ESSENCE Urban Folding Bicycle
December 1991 Graduation Project of Bachelorship in Industrial Design / Product Design at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - EBA UFRJ - Brazil.
December 1991 Graduation Project of Bachelorship in Industrial Design / Product Design at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - EBA UFRJ - Brazil.
Concept of Design and Innovative Features:
As the name suggests, this bicycle was designed with a clean, simple structure, which allows it to "fold" like a pocket knife. The seat tube and rear fork fold in the longitudinal plan of the bicycle.
Merit Award at 14th International Bicycle Design Competition – TAIWAN - March 17, 2010
For effortless folding, the bike's central section must be pulled up while pushing down on the handlebars. The wheels will roll together until they are side by side. This movement is made possible by a structural feature shaped with a special angle, with a pivoting axle, located at the bike's center.
The seat tube is folded before this, and the handlebars and pedals are revolved later, completing the folding procedures.
The seat tube is folded before this, and the handlebars and pedals are revolved later, completing the folding procedures.
This folding concept was developed for bicycles with large wheels (26"), providing a comfortable and efficient operation, reducing the bike to half its original volume, but the same system can be used for smaller (20") bicycles.
This central folding module was designed to offer a safe mechanism, since it uses the bike's own weight to ensure it is locked. The structural simplicity allows easy manufacturing, using normal bicycle parts.
This central folding module was designed to offer a safe mechanism, since it uses the bike's own weight to ensure it is locked. The structural simplicity allows easy manufacturing, using normal bicycle parts.
Structural-design drawing:
The structure has a central folding and locking module, connected to the main elements: Rear fork, seat tube and inclined tube. This central folding module was designed to offer a safe mechanism, since it uses the bike's own weight to ensure it is locked. The structural simplicity allows easy manufacturing, using normal bicycle parts.
The rear fork tubes and the inclined tubes were designed as beams, and can be made with oblong, oval, elliptical or trapezoidal tubes, in aluminium alloy, chrome molybdenum alloy, or composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforce plastic.
A simple protection or cartop transportation case can be designed for the bicycle.
The rear fork tubes and the inclined tubes were designed as beams, and can be made with oblong, oval, elliptical or trapezoidal tubes, in aluminium alloy, chrome molybdenum alloy, or composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforce plastic.
A simple protection or cartop transportation case can be designed for the bicycle.
Target Market:
The main market targets are the large urban centers, where people are forced to live in small residences, using small storage space in crowded offices and facilitating transportation in buses, subways, cars or boats.
The main market targets are the large urban centers, where people are forced to live in small residences, using small storage space in crowded offices and facilitating transportation in buses, subways, cars or boats.
Industrial Design / Product Design' Bachelorship Project
at
EBA / UFRJ - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - December 1991
Professor de Projeto de Graduação: Dr. Vicente Cerqueira - EBA UFRJ
