Bicycle seat
Among other things, a compliant element is configured to attach a seat of a device on which a user pedals to a frame of the device. The compliant element has a stiffness that is small enough to permit substantially unimpeded rocking of the seat relative to the frame in a plane in which the spine and pelvic bone of the user lie when the user is on the seat, and is large enough to maintain the seat in a substantially horizontal plane when the user is not on the seat.
1. An apparatus comprising
a rocker element configured to support a rigid transverse beam of a seat on which a user of a device is to sit while pedaling, the rocker element supporting the rigid transverse beam on a seat post structure of the device, the rocker element comprising
a rocker that includes a continuous curved convex rocker surface facing the seat post structure and configured so that successive locations along the rocker surface bear on the seat post structure to enable rolling motion of the rigid transverse beam as the user is pedaling, and
a coupler configured to connect the rocker element to the seat post structure, the coupler being configured to permit the rolling motion and to permit simultaneous yawing motion of the rigid transverse beam.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the rocker surface is circular.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising another rocker that includes a continuous curved convex rocker surface facing the seat post structure and configured so that successive locations along the other rocker surface bear on the seat post structure to enable rolling motion of the rigid transverse beam as the user is pedaling.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which a portion of the coupler lies between the rocker surface and the other rocker surface.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the coupler comprises a resilient element.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the coupler comprises a helically wound spring and the rocker element comprises an internally threaded hole to receive the helically wound spring.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the coupler comprises a rubber cylinder.