DE102011052297A1 - Saddle for use as seat for e.g. men or women of e.g. bicycle, has composite material including carbon knitted fabric or interlaced yarn accommodated in plastic matrix, where knitted fabric or yarn includes elastomer resin in matrix - Google Patents

Abstract

The saddle (1) has a composite material including a carbon knitted fabric or interlaced yarn accommodated in a plastic matrix. The Carbon knitted fabric or interlaced yarn is provided in a matrix of poly (methyl methacrylate)s or of a mixture based on the poly (methyl methacrylate)s. The knitted fabric or interlaced yarn consists of elastomer resin in the matrix. A mold is individually adapted to an operator or determined classes of operators and determined depending on pressure measurement values that are detected when mounting the operator on a test body with a measurement device.

Description

The invention relates to a saddle for a two-wheeled vehicle.

Two-wheeled vehicles, for which such saddles are used as a seat for an operator, are in particular bicycles.

In bicycles used as sports equipment, an essential task is to achieve a weight reduction of the individual components in order to achieve better performance values, in particular higher speeds. Thus, for example, consisting of metallic materials existing frames of bicycles are replaced by frames that consist at least partially of carbon.

To further reduce weight, other components are made from lighter materials. In particular saddles of bicycles are also made of materials with low weight. Examples include saddles made of epoxy resins. Furthermore, it is generally known to also use carbon fabric.

In the weight reduction of saddles, especially bicycle saddles, it is important to ensure that they have a sufficient stability despite a low weight. Although this can be ensured in known systems, but this is then at the expense of seating comfort, since these systems are very hard and unyielding. Although this reduction in seating comfort can be intercepted in principle by upholstery of the saddles, but then again the weight of the saddle is increased. In addition, in order to achieve a sufficient seating comfort, the upholstery must be designed relatively complex, which increases the design effort of the saddle.

The invention has for its object to provide a saddle of the type mentioned, which has increased functionality with little design effort.

To solve this problem, the features of claim 1 are provided. Advantageous embodiments and expedient developments of the invention are described in the subclaims.

The invention relates to a saddle for a two-wheeled vehicle, consisting of a fiber composite material, from a recorded in a plastic matrix carbon knit or Carbongewirk.

The saddle according to the invention can generally be used for two-wheeled vehicles, but particularly advantageously for bicycles.

A significant advantage of the saddle according to the invention is that it not only has a high stability with low weight, but also a high level of comfort.

The combination of these advantageous effects is achieved in particular by the use of a carbon stripe or carbon knit. In contrast to the use of carbon fabrics is achieved by the use of carbon knit or carbon knit next to a high stability with low weight of the saddle also a high level of comfort that when using the saddle by an operator this has a suspension effect and in a form to some extent can adapt to the movements exerted by the operator.

This effect is advantageously further supported by the fact that the carbon strand or carbon knit of the saddle is embedded in a matrix consisting of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) or a mixture based on PMMA.

The PMMA forming a thermoplastic material is thermoplastically deformable, so that when used by an operator, the saddle can deform thermoplastically and thus adapt to the movements of the operator.

The seat comfort of the saddle can be further increased by the fact that its shape is individually adapted to the respective operator. Alternatively, the saddle can also be attached to certain classes of persons, eg. As men and women or different sizes or weight levels of persons to be adjusted.

The shape of the saddle designed individually for an operator is determined on a test device. This test device consists of a stationary two-wheeler with a seat pad, which is covered areally with pressure sensors in the form of podimeters. Instead of pressure sensors and other measuring devices, in particular podometers can be used. With the pressure sensors, the location-dependent pressure distribution is determined, which results in the seated on the seat operator. In an evaluation unit, pressure peaks in the pressure distribution are determined. The shape of the saddle is determined therefrom so that these pressure peaks are largely eliminated, that is, the resulting shape of the saddle is individually adapted to the operator so that this results in a uniform pressure distribution when sitting on the saddle.

In principle, an adaptation of the saddle to certain classes of persons is possible. Again, the test facility for optimizing the Saddle shapes are used for the respective classes of persons by the respective pressure distributions are determined for a larger number of operators who are assigned to specific person classes. Then, from the pressure distributions, which were determined for a person class attributable persons, determined for this class optimum shape of the saddle.

In an alternative embodiment of the saddle according to the invention, the carbon knit or carbon knit may be embedded in a matrix which consists of an elastomeric resin, in particular a polyurethane resin, instead of PMMA.

The saddle thus formed has characteristics such as a saddle using PMMA as a matrix for a carbon knit or carbon knit.

The saddle according to the invention is mounted on a frame, which may consist of a steel, aluminum or titanium alloy depending on the application. Alternatively, the frame as well as the saddle may consist of a carbon knit or a carbon knit in a plastic matrix. Advantageously, several layers of a carbon stripe or carbon knit are provided, which are pressed together. Furthermore, the frame may consist of a multilayer carbon composite material.

Finally, the saddle according to the invention can be further developed in such a way that a padding consisting of an open or closed-cell foam or a gel layer is applied to it.

As padding different embodiments of open or closed-cell foams can be used. Preferably, a preformed, adapted to the saddle shape foam layer is adhered to the saddle as padding. Instead of a foam, a gel layer can serve as a padding, which adheres to a film and forms with it a unit that can be mounted on the saddle.

Generally, the padding is covered with a cover made of leather or imitation leather.

In general, instead of a carbon knit or carbon knit or in addition to this, a glass-polyester knit or glass-polyester knit be provided.

The invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

1 : Top view of the top of an embodiment of the saddle according to the invention.

2 : Top view of the underside of the saddle according to 1 with a rack mounted there.

3 . 4 : Individual representations of the frame according to 2 in different views.

The 1 and 2 show in different views an embodiment of the saddle according to the invention 1 , which is used in a bicycle, especially a road bike.

The saddle 1 consists of a molded part, which is preferably adapted individually to a user using the bicycle. In the present case, the saddle exists 1 from a carbon knot embedded in a matrix of PMMA.

Alternatively, a carbon knit may be used instead of the carbongestrick. The carbon knit or carbon knit consists of threads, which preferably consist of a carbon. Various types of knitting to form the carbon knit or different knits to form the carbon knit can be used.

In the present case, pure PMMA is used to form the matrix for the carbon monolith. Alternatively, a mixture based on PMMA can be used.

That's the saddle 1 forming molding has a preferably substantially homogeneous thickness, that is wall thickness, which is in the range of a few millimeters. Preferably, the saddle points 1 a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm.

The thus formed saddle 1 has a low weight and high stability while maintaining a high level of comfort. The seat comfort results from the fact that the at least partially made of PMMA matrix is thermoplastically deformable, so that upon movements of the operator, the saddle 1 deform to a small extent and so can adapt to the movement of the operator. Next, the saddle thus formed 1 resilient properties, whereby the sitting comfort is further increased.

2 shows a plan view of the underside of the saddle 1 with a rack mounted there 2 , which is attachable to a frame, not shown, of the bicycle.

The frame 2 consists of a part, which can generally consist of a steel, carbon, aluminum alloy. In the present case, the frame exists 2 from a titanium alloy.

The shape of the frame 2 is to the contour of the saddle 1 customized. For this purpose, the frame 2 a crossbar 2a on, at its two ends in each case a longitudinal strut 2 B followed. The cross strut 2a runs transversely to the longitudinal axis of the saddle 1 in the widened rear part of the saddle 1 , The two to the cross struts 2a subsequent longitudinal struts 2 B are identical and extend in the longitudinal direction of the saddle 1 on opposite sides of the saddle 1 ,

3 shows in a detail view a side view of a longitudinal strut 2 B of the frame 2 , 4 shows in a detail view a rear view of the cross member of the frame 2 , As can be seen from these figures, the side members not only have curvatures or inclinations in the plane of the drawing 2 but are also inclined out of this plane. This forms the frame 2 a three-dimensional frame contour, which is adapted in shape to the spatial contour.

How out 2 The frame is visible 2 by shooting on the saddle 1 attached. In these shots, the frame 2 inserted or locked. Preferably, the shots are part of the saddle 1 forming molding, that is, the recordings can with the saddle 1 produced in a manufacturing process.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

saddle

2

frame

2a

crossmember

2 B

longitudinal strut

Claims (10)

Saddle ( 1 ) for a two-wheel vehicle consisting of a fiber composite material, from a recorded in a plastic matrix carbon knit or Carbongewirk. Saddle according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a carbon fiber or carbon knit fabric in a matrix of PMMA or of a mixture based on PMMA. Saddle according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a carbon knit or carbon knit fabric in a matrix of an elastomeric resin. Saddle according to claim 3, characterized in that the elastomeric resin is a polyurethane resin. Saddle according to claim 1, characterized in that its shape is individual to an operator or is adapted to certain classes of operators. Saddle according to claim 5, characterized in that its shape is determined as a function of pressure measured values which are detected when a at least one operating person sits on a test body with a measuring device. Saddle according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the saddle ( 1 ) on a rack ( 2 ), which consists of a steel, carbon, aluminum or titanium alloy or of a multilayer carbon composite material, carbon fiber or Carbongewirk. Saddle according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that on this a padding, consisting of an open or closed porous foam or a gel layer is applied. Saddle according to claim 8, characterized in that the padding is covered with a cover made of leather or artificial leather. Saddle according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in addition to or instead of a carbon knit or Carbongewirks a glass-polyester knit or a glass-polyester knit is provided.

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