IP Library Granted Patent US 12,735,133
Granted Patent B2
US 12,735,133 · App. 18/786,339 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Travel adjust features for a dropper seatpost assembly

Inventors: Thomas Samuel Holaday (Arden, NC); Joshua Coaplen (Asheville, NC)
Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
B62J1/08B62J2001/085
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,735,133
App. No.
18/786,339
Filed
Jul 26, 2024
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3636
USPC
297/215.13
Abstract

A dropper seatpost assembly is disclosed. The dropper seatpost assembly includes a lower post comprising a travel adjustment bore, an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to the lower post, and a translating assembly configured to maintain an orientation of the upper post with respect to the lower post. The dropper seatpost assembly includes a first top out path with a first travel length and a second top out path, wherein the second top out path is distinct from the first top out path and wherein the second top out path provides a modified travel length different than the first travel length.

Claims (51)

1 . A dropper seatpost assembly comprising:

a lower post, said lower post comprising a travel adjustment bore;

an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to said lower post;

a translating assembly configured to maintain at least one of an axial orientation or a rotational orientation of said upper post with respect to said lower post, or both; and

a first top out path with a first travel length; and

a second top out path, wherein said second top out path is distinct from said first top out path and wherein said second top out path provides a modified top out travel length different than said first travel length, wherein said modified top out travel length is less than a maximum top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

2 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first top out path comprises:

a first travel length limiting component coupled with a piston shaft; and

a second travel length limiting component configured to move relative to said piston shaft, wherein a portion of said first travel length limiting component will interact with a portion of said second travel length limiting component to provide said first travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

3 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first travel length is a maximum top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

4 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one contact washer disposed in said travel adjustment bore.

5 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 4 , wherein said at least one contact washer is not required to interact with said translating assembly when no travel adjustment spacer is disposed in said travel adjustment bore.

6 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second top out path comprises:

at least one travel adjustment spacer disposed in said travel adjustment bore, said at least one travel adjustment spacer configured to interact with said translating assembly to modify a top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

7 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , wherein said at least one travel adjustment spacer is configured to be disposed in and withdrawn from said travel adjustment bore without requiring a removal of said upper post from said lower post of said dropper seatpost assembly.

8 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , wherein said at least one travel adjustment spacer is configured to be disposed in and withdrawn from said travel adjustment bore without requiring a removal of said dropper seatpost assembly from a vehicle frame.

9 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:

at least one contact washer disposed in said travel adjustment bore between said at least one travel adjustment spacer and said translating assembly, said at least one contact washer configured to interact with said translating assembly to modify said top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

10 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 9 , wherein said at least one contact washer is configured to be disposed in and withdrawn from said travel adjustment bore without requiring a removal of said upper post from said lower post of said dropper seatpost assembly.

11 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 9 , wherein said at least one contact washer is configured to be disposed in and withdrawn from said travel adjustment bore without requiring a removal of said dropper seatpost assembly from a vehicle frame.

12 . A dropper seatpost assembly comprising:

a lower post, said lower post comprising a travel adjustment bore;

an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to said lower post;

a translating assembly configured to maintain at least one of an axial orientation or a rotational orientation of said upper post with respect to said lower post, or both;

at least one contact washer removably disposed in said travel adjustment bore, wherein said at least one contact washer is not required to interact with said translating assembly when no travel adjustment spacer is disposed in said travel adjustment bore;

a first top out path with a first travel length; and

a second top out path, wherein said second top out path is distinct from said first top out path and wherein said second top out path provides a modified travel length different than said first travel length.

13 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 12 , wherein said first top out path comprises:

a first travel length limiting component coupled with a piston shaft; and

a second travel length limiting component configured to move relative to said piston shaft, wherein a portion of said first travel length limiting component will interact with a portion of said second travel length limiting component to provide said first travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

14 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 12 , wherein said first travel length is a maximum top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

15 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 12 , wherein said second top out path comprises:

at least one travel adjustment spacer disposed in said travel adjustment bore; and

said at least one contact washer disposed in said travel adjustment bore, said at least one contact washer disposed in said travel adjustment bore between said at least one travel adjustment spacer and said translating assembly, said at least one travel adjustment spacer and said at least one contact washer configured to interact with said translating assembly to modify a top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly to less than a maximum top out travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

16 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 15 , wherein said at least one travel adjustment spacer is configured to be disposed in and withdrawn from said travel adjustment bore without requiring a removal of said upper post from said lower post of said dropper seatpost assembly.

17 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 15 , wherein said at least one travel adjustment spacer is configured to be disposed in and withdrawn from said travel adjustment bore without requiring a removal of said dropper seatpost assembly from a vehicle frame.

18 . A dropper seatpost assembly comprising:

a lower post, said lower post comprising:

a travel adjustment bore;

an upper post configured to interactively operate with respect to said lower post;

a translating assembly configured to maintain at least one of an axial orientation or a rotational orientation of said upper post with respect to said lower post, or both;

at least one contact washer removably disposed in said travel adjustment bore, wherein said at least one contact washer is not required to interact with said translating assembly when no travel adjustment spacer is disposed in said travel adjustment bore;

a first top out path with a first travel length, said first top out path comprising:

a first travel length limiting component coupled with a piston shaft; and

a second travel length limiting component configured to move relative to said piston shaft, wherein a portion of said first travel length limiting component will interact with a portion of said second travel length limiting component to provide said first travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly; and

a second top out path, wherein said second top out path is distinct from said first top out path and wherein said second top out path provides a modified travel length less than said first travel length.

19 . The dropper seatpost assembly of claim 18 , wherein said second top out path comprises:

at least one travel adjustment spacer removably disposed in said travel adjustment bore; and

said at least one contact washer disposed in said travel adjustment bore between said at least one travel adjustment spacer and said translating assembly, said at least one travel adjustment spacer and said at least one contact washer configured to:

interact with said translating assembly to modify said first travel length of said dropper seatpost assembly.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2026
From: HOLADAY, THOMAS SAMUEL; COAPLEN, JOSHUA
To: FOX FACTORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 074158/0249 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 18099938 · Jan 21, 2023
Provisional Application 63369891 · Jul 29, 2022
Provisional Application 63301900 · Jan 21, 2022
Related Publication 20250050957A1 · Feb 13, 2025
References Cited (77)
US 6631947B2 · Faltings · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 7025522B2 · Sicz et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 8302983B1 · Hsu · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8752893B2 · Chien et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8781690B2 · Hara et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8814109B2 · Calendrille et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8833848B2 · Shirai · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8894025B2 · Wehage et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9376159B2 · Kuo · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9422018B2 · Pelot et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9878754B2 · Tsai · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10081405B2 · Mcandrews et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10093374B2 · Mcpherson et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10189522B2 · Pittens · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10399624B2 · Teixeira · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10422355B2 · Pittens et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10450022B2 · Watson · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10479431B2 · Winefordner et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10513300B2 · Bowers · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10562578B2 · Teixeira et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10625800B2 · Mcandrews et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10647373B2 · Mcandrews et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10710662B2 · Bowers et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10780932B2 · Shirai · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10974781B2 · Staples · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11077901B2 · Pittens · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11091215B2 · Madau et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11180212B2 · Shirai · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11661129B2 · Chambers · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11661130B2 · Quenzer · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11780521B2 · Dubois · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 12151757B2 · Ahnert et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 12179870B2 · Dunlap · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12269548B2 · Holaday · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12286180B2 · Chambers · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12291297B2 · Chambers · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 12429074B2 · Coaplen · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20190002048A1 · Winefordner et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190308681A1 · Staples · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190367114A1 · Winefordner et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200070913A1 · Staples · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210094642A1 · Dubois et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210371028A1 · Coaplen et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20240417013A1 · Dunlap · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20250042490A1 · Dunlap · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250065972A1 · Payton · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250083762A1 · Dunlap · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250100638A1 · Shipman · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250100639A1 · Shipman · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250100640A1 · Shipman · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250115323A1 · Chambers · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250162671A1 · Holaday · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250187687A1 · Dunlap · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250376994A1 · Coaplen · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20260001604A1 · Dunlap · 2026 [cited by examiner]
US 20260028078A1 · Otterness · 2026 [cited by examiner]
US 20260029058A1 · Pfeiffer · 2026 [cited by examiner]
CA 3053537A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 209617331U · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 210634677U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 212401431U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 112606930A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 213008477U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 213138994U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 213168365U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 213705633U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 214648699U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 4215429A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
TW I615306B · 2018 [cited by applicant]
TW M576558U · 2019 [cited by applicant]
TW M599270U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
TW M605174U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
TW M605175U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
TW M605177U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
TW M613821U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
TW M613950U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
European Search Report for European Application No. 23152966.0, 7 pages, Jun. 20, 2023. [cited by applicant]