- Patent Number:
6,202,506
- Appl. No:
09/180,725
- Application Filed:
July 09, 1999
- نبذة مختصرة :
A bicycle crank with a core comprised of a durofoam substance, a fiber-reinforced plastic coating encasing the core, a bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement foamed into the core accessible through the fiber-reinforced plastic coating, and a bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement foamed into the core accessible through the fiber-reinforced plastic coating.
- Inventors:
Storck, Markus (Bad Camberg, DEX); Mertin, Thomas (Alt Duvenstedt, DEX)
- Assignees:
Storck Bicycle GmbH (DEX)
- Claim:
What is claimed is
- Claim:
1. A bicycle crank comprising
- Claim:
a) a core consisting of a durofoam substance;
- Claim:
b) a fiber-reinforced plastic coating encasing the core;
- Claim:
c) a first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement foamed into the core and accessible through the fiber-reinforced plastic coating; and
- Claim:
d) a second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement foamed into the core and accessible through the fiber-reinforced plastic coating.
- Claim:
2. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, additionally comprises a gear ring fitting arrangement for mounting of at least one gear ring.
- Claim:
3. The bicycle crank according to claim 2, wherein the gear ring fitting arrangement comprises at least a first part foamed into an end of the core and accessible through the fiber-reinforced plastic coating.
- Claim:
4. The bicycle crank according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, the second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, and the first part of the gear ring fitting arrangement foamed into the core are of essentially cylindrical configuration.
- Claim:
5. The bicycle crank according to claim 4, wherein band-shaped disks are circumferentially provided on the essentially cylindrical configuration.
- Claim:
6. The bicycle crank according to claim 5, wherein the disks have circumferential recesses.
- Claim:
7. The bicycle crank according to claim 6, wherein said recesses are half-circle recesses.
- Claim:
8. The bicycle crank according to claim 7, wherein said half-circle recesses in the essentially cylindrical configuration are aligned in tangential contact.
- Claim:
9. The bicycle crank according to claim 6, wherein there are four recesses set at 90.degree. from one another in each band-shaped disk.
- Claim:
10. The bicycle crank according to claim 5, wherein the band-shaped disks have varying diameters.
- Claim:
11. The bicycle crank according to claim 10, wherein cylinder regions between the disks have varying diameters.
- Claim:
12. The bicycle crank according to claim 3, wherein the gear ring fitting arrangement additionally comprises a second part of annular elements, arranged about an end of said bicycle crank.
- Claim:
13. The bicycle crank according to claim 12, wherein the annular elements are comprised of plastic and molded into the fiber-reinforced plastic coating.
- Claim:
14. The bicycle crank according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, the second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, and the first part gear ring fitting arrangement are comprised of aluminum.
- Claim:
15. The bicycle crank according to claim 3, further comprising additional plastic embedded around one or more of the first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, the second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, and the first part of the gear ring fitting arrangement foamed into the core.
- Claim:
16. The bicycle crank according to claim 3, wherein the first part of the gear ring fitting arrangement comprises a female thread arrangement.
- Claim:
17. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic coating has a trough-shaped part and an adjoining plate-shaped part.
- Claim:
18. The bicycle crank according to claim 17, wherein the trough-shaped part and the plate-shaped part form an overlap.
- Claim:
19. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein the durofoam substance is comprised of polyurethane foam.
- Claim:
20. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic coating consists of carbon fiber-reinforced phenol resin or epoxy resin.
- Claim:
21. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic coating comprises one or more fiber laminate layers.
- Claim:
22. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein one of the bottom bracket axle fitting arrangements comprises a female thread arrangement.
- Claim:
23. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein one of the bottom bracket axle fitting arrangements comprises a square receiving arrangement.
- Claim:
24. The bicycle crank according to claim 1, wherein said plastic coating is transparent.
- Claim:
25. A bicycle crank manufactured according to a procedure comprising the following steps
- Claim:
i) introducing into a mold at least one fiber laminate layer soaked in non-hardened plastic providing a core with a partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating;
- Claim:
ii) inserting at least a first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement and a second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement in the partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating;
- Claim:
iii) foaming a durofoam into the partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating;
- Claim:
iv) sealing the partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating with at least one further fiber laminate layer soaked in non-hardened plastic; and
- Claim:
v) hardening the non-hardened plastic and the durofoam.
- Claim:
26. The bicycle crank according to claim 25, further comprising the step of inserting a gear ring fitting arrangement in the partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating.
- Claim:
27. The bicycle crank according to claim 26, further comprising the step of the canting of side walls of the partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating and subsequent thermosetting a lid-shaped fiber laminate layer to seal the fiber-reinforced plastic coating.
- Claim:
28. The bicycle crank according to claim 27, further comprising the step of depressing openings in the fiber-reinforced plastic coating subsequent to hardening to provide access for one or more of the first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, the second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, and the gear ring fitting arrangement.
- Claim:
29. The bicycle crank according to claim 28, wherein the mold into which the at least one fiber laminate layer soaked in non-hardened plastic is introduced is preset with non-hardened plastic.
- Claim:
30. The bicycle crank according to claim 29, further comprising step of adding a supplementary non-hardened plastic in the partially open fiber-reinforced plastic coating in the region of one or more of the first bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, the second bottom bracket axle fitting arrangement, and the gear ring fitting arrangement.
- Current U.S. Class:
745/941
- Current International Class:
B62M 300
- Patent References Cited:
3833242 September 1974 Thompson
4183261 January 1980 Eiselbrecher et al.
4811626 March 1989 Bezin
5435869 July 1995 Christensen
5690034 November 1997 Schahl et al.
5851459 December 1998 Chen
5941135 August 1999 Schlanger
- Primary Examiner:
Green, Mary Ann
- Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLC
- الرقم المعرف:
edspgr.06202506
Processing Request
No Comments.