WO2018025229A1

WO2018025229A1 - Bycicle saddle cover

Info

Publication number: WO2018025229A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/054778
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franco Schiavon; Maurizio Schiavon
Original assignee: Selle Smp Sas Di M. Schiavon
Priority date: 2016-08-04
Filing date: 2017-08-04
Publication date: 2018-02-08
Also published as: IT201600082601A1

Abstract

The invention is a new saddle cover (C) for bicycles made of a transparent plastic material and having the same shape as the saddle, so that it can be fitted on said saddle and adhere to the soft part of the saddle when stretched. The new saddle cover (C) may comprise two plane sheets (1, 2) made of a plastic material and having a shape that substantially corresponds to the size of the saddle to be covered in plan view, wherein said two plane sheets (1, 2) are superimposed to each other and heat sealed along their outer edge (1.1, 2.1). The lower sheet (2) is provided with an opening or hole (2.4) at its centre for the insertion of the saddle. It comprises a container or case suited to contain said saddle cover (C), said container or case comprising fixing means suited to fix it to the lower structure of the saddle in a removable or non-removable manner.

Description

BICYCLE SADDLE COVER

DESCRIPTION

This patent relates to bicycle accessories and in particular concerns a new type of bicycle saddle cover.

Bicycles are equipped with saddles on which the user sits while riding the bicycle.

Bicycles, when not in use, are housed in garages, or parked in special racks, or even propped against other vertical elements such as signposts, walls, or fence posts.

When bicycles are parked outdoors and unprotected, they are exposed to the elements. Particularly when it rains, bicycles are exposed to rainwater and get wet.

In addition, saddles are made of foam or similar materials which absorb ambient humidity and/or the dew that saturates the top of the saddle or the padding that comes into contact with the cyclist.

In fact, excluding the saddle, a wet bicycle does not represent a problem or bother to the user, while a wet saddle, on the other hand, is a major inconvenience to cyclists.

The prior art includes saddle covers, even padded, which are suitable to cover damaged saddles.

These saddle covers are elements made of a plastic material in the shape of the saddle on which they will be mounted.

Some saddle covers of the prior art have a sliding cord or lace along the edge of the opening to enable the saddle cover to be closed and fastened to the saddle.

Saddle covers of the prior art have a generally enlarged shape that allows them to be applied to many types of saddles having similar shapes.

These saddle covers are made of opaque plastic, which does not allow the saddle or any possible text written on the saddle to be seen.

The object of this patent is a new bicycle saddle cover. The new bicycle saddle cover is made of a layer of plastic, conforming to the shape of the saddle on which it is applied so as to adhere to the saddle.

The new bicycle saddle cover is preferably made of PVC or polyurethane or a similar relatively elastic plastic material.

The new bicycle saddle cover can be made in a single sheet of suitably shaped plastic material.

Preferably, the new cover is made of two sheets of plastic which are cut or die-cut, and joined together along the edge. In this case, one of the two sheets, subsequently referred to as the upper sheet, is continuous while the other, subsequently referred to as the lower sheet, has an opening or hole at its centre for its application on the saddle.

The upper sheet has a shape which generally corresponds to the size of the saddle in plan view, generally formed by an extended front part and a wide rear part. The lower sheet has a shape essentially equal to the upper sheet, formed by an extended front and a wide rear, and has a centrally located opening which is smaller than the outer contour of the saddle.

The two upper and lower sheets of the new bicycle saddle cover are cut or die-cut properly, overlapped and joined along their outer edge preferably by means of heat sealing.

In the preferred embodiment the new bicycle saddle cover is made of transparent plastic, so that any text, logos, and images on the saddle can be seen even when the new cover is applied to the saddle of the bicycle.

It also comprises a container or case or pocket designed to hold and store the new bicycle saddle cover when not in use. This container or case or pocket comprises elements or devices to fasten it, removably or non-removably, to the lower frame of the saddle.

According to a second embodiment of the new bicycle saddle cover, the container or case is constituted by a synthetic fabric element folded in three parts, the central fold of which is fixed to the lower frame of the saddle with removable or non-removable elements or devices. In this embodiment, the new bicycle saddle cover comprises, in its part corresponding to the back of the saddle, a portion or appendage fixed to the inside of the container or case.

In this second embodiment, the new cover is always connected to the container or case regardless of whether it is or is not in use, or during the operations prior to the application and after removal from the saddle. This prevents the new bicycle saddle cover from falling or dropping to the ground, or from being lost or getting wet on the wet ground.

In the attached drawings, by way of a non-limiting example, a practical embodiment of the invention is presented.

Figure 1 shows the two upper sheets (1) and lower sheets (2) of the new cover (C) before being joined, while Figure 2 shows the two upper sheets (1) and lower sheets (2) superimposed and joined by heat welding along the outer edge (1.1, 2.1).

Each of the two upper (1) and lower sheets (2) has a shape which generally corresponds to the shape of the saddle in plan view, that is, with an extended front part (1.2, 2.2) and a wide rear part (1.3, 2.3).

The lower sheet (2) has an opening or hole (2.4) at its centre to allow the application of the new bicycle saddle cover (C) on the saddle.

In this example, the edge of the central opening or hole (2.4) of the lower sheet (2) has a heat welded edge (2.5) so as to increase its tear strength.

Figures 2a and 2b show two vertical sections of the front part A-A and of the rear part B-B respectively of the new bicycle saddle cover (C) mounted on a saddle illustrated therein with a dashed line.

Figure 3 shows a lower view of the new bicycle saddle cover (C) with an enlarged shape which it assumes when it is mounted on a saddle, not shown. Figure 4 shows a lower view of a second embodiment of the new bicycle saddle cover (C), wherein said container or case (Cc) is made of a three-fold folded element, the central fold being secured to the lower frame of the saddle (S) while the new bicycle saddle cover (C) comprises, in its part corresponding to the back of the saddle (S), a part or projection (Cs) fastened to the inside of the container or case (Cc).

Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are made.

Claims

1. Bicycle saddle cover (C), characterized in that its shape matches the specific shape of the saddle and in that it is made of a transparent plastic material.

2. Saddle cover (C) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is shaped in such a way that it can be fitted on said saddle and made adhere to the soft part of the saddle through compression.

3. Saddle cover (C) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least two plane sheets (1, 2) made of a plastic material and having a shape that substantially coincides with the size of the saddle to be covered in plan view, and wherein said two plane sheets (1, 2) are superimposed to each other and heat sealed along their outer edge (1.1, 2.1), and wherein the lower sheet (2) is provided with an opening or hole (2.4) at its centre which is intended for the insertion of the saddle.

4. Saddle cover (C) according to claim 3, characterized in that the edge (2.5) of said opening or hole (2.4) provided in said lower sheet (2) is heat sealed in such a way as to improve its resistance to tearing.

5. Saddle cover (C) according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two plane sheets (1, 2) made of a plastic material, and wherein the shape of the upper sheet (1) is the same as the shape of the saddle to be covered in plan view, and wherein said lower sheets (2) are arranged at least at the level of the front portion and of the rear portion of the saddle.

6. Saddle cover (C) according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that it comprises a single element made of an elastic plastic material, substantially formed as a hood or cap, having the same shape as that of the saddle to be covered.

7. Saddle cover (C) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a container or case, and wherein said container or case is suited to contain said saddle cover (C) when the latter is not applied to the saddle, and wherein said container or case comprises removable or non-removable fixing means suited to fix it to the lower structure of the saddle.

Saddle cover (C) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises an element, portion or projection (Cs) fixed to the inside of said container or case (Cc), and wherein said portion or projection (Cs) maintains said new saddle cover (C) joined to said container or case (Cc) in a stable manner.