JP7175012B2 - folding bike - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a folding bicycle that can be folded more compactly while maintaining high rigidity.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, folding bicycles are known that are folded by folding a frame arranged between a front wheel and a rear wheel. (See Patent Document 1, for example).

Patent No. 5745145

However, in the above technique, since the frame is configured to be bent, the rigidity of the frame is reduced. In addition, when the bicycle is folded as in the technique described above, the width of the entire bicycle is greatly increased, so it is desirable to reduce the width of the bicycle as much as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable bicycle that can be folded more compactly while maintaining high rigidity.

The present invention includes a frame disposed between front and rear wheels arranged in the front-rear direction in a running posture, one end connected to the frame, and the other end rotatably supporting the front wheel from the first surface side of the front wheel. A folding bicycle comprising a front-wheel-side support member for folding the front-wheel-side support member into the The folding bicycle is characterized in that the front wheel is folded rearward so as to be positioned between the front wheel and the frame.

According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to form a folding hinge for folding the front wheel on the frame, so that the rigidity of the frame, which requires high rigidity, is prevented from being lowered. In addition, since the front wheel support member is positioned between the front wheel and the frame, the front wheel support member does not protrude outside the front wheel when the front wheel is cantilever supported. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the width of the foldable bicycle when it is folded, and to transform it into a neat “folded posture”.

A rear wheel side support member having one end connected to the frame and the other end rotatably supporting the rear wheel is further provided, and one end of the rear wheel side support member extends in the left-right direction in the running posture. It is preferable that the rear wheel is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about an axis, and that the rear wheel moves forward as the rear wheel support member rotates about the rotation axis.

With such a configuration, there is no need to form a folding hinge for folding the rear wheel on the frame, so that the rigidity of the frame, which requires high rigidity, is further prevented from being lowered.

Further, it is preferable that the frame is formed with an accommodation through-hole capable of accommodating the rear wheel that has moved forward.

With such a configuration, the vehicle height of the folding bicycle can be lowered when folded, so that the folding bicycle can be folded into a more compact shape. In addition, since the width does not increase when the rear wheels are folded, it is possible to fold the vehicle into a more compact shape in this respect as well. Furthermore, a complicated mechanism for avoiding interference of the rear wheel moving forward with the frame becomes unnecessary.

Further, the front-wheel-side support member includes a tubular member and a rod-shaped member inserted into the tubular member, one of the tubular member and the rod-shaped member being connected to the frame, and the other being connected to the frame. rotatably supports the front wheel from the first surface side, and one of the tubular member and the rod-shaped member is provided with a bendable member when the rod-shaped member is pulled out of the tubular member by a predetermined amount or more. It is preferable that a bent portion is provided.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the bending portion from unintentionally bending due to a large load being applied to the bending portion during running. In particular, such a configuration is more effective when the front wheel is cantilever supported by the front wheel support member.

According to the folding bicycle of the present invention, it can be folded more compactly while maintaining high rigidity.

1 is a left side view of a folding bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a right side view of a folding bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2A is a top view of a frame according to an embodiment of the invention; 1 is a perspective view of a frame according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a front view of a folding bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic top view of a seat stay portion according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Explanatory drawing of folding operation of the front wheels according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic front view of a folding bicycle in a "folded position" according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Explanatory drawing of the folding operation of the rear wheels according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a folding bicycle in a "folded position" according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

A folding bicycle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG.

The folding bicycle 1 can be transformed between the "running posture" and the "folded posture". First, the configuration of each part will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 showing the "running posture". In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "front-rear direction", "up-down direction", and "left-right direction" refer to the directions seen from the driver of the folding bicycle in the "running posture". .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the folding bicycle 1 includes a frame 2, a handle portion 3, a front wheel side support member 4, a front wheel 5, a saddle portion 6, a rear wheel side support member 7, a rear a wheel 8;

The frame 2 includes a top tube 21, a down tube 22, a head tube 23, and a seat tube 24, each of which is formed in a tubular shape from a material such as steel, aluminum, carbon, or titanium.

The top tube 21 is arranged so as to extend substantially in the front-rear direction, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a through-hole 21a for housing the rear wheel 8 is formed in the substantially central portion in the vertical direction. ing.

The down tube 22 extends rearward and downward from a substantially central portion of the top tube 21 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, it extends downward and rearward from both side surfaces of the portion of the top tube 21 where the through-hole 21a is formed, and has a structure integrated at the rear portion. . Therefore, the housing through-hole 22a is formed in the vertical direction in the portion before the down tube 22 is integrated. The rear wheel 8 can be accommodated in the accommodation through hole 22a.

The head tube 23 is connected near the front end of the top tube 21 so as to extend substantially vertically. A handle folding portion 23a is formed in the upper portion of the head tube 23. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the seat tube 24 is connected to the top tube 21 and the down tube 22 so as to extend substantially vertically rearward of the accommodation through holes 21a and 22a.

The handle portion 3 includes a handle stem 31 and a handle 32 .

The handle stem 31 is connected to the upper end of the head tube 23 so as to extend substantially vertically.

The handle 32 is fixed near the upper end of the handle stem 31 .

The front-wheel-side support member 4 corresponds to a so-called front fork, and as shown in FIG. hold and support. In this embodiment, the surface of the front wheel 5 that is not supported by the front-wheel-side support member 4 is referred to as a second surface 52 .

Specifically, the front-wheel-side support member 4 includes a tubular member 41 and a rod-shaped member 42 .

The tubular member 41 is connected to the lower left side surface of the head tube 23 and extends downward. Further, a bendable portion 41a is formed at a substantially intermediate portion of the tubular member 41 in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a hinge formed on the left side surface of tubular member 41 and extending forward and upward from the rear is employed as bent portion 41a.

The rod-shaped member 42 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular member 41 , and its upper portion is inserted into the tubular member 41 and its lower portion extends from the first surface 51 side of the front wheel 5 to the front wheel 5 . supports the rotation axis of

The bent portion 41a described above is provided at a position where it can be bent when the rod-shaped member 42 is pulled out of the cylindrical member 41 by a predetermined amount or more. Further, the cylindrical member 41 is provided with a front-wheel lock member (not shown) for preventing the bent portion 41a from being unintentionally bent.

Since the upper end of the tubular member 41 is closed, the rod-shaped member 42 cannot be inserted beyond the upper end of the tubular member 41 . In addition, each of the cylindrical member 41 and the rod-shaped member 42 is formed with a slip-off prevention member (not shown) so that the rod-shaped member 42 does not come off completely from the tubular member 41 .

The saddle portion 6 has a seat post 61 and a saddle 62 .

The seat post 61 is connected to the upper portion of the seat tube 24 so as to extend substantially vertically, and the saddle 62 is fixed near the upper end of the seat post 61 .

The rear wheel support member 7 corresponds to a so-called seat stay and chain stay, and supports the rear wheel 8 rotatably.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the rear-wheel-side support member 7 includes a pair of seat stays 71, a pair of rotation support portions 72, and a rear-wheel-side lock member 73. ing.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pair of seat stays 71 are connected to each other at their front ends, and their rear ends rotatably support the rotation shafts of the rear wheels 8 from the left and right sides.

The pair of seat stays 71 extend rearward and downward so as to be substantially continuous with the top tube 21 while their front end portions are in contact with the rear end of the top tube 21 . However, the front end portions of the pair of seat stays 71 are not fixed to the rear end of the top tube 21 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of rotation support portions 72 extend from each of the pair of seat stays 71 toward the down tube 22 and are connected to the down tube 22 so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 72a extending in the left-right direction. ing.

Here, since the front end portions of the pair of seat stays 71 are not fixed to the rear end of the top tube 21, the rear end of the top tube 21 is moved along with the rotation of the pair of rotation support portions 72 about the rotation shafts 72a. will be separated from

However, it is possible to keep the contact state between the rear end of the top tube 21 and the front ends of the pair of seat stays 71 by the rear-wheel lock member 73 provided near the front ends of the pair of seat stays 71 . be.

The folding bicycle 1 also has a drive system for rotating the rear wheel 8, such as a chain wheel, a rear derailleur, a chain, and pedals, but the description thereof is omitted here.

Next, the folding operation of the folding bicycle 1 will be described.

(1) Folding operation of the front wheels 5

When folding the front wheel 5, first, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the upper end of the rod-shaped member 42 of the front-wheel-side support member 4 is folded into the bent portion 41a formed in the tubular member 41. The rod-shaped member 42 is pulled out from the cylindrical member 41 until it is positioned below the . As a result, the tubular member 41 becomes bendable, and the front wheel 5 is folded rearward by bending the tubular member 41 around the bent portion 41a as shown in FIG. 7(c). That is, the front wheel 5 rotates rearward so that the front wheel support member 4 is positioned between the front wheel 5 and the frame 2, as shown in FIG.

(2) Folding operation of rear wheel 8

When folding the rear wheel 8, first, the rear wheel lock member 73 shown in FIG. Release. As a result, the rear-wheel-side support member 7 becomes rotatable about the rotation shaft 72a, so that the rear-wheel-side support member 7 is made rotatable about the rotation shaft 72a as shown in FIG. 9(b). As a result, the rear wheel 8 is rotated forward and housed in the housing through hole 21a and the housing through hole 22a formed in the top tube 21 and the down tube 22, as shown in FIGS. 9(c) and 10. FIG.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, in addition to folding the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 8, the handle folding portion 23a of the head tube 23 is folded, and the seat post 61 (saddle 62) is lowered to achieve a "folded posture." Transformation to is completed.

In this embodiment, the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 8 have the same size, and the dimensions of each part are determined so that the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 8 are coaxially aligned in the "folded posture." there is

As described above, in the folding bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the bent portion 41a formed in the front wheel support member 4 (cylindrical member 41) is bent so that the front wheel support member 4 is connected to the front wheel 5 and the frame. A front wheel 5 is folded rearward so as to be positioned between 2.

With such a configuration, it is not necessary to form a folding hinge for folding the front wheel 5 on the frame 2, so that the rigidity of the frame 2, which requires high rigidity, is prevented from being lowered. Further, since the front wheel side support member 4 is positioned between the front wheel 5 and the frame 2, in the case of the structure in which the front wheel 5 is cantilever supported as in the present embodiment, the front wheel side support member 4 is positioned outside the front wheel. will no longer protrude. Therefore, the width of the foldable bicycle 1 when folded can be reduced, and it can be transformed into a neat "folded posture".

Further, in the folding bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the rear wheel 8 is folded by rotating forward as the rear wheel support member 7 rotates about the rotating shaft 72a.

With such a configuration, it is not necessary to form a folding hinge for folding the rear wheel 8 on the frame 2, so that the rigidity of the frame 2, which requires high rigidity, is further prevented from being lowered.

Further, the frame 2 (the top tube 21 and the down tube 22) is formed with accommodation through holes 21a and 22a that can accommodate the rear wheel 8 that has moved forward.

With such a configuration, the height of the folding bicycle 1 when folded can be reduced, so that the folding bicycle 1 can be folded into a more compact shape. In addition, since the width does not increase when the rear wheel 8 is folded, it is possible to fold it into a more compact shape in this respect as well. Furthermore, a complicated structure for avoiding interference of the rear wheel 8 moving forward with the frame 2 is also unnecessary.

Further, the cylindrical member 41 of the front-wheel-side support member 4 is provided with a bending portion 41a that can be bent when the rod-like member 42 is pulled out of the cylindrical member 41 by a predetermined amount or more.

According to such a configuration, a large load is applied to the bent portion 41a during running, and the bent portion 41a is prevented from being unintentionally bent. In particular, such a configuration is more effective when the front wheel side support member 4 supports the front wheel 5 in a cantilever manner as in the present embodiment.

The folding bicycle of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the claims.
(1) Front wheel support member 4

In the above-described embodiment, the bent portion 41a can be bent when the rod-shaped member 42 is pulled out of the tubular member 41 by a predetermined amount or more. If the front wheels 5 are foldable, this configuration is not necessarily required. For example, the configuration may be such that a normal front fork is provided with the bent portion 41a. However, in order to prevent the bent portion 41a from being unintentionally bent, it is preferable that the bent portion 41a is configured by the rod-shaped member 42 and the tubular member 41. As shown in FIG.

In the above embodiment, the front wheel support member 4 supports the first surface 51 of the front wheel 5 in a cantilever manner. In this case, the connection between one front wheel side support member 4 and the front wheel 5 is released, and then the other front wheel side support member 4 is bent. Further, for example, a configuration is conceivable in which the first surface 51 of the front wheel 5 is supported by the front wheel side support member 4 and the second surface 52 is supported by a normal front fork. In this case also, the connection between the front fork and the front wheel 5 is released, and then the front wheel support member 4 is bent. However, in order to reduce the width of the foldable bicycle 1 when folded, it is preferable to support the front wheel 5 in a cantilever manner.

Furthermore, in the front-wheel-side support member 4 of the above-described embodiment, the cylindrical member 41 is connected to the frame 2 (head tube 23), the rod-like member 42 supports the rotation shaft of the front wheel 5, and the cylindrical member 41 has a bent portion. 41a, but one of the tubular member and the rod-shaped member is connected to the frame, the other rotatably supports the front wheel 5, and one of the tubular member and the rod-shaped member is provided with a bent portion. Other configurations may also be used.

For example, (a) a configuration in which a cylindrical member is connected to the frame, a rod-shaped member supports the rotation shaft of the front wheel 5, and the rod-shaped member is provided with a bent portion; The member supports the rotation shaft of the front wheel 5, and the tubular member is provided with a bent portion. A configuration provided with a bent portion is also included in the present invention.
(2) Rear wheel support member 7

In the above-described embodiment, the rotation shaft 72a of the pair of rotation support portions 72 is provided at the connecting portion with the down tube 22, but may be provided at the connecting portion with another frame such as the seat tube 24 or the like.
(3) Frame 2

In the above embodiment, the through-holes 21a and 22a are formed in the top tube 21 and the down tube 22, respectively. Also, if the folding bicycle has only one of the top tube 21 and the down tube 22, it is sufficient that the tube having the top tube 21 and the down tube 22 is provided with an accommodation through-hole.

1 folding bicycle 2 frame 3 handle portion 4 front wheel side support member 5 front wheel 6 saddle portion 7 rear wheel side support member 8 rear wheel 21 top tube 21a storage through hole 22 down tube 22a storage through hole 23 head tube 23a handle folding portion 24 Seat tube 31 Handle stem 32 Handle 41 Cylindrical member 41a Bent portion 42 Rod-shaped member 43 Front wheel lock member 51 First surface 52 Second surface 61 Seat post 62 Saddle 71 Seat stay 72 A pair of rotation support portions 72a Rotating shaft 73 Rear wheel side lock member

Claims (2)

a frame disposed between the front and rear wheels aligned in the front-rear direction in a running posture;
a front wheel side support member having one end connected to the frame and having the other end rotatably supporting the front wheel from the first surface side of the front wheel;
A folding bicycle comprising
The front-wheel-side support member includes a tubular member and a rod-shaped member inserted into the tubular member,
one of the tubular member and the rod-shaped member is connected to the frame, and the other rotatably supports the front wheel from the first surface side;
Either one of the cylindrical member and the rod-shaped member is provided with a bending portion that can be bent when the rod-shaped member is pulled out from the cylindrical member by a predetermined amount or more. 1. A foldable bicycle , wherein said front wheel is folded rearward so that said front wheel support member is positioned between said front wheel and said frame . Further comprising a rear wheel support member having one end connected to the frame and the other end rotatably supporting the rear wheel,
One end of the rear-wheel-side support member is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft extending in the left-right direction in the running posture, and the rear wheel rotates around the rotation shaft of the rear-wheel-side support member. Move forward with rotation around the center,
2. The folding bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the frame is formed with an accommodation through-hole capable of accommodating the rear wheel that has moved forward.

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