there are of course considerable individual differences, this saddle design may need to be provided with several sizes, depending on the distance between the buttocks, but with the same general basic shape.

The choice of a suitable saddle is therefore not determined by the gender of the cyclist, but by the individual physique, length and weight. Such "unisex" saddle makes the choice easier for the customer and reduces the investment cost in stocks for the retailer.

The proposed design can be realized quickly and cheaply via plastic injection molding techniques in plastic (ABS, PC, PBT, PA, POM, SBS, HDPP), whether or not reinforced with fibers and supporting profiles.

The ergonomic design of the proposed design ensures excellent seating and driving comfort, even in the simplest version consisting of a rigid plastic saddle plate, without saddle cover, foam rubber or gel pads, which can significantly reduce production costs.

However, the saddle can also be performed in a luxury presentation using a saddle cover, gel pads and foam, in order to increase the visual attractiveness and the feeling of comfort. Moreover, the concept can be extended to other applications such as seating, the transport sector, fitness equipment, etc.

The bottom (9) of the saddle has, as can be seen from Figure 5, three protuberances (10, 11, 12), the upper surfaces of which form an impression of the respective ends (13, 14, 15) of the metal fixation rail (16), the one protrusion (10) is situated on the axis of symmetry at the height of the saddle nose and the other two protrusions (11, 12) are symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry against the rear edge and the side edge of the saddle and wherein each protrusion is provided with a tubular metal insert with internal thread for fixing the metal fixation rail by means of screws on the underside of the saddle.

Comparative critical investigation of analogous patents:

A bicycle saddle, a kitchen chair, a bar stool, an armchair, a sofa, a tractor saddle all fall under the common name: "sitting device".

"An ergonomic design for a seating device, aiming for maximum seating comfort and based on an anatomical imprint of the seat with two symmetrical concave depressions" is an obvious fact for those skilled in the art that has long been used in practice and therefore belongs to "the state of the art" .

A bicycle saddle, however, is distinguished from other "seating devices" in that it is not a static but a dynamic fact that serves not only the seating comfort in the resting position, but also the specific motor skills of cycling and especially the freedom of movement of the legs.

Numerous patents claim a bicycle saddle design that would eliminate the phenomenon of saddle pain, but despite all kinds of technical gadgets, modern technology has still not succeeded.

The use of foam rubber, gel pads and recesses in the saddle cover provide a slight improvement in the best case, but not a radical solution.

A small selection from the long list of such patents: US patent 4572575 (Golden), US patent 3503649 (MEJohnson), US patent 4850643 (Rollman), US patent 4773705 (Terranova), US 6079775 (Lawson), US patent 6116683 ( Maier), US patent 5011222 (Yates), US patent 6045180 (Clutton)

In US patent 2005258675, COPE JANICE presents a bicycle saddle in the shape of a round dish, with raised edges, raised middle section and three concave depressions. This design is not effective in practice for various reasons: the round basic shape is not ergonomically correct and does not correspond to the anatomical imprint of the seat when cycling; the concept has no saddle nose, which is nevertheless essential for the sense of balance and stability. The saddle nose is indispensable for safety reasons, especially when taking turns and when looking back.

It is furthermore apparent from Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 of this patent that the front edge of this saddle almost comes to the knee cavity, whereby pedaling is not only impeded but absolutely impossible when cycling.

The front edge of the saddle is far too high and ergonomically unjustified because its sharp edge cuts into the underside of the legs with every step of the movement, and the hamstring muscle in particular has to suffer. The proposed design results in a flat dish with a raised saddle edge that is higher at the rear than at the front. Due to the mutual differences in anatomy, this "saucer shape" is not universally applicable: for one user, such a saddle will be too small, whereby the seat comes into painful contact with the upright saddle edge, for the other user it will be too large , as a result of which the claimed support of the seat is canceled.

Claims (11)

1 Saddle (1) for use on a bicycle or for analogous applications, comprising a seat section (2) and a saddle nose (3) that is narrower than the said seat section, characterized in that the seat section (2) comprises a front saddle edge consisting of two parts (4a and 4b) separated by the saddle nose (3) and symmetrically located on both sides of the axis of symmetry (A), the contour line (B) of the top view of the saddle at the height of the center of each of the parts (4a and 4b) has a linear segment (4as and 4bs) whose extensions intersect at point C at the axis of symmetry (A) at an angle α of preferably between 125 and 165 degrees. Saddle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the seat portion preferably has a width between 22 and 30 cm, corresponding to the width and the anatomical shape of the seat surface, so that the seat bone nodules and the surrounding zone are superbly supported and a maximum saddle surface is achieved, whereby the pressure per unit area and the pressure on the sit bone nodules is reduced. Saddle as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the seating part preferably has a length between 10 and 16 cm. Saddle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the saddle nose preferably has a length between 4 and 10 cm. Saddle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seating part (2) comprises a rear saddle edge (5), the saddle surface showing a local relief increase that follows the anatomical imprint of the seat and extends in the direction of the axis of symmetry A and the rear saddle edge (5) and thus results in two concave surfaces 6a and 6b, symmetrically located on both sides of the axis of symmetry A, whereby the seat is positioned in a stable manner on the saddle and the pressure on the sensitive sit bone nodules moved to the less pressure sensitive parts. Saddle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the local relief increase continues in the zone (7) of the seating area adjoining the saddle nose, thereby blocking the seating bone nodules, preventing the seat from sliding forward on the saddle and a stable positioning of the saddle the seat on the saddle is assured. Saddle as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the front saddle edge has a lowered and rounded profile without annoying protrusions, ribs or ridges that hinder the pedaling movement of the legs when cycling. Saddle according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the two concave surfaces 6a and 6b in the rear saddle section are separated from each other by a wedge-shaped central zone (8) with lowered relief, so that all pressure on the sensitive sit leg (rump) is prevented and the natural ventilation of the buttock seamed. Saddle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the saddle nose (3) has a lowered and flattened profile that progressively overflows into the transition zone (7) between the saddle nose (3) and the seat section (2), so that all pressure on the pubic bone is prevented and the main cause of saddle pain eliminated. Saddle as claimed in any of the claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the embossed elevation described creates an inclined profile in the longitudinal direction, with an inclination that is preferably between 10 and 20 degrees, so that a slightly leaning forward position of the rider is induced. Saddle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the underside (9) of the saddle comprises a metal fixation rail and three protuberances (10, 11, 12), the upper surfaces of which form an impression of the respective ends (13, 14, 15) of the metal fixation rail (16), wherein one protrusion (10) is located on the axis of symmetry at the saddle nose and the other two protrusions (11, 12) are symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry at the rear edge and the side edge of the saddle and wherein each bulge is provided with a tubular metal insert with internal thread for fixing the metal fixation rail by means of screws on the underside of the saddle.