Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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- 1 - 23199-56
CYCLE SEAT
SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to a seat for a cycle, particular-
ly a bicycle, but also a tricycle or unicycle r or a motor cycle.
Traditionally, a cycle seat is in the form of a three-
cornered saddle which is generally padded or has an underlying
spring suspension. Such a seat is fitted onto a cycle seat
support so as to provide a broad rear part to support the spine of
a cyclist and a tapering front part
I,,
to fit between the legs of the cyclist and support
their body as they lean forward during active
cyclingO
Over the years, many types of cycle seats
have been constructed so as each to fit more
exactly the contours,of the cyclist's backside by
having a depression at each side to accommodate
the two buttocks. Consequently such seats tend
each to have a central ridge, the roar portion of
10 which supports the cyclist's spine and the front
portion of which extends between the cyclist's
legs. In the construction of racing bicycles it
is obviously necessary to minimize the weight of
all cycle components. Pursuant thereto, the seats
15 of almost all types of racing cycles have been
reduced in size compared to nornal cycle seats by
being made extremely narrow and each comprising
little more than the aforementioned central ridge
extending in the plane ox the respective cycle.
A cycle having a cycle seat witn a central
ridge, as described in the preceding paragraph, is
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usually fairly uncomfortable for a cyclist it
ridden for an considerable distance becauae thy
weight of the body i3 transmitted to the cycle
through only a small area surrounding the ridge.
Consequently, the ridge pre3~es to the relative-
ly sensitive ~le~h ox the cycli3t's backside.
Such a teat ma also give rite to backache in the
cyclist, if, a is often the oase9 the rear porb- -
ion ox ths ridge presses against the bay of thc
10 spine, or to be more exact, the coccyx. moreover,
it i8 believea that male cyclists who spend a
great deal of time riding o~cle3 hazing narrow,
ridged seats may have their fertility impaired due
bo pre3sure on the Ya8 de~eren tube it the malt
15 genitalia during cycling.
An object ox the prese.nt invention it bher~-
fore the provision of a new and improved oycle
seat which is more comfortable thaw previous types ox
seats and is far lets likely to give rise to back-
2~ ache in a cyclist or to impalr the fertility ova male cycli3t.
ith this object in view, the present invent-
ion provide3 a cycle g at ~Qmpri~ing two
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distinct buttock-or cheek-supporting parts, which parts are
arranged substantially symmetrically at respective sides of a gap
extending through the longitudinal axis of the seat and are
supported by members arranged entirely below the plane of the
seat, characterised in that each of the two seat parts is substan-
tially semi-circular in shape, having a straight edge and a curved
edge section, with the straight edges of the respective parts
facing one another, in that each of the two seat parts has a
curved edge section and a rim extending from its rear corner to
part way around the curved edge section, and in that each of the
two seat parts is independently adjustable with respect to height
and angle to the horizontal but is not designed to move during
use.
Thus, the parts are preferably substantially identical
but arranged as mirror images at respective sides of the seat
axis. This seat does not include a central ridge nor any part
which would extend between the legs of the cyclist.
In a preferred embodiment of the cycle seat, each of the
two buttock-or cheek-supporting parts has a rim extending from one
corner part way around the curved edge.
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The two parts may conveniently be separated by a gap
extending through the longitudinal axis of the seat, e.g. between
the straight edges of semi-circular part seats, and be supported
from below upon respective limbs of a forked seat support.
The invention will be described further, by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a Eragmentary perspective view illustrating a
preferred embodiment of the cycle seat oE the invention fitted
onto a bicycle;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the arrange-
ment shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a
cyclist sitting on the same embodiment of the cycle seat of the
invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and
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Fig. 4 is a fragment ront elevation of
illustrating another practical embodiment of the
cycle seat of the invention fitted onto a bicycle.
As shown in jigs. 1 and 2, a preferred embodi-
ment of the cycle seat of the invention comprisestwo substantially semi-circular half-seats 10 and 11~ ;
hese half-seats 10 and 11 are wormed as
mirror inages of each other of internally padded
material such as leather, plastics or text1le
fabric. Each half-seat 10, 11 has a substantially
flat base region 13 for accommodating one cheek or
buttock of a cyclist. extending partially around
the curved edge of each half-seat 10, 11 is an
arcuate raised portion or rim 14 which slopes up-
15 ~vardly from one corner and downwardly around theside so as to leave a flat region 15 adjacent the
other corner on whicn the top of one of the c~C1ist's
legs will ret. From the underside of each base
region 13 projects a connection flange 16 hazing
a bore therethrough.
i ;~300~1 i
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yhen mounted on a bicycle 30, as shown in
jigs. 1 to 3, the half-seats 10 and 11 are fitted
onto perspective limbs 17, 18 of a forked cycle
seat support 19 such that the rims 14 are tor;ards
5 the rear of the bicycle 30. The respective
connection flanges 16 of the half-seats 10, 11
are slotted onto horizontal end portions of the
respective limbs 17, l and held fi~nly in position
by washers 21 by tightening of respective nuts 20.
The half-sea-ts 10 and 11 are separated by a
gap 12 of substantially constant width, e,g. 10 to
20 cm, between their respectiYe straight edges.
the gay 12 is in line with the longitudinal axis
of the bicycle 30.
It will thus be appreciated that a cyclist
sitting on the above-described seat, comprising
half-seats 10 and 11, will have their buttocks or
cheeks supported separately upon the respective
base reæions 13 of said half-seats 10, 11 with
20 the rim 14 defining the limit of -the seat and
lending additional support at the rear and side
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of the cyclist's buttocks or cheeks.
As indicated in Fig. 3, the half-seats 10/ 11
may be separately adjusted with respect to their
angle to the horizontal by lossening their respect-
ively associated nuts 20, pivoting the half-seats
10~ 119 about the horizontal end portions of the
limbs 17 and 18, to the required angle and re-tighten-
ing the nuts 20.
In a modification of the above-described arrange-
10 ment, the half-seats 10, 11 may also be independently
adjustable with respect to height, for example by
rovision of telescopically adjustable limbs on
the forked seat support 19.
A Iurther practical embodiment of the invention,
15 as shown in Fi~-~ 4, comprises a cycle seat 25 having
two buttock-or cheek-3upporting parts 40, 41 of
substantially the save form as the respective half-
s,eats 10 and 11 of the preferred embodiment. That
is to say base regions 43, rims 44, flat front
20 regions 45 and flanges 4O correspond to the parts
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indicated by 13, 14, 15 and 16 respectively in
~ig8. 1 to 3. However the seat parts 40 and 41
are centrally connected by a region 42 which is
depressed below the plane of the base regions
43. The seat 25 is shown fitted onto a forked
seat support 19 in similar manner to the previously
described preferred embodiment of cycle seat Due
to the connection of the parts 40, and 41, they
must, of course, be a~just.ed simultaneously with
10 respect to height and angle.
O:E course, the seat 25 need not be fitted to
a forked seat support but may insteàd be fitted
- onto a more usual type of unitary support by way
of a single connection flange projecting from the
15 underside of the depression 42.
It should, of course, be understood that the
invention is not limited to the exact details of
the foregoing embodiments and variations may be
made tn~rebo. In particul3r the shape and construct-
20 ion of the half-seats or part seats ma vary, for
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example by having respective depressions in the
base regions to fit more closely to the shape of
the cyclist's buttocks, or by having sprung
suspensions. i/loreover, the rims may be omitted,
5 if so required, for example, in racing cycles
in order to reduce weight and air/wind resistance.
Any increase in air/wind resistance due to a s
rimless cycle seat of the invention compared to
that of a traditional narrow racing cycle seat
10 is negligible, as~the half-seats or part seats
would lie completely beneath the riders backside
and would not project sideways or rearwards to
the surface area presented to the
oncoming air.
The advantages of the presently proposed
cycle seat compared to known seats are considerable.
firstly, the weight of the body is transmitted to
the cycle by way of a larger area, namely su~stant-
ially all the cyclist's cheeks or buttocks and
20 the corresponding su~-~orting base regions of the
half seats or part seats, and secondly there is
no central ridge to cut or press into the cyclist,
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so overall the qeat of the invention is far more
comfortable than any hitherto proposed, and it
far less likely to give rise to backache or
impa_r male fertilityO Furthermore, the larger
area of weight transmission in the seat of the
invention will probably give the cyclist increased
leverage on the pedals and thus reduce the effort
required for cycling at a certain speed compared
to a kn.own cycle seat.
A3 mentioned at the beginning of this specifi-
cation, the cycle teat ox the in~rention it not
only 3uitable for fitting on a bicycle9 but may
al80 'De u~d on a tricycle or unicyole, which are
nowadays rare. Moreo~rer, the seat may be fitted
onto a motor cyole to improve the comfort ox it8
rider.
