Bicycle saddle structure comprising means for mounting the saddle on a bicycle seat post

1. A saddle structure, comprising:

a shell ( 2 ) made of a relatively rigid material defining a longitudinal axis (X) and a substantially vertical plane of symmetry (V);

a pronged connection ( 15 ) anchorable to a lower part of said shell ( 2 ) and having a central body ( 16 ) with a slotted through hole ( 23 ) provided with longitudinal edges ( 23 ′);

connection means ( 11 ) intended to anchor said shell ( 2 ) to a seat post ( 12 ) of a frame of a bicycle or a pedal machine, wherein said connection means ( 11 ) comprise:

a fork ( 24 ) having a pair of lateral wings ( 25 , 26 ) intended to house the central body ( 16 ) of said pronged connection ( 15 ), said lateral wings ( 25 , 26 ) being provided with respective cylindrical through openings ( 27 , 28 ) with a transverse common axis (Y) alignable with said slotted hole ( 25 );

locking means ( 29 ) for locking said fork ( 24 ) with respect to said pronged connection ( 15 );

wherein said longitudinal edges ( 23 ′) of said slotted through hole ( 23 ) are chamfered or flared, and that said locking means ( 29 ) comprise a first pair of inserts ( 30 , 31 ) insertable in a portion of said through openings ( 27 , 28 ) and a second pair of inserts ( 39 , 40 ) insertable in the remaining portion of said cylindrical through openings ( 27 , 28 ), there being provided first screw means ( 37 ) operating on said first pair of inserts ( 30 , 31 ) in order to mutually move them closer along said transverse axis (Y) and to interact with said longitudinal edges ( 23 ′) of said slotted through hole ( 23 ) in a manner so as to lock the longitudinal position of said pronged connection ( 15 ) with respect to said fork ( 24 ), and second screw means ( 43 ) operating on said second pair of inserts ( 39 , 40 ) in order to interact with said first pair of inserts ( 30 , 31 ) and to facilitate their mutual receding in a substantially radial direction with respect to said transverse axis (Y) in a manner so as to lock the angular position of said pronged connection ( 15 ) with respect to said fork ( 24 ).

2. The saddle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the inserts of said first pair ( 30 , 31 ) and the inserts of said second pair ( 39 , 40 ) are substantially identical to each other and at least partially cylindrical.

3. The saddle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the inserts ( 30 , 31 ) of said first pair have frontal wedge-shaped formations ( 34 , 35 ) adapted to be engaged in the flared or chamfered edges of said slotted through hole ( 23 ) on opposite sides of said plane of symmetry (V) in order to lock the longitudinal position of said fork ( 24 ) with respect to said fork connection ( 15 ).

4. The saddle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the inserts ( 30 , 31 ) of said first pair have, at said frontal wedge-shaped formations ( 34 , 35 ), respective axial holes ( 36 , 38 ) for the passage of a first locking screw ( 37 ).

5. The saddle structure according to claim 4 , wherein one ( 38 ) of said axial holes formed in one of the inserts ( 30 ) of said first pair is internally threaded in order to allow the screwing of said first screw ( 37 ) after having crossed through said slotted through hole ( 23 ) and the other axial hole ( 36 ) formed in the other ( 31 ) of the inserts of said first pair, in order to lock said fork ( 24 ) with respect to said fork connection ( 15 ).

6. The saddle structure according to claim 4 , wherein the inserts of said second pair ( 39 , 40 ) have second tilted surfaces ( 44 , 45 ) adapted to interact with said first tilted surfaces ( 32 , 33 ) of the inserts ( 30 , 31 ) of said first pair.

7. The saddle structure according to claim 6 , wherein the inserts ( 44 , 45 ) of said second pair have respective through holes ( 41 , 42 ) substantially parallel to the through holes of said first pair of inserts ( 30 , 31 ) for the passage of a second locking screw ( 43 ).

8. The saddle structure according to claim 7 , wherein one of the through holes ( 41 ) of one of the inserts ( 39 ) of said second pair is internally threaded in order to allow the screwing of said second locking screw ( 43 ) passing through the other substantially smooth axial hole ( 42 ) formed in the other ( 40 ) of the inserts of said second pair, in a manner such that upon screwing said second screw ( 43 ), the radial mutual sliding is facilitated of the inserts of said first pair ( 30 , 31 ) and of said second pair ( 39 , 40 ) along the respective first ( 32 , 33 ) and second ( 44 , 45 ) tilted surfaces, and the locking of said inserts ( 30 , 31 ; 39 , 40 ) is caused against the inner walls of said cylindrical through openings ( 27 , 28 ) formed in the wings ( 25 , 26 ) of said fork ( 24 ), in a manner so as to rotatably lock the latter with respect to said pronged connection ( 15 ).

9. The saddle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the inserts ( 30 , 31 ) of said first pair have respective first surfaces ( 32 , 33 ) that are tilted with respect to said respective axial holes ( 36 , 38 ).