Bicycle Saddle

Abstract

A bicycle saddle includes a saddle shell connected to a saddle rail, a padding element arranged on an upper side of said saddle shell, and a deepened portion extending in said padding element in the longitudinal direction of the bicycle saddle. The depth of said deepened portion increases towards a rear side of the saddle.

Claims

1. A bicycle saddle, comprising a saddle shell connected to a saddle rail, a padding element arranged on an upper side of said saddle shell, and a deepened portion extending in said padding element in a longitudinal direction of the bicycle saddle, wherein the depth of said deepened portion increases towards a rear side of the saddle.

2. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the deepened portion extends from an area of the saddle tip into a seating area.

3. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the deepened portion is of a stepless configuration in the longitudinal direction.

4. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the deepened portion has a maximum depth with respect to an upper side of the padding of at least 5 millimeters.

5. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the saddle shell comprises an opening communicating with the deepened portion.

6. The bicycle saddle according to claim 5, wherein the opening comprises a circumferential collar extending towards the saddle padding.

7. The bicycle saddle according to claim 5, wherein in an edge area of the opening a holding element is provided for fixing a saddlebag.

8. The bicycle saddle according to claim 7, wherein the saddle shell comprises the holding element.

9. The bicycle saddle according to claim 7, wherein the holding element extends towards the padding element.

10. The bicycle saddle according to claim 7, wherein the holding element is arranged on a front side of the opening.

11. The bicycle saddle according to claim 10, wherein the front side of the opening comprises a height offset with respect to a rear side of the opening.

12. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the saddle shell comprises an indentation provided on a lower side and extending towards the deepened portion.

13. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the deepened portion has a maximum depth with respect to an upper side of the padding of at least 7 millimeters.

14. The bicycle saddle according to claim 1, wherein the deepened portion has a maximum depth with respect to an upper side of the padding of at least 9 millimeters.

15. The bicycle saddle according to claim 5, wherein the opening is arranged in an area of the deepened portion on the rear side of the saddle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Hereunder the invention is explained in detail on the basis of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a bicycle saddle according to the invention,

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view along a line II-II of FIG. 1,

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view along a line III-III of FIG. 1, and

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the saddle shell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The preferred embodiment of a bicycle saddle according to the invention illustrated in the figures comprises a saddle shell 10. On a lower side 12 of the saddle shell 10 a saddle rail is arranged which comprises two seat stays 14 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. The ends of the stays are connected to the saddle shell 10 in the area of a saddle tip 16 on the one hand and in the area of a rear side 18 on the other hand.

[0029] On an upper side 20 of the saddle shell a padding element 22 is arranged. The padding element 22 is provided with a cover not illustrated which, in the edge area on the lower side 12, is connected to the saddle shell 10.

[0030] In the longitudinal direction 24, that is in the direction of travel in the mounted condition, a deepened portion 26 extends in the saddle padding 22. The deepened portion 26 extends from the area 16 of the saddle tip into a seating area 28. A lower side 30 of the deepened portion 26 or the base of the deepened portion 26 is configured such that the depth of the deepened portion 26 increases counter to the direction of travel 24, that is towards the rear side 18 of the saddle. In the area of the saddle tip, where the deepened portion 26 starts in the illustrated embodiment, first the depth is 0 millimeter and then increases, towards a rear area 32, to a depth of approximately 10 millimeters with respect to an adjacent upper side 33 of the padding.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the saddle shell 10 comprises, on the lower side 12, an indentation 34 extending over the overall length of the deepened portion 26 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Thereby, it is possible to also provide an adequate thickness of the padding element 32 even in the deepened portion 26.

[0032] According to the particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the saddle shell comprises an opening 36. The opening 36 is arranged in the rear area, in particular at the end of the deepened portion 26. The deepened portion 26 thus ends, counter to the direction of travel, in the opening 36. The opening 36 in the saddle shell 10 thus directly communicates with the deepened portion 26.

[0033] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the indentation 34 starts in the area of the saddle tip 16 with respect to the direction of travel 24. In this area, the indentation starts in a stepless manner and thus has a difference of 0 millimeter with respect to the portion of the saddle shell 10 arranged beside the indentation. As is in particular shown in FIG. 4, counter to the direction of travel 24, the height difference with respect to the area 41 of the saddle shell 10 considerably increases directly beside the indentation 34.

[0034] In a front edge area 38, the saddle shell comprises a bulge or an edge 39. The latter serves in particular for accommodating the saddle padding 22 such that an in particular neat and ridge-free edge area of the padding can be realized. Thereby, the padding is prevented from detaching or being damaged in this area. In particular, the edge 39 is of a circumferential configuration and completely surrounds the opening 36. In addition, in the area of the saddle tip 16 as well as in the area of the rear side 28 of the saddle, the saddle shell 10 comprises recesses 46, 48 for accommodating the saddle rail 14.

[0035] In the area of the indentation 34, the saddle shell 10 preferably has a smaller thickness or a smaller wall thickness than in its adjacent area 41 (FIG. 3).

[0036] In the front edge area 38 (FIG. 4), the opening 36 comprises a holding element 40. The holding element 40 is in particular easily accessible from a rear side of the saddle due to the height difference 42 and serves for fastening a saddlebag, a small toolbox, a rear light, a holding fixture for a spare bicycle tube, a splash guard or the like, for example.

[0037] In addition, in a rear area 50, in particular between the two portions 48 for accommodating the saddle rail 14, a fastening element (not illustrated) may be provided. The fastening element can in particular be fastened by means of a screw 52 (FIG. 2). The fastening element, which is in particular a fastening element comprising a locking means, serves for accommodating a saddlebag, a toolbox, a rear light, a splash guard or the like. In particular, such a fastening element can cooperate with the holding element 40 such that heavier saddlebags can also be fastened or a splash guard is easy to align, for example.

[0038] In the illustrated mounted condition, the rear side 44 is higher than the front side 38. Thereby, the accessibility of the holding element 40 is improved. In particular due to the height offset 42, the configuration of the saddle shell having an indentation 34 extending in the longitudinal direction can well be seen when viewing the saddle from the rear. The technical advantage of the indentation is thus recognizable for the user.