JP2024046431A - Rotational retention mechanism for foldable wheels and bicycle equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanism for suitably holding a foldable wheel that can be divided into multiple pieces to make it compact, in a predetermined mobile structure, and a bicycle that can be folded compactly and easily transported using the mechanism. [Solution] In the rotational holding mechanism for a foldable wheel disclosed herein, the front wheel 31 and rear wheel 32 of the foldable wheel 3 are each configured to be divisible into multiple arc-shaped pieces, and the pieces are configured to be connectable by a fastening screw 300. The rotational holding mechanism 2 that holds the foldable wheel in rotation includes a front wheel rotational holding section 21 that is disposed at the front end of the frame 4 and holds the front wheel 31 in rotation, and a rear wheel rotational holding section 22 that is disposed at the rear end of the frame 4 and holds the rear wheel 32 in rotation and drives the rear wheel 32. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a rotation holding mechanism for a foldable wheel that rotationally holds a foldable wheel configured to be split into a plurality of parts, and a bicycle equipped with the same.

Conventionally, bicycles with foldable frames have been widely used to make them compact and easy to carry.

In addition, for folding bicycles that can be folded compactly, technology has been developed to fold the wheels so that the volume of the bicycle wheels can be reduced for easy transportation.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a collapsible bicycle wheel that can be folded into a long and narrow linear shape. With this technology, the spokes of the wheel are made up of fixed spokes that are fixed to the hub and movable spokes that can rotate and be fixed. By connecting the split rim and tire to these spokes, the wheel becomes elongated. It can be folded.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-212675

Folding bicycles that have been widely used in the past mainly have a frame that can be folded, but the wheels cannot be folded, and the bicycle cannot be made sufficiently compact when folded. On the other hand, according to the technology described in Patent Document 1, since the wheels can be folded into an elongated state, it also seems to contribute to making the folding bicycle more compact. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the wheel is folded while the divided rim and tire are connected to the spokes, so the total length of the folded wheel becomes long.

One solution is to construct a wheel without spokes, making it foldable and separable into multiple pieces. However, in this case, the wheel cannot be held via the hub or the spokes connecting the hub and rim, making it difficult to hold a foldable wheel that can be divided into multiple pieces to make it compact on a bicycle frame, etc.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a mechanism that can optimally hold a foldable wheel that can be divided into multiple pieces to make it compact, in a specified mobile structure, and to provide a bicycle that can be folded compactly and easily transported using the mechanism.

The rotating and holding mechanism for a foldable wheel disclosed herein is a mechanism for rotating and holding a foldable wheel that is configured to be divisible into multiple pieces. In this rotating and holding mechanism for a foldable wheel, the foldable wheel is a wheel formed of a rim and a tire, and is configured to include a front wheel and a rear wheel that are arranged in front and rear of the frame of a predetermined moving body, and the front wheel and the rear wheel are each configured to be divisible into multiple arc-shaped pieces, and the pieces are configured to be connectable by a predetermined fastening means. The rotating and holding mechanism for rotating and holding the foldable wheel includes a front wheel rotating and holding part that is arranged at the front end of the frame and rotates and holds the front wheel, and a rear wheel rotating and holding part that is arranged at the rear end of the frame and rotates and holds the rear wheel, and further includes a rear wheel rotating and holding part that drives the rear wheel.

In the above-mentioned foldable wheel rotation holding mechanism, the wheel, which is sufficiently compact by being divided into multiple arc-shaped pieces, is Even though it cannot be held, it is possible to suitably hold the rotation on the frame using the front wheel rotation holding part and the rear wheel rotation holding part. As a result, the collapsible wheels, which can be divided into a plurality of parts to make them more compact, can be suitably held on the frame when traveling, and can be folded compactly when being transported.

Here, in the rotational retention mechanism of the foldable wheel disclosed herein, in the above configuration, the front wheel rotational retention portion may have a first retention portion that retains the rotation of the rim of the front wheel by rotating about a predetermined first fixed axis while abutting against the inner peripheral surface of the rim, a second retention portion that retains the rotation of the tire of the front wheel by rotating about a predetermined second fixed axis while abutting against the outer peripheral surface of the tire, and a third retention portion that retains the tilt of the rim by rotating about a predetermined third fixed axis while abutting against the side of the rim of the front wheel. The rear wheel rotation holding part may have a fourth holding part that rotates and holds the rim of the rear wheel by rotating around a predetermined fourth fixed axis while meshing with a gear part formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rim of the rear wheel and drives the rear wheel via the gear part, a fifth holding part that rotates and holds the tire of the rear wheel by rotating around a predetermined fifth fixed axis while abutting against the outer peripheral surface of the tire of the rear wheel, and a sixth holding part that rotates and holds the rim from tilting by abutting against the side of the rim of the rear wheel. With this, even if the wheel does not have a hub and spokes, the radial movement and width direction movement of the wheel can be restricted, and the wheel can be held to the bicycle frame, etc.

In the rotational holding mechanism of such a foldable wheel, the first holding part has a first rotating roller that rotates around the first fixed shaft as a central axis while abutting against the inner peripheral surface of the rim, and the first rotating roller may be formed of a resin bearing in which a solid lubricant is filled in a resin material. This allows for good sliding properties with the inner peripheral surface of the rim and allows for a relatively large load to be supported.

The present disclosure can also be seen from the perspective of a bicycle equipped with a swivel wheel rotation retention mechanism. In other words, the bicycle of the present disclosure is a bicycle equipped with the above-mentioned swivel wheel rotation retention mechanism.

In this case, in the above bicycle, the front wheel rotation holding section may include two sets of the first holding section and the second holding section that restrain movement of the front wheel in the radial direction. good. According to this, in a bicycle whose front wheel is steered, it is possible to stably hold the front wheel. Further, in the above-mentioned bicycle, the rear wheel is driven by the two rear wheel rotation holding parts, and each of the fourth holding parts of the two rear wheel rotation holding parts has a fourth gear; A fourth gear may be connected by an idle gear, and rotates about a four fixed shaft as a central axis while meshing with the gear portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the rim. According to this, the rear wheels can be driven by the two fourth gears, so the load per tooth in gear meshing can be reduced, and drive torque can be transmitted more favorably to the rear wheels. become.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a mechanism that can suitably hold a foldable wheel that can be divided into a plurality of parts to make it compact, and a bicycle that can be folded compactly and easily transported using the mechanism. can be provided.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bicycle equipped with a rotation holding mechanism for a foldable wheel in a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional folding bicycle. 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the folding structure of the bicycle in the first embodiment. 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining a wheel coupling structure in the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining a function of a front wheel rotation holding portion in the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining a function of a rear wheel rotation holding portion in the first embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the rear wheel rotation holding part in 2nd Embodiment.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

First Embodiment
An overview of a foldable wheel rotation holding mechanism and a bicycle equipped with the same in a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bicycle equipped with a foldable wheel rotation holding mechanism in this embodiment. A bicycle 1 according to this embodiment is a bicycle equipped with a rotation holding mechanism 2 for rotating and holding a foldable wheel configured to be separable into multiple parts.

As shown in FIG. 1, bicycle 1 is equipped with wheels 3, which include a front wheel 31 and a rear wheel 32, and wheels 3 are rotatably supported on frame 4 by a rotation support mechanism 2. In more detail, front wheel 31, which is located in front of frame 4, is rotatably supported by front wheel rotation support part 21, which is located at the front end of frame 4, and rear wheel 32, which is located at the rear of frame 4, is rotatably supported by rear wheel rotation support part 22, which is located at the rear end of frame 4.

Here, the bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in comparison with a conventional bicycle 1' which is a folding bicycle in which only the frame can be folded.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional bicycle 1' includes a frame 4' similarly to the bicycle 1 of the present disclosure. Note that FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional folding bicycle.

The frame 4' has hinges 41' that allow the frame to be folded. This causes the front of the bicycle 1' to fold backwards, as shown in Figure 2(b), which shows the bicycle in a folded position.

By folding the frame 4' in this manner, the bicycle 1' can be easily transported. However, in such conventional folding bicycles, the frame is mainly constructed to be foldable, and the wheels cannot be folded, so that the bicycle cannot be made sufficiently compact when folded.

In contrast, in the bicycle 1 of this embodiment, not only is the frame foldable like a conventional folding bicycle, but the wheels can also be folded. This allows the bicycle to be made sufficiently compact when folded. This will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the folding structure of the bicycle 1 in this embodiment. In the bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the wheels 3 are configured as foldable wheels that can be divided into a plurality of parts, as shown in FIG. 3(a). In this embodiment, the front wheel 31 is configured to be divisible into arc-shaped pieces 31a, 31b, and 31c, and the rear wheel 32 is configured to be divisible into arc-shaped pieces 32a, 32b, and 32c. When the bicycle 1 is folded, the front wheel 31 and the rear wheel 32 are each divided into a plurality of arc-shaped pieces, as shown in FIG. 3(a). In addition, in the state where the wheel 3 is divided into a plurality of parts in this way, the piece part 31a is fixed to the frame 4 by the front wheel rotation holding part 21, and the piece part 32a is fixed to the frame 4 by the rear wheel rotation holding part 22. . Further, as will be described later, these pieces are configured to be connectable and disassembled using predetermined fastening means.

In addition, in the wheel 3 configured as a foldable wheel that can be divided into a plurality of parts in this way, the tire is formed solidly from a rubber material. In other words, the tires of the wheels 3 are not filled with air. Therefore, even if the wheel 3 is divided into a plurality of parts, there is no possibility of air leakage occurring.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the front portion of the bicycle 1 is folded rearward by a hinge 41 provided on the frame 4. At this time, the piece 31a is fixed to the frame 4 by the front wheel rotation holding part 21, and the piece 32a is fixed to the frame 4 by the rear wheel rotation holding part 22.

Further, the remaining pieces of the divided wheel 3 (piece parts 31b, 31c, 32b, 32c) can be fixed to the frame 4 by an attachment 42 provided on the frame 4. Note that the pedal portion of the bicycle 1 may also be configured to be foldable (illustration of the folding structure of the pedal portion is omitted).

According to the folding structure of the bicycle 1 described above, the bicycle can be made sufficiently compact when folded.

The wheel 3, which is configured as a foldable wheel that can be divided into a plurality of parts, is configured so that it can be connected and disassembled by a predetermined fastening means. Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the connection structure of the wheels 3 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, one part of the wheel 3 is fastened by a fastening screw 300. Note that a screw hole is formed on the end side of each piece in the rim of the wheel 3, and when the fastening screw 300 fastens each piece through the screw hole, the piece is attached to the wheel. Concatenated as 3. Moreover, by removing the fastening screw 300, the wheel 3 is disassembled into each piece.

In this way, a bicycle equipped with foldable wheels that can be divided into a plurality of parts can be made sufficiently compact when folded. However, with the above-mentioned foldable wheels, it is not possible to hold the wheel through the hub or the spokes that connect the hub and the rim when the bicycle is running, so it may be difficult to hold the wheel on the frame of the bicycle.

In the bicycle 1 of this embodiment, the front wheel rotation holding part 21 has a first holding part 211 that holds the rim 310b of the front wheel 31 by rotating around the first fixed shaft 211b while abutting against the inner peripheral surface of the rim 310b, a second holding part 212 that holds the tire 310a of the front wheel 31 by rotating around the second fixed shaft 212b while abutting against the outer peripheral surface of the tire 310a, and a third holding part 213 that holds the rim 310b against a tilt by rotating around the third fixed shaft 213b while abutting against the side of the rim 310b of the front wheel 31.

Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the function of the front wheel rotation holding part 21 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the front wheel rotation holding part 21 has a first holding part 211, a second holding part 212, and a third holding part 213, so that even if the wheel does not have a hub and spokes, the radial and lateral movement of the wheel can be restricted, and the wheel can be held to the bicycle frame.

In the bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. There are two pairs. That is, the front wheel rotation holding section 21 in this embodiment includes two sets of the first holding section 211 and the second holding section 212, and one set of the third holding section 213 (the third holding section 213 is ) which form a pair and hold the rim 310b of the front wheel 31 from both sides. Furthermore, these are one structure, specifically, the first holding part 211 and the second holding part 212 arranged in four directions with respect to the third holding part 213 support the third holding part 213. These are connected to the center and placed on both sides of the front wheel 31, and are connected to the frame 4 to form a single structure. Thereby, in the bicycle 1 in which the front wheel 31 is steered, the front wheel 31 can be stably held, and the holding structure thereof can be made compact.

As shown in Figs. 5(b) and (c), each of the front wheel rotating holders 21 (first holder 211, second holder 212, third holder 213) is configured with a fixed shaft and a rotating roller. Note that Fig. 5(b) is a projection view from the arrow b in Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 5(c) is an enlarged view of each holder with the wheel 3 in Fig. 5(b) omitted. In the first holder 211, the first rotating roller 211a rotates around the first fixed shaft 211b as a central axis while abutting against the inner circumferential surface of the rim 310b, in the second holder 212, the second rotating roller 212a rotates around the second fixed shaft 212b as a central axis while abutting against the outer circumferential surface of the tire 310a, and in the third holder 213, the third rotating roller 213a rotates around the third fixed shaft 213b as a central axis while abutting against the side of the rim 310b.

The first rotating roller 211a, which rotates while abutting against the inner circumferential surface of the rim 310b, may be formed of a resin bearing in which a solid lubricant is filled in a rubber or resin material. Here, the resin bearing is, for example, an engineering plastic such as polyacetal or polyphenylene sulfide filled with a solid lubricant such as a fluororesin, and provides good sliding properties with the inner circumferential surface of the rim 310b and can support a relatively large load.

The second rotating roller 212a that rotates while contacting the outer peripheral surface of the tire 310a is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and the third rotating roller 213a that rotates while contacting the side surface of the rim 310b is made of a rubber material. can be done.

Furthermore, in the bicycle 1 of this embodiment, the rear wheel rotation holding part 22 has a fourth holding part 224 that rotates around the fourth fixed shaft 224b while meshing with a gear part formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 320b of the rear wheel 32, thereby holding the rim 320b in rotation and driving the rear wheel 32 via the gear part, a fifth holding part 225 that rotates around the fifth fixed shaft 225b while abutting the outer peripheral surface of the tire 320a of the rear wheel 32, thereby holding the tire 320a in rotation, and a sixth holding part 226 that rotates around the sixth fixed shaft 226b while abutting the side of the rim 320b of the rear wheel 32, thereby holding the rim 320b in a tilted position.

Here, FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the function of the rear wheel rotation holding part 22 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the rear wheel rotation holding part 22 has a fourth holding part 224, a fifth holding part 225, and a sixth holding part 226, so that even if the wheel does not have a hub and spokes, the radial and widthwise movement of the wheel can be restricted in the same way as the front wheel rotation holding part 21, and the wheel can be held to the bicycle frame.

In addition, in the rear wheel rotation holding portion 22, the fifth holding portion 225 and the sixth holding portion 226 have a fifth rotating roller 225a and a sixth rotating roller 226a, similar to the second holding portion 212 and the third holding portion 213 of the front wheel rotation holding portion 21.

On the other hand, in the fourth holding part 224 of the rear wheel rotation holding part 22, the fourth gear 224a rotates about the fourth fixed shaft 224b while meshing with a gear part formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rim 320b. The rim 320b is held in rotation and the rear wheel 32 is driven via the gear section.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the fourth holding part 224 is coaxially connected to a sprocket connected to a chain that transmits pedal torque, and the fourth gear 224a is connected coaxially with the sprocket. Rotate. Thereby, pedal torque can be transmitted to the rear wheel 32. For the sake of explanation, the teeth of the gears and sprockets, the detailed shape of the frame 4, etc. are not shown in FIG. 6(b).

According to the bicycle 1 described above, the collapsible wheels, which can be divided into a plurality of parts and made compact, can be suitably held in the frame when traveling, and can be folded compactly when being transported.

<Second embodiment>
The rear wheel rotation holding section 22 in the second embodiment will be explained based on FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the rear wheel rotation holding section 22 in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the rear wheel 32 is rotationally held and driven by the two rear wheel rotation holding parts 22.

The fourth gears 224a of the fourth holding parts 224 of the two rear wheel rotation holding parts 22 are connected by an idle gear 2241. The idle gear 2241 is fixed to the rear end of the frame 4, just like the rear wheel rotation holding parts 22.

According to this, since the rear wheel 32 can be driven by the two fourth gears 224a, the load per tooth in gear meshing can be reduced, and the torque of the pedal can be more preferably transmitted to the rear wheel 32. It becomes possible to do so.

With the bicycle 1 described above, the collapsible wheels, which can be divided into a plurality of parts and made compact, can be suitably held in the frame when traveling, and can be folded compactly when being transported.

1...Bicycle 2...Rotation holding mechanism 21...Front wheel rotation holding part 22...Rear wheel rotation holding part 3...Wheel 31...Front wheel 32... Rear wheel 300... Fastening screw 4... Frame

Claims (6)

A foldable wheel rotation holding mechanism that rotationally holds a foldable wheel configured to be split into a plurality of parts,
The foldable wheel is
A wheel composed of a rim and a tire, comprising a front wheel and a rear wheel disposed in front and rear of a frame of a predetermined moving body,
The front wheel and the rear wheel are each configured to be divisible into a plurality of arc-shaped pieces, and the pieces are configured to be connectable by a predetermined fastening means,
The rotation holding mechanism that holds the foldable wheel rotationally includes:
a front wheel rotation holding part disposed at the front end of the frame and holding the front wheel in rotation;
a rear wheel rotation holding part disposed at the rear end of the frame to hold the rear wheel in rotation, and further comprising a rear wheel rotation holding part for driving the rear wheel;
Rotation retention mechanism for foldable wheels. The front wheel rotation holding part is
a first holding part that rotatably holds the rim of the front wheel by rotating around a predetermined first fixed axis while contacting the inner circumferential surface of the rim;
a second holding part that rotates and holds the tire by rotating around a predetermined second fixed axis while contacting the outer peripheral surface of the tire of the front wheel;
a third holding part that holds the rim from falling by rotating around a predetermined third fixed axis while contacting a side surface of the rim of the front wheel;
The rear wheel rotation holding part is
The rear wheel rotates around a predetermined fourth fixed shaft while meshing with a gear portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the rim of the rear wheel, thereby rotationally holding the rim and controlling the rear wheel via the gear portion. a fourth holding part to be driven;
a fifth holding part that rotates and holds the tire by rotating around a predetermined fifth fixed axis while contacting the outer peripheral surface of the tire of the rear wheel;
a sixth holding part that holds the rim from falling by rotating around a predetermined sixth fixed axis while abutting against a side surface of the rim of the rear wheel;
A rotation holding mechanism for a foldable wheel according to claim 1. The first holding part has a first rotating roller that rotates while abutting on the inner circumferential surface of the rim with the first fixed shaft as a central axis,
The first rotating roller is formed by a resin bearing made of a resin material filled with a solid lubricant.
The rotation holding mechanism for a foldable wheel according to claim 2. A bicycle comprising the foldable wheel rotation holding mechanism according to claim 2 or 3. The front wheel rotation holding portion is
The front wheel support member includes two pairs of the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion that restrict radial movement of the front wheel.
5. The bicycle of claim 4. The rear wheels are driven by the two rear wheel rotation holding parts,
a fourth gear provided in each of the fourth holding portions of the two rear wheel rotation holding portions, the fourth gear rotating around the fourth fixed shaft as a central axis while meshing with the gear portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rim, the fourth gear being connected by an idle gear;
5. The bicycle of claim 4.

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