Before the use, any cycle, for example a bike, has to be adjusted in order to suit the physical features of the user and his preferred riding position.

The present invention concerns the necessity of varying the height of the seat by adjusting the height of the bike saddle. This operation is often complicated because it involves an adjustment also of the alignment of the saddle.

The saddle of a cycle is normally fixed at the upper end of a sleeve by which it is supported. Usually, the sleeve is a cylindrical metal tube inserted into an other tube of the cycle frame, inside which it can rotate and slide with a telescopic motion.

The height of the saddle is adjusted by extracting a determined length of the sleeve from the frame; aligning the saddle with the longitudinal axis of the cycle ; rotating the saddle of a suitable angle and blocking the sleeve to the tubular frame. The latter operation is generally performed by a clamp ring placed near the upper opening of the tubular frame.

Thus, before these operations can be performed, the clamp ring has to be manually released and then clutched again by a bolt spanner or an hand-operated lever. In any cases, the height of the saddle can be adjusted only before, and not during, the use of the cycle.

Summary of the invention The first object of the invention is a device for cycle which is suitable to vary the height of the saddle of the cycle.

A second object of the invention is a device for cycle which is suitable to vary the height of the saddle during the use of the cycle.

A further object of the invention is a cycle provided with a saddle the height of which is adjustable by a device which can be easily operated also during the use of the cycle.

Further objects of the invention will be evident by the following detailed description and drawings.

List of drawings -figure 1 schematically shows a front view of a known-art bike; -figure 2 is the enlarged view of the circled detail of figure 1 and shows a saddle according to the invention; -figure 3 is a schematic section view of figure 2; -figure 4a is a schematic view of a first section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 4b is a schematic view of a second section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 4c is a schematic view of a third section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 4d is a schematic view of a fourth section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 4e is a schematic view of a fifth section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 4f is a schematic view of a sixth section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 4g is a schematic view of a seventh section of the sleeve supporting the saddle of the invention; -figure 5 is a schematic section view of a second embodiment of a saddle according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention The characteristics and the advantages of the invention will be described with reference to the annexed drawings showing preferred embodiments given as non limiting examples of the invention. In the drawings, the same elements will be identified by the same reference number.

With reference to the annexed drawings, fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a traditional bike A provided with the device of the invention. The bike comprises a saddle 10, a frame 11, an handlebar 12, a front wheel 13 and a rear wheel 14.

The enlarged detail of fig. 2 shows some of the components of the mechanism according to the invention.

The device comprises a mechanical element having the function of constantly pushing up the sleeve 2 provided with the saddle 10. Sleeve 2 is inserted into the frame 11 with a telescopic coupling and can be fixed to the same frame by a traditional clamp ring 15 and a bolt 15'. According to the alternative embodiments of figure 2 and 5, this mechanical element can be an helix spring 1 placed around the sleeve 2 of the saddle 10, as illustrated in figure 2, or it can be foldaway positioned below the sleeve 2, inside the tubular frame 11 of the bike A. Sleeve 2 is characterised by a non-circular cross section and its upper end can be shaped in order to install a saddle 10 in the conventional way. In figures 4a-4g various cross sections of the sleeve are shown. As can be observed, the shapes of the sections are such that the rotation of the sleeve 2 into the frame 11 is not permitted. In figures 4a-4g, each section of the sleeve 2 is correlated with a cavity 16 which will be better described hereinafter. Obviously, the shape of each possible section of the sleeve have to match a corresponding shape of the frame 11 (or of the blocking element 3, also called block 3, which will be hereinafter described) in order to avoid the mutual rotation between sleeve 2, frame 11 and block 3.

According to the invention sleeve 2 presents a plurality of cavities or seats 16 having, for example, the shape of holes, grooves or the like. The seats are aligned along the sleeve and have a function which will be hereinafter described. An embodiment of the invention is schematically shown by figure 3. Anyway, other embodiments having the same functioning are possible within the scope of the invention.

A block 3 is interposed between sleeve 2 and frame 11. Blocking element 3 consists of two substantially cylindrical elements 3', 3", a bigger cylinder 3'and a smaller cylinder 3"which are substantially orthogonal the one to the other and have coplanar central axis. The dimension of the external diameter of the bigger cylinder 3'is a standard dimension or a dimension able to permit insertion of the cylinder inside the frame 11 of the bike A. The internal section of cylinder 3'has a shape similar to that of sleeve 2 (as illustrated in the embodiments of figures 4a-

4g). Furthermore, an end-stroke element 8 is provided at the lower end of sleeve 2 in order to avoid that the sleeve 2 completely comes out from block 3. Thus, a function of the blocking element 3, which is inserted and fixed to the frame 11 by conventional means, is to allow the sleeve 2 to slide inside the cylinder 3'and to avoid any mutual rotation between the same elements. This function is performed by restraining the alignment of the seats 16 of sleeve 2 in respect of the mouth of the smaller cylinder 3". A small piston 7 is housed inside the smaller cylinder 3" which preferably has an internal section of the same shape of the seats 16 of sleeve 2. The piston 7 is constantly pushed by an helix spring 6, or by equivalent means, so that it occupies one of the seats 16 of the sleeve 2 (the one that in that moment is aligned with the piston) and forms a lock preventing the sliding motion of sleeve 2 into the frame 11 so fixing the height of the saddle.

Advantageously, the piston 7 is controlled by a conventional mechanism, preferably a lever mechanism, placed at distance from the piston and connected to the same by, for example, a woven steel wire 5 (of the kind already used to control the bike brakes) sliding into a sheath 4. This control mechanism can be placed in the most convenient position for the user, for example on the handlebar 12.

The device operates as follows.

By the lever hand mechanism which is placed on the handlebar 12, the wire 5 sliding inside the sheath 4 can be pulled until piston 7 is withdrawn form the seat 16 of sleeve 2 which is aligned in that moment. Thus, the sleeve 2 will be able to slide inside the cylinder 3'of the block 3 as a result of the pressure of the spring 1.

Subsequently, a pressure can be exerted on the saddle against the action of the spring 1, and the lever pulling the wire 5 of the piston 7 can be released so that spring 6 can push the same piston into the seat 16 which in that moment is at the same height of the piston. It is clear that this operation can be performed when the user is not riding the bike (in this case the user has to pull the lever with an hand and to exert a pressure on the saddle with the other hand), but also when the user is riding; in this case the user has to pull the lever with an hand and to exert a pressure on the saddle with his own weight so that he can choose the most convenient height of the saddle according to his preferences. To block the saddle

10 in the chosen position it is sufficient to release the lever mechanism of the handlebar 12.

The device of the invention can be advantageously installed in any kind of cycles in which the height of the saddle has to be adjusted. The device can be sold already-installed in a cycle or as an optional accessory for cycles.

Advantageously, block 3 can also be an integral part of the frame 11.

The followings are further advantages of the invention: possibility of immediately set the saddle at the desired height; possibility of adjust the height of the saddle in any moment, and in particular on riding the cycle or during the use of the same, for example of a cyclette ; possibility of keeping the saddle continuously aligned with the cycle ; possibility of easily lift up the saddle by an hand-operated control mechanism which can be placed in the most convenient point of the cycle.