Operating Device for a Height-Adjustable Seatpost Tube

Abstract

An operating device for a height-adjustable seatpost tube including a lifting magnet. The lifting magnet has a magnetic core surrounded by a coil. The magnetic core cooperates with an actuating device of a lifting device, the lifting device being a pneumatic lifting device for height-adjustment of the seatpost tube and thus for heigh-adjustment of the seat, for example.

Claims

1. An operating device for a height-adjustable seatpost tube, comprising: a lifting magnet having a coil surrounding a magnetic core, an electrical switching device connected to the coil, and an actuating device cooperating with the magnetic core for actuation of a lifting device of the height-adjustable seatpost tube.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the actuating device is connected with a front side of the magnetic core, in particular rests thereon.

3. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the actuating device is bar-shaped and extends in particular in longitudinal direction of the magnetic core.

4. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein a stop for the magnetic core in an actuating position.

5. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting magnet is disposed at least partially inside a housing, wherein the stop is preferably connected to the housing, in particular is integrally formed therewith.

6. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein a preloading device, in particular a preloading spring, acts on the magnetic core.

7. The operating device according to claim 6, wherein the preloading device acts on a front side of the magnetic core, in particular rests thereon.

8. The operating device according to claim 2, wherein the front side of the magnetic core cooperating with the actuating device is opposite the front side cooperating with the preloading device.

9. The operating device according to claim 6, wherein the preloading device is connected to an adjusting device for adjusting a preloading force.

10. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein a force required to operate the lifting device is applied partially by the preloading device and partially by the lifting magnet.

11. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein that the lifting device has a pneumatic device and/or a hydraulic device and/or a spring device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the following, the disclosure is described in more detail by means of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] In the drawings:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an operating device for a height-adjustable seatpost tube according to the disclosure, and

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a lifting device designed as a pneumatic device of the height-adjustable seatpost tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The operating device for a height-adjustable seatpost tube according to the disclosure comprises a lifting magnet 10. The lifting magnet 10 comprises a magnetic core 12 and an electric coil surrounding the magnetic core 12. The lifting magnet 10 is arranged inside a housing 16. Furthermore, the lifting magnet 10 is connected to a switch arranged in particular on the handlebar via an electrical line 18 shown in dashed lines, so that the line 18 is part of the switching device. The switching device can be used to energize the coil 14, which is further connected to a power source, to generate a magnetic force. When the switching device is switched on, the magnetic core 12 is displaced from the rest position shown in FIG. 1 in the direction of an arrow 20 to an actuating position.

[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 10 is arranged in a pot-like manner and encloses the coil on the right side in FIG. 1. Thus, a stop 22 designed as a frusto-conical opening is formed. In this stop 22, the magnetic core 20 is moved and then connects in the stopped position in the actuating position.

[0023] A pin-shaped element 26 of an actuating device rests on a right-hand front side 24 of the magnetic core in FIG. 1. The pin-shaped element 26 is guided in a tube 28 in longitudinal direction 30. Thus, moving the magnetic core 12 in the direction of the arrow 20 to the actuating position causes the pin-shaped element 26 in FIG. 1 to move to the right, also to the actuating position.

[0024] The front side 24 of the magnetic core 12 is the front side facing in the direction of the lifting device of the height-adjustable seatpost tube. In the mounted state, the front side substantially faces upwards.

[0025] The housing 10 has an external thread 34 on a cylindrical lug 32. The external thread 34 can be used to connect the operating device to a tube of the height-adjustable seatpost tube. In particular, this involves the connection to an outer tube of a seatpost tube that has, in particular, two tubes that can be telescoped into one another. The outer tube is stationary and firmly connected to the seat tube of the frame.

[0026] In the illustrated preferred embodiment, a preloading device in the form of a preloading spring 36 is provided to support the lifting magnet 10. The preloading spring 36 cooperates with a front side 38 of the magnetic core 12 opposite the front side 24. The preloading spring 36 generates a force 40 that is coaxially directed with respect to the longitudinal or force direction 20 of the magnetic core 12. A lug 42 of the housing 10 surrounds the preloading spring 36 so that the preloading spring 36 is arranged in a cylindrical recess of the lug 42.

[0027] An adjustment device 44 is arranged on the side of the preloading spring 36 facing away from the magnetic core 12. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the adjustment device 44 is a bolt by means of which the spring 36 can be preloaded. This ensures that the spring 36 always exerts its force on the pin 26 and thus on the actuating device for actuating the lifting device via the magnetic core 12 even in the rest position, i.e. in the de-energized position. The force applied by the preloading spring 36 adds to the force applied by the magnetic core 12 when operating the actuating device.

[0028] The actuating device may be a pneumatic device such as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0029] Said device has an outer seatpost tube 46 that is fixed in a clamping manner in the seat tube of the frame by a clamping mechanism that is not illustrated. Depending on the size of the user, the seatpost tube 46 can be fixed in different positions in the seat tube of the bicycle frame. Connected to the outer seatpost tube 46 is an inner seatpost tube 48 which can be moved from the extended position shown in FIG. 2 for height adjustment in the outer seatpost tube 46 in the direction of an arrow 50. This makes is possible, after operating the actuating device 26, to move the outer seatpost tube 48 with the aid of the body weight in the direction of the arrow 50. In this case, the tube 28 is stationary and is not moved and has a plate-shaped element 52 similar to a piston at the end pointing in the direction of the outer seatpost tube 48. Thus, when moving the outer seatpost tube 48 in the direction of the arrow 50, air is compressed within a cavity 54 of a cartridge 56 disposed inside the outer seatpost tube.

[0030] To move a seat connected to an upper end 58 of the outer seatpost tube 48 back to the upper seating position, the pin-shaped member 56 is moved with the aid of the lifting magnet 10 as described above. This opens a valve located in the plate-shaped member 52.