Granted Patent B2

US 12,384,484 · App. 17/528,923 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Inventors: Peter Zawistowski (Lakewood, CO); Steven W. Hoogendoorn (Evergreen, CO)

Assignee: YETI CYCLING, LLC

B62K25/26B62K25/286B62M6/55

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. A two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a suspended body;

a suspension linkage including a bottom link body pivotally coupled to the suspended body at a joint; and

a motive power source coupled to both the suspended body and the bottom link body at the joint, the motive power source including a housing forming an exterior portion of thereof, wherein a removable first boss extends from the housing;

a second boss is selectively removable from the housing, wherein:

the removable first boss defines an IVC in a first location when coupled to the housing while the second boss is not coupled to the housing; and

the second boss defines the IVC in a second location when coupled to the housing while the removable first boss is not coupled to the housing.

2. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first securement structure formed in the suspended body;

a second securement structure formed in the bottom link body;

the removable first boss having a third securement structure; and

an axle coupled to the first, second, and third securement structures.

3. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 2 , wherein an instantaneous velocity center (IVC) of the suspension linkage is located within the first, second, and third securement structures.

4. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first securement structure, the second securement structure, and the third securement structure are concentric with one another at the joint.

5. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:

an axle assembly including:

an axle, wherein the axle includes an expandable portion at a first end of an elongate body and an internally threaded portion located proximate to the expandable portion;

a tapered collet including an aperture therethrough;

a fastener adapted to be received in the aperture and including an externally threaded portion adapted to mate with the internally threaded portion of the axle, wherein when the fastener is mated with the axle, the fastener causes the tapered collet to expand the expandable portion to secure the axle assembly to the suspended body.

6. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the removable first boss is selectively removable from the housing.

7. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the housing is a load bearing member of the suspension linkage.

8. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the suspension linkage includes:

a plurality of linkage bodies including:

the suspended body, a second body, the bottom link body, a fourth body, a fifth body, and a sixth body operatively connected defining at least seven primary instantaneous velocity centers (IVCs) wherein;

the suspended body is a binary link;

a shock assembly is configured to resist movement between two or more of the suspended body, the second body, the bottom link body, the fourth body, the fifth body, or the sixth body; and

at least one primary IVC migration path reverses as the suspension linkage moves from an at least partially extended state to an at least partially compressed state.

9. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of linkage bodies define a driven wheel-path.

10. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 8 , wherein:

the suspended body ( 102 ) includes a jointed connection with the bottom link body ( 106 ) defining a primary IVC[ 102 ][ 106 ] ( 128 ), and a jointed connection with the fifth body ( 110 ) defining a primary IVC[ 102 ][ 110 ] ( 124 );

the bottom link body ( 106 ) includes a jointed connection with the fourth body ( 108 ) defining a primary IVC[ 106 ][ 108 ] ( 130 ), and a jointed connection with the sixth body ( 112 ) defining a primary IVC[ 106 ][ 112 ] ( 134 );

the fifth body ( 110 ) includes a jointed connection with the second body ( 104 ) defining a primary IVC[ 104 ][ 110 ] ( 132 ), and a jointed connection with the sixth body ( 112 ) defining a primary IVC[ 110 ][ 112 ] ( 122 ); and

the second body ( 104 ) includes a jointed connection with the fourth body ( 108 ) defining a primary IVC[ 104 ][ 108 ] ( 126 ), wherein a migration path defined by the IVC[ 106 ][ 112 ] ( 134 ) reverses as the suspension linkage moves from the at least partially extended state to the at least partially compressed state.

11. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein a migration path defined by the IVC[ 106 ][ 108 ] ( 130 ) reverses as the suspension linkage moves from the at least partially extended state to the at least partially compressed state.

12. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the second body ( 104 ) is a driven wheel carrier body or a brake carrier body.

13. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the second body ( 104 ) is a driven wheel carrier body and a brake carrier body.

14. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the fourth body ( 108 ) is a driven wheel carrier body or a brake carrier body.

15. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the fourth body ( 108 ) is a driven wheel carrier body and a brake carrier body.

16. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein:

a lower base line is defined by the primary IVC[ 102 ][ 106 ] ( 128 ) and the primary IVC[ 106 ][ 108 ] ( 130 );

an upper base line is defined by the primary IVC[ 102 ][ 110 ] ( 124 ) and the primary IVC[ 104 ][ 110 ] ( 132 ); and

the primary IVC[ 110 ][ 112 ] ( 122 ) is located outside the upper and lower base lines.

17. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein a line defined by the primary IVC[ 106 ][ 112 ] ( 134 ) and the primary IVC[ 110 ][ 112 ] ( 122 ) is located outside the primary IVC[ 102 ][ 106 ] ( 128 ) and the primary IVC[ 106 ][ 108 ] ( 130 ).

18. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the primary IVC[ 106 ][ 112 ] ( 134 ) and the primary IVC[ 106 ][ 108 ] ( 130 ) are on the same side of the primary IVC[ 102 ][ 106 ] ( 128 ).

19. A two-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a suspended body;

a suspension linkage including a bottom link body pivotally coupled to the suspended body at a joint;

a motive power source coupled to both the suspended body and the bottom link body at the joint, the motive power source including a housing forming an exterior portion of thereof, wherein a removable first boss extends from the housing; and

an axle assembly including:

an axle, wherein the axle includes an expandable portion at a first end of an elongate body and an internally threaded portion located proximate to the expandable portion;

a tapered collet including an aperture therethrough;

a fastener adapted to be received in the aperture and including an externally threaded portion adapted to mate with the internally threaded portion of the axle, wherein when the fastener is mated with the axle, the fastener causes the tapered collet to expand the expandable portion to secure the axle assembly to the suspended body.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)