Published applications for new bicycle derailleur patents to the major component companies suggest that rear derailleurs could be headed the way of bottom brackets in terms of bike-specific compatibility. Rear derailleurs have mounted to frames with near-universal fit since they first evolved into the basic swinging parallelogram design in the 1950s. The days of [...]
When a product is covered by a patent, exactly what sort of exclusivity does a patent holder have -- for instance, with US patent law and bicycles? Under US law, a patent provides the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention throughout the United States, as well as the right to [...]
Herein, I review 2022 bicycle industry patents. If you want a sneak peek at the future of where bicycle technology is headed, consider patent applications. Applications for utility patents publish (with some exceptions) 18 months after their filing date* – often before news of a related product is publically released . Patent filings also may [...]
Expiring patents and new inventions can be a hot topic in business. Patents are often mentioned as limiting the release of a new product from more than one manufacturer. Which of course, is exactly how the patent system is intended to work. Does it follow that when a patent expires, the floodgates open and [...]
The rise of design patents means that bike and accessory companies are increasingly using the US patent system to protect the appearance of their new products. In the US, patents come in two flavors: utility patents, and design patents– with the latter gaining popularity as a form of intellectual property in many industries, including [...]
In the last decade, helmet companies patent MIPS alternatives, which has has seen a surge in new technology for bicycle helmets. Much of the development has focused on systems that address rotational-type forces, which may be a factor with head injuries in some bicycle crashes. Those who work showroom floors in bike shops likely know [...]
With bicycle patents, there may be a love-hate relationship. Common bicycle industry chatter: “That product is a rip-off, a total copycat”. Yet also heard frequently: “Patents stifle new ideas – only the lawyers win.” Which of these opposing points hits the mark? Granting exclusive rights to inventors for their work is nothing new: patents date [...]
Smart bike and virtual cycling patents surround the electronics and internet connectivity that have become woven into indoor trainers and stationary bicycles over the last decade. Performance metrics like power measurement are now standard-issue for cycling enthusiasts who ride indoors (and outdoors), while virtual cycling platforms like Zwift, BKool, and others have greatly reduced the [...]
Recently published US patent applications show electronic bicycle shifting from Tektro – a brand known mainly for its bicycle brakes. The Taiwan-based company has submitted over 65 US patent applications in the last 10 years, and least two dozen of the most recent filings relate to derailleurs and shifting. Could Tektro be poised to become [...]
Bike box patents from Trek and Canyon show the industry's interest in a designs that get little attention. Yet bike boxes might only be outdone by empty coffee cups as the most common clutter in the work areas of shops. While the enormous cartons don’t get much attention – particularly compared to what’s inside them [...]
