JP2002037158A - Saddle height adjusting device of bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate getting on and off of a person by lowering a seat of a bicycle by external operation without impairing comfortableness by suction of outside air, and to keep an always stable traveling posture by raising the seat by thrusting-up input from a road surface at traveling time. SOLUTION: A saddle 7 is supported by a body frame so that the height can be adjusted by interposingly sandwiching a cylinder device 5 sealed with gas pressure of a degree capable of maintaining the most extended state at traveling time, and the inside of a cylinder 2 is partitioned into a head side air chamber 11 having the large pressure receiving area, a rod side air chamber 12 smaller in the total pressure receiving area than the pressure receiving area of the head side air chamber 11 while always keeping a communicating state and an air chamber 14 in a rod by a piston 3 and the piston rod 4 in the cylinder device 5, and a check valve mechanism 23 is interposed so as to have the function capable of mutually communicating these both air chambers 11 and 12 by operation from an external part while always allowing a flow of gas turning to the head side air chamber 11 from the rod side air chamber 12 to the piston 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to adjusting the height of a saddle so that a rider can easily get in and out of a bicycle, and can easily drive while maintaining a stable running posture after starting running. The present invention relates to a saddle height adjusting device for a bicycle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as such a saddle height adjusting device for a bicycle, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 50-16247 published on Feb. 20, 1975 in Japanese Patent Application No.
Devices such as those shown in the figures and FIG. 2 are already known.

That is, in this prior art, a hydraulic cylinder having a saddle attached to the upper end is mounted in an inverted state and is non-rotatably mounted on a vehicle body frame through a piston rod. The saddle is supported so that it can only move up and down with respect to the body frame.

[0004] The interior of the above-mentioned hydraulic cylinder is partitioned into a head-side oil chamber located above by a piston and a rod-side oil chamber located below, and an upper part of the head-side oil chamber is further divided. It is partitioned as an air chamber filled with high-pressure gas by a slidable free piston.

Further, a switching valve for controlling the shutoff and communication between the oil chamber on the head side and the oil chamber on the rod side in the cylinder is interposed at the piston portion of the hydraulic cylinder, and this switching valve is selectively externally provided. The saddle height can be adjusted to a desired position by utilizing the external force, the gas pressure in the air chamber, or both, by performing the opening and closing operations.

[0006]

Indeed, according to such a device, it is possible to easily get on and off a stopped bicycle by lowering the saddle, and to always maintain a stable running posture after starting to run. There is an advantage that the height of the saddle can be easily adjusted so as to keep the vehicle running easily.

On the other hand, when the vehicle is running with the switching valve closed and the saddle set at a desired height and a thrust input from the road surface is applied, the hydraulic pressure holding the saddle at the desired height is increased. The cylinder performs a compression operation instantaneously against the reaction force of the high-pressure gas in the air chamber partitioned by the free piston.

At this time, since the oil chamber on the rod side expands in the opposite direction, a negative pressure phenomenon occurs in the oil chamber, and the outside air flows into the oil chamber on the rod side from the sealing portion of the piston rod projecting to the outside. It is feared that you inhale.

[0009] Then, the internal pressure of the hydraulic cylinder is abnormally increased due to the suction of the outside air, and the smooth expansion and contraction operation of the hydraulic cylinder supporting the saddle is hindered, which may impair ride comfort thereafter.

[0010] Further, since a hydraulic cylinder using oil is used to adjust the height of the saddle, not only the cost is increased but also the weight of the vehicle is increased, and a large force is required for traveling. It also has disadvantages such as

Further, the weight of the rider through the saddle is supported solely by the reaction force of the high-pressure gas in the air chamber above the oil chamber on the head side partitioned by the free piston. While the cross-sectional area of the piston rod acts as a reaction force against the reaction force of the gas, the hydraulic cylinder contracts to lower the saddle.

For this reason, even if the rider tries to lower the saddle by opening the switching valve to ride the bicycle, the contraction resistance of the hydraulic cylinder is large because the pressure of the high-pressure gas sealed in the air chamber of the hydraulic cylinder is high, and the seat cannot be seated. There is also a disadvantage that it is difficult to smoothly and promptly perform the descending operation.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it easy for a person to get on and off by using an external valve switching operation and a seat pressing operation when getting on and off a bicycle, and to automatically input a thrust from the road surface during running. Not only can the seat be lifted to maintain a stable running posture, but also the ride comfort is not impaired by the rise in internal pressure due to the suction of outside air into the cylinder device, and the lowering and raising operations of these seats are smooth and It is an object of the present invention to provide a bicycle saddle height adjusting device which can be performed quickly and has advantages in cost and weight.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to support a saddle so as to be adjustable in height with respect to a vehicle body frame via a cylinder device filled with a gas pressure sufficient to maintain the most extended state during traveling. A head-side air chamber having a large pressure-receiving area inside the cylinder with the piston and the piston rod in the cylinder device, and a rod-side air chamber and a rod-side air pressure chamber having a total pressure-receiving area smaller than the head-side air chamber while always maintaining communication. While allowing the piston to always allow gas flow from the rod-side air chamber to the head-side air chamber to the piston, the two air chambers can be mutually connected by an external operation. This is achieved by interposing a check valve mechanism having a function of enabling communication.

That is, according to this, the check valve mechanism is opened by an external operation to maintain the same gas pressure in the air chamber on the head side and the rod side in the cylinder while maintaining the same pressure.
The seat is pushed down against the extension force of the cylinder due to the pressure receiving area difference between the top and bottom of the piston, and it is easy for a person to sit down on the seat and ride a bicycle.

Further, after the vehicle starts traveling, the cylinders are alternately extended and contracted by the input from the road surface against the gas reaction force in both the air chambers, and the check valve mechanism is pushed open without inhaling the outside air to push the rod open. The gas in the air chamber on the side is sent to the air chamber on the head side, and the back flow is prevented by the check valve mechanism. It is automatically adjusted to the height suitable for.

Thereafter, a large pressure receiving area on the head side of the piston acts on the small-volume air chamber on the rod side with respect to the thrust input from the road surface, so that a large gas spring reaction force is obtained and the petering efficiency is improved. Improve.

When the traveling speed is extremely low or when the vehicle is about to stop, the check valve mechanism is opened by an external operation and a small pressure receiving pressure on the rod side of the piston is introduced into the large-capacity air chamber on the head side. By applying an area, a small gas spring reaction force is obtained, the saddle is lowered with the weight applied on the saddle, and the foot can easily reach the ground when the bicycle stops.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A bicycle saddle height adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a saddle height adjusting device for a bicycle according to the present invention. The saddle height adjusting device 1 includes a piston slidably inserted into the inside of a cylinder 2. 3 and a piston rod 4 extending outward from the piston 3 through the lower end of the cylinder 2 to constitute an inverted cylinder device 5.

At the upper end, which is the closed end of the cylinder 2, there is provided a gas filling valve 6 which is integrally formed and arranged, and is in a running state with respect to the inside of the cylinder device 5 through the gas filling valve 6. A gas having a pressure sufficient to maintain the cylinder device 5 in the most extended state while supporting the load applied to the saddle 7 of the bicycle at this time is sealed.

In the case of this embodiment, the saddle 7 of the bicycle
Is integrally mounted thereon via the above-described gas filling valve 6, but it is not always necessary to mount it in this way, and it is directly mounted on the upper end portion of the cylinder 2 irrespective of the gas filling valve 6. The saddle 7 of the bicycle may be attached to the bicycle.

As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 2, the piston 3 has a sliding member 10 composed of a piston ring 8 and a piston seal 9 on the outer peripheral surface. The interior of the cylinder 2 is divided into an upper head-side air chamber 11 and a lower rod-side air chamber 12 while sliding on the inner peripheral wall of the cylinder 2.

From the piston 3, the piston rod 4 moves downward to move the pipe-shaped portion at the upper end into the piston 3.
While being integrated by screwing into a boss 13 formed on the lower surface of the piston rod, the rod-side air chamber 12 on the cylinder 2 side extends through the bearing body 17 to the outside, and the pipe-shaped portion of the piston rod 4 Inside it defines an air chamber 14 in another rod.

Further, in this case, the piston rod 4 is mounted on the bearing 15 provided on the inner surface of the lower end of the cylinder 2.
And extends downward through a bearing body 17 having a seal 16 and
While the piston rod 4 is guided by the bearing 15 in the bearing body 17, the lower end of the air chamber 12 on the rod side is sealed by the seal 16.

A cushion ring 18 is simply placed and inserted on the upper surface of the bearing member 17, and a cushion rubber 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the piston 3 by holding down a perforated plate 19.

The cushion ring 18 and the cushion rubber 20 are compressed by sandwiching the cushion ring 18 and the cushion rubber 20 between the piston 3 or the cylinder 2 in the vicinity of the most extended end and the most compressed end, respectively, when the cylinder device 5 expands and contracts. However, it plays a role of reducing the shock generated at the time of maximum elongation and maximum compression.

On the other hand, the air chamber 14 in the rod
The piston 3 is always in communication with the rod-side air chamber 12 through through holes 21 and 22 formed in the boss portion 13, and the piston 3 is connected to the head side in the cylinder 2 through a through hole 22 from a through hole 21. A check valve mechanism 23 with a return spring that allows only the flow of gas toward the air chamber 11 is disposed, and the check valve mechanism 23 is pushed open to open the air chamber 12 on the rod side and the air chamber 14 in the rod. Through hole 21,
At 22, the air chamber 11 communicates with the head side.

The check valve mechanism 23 is forcibly opened from the outside to allow the gas flow from the air chamber 11 on the head side to the rod side and the air chambers 12 and 14 in the rod through the through holes 21 and 22. A check rod mechanism 23 and an axis are arranged on the boss 13 of the piston 3, and a push rod 25, which is a cam mechanism having a cam surface 24 at a lower portion, is rotatably disposed. The axis is also arranged below the push rod 25. A fixed cam member 26 slidably in contact with the cam surface 24 is provided by fitting to the boss 13 of the piston 3.

A rotary drive member 27 extends from the bottom to the upper fixed cam member 26 in the air chamber 14 in the rod.
Is fixed by a stopper 28 interposed between the fixed cam member 26 and the shaft 30 extending from the cam surface 26 of the push rod 25 to the output shaft 29 extending upward from the rotary driving member 27. Are locked together with detents or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, a seat shaft 31 is coaxially fitted and attached to the lower end of the piston rod 4, and the saddle height adjusting device 1 is mounted on a bicycle (not shown) through the seat shaft 31. It is attached to the body frame.

In this case, in order to prevent the saddle 7 from being displaced with respect to the vehicle body frame, the cylinder 2 and the piston 3 are not shown in the drawing.
The cross-section of the elliptical shape to fit each other, or
A relative operation in the axial direction is allowed between the bearing body 17 on the cylinder 2 side and the piston rod 4, but a restricting means such as a key for restricting the relative rotation about the axis may be provided.

In this way, the current vehicle speed of the bicycle is processed by the controller 32, and this is used as an external signal (input signal) to control the rotation of the push rod 25 through the output shaft 29 of the rotary drive member 27, thereby controlling the rotation of the push rod 25. 2
4, the check valve mechanism 23 is lifted through the push rod 25 to control the opening and closing of the through hole 22.

Thus, the bicycle saddle height adjusting device 1 shown in FIG. 1 operates as described below.

That is, while the bicycle is stopped, the gas reaction force of the air chamber 11 on the head side in the cylinder 2 acts on the upper surface side of the piston 3 having a large pressure receiving area, and the air chamber 1 in the rod is stopped.
The total gas pressure in the rod-side air chamber 12 including the pressure chamber 4 is reduced to keep the internal gas pressure higher than the gas pressure in the head-side air chamber 11.

Thus, even if the check valve mechanism 23 is not forcibly pushed and opened by an external input signal,
The check valve mechanism 23 is pushed open by the pressure difference of the gas acting on the upper and lower surfaces of the piston 3, and the gas inside is sent from the air chambers 12 and 14 to the air chamber 11.

As a result, these air chambers 12 and 14 and air chamber 1
The gas pressure in 1 acts on the upper and lower surfaces of the piston 3 having a pressure receiving area difference corresponding to the cross-sectional area of the piston rod 4, and while the gas pressure and the pressure receiving area difference work, the cylinder device 5 is extended to the most extended state. The saddle 7 will be lifted and maintained at the highest position.

Then, when a person rides on the stopped bicycle, an external signal is applied to the rotary drive member 27 through the controller 32, and the output shaft 29 rotates the push rod 25 and the cam surface 24. The push rod 25 is pushed up by the function of the fixed cam member 26, and the check valve mechanism 23 is forcibly pushed open by the push rod 25.

When the check valve mechanism 23 is opened, the gas volume in the cylinder device 5 becomes the total volume of the air chambers 11, 12, and 14 in the head side, the rod side, and the rod, and the action of the gas is performed. Since the pressure receiving area becomes the cross-sectional area of the piston rod 4, the saddle 7 can be easily lowered only by applying a small external force in the pushing direction, and thus the saddle 7 can be easily lowered only by applying a small external force. You can easily ride a bicycle.

In this case, as described above, if the saddle 7 is lowered, the check valve mechanism 23 is closed by releasing the external signal to the rotary driving member 27, and the external force on the saddle 7 is removed from this state. As in the case of the bicycle when the bicycle is stopped, the saddle 7 is lifted while the cylinder device 5 is extended by the gas reaction force.

However, since the total capacity of the internal air chambers 11, 12, and 14 in the cylinder device 5 is large and the pressure receiving area is small in the cross-sectional area of the piston rod 4, the thrust in the extension direction is low, and Since the elongation speed of the cylinder device 5 is low, it does not hinder riding a bicycle.

Thus, immediately after riding the bicycle, the saddle 7 is at the lowest position or in a state close to the lowest position. However, when the vehicle starts running, the cylinder device 5 resists the internal gas reaction force due to an input such as pushing up from the road surface. To start the telescopic movement.

At this time, the cylinder device 5 expands by the reaction force of the air chamber 11 on the head side after the compression operation, and the expanding operation causes the air chambers 12, 1 in the rod side and in the rod.
When the gas reaction resistance generated in 4 becomes larger than the gas pressure in the air chamber 11 on the head side, the check valve mechanism 23 is opened, and the gas in the air chambers 12 and 14 flows into the air chamber 11 on the head side. Backflow is prevented by the check valve mechanism 23.

Then, the cylinder device 5 repeats such expansion and contraction operations, finally reaches the maximum extension state, and lifts the saddle 7 to the highest position to maintain the posture suitable for running the bicycle. I do.

In this state, when a thrust input is made from the road surface, the head-side air chamber 11 which has a small capacity by the closed check valve mechanism 23 is opposed to the head side of the piston 3 having a large pressure receiving area. Therefore, a large gas spring reaction force is exerted, and a thrust input from a road surface is absorbed without lowering the petaling efficiency, thereby ensuring a stable running posture.

On the other hand, when the traveling speed of the bicycle in the traveling state becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value and the vehicle is stopped just before stopping, the check valve mechanism 23 is activated by the push rod 25 through the rotary driving member 17 by an external signal. The air chambers 12 and 14 in the rod communicate with the air chamber 11 on the head side by force.

As a result, the gas volume in the cylinder device 5 becomes a large sum of the volumes of the air chambers 11, 12, and 14, and the pressure receiving area where the gas in the cylinder device 5 acts is also the piston rod 4. Since the cross-sectional area of the bicycle becomes smaller, the saddle 7 is immediately lowered by the weight of the person riding the bicycle, and the feet reach the ground, so that the person can easily get off the bicycle.

In the above description, the running posture in which the height of the saddle 7 is adjusted to the highest position when the cylinder device 5 is in the most extended state, and the stop position in which the height of the saddle 7 is adjusted to the lowest position in the most compressed state. There are two stages, that is, immediately before and at the stop posture.

Therefore, to adjust the height of the seat 7 according to the elongation and preference of the cyclist, the joint between the seat shaft 31 and the body frame of the bicycle is adjusted.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the check valve mechanism 23 of the spring closed type is opened by the rotary drive member 27. However, for example, a mechanical operating mechanism similar to the prior art is used. Alternatively, the check valve mechanism 23 may be opened using an operating mechanism or another operating mechanism.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the piston rod 4 of the cylinder device 5 is attached to the bicycle body frame side, and the saddle 7 is connected to the cylinder device 5.
Of the bicycle, the cylinder device 5 is turned upside down, the cylinder 2 is mounted on the bicycle body frame side, and the saddle 7 is mounted on the piston rod 4.
It can also be attached to the side.

[0052]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the saddle is raised with respect to the vehicle body frame via the cylinder device filled with gas pressure enough to maintain the most extended state in the running state. Adjustably supported, the air chamber on the head side having a large pressure receiving area inside the cylinder with the piston and the piston rod in the cylinder device, and the rod side on the rod side having a smaller total pressure receiving area while always maintaining the communication state. The chamber is divided into an air chamber and an air chamber in the rod, and the piston is always allowed to flow gas from the air chamber on the rod side to the air chamber on the head side. With the interposition of a check valve mechanism that allows the chambers to communicate with each other, when getting on or off the bicycle, the check valve mechanism can be opened and operated externally. In addition to making it easier for people to get on and off by pushing down the seat, it is possible to automatically lift the seat with a thrust input from the road surface and maintain a stable running posture when driving, and also to suck in outside air into the cylinder device. Without compromising ride comfort due to the rise in internal pressure due to
In addition, the operation of lowering and raising these seats can be performed smoothly and promptly, and a saddle height adjusting device for a bicycle that is advantageous in terms of cost and weight can be provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as the mechanism for forcibly opening the check valve mechanism by an external operation, the rotation driving member housed inside the piston rod and the rotation force of the rotation driving member are used as shafts. Since the check valve mechanism is constituted by a cam mechanism which pushes the check valve mechanism against the return spring while converting the force into a directional force, in addition to the effect of the invention of the above-mentioned claim 1, these mechanisms are simply and compactly integrated. This makes it possible to provide the saddle height adjusting device built in.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal front view showing an embodiment of a bicycle saddle height adjusting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial longitudinal front view showing a main part of the bicycle saddle height adjusting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Saddle height adjustment device 2 Cylinder 3 Piston 4 Piston rod 5 Cylinder device 7 Saddle 11 Air chamber on head side 12 Air chamber on rod side 14 Air chamber in rod 23 Check valve mechanism 25 Push rod constituting cam mechanism 26 Fixed Cam member 27 Rotation drive member 28 Stopper 32 Controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A saddle is supported on a vehicle body frame so as to be adjustable in height with a cylinder device filled with gas pressure sufficient to maintain a maximum extension state during traveling, and a piston and a piston rod in the cylinder device are provided. With the air chamber on the head side, which has a large pressure receiving area inside the cylinder, the air chamber on the rod side and the air chamber in the rod, the total pressure receiving area of which is smaller than the pressure receiving area of the air chamber on the head side while maintaining a continuous communication. The chamber can be divided into two chambers, and the piston can always allow the gas to flow from the air chamber on the rod side to the air chamber on the head side. A saddle height adjusting device for a bicycle, comprising a check valve mechanism having a function of reducing the saddle height. 2. A mechanism for forcibly opening a check valve mechanism by an external operation, comprising: a rotation driving member housed inside a piston rod; and a check valve mechanism converting a rotational force of the rotation driving member into an axial force. 2. The saddle height adjusting device for a bicycle according to claim 1, comprising a cam mechanism that pushes open against the return spring.