MXPA98009693A - Armor with central structure and opus lines - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an improved frame construction comprising a plurality of node members (14,16) interconnected with a plurality of arm members (41-46) and liner members (30, 32, 34, 3

Description

* - / FRAME WITH CENTRAL STRUCTURE AND OPPOSITE LINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to frameworks or frames to interconnect two points and transmit loads in the plane and out of plane between them. More specifically, the invention relates to a bicycle frame and components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional bicycle frames use welded metal pipes in closed structures to interconnect the components (front fork / handlebar unit, seat, connecting rod or crank, wheel later) and transmit the charges between them. The metal tubes maintain the components in a spatial relationship, that is, they maintain the components in relative proximity. In addition, the metal tubes support the loads in the plane and out of plane between the components. The traditional bicycle frame consists of: an upper tube connected to its front end to the top of the relatively short shaft tube and extending generally in the horizontal direction towards the part back to the top of the tube, -seat; a down tube connected to the front end towards the bottom of the steering shaft tube and extending down and back to the lower clamp where the seat tube and down tube are connected; and pairs of chain anchors and anchors of the rear wheel extending back to the projections that support the rear wheel axle. This conventional frame design is known as a "diamond" frame, because when viewed from the side, the upper tube, the lower tube, the chain anchors and the rear wheel anchors define a shaped space of diamond. These frames require that the entire frame be redesigned for the different frame sizes needed to accommodate runners of different heights. This includes determining the tube lengths necessary for proper spacing of the bicycle component, cutting the tubes accordingly, determining the tube joining angles and consequently welding or brazing the tubes together. This method is time consuming and expensive, in terms of design and manufacturing complexity. Therefore, it is desired to have a picture that is easier to manufacture, particularly when manufacturing different sizes of frames. In addition, the conventional tube frames are relatively heavy, since they are formed from * ' the extrusion or lamination and sewing of metal alloys. Finally, conventional tube frames are limited in terms of aerodynamic improvements, as these are limited to the use of generally circular cross-section tubes. It is known to manufacture bicycle frames completely from composite materials, such as in the US Patent No. 4,889,355 of Trimble, where the frame is constructed using a mold to internal pressure to form the composite tubes. However, this method of manufacture does not take advantage of the use of different materials and suitable configuration to support the different loads to which a bicycle frame is subjected during use. Another example of a frame known in the art is seen in U.S. Patent No. 5,456,481 to Allsop, et al., Which describes a frame having right and left units of the body that are directly coupled together. All the structural elements of the table are form of the same material. Again, this method of manufacture does not take advantage of the use of different materials or suitable configuration to support the different loads to which a bicycle frame is subjected during use. Therefore, there is a need for a table of bicycle that has the separate structural elements manufactured so that the different elements take advantage of the different properties of the materials or configurations, thus allowing the most efficient table possible for all the expected loads. In the conventional bicycle frame design, the seat support is designed integrated with the seat tube: the upper part of the seat tube is notched, and the notch is provided with a screw clamp. The internal diameter of the seat tube is selected to slidably receive a standard seat post, and the clamp is tightened to secure the seat post in the desired vertical position. This conventional seat support design requires that the seat tube be drilled to a very precise diameter so as to accept the seat post, while at the same time not being too large to require significant formation of the transverse shape of the seat tube. seat when the screw clamp is tightened. In addition, the use of a single screw clamp provides only a single point of support for the seat post. The internal diameter of the seat tube is necessarily larger than the external diameter of the seat post, so there will be play between the seat post and the part of the seat tube under the clamp. In this situation, the only support leaves the seat post free to deviate or vibrate within the tube of the seat post in response to the moments around this support point. Therefore, it is desired to provide a seat support unit that does not require precise machining, and that provides more than a single positive support point for the seat post. In this way there is a need for a strong, lightweight bicycle frame that is easy to manufacture, that uses different materials in different parts of the frame to more effectively take advantage of the properties of these materials, which can easily accommodate frames of different sizes using standard components and having an improved seat support unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improved frame construction for transmitting loads in the plane and out of plane between a plurality of components and maintaining the components in a spatial relationship. The frame is composed of a plurality of node members for the interconnection with the components and members arms and linings interconnecting the node members. The arms include two channels on opposite sides to receive the outer edges of the lining members. Preferably, the nodes members and the arms form a perimeter channel extending substantially around the entire perimeter of the frame and the lining members are secured thereto. In one embodiment, the present invention is a bicycle frame having a central structure with external linings attached to both sides of the structure. The central structure is composed of nodes members to form the interface with the bicycle components. More specifically, the table includes a first node member that includes bearing guide rings for receiving the front handle / donut unit and a second node member for receiving the handle unit. In addition, the frame contains a first plurality of arms interconnecting the first and second member nodes. The arms include two opposed channels to receive the external linings. preferably, the central structure further contains a third node member for the seat unit and a second plurality of arms extending from the node of the seat unit to the first plurality of arms. In this embodiment, the present invention provides a bicycle frame having a tube enclosing the drive shaft and a seat post. The tube enclosing the drive shaft extends down and back from a front fork / steering support node member to a lower crank drive / clamp node member. The seat post extends up and down from the tube enclosing the drive shaft and ends at the node member of the seat support unit. The frame is composed of a structure that includes nodes in the region of the front fork / steering support, the region of the crank / lower clamp unit and the seat support region and a plurality of arms interconnecting the nodes having opposite channels in these. The frame is also composed of opposing facing members that are received in the arms channels. Preferably, the node members also include channels to form a perimeter channel that extends substantially around the entire frame to receive the outer edges of the shell members. The structure can be manufactured as a single piece, of different suitable materials and by different suitable processes. For example, the structure can be formed by: CNC machining or molten metal or injection molded plastic. The structure can otherwise be constructed of several different pieces joined together. The separate nodes members for the steering support, the seat support and the lower bracket are made separately and are connected through the arms. Preferably, the connections between the nodes and the arms are designed for overlap. The superposition of the material provides a larger surface area for the joint, resulting in a stronger mechanical connection. Each liner can be of a one-piece or multi-component construction. In a preferred embodiment, the lining members comprise the tube members enclosing the drive shaft and the lining members of the seat post. The linings of the tube enclosing the drive shaft provide an outer sheath for the steering support region, the tube enclosing the drive shaft and the region of the lower bracket. The members of the seat post liners provide a cover for the seat post, which extends from the tube that encloses the motor shaft to the seat support unit. More preferably, the member members of the seat post include curved fins at the lower ends, which form and wrap the tube enclosing the drive shaft, providing a large surface to surface connection between the linings. Otherwise, the linings of the seat post can simply end up in the tube enclosing the drive shaft providing a simple shore-to-surface connection. The linings can be fixed in the perimeter channel of the structure by different suitable techniques according to the materials used. Most preferably, an epoxy adhesive is used to adhere the liners to the arm channels.

The structure and the lining members can be made from a variety of suitable structural materials. Most preferably, the structure is made of aluminum alloy 356, and the liners members are made of a carbon fiber / epoxy composite. The present invention also relates to a seat support unit comprising an arm and at least one band clamp. The band clamp is tightened around a standard seat post to frictionly attach it to the arm, thus providing a light weight, positive support and preventing vertical and rotational movement as well as vibration of the seat post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The preferred features of the present invention are described in the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters define similar elements in all the different tracks, and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame of bicycle according to this invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective of the frame of this invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the structure; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the liner of the tube enclosing the left-side drive shaft; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the liner of the seat post on the right side; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the seat support unit; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the central node; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the steering support node; Figure 8A is a perspective view of a second mode of the steering support node; Figure 9 is a perspective view of an arm member; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the lower clamp node; Figure 11 is an enlarged sectional view of the tube enclosing the drive shaft taken along the line lili of Figure 1; Figure 12 is an exploded view of an oscillating arm according to the present invention; Figure 13 is an exploded perspective of a second embodiment of the oscillating arm according to the present invention; Figure 14 is an exploded perspective of a pedal crank according to the present invention; Figure 15 is an exploded perspective of a second embodiment of the pedal crank according to the present invention; Figure 16 is a plan view of a wheel according to the present invention; and Figure 17 is an enlarged sectional view of the wheel beam taken along line 17-17 of Figure 16.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Modes Figure 1 illustrates the bicycle frame 10 according to the present invention. The bicycle frame 10 is formed of a negative space frame design, that is, the frame does not include an upper tube. The frame consists of a tube enclosing the motor shaft 12, which extends from the region of support of the direction 14 to the region of the lower clamp 16 and a seat post 18, which is attached to the tube enclosing the motor shaft and extends towards the rear and upwards thereof to the seat support unit 56. Preferably, the seat mast 18 is connected to the tube enclosing the motor shaft 12 between the steering support region 14 and the region of the lower clamp 16. The table of the present invention accepts and interconnects the components that are available in the industry, but the components do not constitute part of the invention. For example, the steering support 14 accepts a Cannondale HEADSHOK ™ steering unit or a standard handlebar and front fork / wheel unit. The seat support unit 56 accepts a seat mounted on a standard seat post, and the lower clamp 16 accepts a crank and a swing arm / rear wheel unit. These components are known in the art and, therefore, are not illustrated in the Figures. As can be seen in the exploded view of Figure 2, the bicycle frame is composed of a central structure 40 and lining members 30, 32, 34 and 36. The structure is constructed by joining the lining member of the tube enclosing the left drive shaft 30, the lining member of the left seat mast 34 , the tube lining member enclosing the right motor shaft 32 and the mast lining member of the right seat 36 to the central structure 40 securing the lining members in a perimeter channel formed in the structure 40. Referring to Figure 3, the central structure 40 consists of 4 nodal elements (central node 54, seat support unit 56, steering support node 50 and lower clamp unit 52) connected by different arms 41-46. The nodes 50, 52, 54 and 56 provide junction locations for the different components of the bicycle that must be interconnected by a structural frame that supports the loads in the plane and torsion. This node and arm design minimizes the parts needed for frames of different sizes allowing the use of common nodes for all frames, simply using arms of different lengths to produce frames of desired size. The structure 40 is preferably a unit of different parts joined together, as will be explained in more detail below. However, it is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the structure can also be constructed as a single monolithic part. The structure of the present invention can be formed of suitable structural materials by the appropriate process. For example, this can be: cast or CNC machined from a light metal such as aluminum, titanium or magnesium; plastic injection or compression molding; or plastic reinforced with fiber, molded as fiberglass can be. In the preferred embodiment, the structure is formed from molten aluminum, such as AL-365. Although the structure of the illustrated embodiment incorporates a novel seating support unit 56, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a conventional tube type seat support can also be incorporated.

The loads are applied to the table through the node members of the components. For example, the mass forces of the runner are applied through the seat support unit 56, the forces of the runner's direction and the front wheel through the support node of the 50th direction, the forces coming from the subsequent shaking through the central node 50 and the pedaling forces and the rear wheel through the lower clamp unit 16. The structure efficiently distributes and resists the loads in the plane through the placement of the interconnector arms and cross-braced reinforcements (Figure 8A). Figure 6 illustrates the seat support unit 56 in accordance with this invention. The seat support unit consists of a pair of band clamps 60, 62 whose support is incorporated in the node of the seat unit 57 of the structure. This design allows ease of fabrication by eliminating the drilling and countersinking operations required to manufacture conventional seat support units, and the difficulties associated with meeting the dimensional tolerances of the seat support unit for the external diameter of the poles of the seat. The seat support unit 56 'is composed of a plate 81 with arms members 86 and 88 extending towards the rear from the plate 81 to form part of the seat support node 57. A pair of spaced support arms 82 extend from the plate 81 from the opposite side of the arms 86 and 88. Extending from the arms 82 are a plurality of fingers 83. Preferably, each arm 82 has two separate pairs of fingers 83. Each pair of fingers 83 forms a semicircle for make butt contact against the seat post (not shown) and to support it. The band clamps 60 and 62 extend from the arms 82 to encircle and secure the seat post of the bicycle. Each end of the band clamps 60 and 62 includes a ring for receiving a threaded sleeve 84. The adjustment of the band clamps 60 and 62 is carried out using the threaded sleeves 84, which can be stretched together using a threaded screw (not illustrated) The band clamps 60 and 62 are preferably made of stainless steel. The seat support unit 56 of the present invention utilizes a band clamp and preferably two band clamps 60 and 62 to provide substantially more support for the seat post than a conventional screw clamp device, without introducing any additional stress into the clamping device. the box itself. When tightening a band clamp less, the seat post is supported by a wide area. With more than one band clamp, the seat post is supported in two separate locations along its length, effectively preventing deformation and vibration of the seat post without the support unit 56. In addition, the support unit of the seat 56 of the present invention efficiently provides material in the locations where the seat post is actually being supported. That is, the band clamps 60 and 62 together with the support fingers 83 provide a secure connection to the seat post and are light in weight. The central node 54 of the structure 40 is illustrated in Figure 7. The central node 54 interconnects the mast of the seat 18 and the tube enclosing the motor shaft 12. The central node 54 is composed of arms extending upwards 90 and 92 for cooperatively joining with the mast arms of the seat 45 and 46. The longitudinally extending arms 94 and 96 as well as the lower corner point 98 are provided for cooperatively joining with the arms of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 40, 43, 42 and 44. The upwardly extending arms 90 and 92 are provided with channels 91 and 93 which are designed to accept the side edges of the mast linings of the seat mats 34 and 36. Preferably, the point of the lower corner 98 is configured to provide channels having amplitudes approximately twice that of other channels in general. The double-width channels accept the intermediate part of the lower edge of the tube linings that enclose the motor shaft 30, 32 and the lower edges of the curved fins 64, 66 of the parts of the seat mast lining. The central node 54 also includes a rear shock mounting flange 100 behind the upwardly extending arm 92. The rear shock mounting flange 100 is provided with a hole 102 to provide a junction point for the rear shock absorber (not illustrated). The other end of the shock absorber is secured to the rear swing arm to cushion the rear wheel crashes. In the most preferred embodiment, the crash mounting flange 100 is located at the point where the upwardly extending arm 92 and the longitudinally extending arm are located. It is obvious to one skilled in the art that the location of the shock mounting flange 100 can be adjusted along the arm 92 or down along the arm 96. A steering support node 50 is illustrated in FIG. Figure 8. This consists of upper and lower supports 110 and 112 respectively and vertical support members 114 and 116. Arms 118 and 120 extend outwardly and downwardly from the steering support node 50 and provide cooperating engagement for the arms of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 41 and 42. The supports 110 and 112 provide the interface between the frame and the steering components and the front fork / wheel. In this way, the function of the support node of the direction 50 is similar to that of the axis tube of the direction of a traditional frame. The arms 118 and 119 and the vertical support member 114 include opposed channels 120 and 122 for receiving the edges and ends of the linings of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32. Referring now to Figure 8A, a second is described. embodiment of the steering support node 50. This embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment shown in Figure 8, but also contains a reinforcing member 117 extending between arm members 118 and 119 for additional strength and structural rigidity. The lower clamp node 52 is illustrated in Figure 9. The pivot support 136 is provided to support the rear swing arm. The pedal shaft support 134 is provided for mounting the crank. The lower clamp node 52 has arms 130 and 132 extending outwards and upwards to provide cooperating connection with the lower arms of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 43 and 44 respectively. The lower clamp node 54 also preferably includes a perimeter channel 138 for accepting the edge of the lower portion of the linings of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32. Having separately described the individual nodes 50, 52, 54 and 57 of the structure, the construction of the unified structure 40 can now be explained in detail with reference to Figure 3. Preferably, the nodes of the structure 50, 52, 54 and 57 are formed separately and are joined through a plurality of arms 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46. To improve the strength of the connections between the components of the structure (nodes and arms), the nodes and arms are designed to be superimposed on sections of the connection, instead of simply making butt contact with each other. For example, the arm 123 of the individual arm member of the structure 43 seen in Figure 10 overlaps and forms a continuous arm with the arm 130 of the lower clamp unit 50, as can be seen in Figure 9. More specifically, the structure 40 is composed of opposed peripheral channels that extend around substantially all the periphery of the structure 40 to receive the frame members., 32, 34 and 36. The peripheral channels are formed of a vertical wall member, for example, 123B, perpendicularly extending between two parallel wall members, for example 123A and 123C. In the superimposed sections, one of the parallel wall members is part of an arm of the node, for example 130C, and the other parallel wall member is formed by the arm, for example 123A. This superposition of the parts contributes to the resistance of a union between the parts. This mechanical superposition of the parts of the structure, together with the fact that different parts of the structure all attach themselves positively to the linings, provides a very strong overall frame system. Therefore, it is not necessary that the pieces of the structure are positively fixed to each other. However, if the parts of the structure are fixed together, the large contact surface area in the joint will result in a strong mechanical connection. The different parts of the structure can be joined together by sonic welding, conventional welding, brazing, adhesives, mechanical fasteners and any other suitable technique for the material used. Now with reference to Figures 4 and 5 there is shown a liner member of the housing enclosing the left drive shaft 30 and a right facing member of the seat mast 36, respectively. The side members 30, 32, 34 and 36 consist of outer edges designed to fit into the channels extending substantially around the perimeter of the structure 40. In the preferred frame, the structure is substantially contained by the shell members, with the exception of of the external flange of the structure. The lining members provide structural rigidity in the plane and out of plane for the frame, as well as improving the aerodynamics of the frame and reduces the risk of accidentally devastating objects such as branches, etc., in the reinforcement work of the structure. The left lining and the right lining of the preferred bicycle frame 10 each is formed of multiple members, i.e., the tube members enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32 and the seat mast linings 34 and 36 of the seat mast. lining members of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32 provide an outer liner for the tube enclosing the motor shaft 12. In the same manner, the seat mast linings 34 and 36 provide a lining for the seat mast 18 However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the liners can also be formed as a single piece on each side. In the preferred embodiment, the tube members enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32 have a steering support region 72, a clamp region 64 and an intermediate region 70 extending therebetween. The region of the lower bracket 64 is provided with holes 66 and 68 to allow adjustments for the crank and the rear swing arm, respectively. The region of the steering support 72 substantially encloses the steering support node 50. The intermediate region 70 provides axial and torsional rigidity between the region of the lower bracket 64 and the support region of the steering 72. Figure 11 provides a cross-sectional view of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 12, including a detailed view of the structure-A-liner connection. Preferably, the lining members 30, 32 are generally "C" in cross section, and are thin relative to the diameter of the general cross section of the tube enclosing the drive shaft. In this location in the frame, the structure contains the arms 41 and 42. The arms preferably include two parallel wall members and a wall member perpendicular therebetween so that they generally form an "I" in their cross section, providing a channel perimeter on both sides, to accept the edges of the linings. The edges of the linings can be attached to the perimeter channel of the structure by an adhesive, pressure adjustment, sonic welding, conventional welding, brazing, mechanical fasteners or any other suitable technique for the materials used. The preferred joining technique is to use an epoxy adhesive bond. The peripheral channels of the structure effectively capture the outer edges and the ends of the lining members, so that the tractional load of the lining-A-structure bond will be resisted by the shear strength of the lining material and structure. In addition, the load borne by the adhesive will be mainly the shear stress in the joint plane. For example, with respect to the attachment of the liner 30 to the arm 41, the upper edge 30A of the liner is effectively "captured" between the flanges of the structure 41A and 41C. The adhesive bond covers the contact surface area between the upper and lower surfaces of the edges of the lining member (30A) and the perimeter channel formed by the internal surfaces of the flanges of the structure (41A and 41C). The tensile stresses in the adhesive bond will be opposed by the bulky material of the lining and arm. In the preferred embodiment, the mast linings of the seat 34 and 36 extend from the central node 54 to the seat support node 57. The seat mast linings 34 and 36 are provided with curved fins 64 and 66 respectively, which extend downwards beyond where the mast of the seat 18 meets the tube enclosing the motor shaft 12. The curved fins closely conform to and enclose the lining parts of the tube enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32. The edges bottoms of the curved fins 64 and 66 are adjusted in the double-width channel provided at the lower corner point 98 of the central node 54 as already described. The curved fins provide structural reinforcement that stiffens the connection of the seat mast with the tube enclosing the drive shaft. It is obvious to those skilled in the art, however, that the fins can be reduced in size or omitted by still providing an acceptably strong bond between the parts of the seat mast linings and the parts of the pipe linings enclosing the shaft. motor by other methods. The liners 30, 32, 34 and 36 can be made of any suitable material such as epoxy or fiber reinforced plastic, injection molded plastics, stamped or hydroformed metals and other suitable materials and processes. The generally suitable materials have a high weight resistance ratio and high flexural modulus. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lining members can be formed with internal reinforcing ribs 74 and 62. The reinforcement ribs can be selectively provided in areas of high stress to provide additional axial stiffness, for example the rib 74, or additional torsional stiffness, for example the rib 62. More specifically, it is contemplated that the plastic formed liners may be formed with one or more ribs to provide greater strength and rigidity. Due to the fact that the lining members all conform positively to the structure, it is not necessary to provide a positive means to adjust the different pieces of the lining on one side with respect to the other. However, if it is desired to positively adjust the different lining members together, this would be carried out by forced adjustment, sonic welding, conventional welding, brazing, mechanical fasteners, adhesives or any other suitable technique for the materials used. For example, it is preferred that the seat mast linings 34 and 36 be adhered to the tube members enclosing the motor shaft 30 and 32. The modular design of the frame of the present invention allows the use of different materials for structure and member linings, thus allowing a design that takes better advantage of the materials chosen and the configurations of the components. As best seen in Figure 2, the preferred structure is a generally flat structural element composed largely of beams I. Therefore, the structure is particularly strong in response to loads in the plane, such as those that result from the weight of the corridor, impacts from shocks , or even frontal collisions with objects. The liners, preferably with transverse "C" shaped bends, contribute to the resistance in response to the loads in the plane and out of plane. In this way, the frame of the present invention allows the structure and the lining members to be made of different materials to advantageously allow the overall frame to better take advantage of the range of available structural materials. Now with reference to Figures 12 and 13, another embodiment of a frame according to the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the frame consists of a bicycle swing arm 150. The bicycle swing arm 150 includes a plurality of nodes 152, 154 and 156 interconnected by arm members 160, 162 and 164. The nodes 152 and 154 provide the interface between the swing arm 150 and the rear wheel, and the node 156 provides the interface for the swing arm 150 with a bicycle frame. The arm member 160 interconnects the node 156 with the node 154. The arm member 162 interconnects the node 154 with the node 162 and the arm member 164 interconnects the node 152 with the node 156. The structure of the swing arm is further composed of members linings 170 and 172. The liners are interconnected in channels in the arms members 160, 162, and 164. The pole members 180 and 182 and the member 184 are provided in the lining member 172 to join the rear brake unit with the swing arm member. 150. The bracket members 190 are provided on the lining member 172 for attaching the rear shock absorber to the swing arm 150 to provide shock damping for the rear wheel. The structure member of the oscillating arm 150 described in Figure 13 is substantially similar to that described in Figure 12. However, the structure member 150 is further comprised of reinforcing members 161, 162 and 165 for interconnecting the limbs and arms. provide additional stiffness and structural stability. The reinforcing members 161 interconnect the arm members 160 and 164, the reinforcing member 163 interconnects the arm members 162 and 160 and the reinforcing member 165 interconnects the arm members 164 and 162. Now with reference to Figures 14 and 15 another embodiment of a frame member according to the present invention is described as a crank segment of the pedal 180. The crank segment of the pedal 180 is composed of two node members 182 and 184. The node member 182 interconnects the crank segment of the pedal 180 with the pedal of the bicycle, and the node member 184 interconnects the crank segment of the pedal 180 with the crank unit. The interconnection with the nodes members 182 and 184 are the arms members 186 and 188. The frame is also composed of two facing members 190 and 192 which are received in the channels in the nodes members 182 and 184 and the arm members 186 and 188. The structure of the crank arm of the pedal 180 is shown in Figure 15 and is substantially similar to that shown in Figure 14, but is further comprised of reinforcing members 189 interconnecting the arms members 186 and 188 for additional strength and structural rigidity. Now with reference to Figures 16 and 17, another embodiment of a frame according to the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the frame is a wheel 200, which is composed of a ring node 202 and a hub node of the axis 204 and a plurality of beams 206 interconnecting it. The frame in the same way is composed of a structure composed of nodes 202 and 204 with a plurality of arms 208 and 210 having channels therein extending between nodes 202 and 204. Ring node 202 interconnects wheel 200 with a rim and the hub node of the shaft 204 interconnects the wheel 200 with a wheel axis. The wheel 200 is also composed of two liners 212 and 214, which are received within the channels of the arm members 208 and 210 to provide the frame structure. The advantageous features of the frame of the present invention are not limited to bicycles. Although the detailed description refers to the picture in the form of a bicycle frame and bicycle components, many other applications are readily apparent. Examples of other applications include, but are not limited to, motorized bicycles, motorcycles, wheelchairs and other hand-driven vehicles, as well as structures that transmit loads in the plane and out of plane between a plurality of components. Although the specific embodiments of the invention have been described and shown in the drawings, other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the invention should not be considered as limited to the specific forms that are shown and described. The scope of the invention will only be determined by the following claims.

Claims (37)

1. A table for maintaining two components in spatial relationship consists of: a) a first node member for the interconnection with a first component; b) a second node member for the interconnection with a second component; c) a first plurality of arm members extending between the first and second member nodes, the arm members extending opposite channels; and d) a plurality of lining members extending between the first and second node members, the lining members having outer edges secured in the arm channels.

2. The frame of claim 1, wherein the lining members are secured to opposite sides of the arms members 3.

The frame of claim 2, wherein the arm channels extend along substantially all the length of the arms 4.

The chart of claim 2, wherein the first and second member nodes include opposed nodal channels for receiving outer edges of the shell members, so that the frame has arm channels and extending nodes substantially around the entire periphery of the frame 5.

The chart of claim 2, wherein the limbs are substantially in the form of I.

The frame of claim 5, wherein the cross-section of the liners is substantially C-shape, with the edges of the C secured in the channels of the arms

7. The frame of claim 6, wherein the liners are substantially adhered to the channels therein. s arms members.

8. The frame of claim 1 further comprises at least one reinforcing member interconnecting at least two of the arm members to provide additional structural rigidity.

The frame of claim 1, wherein the member nodes further include a plurality of segment members for engagement with the arm members.

The picture of claim 7, wherein the segments of the nodes members and the arms members partially overlap to form a superimposed section so that the overlapping channels are formed by a portion of the segments and a portion of the arms members in the superimposed section.

11. A table for maintaining two components in spatial relationship consists of: a) a first node member for the interconnection with a first component; b) a second node member for the interconnection with a second component; c) a first arm member extending between the first and second member nodes, the arm member having opposite channels; and d) a plurality of lining members extending between the first and second member nodes, the lining members having outer edges secured to the arm channels.

The box of claim 11, wherein the liners are secured to opposite sides of the arm member.

The frame of claim 12, wherein the arm channels extend along substantially the entire length of the arm.

The frame of claim 11, wherein the arm member is substantially I-shaped.

15. The table of claim 12, wherein the cross-section of the liners is substantially C-shaped, with the edges of the leg. C being secured in the arms channels.

16. The chart of claim 15, wherein the liners adhere substantially to the channels in the arm member.

17. The chart of claims 1 or 11, wherein the first node member is composed of a plurality of bearing guide rings for interconnection with steering components for a bicycle and the second node member is composed of the means for attachment. of a crank unit for a bicycle.

18. The frame of claim 17 further comprises a third node for supporting a bicycle seat post and a second plurality of arm members extending between the third node and the first arm members.

19. The frame of claim 18 further comprises a fourth node member for supporting one end of a rear shock absorber of the bicycle., the fourth node member forming a union between the first arm members and the second arm members.

The frame of claim 1 or 11, wherein the first node member is composed of the means for pivotally connecting the frame to a bicycle frame, and the second node member is composed of the means for joining the frame with a bicycle wheel.

21. The chart of claims 1 or 11, wherein the first node member is composed of the means for connecting the frame with a bicycle pedal, and the second node member is composed of the means for connecting the frame with a unit of bicycle crank.

22. The chart of claims 1 or 11, wherein the first node member is comprised of a wheel rim to receive a rim and the second node member is composed of a hub of the wheel axle to receive a wheel axle.

23. A bicycle frame unit consists of: a) a structure unit comprising a region of the direction, a region of the seat support unit, a lower clamp region, a seat support region, a first plurality of arms extending from and interconnecting the region of support of the direction with the region of the lower clamp, and a second plurality of arm members extending from a point between the ends of the first arm member with the region of support of the seat, the first extending and second members arms opposite channels in these; and b) opposing facing members having outer edges.; wherein the lining members are configured and sized so that their outer edges fit into the opposed channels in the first and second member arms.

24. The bicycle frame unit of claim 23, wherein the steering support region, the seat support region and the bottom bracket region are comprised of segment members for connecting the arm members.

25. The bicycle frame unit of claim 4, wherein the connections between the segment members and the arms members comprise overlapping joints, thereby providing increased resistance and surface area of contact.

26. The bicycle frame unit of claim 17, wherein the lining members are comprised of tube members enclosing the drive shaft with external edges that fit into the channels of the first arm members and the members of the mast seat with external edges that fit into the channels of the second arm members.

The bicycle frame unit of claim 20, wherein one end of the seat mast linings is provided with curved fins that are formed to substantially conform to and wrap the exterior of the pipe linings that enclose the drive shaft .

28. The bicycle frame unit of claim 17 further comprises means for adjusting the edges of the liner members within the channels of the limb members.

29. The bicycle frame unit of claim 22, wherein the means for adjusting consists of epoxy adhesive.

30. A seat support unit for attaching a bicycle seat post to a bicycle frame and preventing vertical and rotational movement of the seat post, consists of: a) a plate member secured to the bicycle frame; b) a first segment member extending from the plate member to abut contact with the seat post; and c) a corresponding band clamp to frictionally surround and couple the seat post.

31. The seat support unit of claim 30 further comprises a second segment member spaced apart from the first segment member and extending from the plate member for splicing the seat post and a second band clamp for frictionally encircling and engaging the post of the seat. seat.

32. The seat support unit of claim 31 further comprises a plurality of joint members extending from the opposite side of the plate member from the segment members for attachment of the seat support unit to the bicycle frame.

33. The seat support unit of claim 31 further comprises a plurality of finger members extending from each segment member to engage the surface of the seat post.

34. The seat support unit of claim 30 further comprises means for tightening the band clamp around the seat post.

35. The seat support unit of claim 34, wherein the tension means is comprised of a threaded sleeve received in a ring at the end of the band clamp and a screw threaded into the nut to tighten the clamp.

36. The seat support unit of claim 31 further comprises means for tensioning the band clamps around the seat post.

37. The seat support unit of claim 36, wherein the tension means is comprised of a threaded sleeve received in a ring at the end of the band clamps and a screw threaded into the nut to tighten the clamps.