GB2474667A

GB2474667A - Child's bicycle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2474667A
Application number: GB0918506A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vincent David Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-10-22
Filing date: 2009-10-22
Publication date: 2011-04-27
Also published as: GB2474731A; GB0918506D0; GB201006864D0

Abstract

A seat for children that mounts to an adult's bicycle between the rider and the handlebars The seat includes a seat body 10 with integrated leg guards and foot rests, a removable foam cushion 60 and a safety belt harness 15. The child has a set of handlebars 50 which mount to the host bicycle's handlebars. The seat mounting assembly comprises an upper clamp 30, lower clamp 40 and a seat post 20. The clamp fixes to the bicycle's cross bar and incorporates an adjustable pivot that allows the seat post to be set to a near vertical position regardless of the cross bar angle. The seat body 10 fits onto the seat post 20 and is secured by a clip that engages automatically when the seat is in the correct position. The seat body 10 is easily detachable only when the child is removed from the saddle.

Description

Child's bicycle seat

Background

For many adults riding bicycles is a fun and enjoyable form of exercise as well as providing a convenient and economical way of getting around. For some individuals there is a desire to take their young children on some journeys, perhaps just for pleasure or as part of a daily routine rather than walking or taking a car. Cyclists have various options when choosing a method to transport a child on an adult's bicycle. Rear carriers that mount behind the rider and over the rear wheel of the bicycle are widely available but do not allow child and adult to communicate easily and the child has a restricted view of the road ahead. An alternative to the rear carrier is the front mounted or mid mounted seat which refers to all child seats that are positioned between the rider and the handlebars.

This style of seat has many advantages over rear mounted seats: the child is always in view of the rider and shares the experience of the journey as they have an unrestricted view ahead. The bicycle's centre of gravity is far less affected as all the child's weight, and that of the carrier, are positioned between the front and rear wheels of the bicycle.

Existing front or mid mounted seats have some common problems: they can be complicated to fit, they can restrict the riders pedalling action and some are mounted to the handlebars so all the weight of child and seat is carried through the front wheel which affects the bicycle's steering. What is needed is a mid mounted child bike seat that solves all these issues.

Statement of Invention

The current invention proposes a child seat attachment for an adult's bicycle adapted for positioning a child between the handlebars of a bicycle and a rider of the bicycle who rides on a seat of the bicycle. The child's seat attachment comprising an upper and tower clamp that mounts to an adult's bicycle cross bar and is adjustable for different cross bar diameters and shapes. The upper clamp fixes to a pivoting seat post that adjusts and locks to a near vertical position to compensate for any cross bar angle. A seat body fits and locks to the seat post and is always presented in a level position for the child's comfort and safety.

A set of handle bars that clamp to the host bicycle's handlebars are supplied for the child's comfort and security, this also allows them to experience how steering affects balance and gets them more involved in the riding experience.

Advantages One of the objectives of the current invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of existing front and mid mounted seats.

A principle advantage is the use of a single point clamp system that will fit most bicycle cross bars regardless of size shape or angle of the tubing.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a clamping system that avoids any interference with the bicycle's steering.

A further objective is to provide a clamping system with few parts that is easy and quick to fit safely by anyone used to adjusting other parts of a bicycle such as the handlebars and seat height.

A still further objective is to provide a seat designed for the child's and host rider's comfort by keeping the back and underside of the seat as far away from the host rider's knees while they are pedalling.

A further objective is to supply a seat that looks attractive when mounted to the host bicycle.

Drawings An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows the bicycle seat, clamp and handlebars assembled on a gentleman's style bicycle.

Figure 2 shows an alternative view of the bicycle seat mounted on a gentleman's style bicycle Figure 3 shows the bicycle seat mounted on a lady's style bicycle.

Figure 4 shows the clamp and seat post mounted to a gentleman's style bicycle cross bar.

Figure 5 shows the clamp and seat post mounted to a lady's style bicycle cross bar.

Figure 6 shows the upper clamp and lower clamp.

Figure 7 shows the upper clamp, lower clamp and seat post.

Figure 8 shows the seat post.

Figure 9 shows the seat post clips engaged with the seat body.

Figure 10 shows the handlebars mounted to a host bicycle's handlebars.

Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings: In figure 1, a seat body 10 is fixed to a seat post 20 which is fixed to upper clamp 30. Upper clamp 30 is positioned on the top of a bicycle cross bar with a lower clamp 40 underneath. A foam seat pad 60 is fitted to seat body 10 for the child's comfort and a lap harness 15 is provided for the child's safety.

The shape and position of the seat body 10 is such that it causes minimal interference with the host rider's pedalling action.

A set of handlebars 50 are fixed to the host cycle's handlebars to give the child additional security and help them learn the relationship between balance and steering.

In figure 4 and figure 5, for the rider's comfort the upper clamp 30 and lower clamp 40 should be mounted to the bicycle's cross bar towards the handlebar stem to give the optimal position for the seat body 10.

In figure 7 and figure 8, the seat post 20 engages via a toothed pivot point 23 with the upper clamp 30. When the upper clamp 30 and lower clamp 40 are mounted to the cross bar, the seat post 20 should be pivoted to always be in a near vertical position to compensate for the cross bar angle of any bicycle. A bolt 21 secures upper clamp 30 and seat post 20.

In figure 3, the seat body 10 remains level despite being mounted onto a bicycle with an angled cross bar.

In figure 2 and figure 3, when the seat body 10 is fitted in the optimum position there should be a minimal gap between the front of the seat body 10 and the host bicycle's handlebar stem. The host rider should be able to turn the handlebars and steer the bicycle safely without any interference with the seat body 10.

In figure 8 and figure 9, the seat post 20 has two integral clips 22 on the top end that engage and lock with the seat body 10.

The seat body 10 is removed from the seat post 20 by pinching the two clips 22 together and at the same time pulling up on the seat body 10. This can only be carried out when there is no child sitting on the seat body 10 and with the foam seat pad 60 removed.

In figure 10 a set of handlebars 50 clamps in 2 positions to the host bicycle's handlebars. Two screws 51 tighten to fix the handlebars in a position that is comfortable for the child. Small children will benefit from the handlebars 50 being angled towards them so they do not have to stretch to reach the grips, larger children will require the handlebars 50 to be in a more vertical position.

Claims

Claims 1. A child seat attachment for an adult's bicycle adapted for positioning a child between the handlebars of a bicycle and a rider of the bicycle who rides on a seat of the bicycle, the child's seat attachment comprising: a clamp that mounts to an adult's bicycle cross bar which is adjustable for different cross bar diameters and shapes, the clamp attaches to a seat post that can be adjusted to compensate for any bicycle's cross bar angle, a seat body fits and locks to the seat post and is always presented in a level position for the child's comfort and safety, a set of handlebars clamp to the host bicycle's handlebars for the child to hold on to.
2. A child seat attachment according to claim 1 where the clamping system adjusts to compensate for any cross bar angle in the range zero degrees to 45 degrees.
3. A child seat attachment according to claim 1 and 2 where the clamping system adjusts to compensate for any cross bar diameter from 25mm to 55mm.
4. A child seat attachment according to claim 1,2 and 3 where the clamping system can mount to any profile of cross bar tubing.
5. A child seat attachment according to claim 1 where the seat post comprises a pivot point which mates with the clamp and is adjustable to compensate for cross bar angles from zero degrees to 45 degrees.
6. A child seat attachment according to claim 5 where the seat post pivot locks in position with the mating clamp.
7. A child seat attachment according to claim 1 where the seat post is any length or diameter.
8. A child seat attachment according to claim I where the seat post has a releasable seat fastening securing said seat post with the seat body.