Answer Products, Inc.

Manitou Mountain Bikes, Inc.

Gerald M Stewart

Kirk Andrew Allen

Scott M Boyer

E Douglas Bradbury

Mark Van Kampen

A new and improved two wheeled vehicle suspension fork with reinforced legs. The reinforcement is provided to the upper inner tube of a telescoping assembly utilized in the suspension fork. The inner tube has an upper end portion for attachment to the crown. The upper end portion has an enlarged outer dimension for reinforcing the upper inner tube at the crown attachment.

Two wheeled vehicle fork with reinforced leg

A method for producing a bicycle brake arch and fork legs assembly. The method comprises the steps of first forming a low-tolerance brake arch and two low tolerance fork legs separately, and then bonding the brake arch with the two fork legs in high-precision alignment and orientation with a structural adhesive.

Method for producing a bicycle fork brake arch and legs assembly

The present invention is a precision suspension fork for bicycles. The fork utilizes a telescoping suspension system for each of its fork legs. The telescoping suspension system includes an outer tube, an inner tube slidably engaged with the outer tube, and a compression rod slidably engaged with the inner tube. The compression rod has a compression flange and a spaced apart rebound flange at a first end, and a positive stop clip at a location adjacent to, but spaced apart from an opposite second end. The suspension system also includes a compression elastomer assembly positioned between a first end of the inner tube and the compression flange of the compression rod to provide a compressive damping force when the outer and inner tubes are compressed from a balanced condition, a rebound elastomer assembly positioned between the rebound flange of the compression rod and an opposite second end of the inner tube to provide a rebound damping force when the outer and inner tubes are extended from the balanced condition, and a second stage elastomer assembly positioned between the second end of the inner tube and the positive stop clip to provide a secondary compressive damping force when the inner tube crushes into the outer tube. An adjuster assembly is further provided to fine-tune the preload on the compression elastomers. The present invention also provides a method of quick conversion between standard and long travel configurations by modifying the configurations of the compression and rebound elastomer assemblies correspondingly.

Precision suspension fork for bicylces

A shock-absorbing apparatus for use in the body frames of light-weight pedal-powered or motor-powered land or water surface vehicles and sports and exercising equipment including bicycles, mountain bikes, dirt bikes, off-road bikes, all terrain bikes, exercise bikes, motor-bikes, motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, snow-scooters, snow-mobiles, jet-skis and the like. The shock-absorbing apparatus comprises a telescoping assembly including a tube and a compression rod slidably engaged coaxially, and a compression elastomer assembly including resilient and deformable compression elastomers and rigid multi-function sleeves. The elastomers are placed coaxially between the tube and the compression rod, and interconnected by the sleeves. Each multi-function sleeve has a cylindrical sidewall defining a hollow chamber for interconnecting through press-fit engagement the elastomers in a stacked series and regulating the elastomers to prevent them from twisting or snaking when they are compressed. Each multi-function sleeve further has an integral internal structure for preventing relative movement along the coaxial direction between the sleeve and adjacent elastomers.

Multi-function sleeves used in conjunction with replaceable elastomers

A shock-absorbing apparatus for use in the body frames of light-weight pedal-powered or motor-powered land or water surface vehicles and sports and exercising equipment including bicycles, mountain bikes, dirt bikes, off-road bikes, all terrain bikes, exercise bikes, motor-bikes, motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, snow-scooters, snow-mobiles, jet-skis and the like. The shock-absorbing apparatus comprises a telescoping assembly including a tube and a compression rod slidably engaged coaxially, and a compression elastomer assembly including an elongated resilient and deformable compression elastomer and rigid multi-function bands. The elastomer is placed coaxially between the tube and the compression rod. Each multi-function band has a cylindrical sidewall defining a hollow chamber for fitting onto the elongated elastomer through press-fit engagement and regulating the elastomer to prevent it from twisting or snaking when it is compressed. The number, position and size of the multi-function bands can be changed to modify and adjust the compression characteristic of the elongated elastomer.

Growing community of inventors

Camarillo, CA, United States of America

Gerald M Stewart