WATERLOO, WI (BRAIN)—The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued Trek Bicycle a patent on its Active Braking Pivot (ABP) suspension system, #7,837,213.
Invented by Trek suspension engineers James Colegrove, Dylan Howes and Jose Gonzalez, ABP has been praised for being the first suspension technology to effectively separate braking and suspension forces, according to a press release. This separation allows the suspension to remain active while the rear brake is engaged.
Trek’s ABP patent has broad implications, as it covers a concentric pivot in combination with much more sophisticated and varied types of rear suspension designs.
ABP, utilizing a concentric rear pivot, was first introduced to the marketplace in May of 2007 and has since evolved to become the foundation of Trek’s full-suspension bikes, offered on eight platforms to date.
