Trek have today announced they’ve been issued a US Patent for its Active Braking Pivot (ABP) suspension system.
ABP uses a concentric rear pivot and has been used by Trek on a number of its bikes since 2007, evolving to be offering on eight bikes. Trek’s PR says that patent has “broad implications, as it covers a concentric pivot in combination with much more sophisticated and varied types of rear suspension designs.”
Invented by Trek suspension engineers James Colegrove, Dylan Howes, and Jose Gonzalez, ABP is designed to separate braking and suspension forces.
Earlier this year Dave Weagle was granted a patent for his Split Pivot concentric drop out system, which uses the same concept of separating suspension and braking forces by using a pivot around the rear axle, and this raised speculation about the future of Trek’s ABP.
But this patent means Trek can continue to use its ABP design. Both patents will co-exist, the US patent office clearly happy that both designs were developed separately.
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