EP1020205A1

EP1020205A1 - A sub-aqua bicycle

Info

Publication number: EP1020205A1
Application number: EP00830014A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gianpaolo Bassini
Original assignee: Sogeis Srl
Current assignee: Sogeis Srl
Priority date: 1999-01-18
Filing date: 2000-01-17
Publication date: 2000-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-17
Also published as: ATE341374T1; DE60031017T2; DK1020205T3; IT1314368B1; ITMN990003A1; PT1020205E; ES2273659T3; DE60031017D1; EP1020205B1

Abstract

A sub-aqua bicycle with a structure (2) comprised substantially of a handlebar (3), a casing (4) to support a saddle (5) and a pair of pedals (6). The bicycle comprises, in particular, an anchorage element (7) engaged to the structure (2) and designed to fix the bicycle to a support surface (8) such as the bottom of a swimming pool and a means of resistance (9) to the water located on the said structure (2) between the said pair of pedals (6). The bicycle is designed to operate fully immersed in water.

Description

The present invention relates to a sub-aqua bicycle which is particularly suitable for use in swimming pools for water gymnastics including exercise for aesthetic purposes, for warming-up, for relaxing or for rehabilitation and any situations where it is necessary to make movements without working the muscles particularly hard.
At the moment, there are no special apparatus for water gymnastics available and those working in the sector are looking for apparatus and materials which allow the user to take part in various beneficial and fun types of training sessions.
It is known, by those who work in the water gymnastics sector, that it is very important to create situations and equipment which allow the user to exploit the peculiarities of the aquatic environment in a natural way. In fact, exploiting the water's resistance seems to be becoming an extremely natural and healthy way of exercising.
The system just described has some drawbacks.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems of the commonly known technique and overcome the lack of equipment by means of a sub-aqua bicycle which allows the user to do exercises in water, exploiting its resistance and beneficial effects.
Another aim of the present invention is for it to fit any supporting surface on the bottom of a swimming pool easily.
A further aim of the present invention is to make available a bicycle which can be used by children as well as adults of all ages.
A still further aim of the present invention is to make available a lightweight, practical and flexible bicycle which will have varying uses in aesthetic, rehabilitative and other fields.
A further aim of the present invention is to make available a bicycle which is easy to manufacture and works well.
These aims and others, which will better emerge during the present description, are achieved in general by a sub-aqua bicycle according to the claims that follow.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description of the sub-aqua bicycle according to the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the form of an indicative, non limiting example, in which:

figures 1 and 2 show a sub-aqua bicycle according to the invention;
figures 3, 4 and 5 show a particular of the bicycle in question;
figure 6 shows a detailed particular of the bicycle in figure 1.

With particular reference to the figures mentioned, 1 indicates the entire sub-aqua bicycle according to the present invention.
The bicycle 1 has a structure 2 comprising a handlebar 3, a casing 4 which supports the saddle 5 and a pair of pedals 6. In particular, engaged to the structure 2 is an anchorage element 7 designed to fix the bike to a supporting surface 8, represented by, for example, the bottom of a swimming pool.
The anchorage element 7 comprises a plurality of suckers 7a designed to fix the bicycle firmly to the supporting surface 8 so that it is stable and unmoveable and so that it can be adapted to fit the supporting surface if this latter is sloping or different in some way.
In a different way, but still according to the present invention, the anchorage element 7 comprises a platform 7b to which the structure 2 is fixed and the said platform is designed to be placed on the supporting surface 6. Furthermore, the platform 7b has a plurality of holes 7c designed to fill with water to make it heavier and more stable on the supporting surface 8, as shown in figure 2.
In accordance with the present invention, the bicycle in question also comprises some means of resistance 9 to the water located on the structure 2 between the pedals 6.
In greater detail, the means of resistance 9 are located on a stock 10 which engages with the structure 2 so as to rotate. At each end of the stock 10 is attached a pedal 6.
As it clearly shown in figure 6 in detail, the means of resistance 9 comprise at least one pair of containers 9a designed to fill with water which will not be lost during their movement.
Furthermore, the containers 9a are envisaged to provide, when they rotate, resistance to the water which is proportional to their shape, to their frontal section and to the square of the speed with which they move.
In accordance with the present form of embodiment, there are 4 containers 9a and they are mounted dephased to prevent the movement of the water around them becoming turbulent and a consequent reduction of the pressure as the speed increases. Such a situation would cause an undesired reduction of the friction and the consequent need for less effort to move the pedals. In particular, the containers 9a are substantially cylindrical in form and, similarly, their configuration may also be substantially either bell-shaped or 'spoon-shaped', as shown in figures 3, 4 and 5.
In addition to the considerations outlined previously concerning the functions of the containers 9a, which could be valid for any object mounted on the stock 10, the containers 9a mostly exploit the force of gravity applied to the water in which they are contained. More precisely, as the containers rotate, they fill with water and their unusual shape makes it difficult for the water to be lost. Consequently, to move them it is necessary to lift the weight of the water which fills them with a greater physical effort for the user.
The bicycle in question is fitted with a saddle 5 whose height is adjustable so that it can be adapted to the different heights of the users.
Moreover, the pedals 6 are fitted with clips 6a so that the user's foot cannot slip and will move continuously and regularly.
In addition to everything indicated up to now, the sub-aqua bicycle also has a handlebar 3 fitted with a heart rate monitor 3a which checks the user's pulse constantly and makes it possible to establish the correct pedalling rhythm accurately for every type of exercise the user wishes to engage in. In fact, increasing the rhythm will increase the resistance and, depending on the pulse rate signalled by the heart rate monitor 3a, the user will be able to increase or decrease the pedalling rhythm in order to remain within a range which is both suitable and correct for the type of exercise chosen or the requirements of person using it.
The sub-aqua bicycle may have a handlebar 3 which can make an oscillatory movement envisaged to allow the user's arms to move too. The sub-aqua bicycle according to the present invention is manufactured in a waterproof material and it is designed to operate when fully immersed in water from a resting position, in which it is not used, to an operative condition in which the user is seated on the saddle 5 and grasping the handlebar 3, after having placed his feet in the special pedal clips, begins to pedal and, moving the means of resistance 9, makes a physical effort.
After the predominantly structural description, the following section deals with the working of the invention.
The sub-aqua bicycle, when in the resting position, is inactive. When the bicycle in question is going to be used, it is sufficient for the user to get into the water and sit on the saddle, fixing his feet in the clips on the pedal so that they cannot slip during the movement of the pedals and, if he wishes, grasp the handlebar.
Furthermore, the user can connect the heart rate monitor to check his pulse rate.
At this point, the user can begin to pedal and in doing so collect water in the containers of the means of resistance.
Once the gymnastics session is finished, the user simply has to carry out the same procedure in reverse. In fact, it is sufficient to release the feet from the pedal clips, get off the bicycle and get out of the water.
In this way the present invention achieves the proposed aims.
In fact, with the sub-aqua bicycle in question it is possible to do a gymnastics session in water in an extremely pleasant and relaxing way. What is more, a session in water with the sub-aqua bicycle allows the user to exploit the "massage" effect created by the water and there are no contraindications since the resistance is provided in an extremely natural way.
To its advantage, the movement of the bicycle by the user is carried out in a cool and relaxing environment, exploiting the natural and gentle resistance of the water and not an artificial resistance.
In addition to all that has been said, it has been noted that, at the temperature of 30-31° of a swimming pool, muscular combustion catabolites are disposed of as a result of vasodilatation. The said situation makes exercising in water less tiring and, consequently, it is possible to do the gymnastics for a longer period and, moreover, the low concentration of muscular combustion waste makes the post-exercise recovery period shorter and with less heaviness felt in the muscles used.
With water gymnastics and, in particular, with the bicycle in question, a vasodilatation of the arterial and venial vessels occurs leading to improved blood circulation and increased nutrition of the muscular tissues in motion with a consequent increase in performance and decrease in tiredness.
What is more, exercising in water, helped further by the thrust of Archimedes, enables the user to make the same movements with less effort and more smoothness, in this way harmonising the work of the muscular masses.
In addition to everything already described, the turbulence produced by the movement leads to and causes a sort of micro-massage which activates the circulation in the very place where it is most jeopardised and difficult, a condition which does not occur in the air.
Furthermore, the dispersion of body heat into the water is better than the dispersion into the air and so the working of the muscle masses takes place in optimal conditions.
To its advantage, the bicycle has a saddle whose height is adjustable so it can be used by adults, young people and children.
What is more, the bicycle according to the present invention, can also be used for rehabilitative therapy as well as by elderly people because of the particularly gentle movements.
To its advantage, the bicycle in question has a remarkably simple structure and is easy to use, also because of the simplicity of the elements which make up its structure.
The bicycle is lightweight, very practical, efficient and can be adapted for various uses, for example, in gymnastics for aesthetic or rehabilitative purposes.
Obviously, by maintaining the principle of the present invention, various embodiments are possible and the relevant details can be varied widely with respect to this description and its illustration without falling outside the field of the present invention.

Claims

A sub-aqua bicycle, characterised by the fact that it has:

a structure (2) comprising a handlebar (3), a casing (4) to support a saddle (5) and a pair of pedals (6);

an anchorage element (7) engaged to the structure (2) and designed to fix the bicycle to a support surface (8);

means of resistance (9) to the water located on the said structure (2) between the said pair of pedals (6), the said bicycle being designed to operate fully immersed in water.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that said means of resistance (9) are located on a stock (10) whose two ends have a pedal of the said pair (6) fixed to them, the said stock (10) being engaged with the structure (2) so as to rotate.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that said means of resistance (9) comprise at least one pair of containers (9a) envisaged to provide, when rotating, resistance to the water and designed to fill with water without it being lost during the movement.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 3, characterised by the fact that the said containers (9a) provide a resistance to the water which is proportional to their shape, their frontal section and the square of the speed with which they move.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 3, characterised by the fact that there are four of the said containers (9a) and they are mounted de-phased.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 3, characterised by the fact that said containers (9a) have a substantially cylindrical form.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 3, characterised by the fact that the said containers (9a) have a configuration which is substantially bell-shaped.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 3, characterised by the fact that the said containers (9a) have a configuration which is substantially 'spoon-shaped'.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said anchorage element (7) comprises a plurality of suckers (7a) designed to fix the bicycle to the said support surface (8) so that it is stable and unmoveable and even if this latter is sloping, the said bicycle will remain perfectly horizontal.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the anchorage element (7) comprises a platform (7b) which the structure (2) is fixed to, the said platform (7b) being envisaged to be placed on the said support surface (8).
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 10, characterised by the fact that the said platform (7b) has a plurality of holes (7c) designed to fill with water to make it heavier and more stable on the support surface (8).
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said saddle (5) is height-adjustable.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said pedals (6) are fitted with clips (6a) so that the foot of the user cannot slip and will move continuously and regularly.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said handlebar (3) is fitted with a heart rate monitor (3a).
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said handlebar (3) can make an oscillatory movement designed to allow the user's arms to move too.
A sub-aqua bicycle as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that it is manufactured using waterproof materials.