Bicycle Frame and Component Protective System

Abstract

A reusable system for protecting a bicycle frame comprises one or more first reusable protective pads and one or more second reusable protective pads. The second reusable protective pads are smaller than the first reusable protective pads. Also provided are reusable protective pads for protecting a portion of a bicycle frame.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/393,118, filed Oct. 14, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

When traveling by car with a bicycle, the bicycle can be placed inside the vehicle or on one of many rack systems available that attach to the car's exterior and provide a safe stable platform to carry the bicycle outside of the vehicle. Similarly, when traveling by airplane, luggage systems, such as bike boxes, exist that a bicycle can be placed into for protection when the luggage is place into the cargo hold area of the airplane. Bike boxes and shipping crates can also be used to ship bicycles to a destination to meet its owner. Bicycle racers, triathletes, and recreational riders often travel great distances to participate in competitions or destination rides and must travel with or ship their bicycles. To compound the logistical issues of traveling, these bicycle racers, triathletes, and recreational riders often own very expensive bicycles that are fragile when subjected to forces outside their standard operating condition.

SUMMARY

Described herein are reusable systems and components for protecting bicycle frames, components, and accessories. Such a reusable system includes one or more first reusable protective pads, one or more second reusable protective pads, the second reusable protective pads being smaller than the first reusable protective pads, and a derailleur cover. One component includes a reusable protective pad for protecting a portion of a bicycle frame. The reusable protective pad includes a compliant protecting portion and one or more integral straps for attaching the compliant protecting portion to a bicycle frame. A further component includes a reusable protective cover for protecting a component or accessory associated with a bicycle frame. The reusable protective cover includes a compliant protecting cover portion forming a pocket portion for receiving the component or accessory and one or more attachment elements for attaching the compliant protecting portion around the component or accessory, e.g., a derailleur.

The details of one or more embodiments of the systems and components are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the systems and components will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of a bicycle prepared for shipping using pipe insulation pieces.

FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of the pipe insulation materials and destroyed zip ties from FIG. 1A after removal from the bicycle.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of reusable protective pads in the form of small and large pockets into which padding can be inserted.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic illustrations of front and back views of small and large reusable protective pads with straps attached.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of large and small reusable protective pads rolled up as they will be used to cover a bicycle frame portion.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a derailleur cover installed on a bicycle.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a bicycle prepared for shipping using the reusable protective pads as described herein.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the bicycle from FIG. 6 in a shipping box after safe arrival at its destination.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic illustrations of reusable protective pads with integral straps illustrated with the primary bicycle contacting surface down.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic illustrations of the reusable protective pads of FIGS. 8A and 8B with integral straps illustrated with the primary bicycle contacting surface up.

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are schematic illustrations of a reusable protective pad having a durable surface with two attached integral straps and an opposed primary bicycle contacting surface.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

When a bicycle is placed into a bike box for shipping, for example, the bicycle is partially disassembled. As bicycles are designed to exist in their fully assembled condition, when partially disassembled, care must be taken to avoid harming the frame or other components. For example, when components like wheels, handle bars, pedals, and seats are removed from a bicycle's frame these components can knock or bang against each other when subjected to transportation forces. Further, bicycle components such as derailleurs and crank sets are not designed to contact surfaces such as bike boxes or floors. Additionally, modern bicycle frames are often made from materials such as carbon fiber that while extremely strong when used as intended as a bicycle, can be fragile when subjected to unintended forces such as drops, knocks, and sharp blows.

In order to protect their frames during shipping or travel, many bicycle owners purchase pipe insulation materials from local hardware stores, then cut the insulation materials to fit their bicycle frame and secure the insulation to the frame with a removable attachment device such as adhesive tape or zip ties. FIG. 1A shows a bicycle 10 prepared for shipping with pipe insulation 20 covering the frame components secured using zip ties 30. FIG. 1B shows the pipe insulation material from the bicycle in FIG. 1A after removal from the bicycle. While useful, the pipe insulating material is usually used only a few times before it starts to deform, break down, tear, or is otherwise compromised (see pipe insulation portion 60 in FIG. 1B that is deformed and possibly broken down) and the securing items such as zip ties are destroyed with each use and reuse of the serviceable portions of pipe insulation requires additional zip ties. Pipe insulation has other limitations such as not necessarily fully covering portions of a frame especially with frame sections having complex non-circular cross-sections (see the portion 40 of the “seat tube” with such complex geometry that coverage was not possible with the pipe insulation and portion 50 of the down tube that was only partially covered due to its geometry in FIG. 1A).

A reusable protective system including reusable protective pads for protecting a bicycle frame and its accessories and components during shipping, storing, or traveling is described herein. As different bicycle models and even different sizes with the same bicycle model often have different geometries, lengths, and sizes of portions such as top tubes, down tubes, seat tubes, chain-stays, seat stays, and fork blades, the reusable protective pads can come in various sizes. Thus, various sizes of reusable protective pads including sets of reusable protective pads as well as sets of reusable protective pads that are custom designed for a particular size of a particular model of bicycle are provided. In addition to reusable protective pads, reusable protective covers for protecting a component or accessory associated with a bicycle frame are disclosed that can be used, for example, to cover a derailleur or crank set attached to a bicycle frame or other components or accessories removed from the frame such as computers, handle bars, seat posts, or seats. Thus, an embodiment of a reusable system for protecting a bicycle frame can include one or more first reusable protective pads, one or more second reusable protective pads, the second reusable protective pads being smaller than the first reusable protective pads, and a reusable protective cover such as a reusable protective derailleur cover. Note the systems described herein are also useful when storing a bicycle in an environment where damage might occur, e.g., in a storage situation in which bicycles may accidentally be knocked about of accidentally hit with other objects even though they are not disassembled.

In one example embodiment, a reusable protective system may include three types of components: several large protective pads, several small protective pads, and a derailleur cover. In this system, for example, the large pads can be used to cover the bicycle's top tube, down tube, and seat tube; the small pads can be used to cover the bicycle's fork blades, chain-stays, and drop-outs; and the derailleur cover can be used to protect the bicycle's derailleur. This particular example embodiment uses three large pads, six small pads, and one derailleur cover. Examples of particular sizes of reusable protective pads found to be useful with modern bicycles include large reusable protective pads measuring 18 inches or 16 inches by 12 inches and small reusable protective pads measuring 12 inches by eight inches.

As mentioned above, different sizes of reusable protective pads are possible and reusable protective systems can contain various numbers and sizes of reusable protective pads, i.e., custom sets of reusable protective pads can be created for specific bicycle frames. Further, the reusable protective system can be provided as a basic set of reusable protective pads and derailleur covers that can be customized by adding additional pieces as dictated by a particular bicycle's geometry, i.e., larger or smaller reusable protective pads and various component protective bags can be added as desired. Reusable protective pads as disclosed herein can also be provided individually, which enables the creation of custom reusable protective systems such as might be required to protect a unique bicycle frame design, an extra-large frame, or a tandem bicycle during shipping or storage. A storage unit, such as a carrying bag, is also disclosed that is an appropriate size and volume to store the components of a reusable protective system when not in use.

A reusable protective pad for protecting a portion of a bicycle frame as described herein includes a compliant protecting portion and one or more integral straps for attaching the compliant protecting portion to a bicycle frame. The term compliant as used herein is intended to mean the compliant protecting portion can be molded, bent, or shaped around the bicycle frame while retaining its protective attributes. The shape of the compliant portion can be, for example, rectangular as shown in the figures or can have a complex shape specifically designed to cover a complex frame portion such as the seat tube portion 40 or the down tube portion 50 shown in FIG. 1A. The reusable protective pads as described herein include exterior surfaces that will remain durable in the environment the reusable protective pads are placed. The exterior surfaces also may be selected to be easy to clean (i.e., bicycle drive-train grease or other dirt or substance could get on a reusable protective pad) if the desired protective attributes are maintained. One example of such a material with a durable, easy to clean surface exterior is a vinyl fabric, which may, for example, be cleaned using a non-corrosive degreaser. The compliant protecting portion may include an exterior surface portion that can be formed around a protective padding material such as a foam or other protective padding. Because the foam or padding may break down over time, the compliant protecting portion can be, for example, in the form of closeable small 100 and large 110 pockets as shown in FIG. 2. The use of a pocket design makes the changing of broken down foam or padding possible without having to replace an entire reusable protective pad. The small 100 and large 110 closeable pockets shown in FIG. 2 can be filled with a foam or other pliant protective material and can be closed using a hook and loop 120 or other type of fastener that will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, e.g., snaps or zippers.

To fasten the compliant protecting portions of the reusable protective pads to a bicycle frame, straps are attached to the compliant protecting portions. FIGS. 3A and 3B show opposite views of small 200 and large 210 reusable protective pads with straps 220 attached. The straps 220 can be made from webbing or other suitable materials that will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. The straps are self-attaching to the compliant protecting portion in order to secure the reusable protective pad to the bicycle frame. A view of the small 200 and large 210 reusable protective pads rolled up as they could be used to cover a tubular bicycle frame portion is shown in FIG. 4.

Similar to the reusable protective pads, the reusable protective covers for protecting a component or accessory associated with a bicycle frame as described herein optionally includes a compliant protecting cover portion forming a pocket portion and one or more attachment elements for attaching the compliant protecting cover portion around a component or accessory to be protected. The shape of the compliant protecting cover portion 300 can be, for example, triangular, as shown in FIG. 5, or can have a complex shape specifically designed to cover a particular component or accessory. For example, a compliant protecting cover portion could be a narrow rectangular shape to cover a non-chainring side crank arm and a separate compliant protecting cover portion with a generally triangular shape could be used to cover the chainring side crank arm. As with the reusable protective pads, the exterior surfaces of the compliant protecting cover portions (e.g., the exterior surface 310 shown in FIG. 5 for a derailleur cover) are selected from materials that will remain durable in the environment the reusable protective covers are placed. The compliant protecting cover portions may include an exterior surface portion that is formed from a padded material, or, like the compliant protecting portion of the reusable protective pads, can be formed with an integral pocket portion within which a protective padding material such as a foam or other protective padding can be placed, i.e., the foam or other protective padding is replaceable. Like the pocket designs for the compliant protecting portion of the reusable protective pads a pocket design can be closed using a hook and loop or other type of fastener that will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, e.g., snaps or zippers. The reusable protective covers can be fastened around or attached to the component or accessory to be protected using attachment elements self-attachable to the reusable protective cover such as the straps described for the reusable protective covers (e.g., the straps 320 shown in FIG. 5 for a derailleur cover) or using a hook and loop or other type of fastener that will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, e.g., snaps or zippers.

FIG. 6 shows a bicycle prepared for shipping using several large reusable protective pads and several small reusable protective pads as described herein. FIG. 7 shows the bicycle shown in FIG. 6 ensconced in the bottom half of a shipping container after arriving safely at its shipping destination.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic illustrations of reusable protective pads, 400 and 410, with integral straps 220 illustrated with the primary bicycle contacting surface 405 down. The pads 400 and 41 can be used in the systems described throughout. Thus, the pads are optionally included in a reusable system for protecting a bicycle frame. An example system includes one or more first reusable protective pads 410 and one or more second reusable protective pads 400. The second reusable protective pads 400 are optionally smaller than the first reusable protective pads 410.

The first 410 and second 400 reusable pads each have length dimension. The length dimension of a first pad 410 is larger than the length dimension of a second reusable pad 400. The system can include at least two first reusable protective pads and at least two second reusable protective pads. Optionally, the system further includes a derailleur cover 300, as shown in FIG. 5.

The one or more first 410 and second 400 reusable protective pads are suitable for protecting a bicycle frame during shipping. Optionally, each reusable pad comprises a compliant protecting portion and one or more integral straps 220 for attaching the compliant protecting portion to the bicycle.

The compliant protecting portion optionally comprises a first surface 506 configured to contact a portion of the bicycle frame, as illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, which show the reusable protective pads with integral straps illustrated with the primary bicycle contacting surface 506 up. The bicycle contacting surface 506 is also illustrated in FIG. 10B. Optionally, the bicycle contacting surface 506 is soft and is configured to be non-abrasive to the contacted portion of the bicycle frame. For example, the surface optionally comprise soft vinyl. In this regard, even bicycle frames susceptible to damage and abrasion, such as carbon fiber frames can be protected.

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C, are schematic illustrations of a reusable protective pad having a durable surface 502 with two attached integral straps 220 and an opposed primary bicycle contacting surface 506. The second surface 502 is opposite first surface 506. At least one integral strap 220 is attached to the second surface 502 of the protective pad 400. The protective pad could be small 400 or a larger size pad 410.

The second surface optionally is made from, or includes, a durable material. For example the durable second surface can be a tear-resistant fabric. The surface is optionally tear resistant at least at one point of attachment 504 of the integral strap 220 thereto the second surface 502. Example durable materials for the surface 502 include canvass, leather or vinyl. Appropriate tear resistant fabrics, not being limited to those listed above, include those that are resistant to tearing when movement of the integral straps relative to the surface 502 places a pulling, tearing or shearing force at the attachment point of the surface 502 and the strap 220.

The surface 506 and the surface 502 can be sealed together about their periphery, for example, by stitching, to define a space therebetween the surfaces. The space can optionally be filled with padding material. The amount of padding filling the space can be varied depending, for example, on the extent of protection desired for the frame.

The devices and systems of the appended claims are not limited in scope by the specific devices and systems described herein, which are intended as illustrations of a few aspects of the claims and any devices and systems that are functionally equivalent are within the scope of this disclosure. Various modifications of the devices and systems in addition to those shown and described herein are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Further, while only certain representative devices, systems, and aspects of these devices and systems are specifically described, other devices and systems and combinations of various features of the devices and systems are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims, even if not specifically recited. Thus a combination of steps, elements, components, or constituents may be explicitly mentioned herein; however, all other combinations of steps, elements, components, and constituents are included, even though not explicitly stated.

Claims

1. A reusable system for protecting a bicycle frame comprising:

one or more first reusable protective pads; and

one or more second reusable protective pads, the second reusable protective pads being smaller than the first reusable protective pads.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second reusable pads each have length dimension, and wherein the length dimension of a first pad is larger than the length dimension of a second reusable pad.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising at least two first reusable protective pads and at least two second reusable protective pads.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a derailleur cover.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first and second reusable protective pads are suitable for protecting a bicycle frame during shipping.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each reusable pad comprises a compliant protecting portion and one or more integral straps for attaching the compliant protecting portion to the bicycle.

7. A reusable protective pad for protecting a portion of a bicycle frame comprising:

a compliant protecting portion; and

one or more integral straps for attaching the compliant protecting portion to a bicycle frame.

8. The reusable protective pad of claim 7, wherein the compliant protecting portion comprises a first surface configured to contact a portion of the bicycle frame.

9. The reusable protective pad of claim 8, wherein the first surface is non-abrasive to the contacted portion of the bicycle frame.

10. The reusable protective pad of claim 8, wherein the compliant protecting portion further comprises a second surface, opposite first surface, and wherein at least one integral strap is attached to the second surface of the protective pad.

11. The reusable protective pad of claim 10, wherein the second surface comprises a durable material.

12. The reusable protective pad of claim 11, wherein the second surface is tear-resistant at least at one point of attachment of the integral strap thereto the second surface.

13. The reusable protective pad of claim 7, wherein the compliant protecting portion is rectangular.

14. The reusable protective pad of claim 7, wherein the integral straps are webbing.

15. The reusable protective pad of claim 7, wherein the integral straps are self-attachable to the reusable protective pad to secure the reusable protective pad to the bicycle frame.