Bicycle Battery Assembly

Abstract

A bicycle battery assembly comprises a bicycle frame tube, such as a down tube. A battery is adapted to be inserted through a battery opening in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle frame tube. For allowing for a simple fixing of the battery to the bicycle frame tube, in particular by means of screws, an installation aid is connected to the battery and/or the bicycle frame tube, in particular in the area of the battery opening. The installation aid allows for an easy installation since in particular screw holes in the bicycle frame tube are flush with threaded bore holes in the battery.

Claims

1. A bicycle battery assembly, comprising: a bicycle frame tube, a battery adapted to be inserted, in a longitudinal direction of the bicycle frame tube, into the latter through a battery opening, and an installation aid connected to the battery and/or the bicycle frame tube.

2. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid comprises a boss facing in the longitudinal direction, which boss, in the inserted condition of the battery, engages over a side wall of the bicycle frame tube and/or cooperates with a projection provided at the battery.

3. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid comprises a locating bearing which cooperates with an abutment surface provided at the bicycle frame tube or the battery.

4. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface and the abutment surface are complementary to each other.

5. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface and/or the abutment surface partially extend in the longitudinal direction.

6. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locating surface and/or the abutment surface are bent in the longitudinal direction.

7. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface or the abutment surface are funnel-shaped in the longitudinal direction.

8. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface or the abutment surface are wedge-shaped in the longitudinal direction.

9. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface and/or the abutment surface are bent transversely to the longitudinal direction.

10. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface or the abutment surface are funnel-shaped transversely to the longitudinal direction.

11. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface or the abutment surface are wedge-shaped transversely to the longitudinal direction.

12. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein the locating surface or the abutment surface are constituted by a side surface of the bicycle frame tube facing in the longitudinal direction.

13. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid is integrally formed with the battery.

14. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein a force transmission between the battery and the bicycle frame tube essentially takes place via fixing elements by means of which the battery is held in the bicycle frame tube.

15. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bicycle frame tube is a down tube.

16. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid connected to the battery and/or the bicycle frame tube is arranged in the area of the battery opening for defining an installation position.

17. The bicycle battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the installation aid is integrally formed with the battery housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Hereunder the disclosure will be explained in detail on the basis of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified schematic side view of a bicycle frame,

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the down tube in the area of the battery opening,

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the down tube in the area of the battery opening,

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of an outside of the down tube in the area of the battery opening, and

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a schematic sectional view along line IV-IV in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] A bicycle frame usually comprises a top tube 10, a saddle tube 12 connected to the top tube 10, a down tube 14 as well as a head tube 16 connected to the top tube 10 and the down tube 14. Further, a bottom bracket or motor housing 18 is provided serving for accommodating an electric motor of the bottom bracket. Other frame geometries are also known. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the down tube 14 is arranged such that a bottom-bracket-side end 20 of the down tube 14 comprises a battery opening 22. The battery opening 22 is thus arranged relative to a longitudinal direction 24 of the down tube 14. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, a battery can be inserted into the battery opening 22 from below in the longitudinal direction 24.

[0023] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, an installation aid as an additional component 28 is arranged at the battery 30 or a housing of the battery 30. The installation aid 28 cooperates with an area 32 of the down tube 14 such that the component 28 and the area 32 together constitute the installation aid, as elucidated in detail below.

[0024] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the component 28 of the installation aid is fixed to the battery 30 by means of a screw 34. The component 28 of the installation aid comprises a boss 36 (FIG. 3). The latter engages over an outside 38 of the down tube 14. With the bicycle frame in an upright position (FIG. 1), the outside 38 faces downwards. The boss 36 which abuts on the outside 38 of the down tube 14 in the inserted condition of the battery 30 helps to realize a vertical orientation of the battery 30 in a simple manner.

[0025] The component 28 of the installation aid comprises a locating surface 40.

[0026] In the inserted condition (FIG. 3), the locating surface 40 abuts on the abutment surface 42. The abutment surface 42 is the side surface of the lower wall of the down tube 14 defining the battery opening 22. The locating surface 40 and the abutment surface 42 help to adjust the battery 30 in the longitudinal direction 24.

[0027] The abutment surface 42 is preferably configured as a concavely bent recess in the corresponding side wall of the down tube 14 (FIG. 4). The locating surface 40 is preferably of a complementary configuration and thus convexly bent. With such a configuration of the surfaces 40, 42, the installation aid 28, 32 does not only realize an adjustment in the longitudinal direction 24 but also a lateral adjustment in the direction indicated by an arrow 44.

[0028] As seen in a cross-sectional view, the abutment surface 42 can also be wedge-shaped, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Accordingly, the locating surface 40 is complementarily configured in a wedge shape or as a tapering surface. In the inserted condition, the surfaces 40, 42 abut on each other, wherein the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 allows for an easy vertical adjustment in the direction indicated by an arrow 46. In the configuration of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 the boss 36 can be omitted, where appropriate.

[0029] After insertion of the battery 30 into the down tube 14 in the longitudinal direction 24, provision of the installation aid 28, 32 according to the disclosure allows for realizing an adjustment in such a manner that through-going openings 48 (FIG. 2) in the down tube 14 are flush with threaded bore holes in the battery or the battery housing. Thus, screws can easily be screwed into the bore holes for fixing the battery 30 in the down tube 14.