JP2006111149A - Monorail bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bicycle capable of safely traveling on a monorail without derailing, and maximizing pedaling force without anxiety by preventing swaying from side to side even when it travels on an upslope. <P>SOLUTION: One or more support roller parts comprising at least upper and lower or left and right two or more support rollers and a spring are provided on a lower part of the bicycle. Thereby, repulsive force increases adhesion force of the support roller, and derailing is effectively prevented. A position relationship between the support rollers at climbing is varied by installing a weight below the bicycle and clamping force of a track is generated to stabilize a vehicle body. The pedaling force can be maximized without anxiety by preventing swaying from side to side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a bicycle traveling on a monorail.

  The development of motorization has been remarkable in recent years, and vehicles as high-speed high-speed transportation means such as airplanes, bullet trains, passenger ships, automobiles, etc. have become indispensable supporting the economic and cultural activities and life of the people. On the other hand, vehicles are also spreading for the purpose of hobby, playful and welfare, and such vehicles are actively developed and improved. For example, new types of vehicles include kickboards and skateboards, and improved vehicles include electric bicycles and wheelchairs. These new, easy and interesting vehicles, convenient and easy vehicles, and vehicles that are effective for rehabilitation are being proposed and sold as the diversity of national life progresses.

  In the past, in order to use vehicles such as automobiles and motorcycles, roads had to be first developed, requiring a large upfront investment. Even when a dedicated road for a motorcycle is constructed, a pavement road of about 2 m is required, so a considerable construction cost is required, and a maintenance cost is also required after the construction. Also, it may be technically difficult to construct a road on a narrow land or to avoid an obstacle.

  As a vehicle to solve such problems, there is a mobile device that uses a monorail, but in the past, it was often used as an urban mass transport system using the space on the road. Most of the types that connect the departure point and the destination by avoiding things are used exclusively for cargoes in mountainous areas.

By the way, in order for the moving device to operate safely on the monorail (single track), it is essential that the wheels of the moving device do not take off from the monorail. With respect to this point, there is a conventional one in which an upper roller that rolls on the upper surface of the rail and a lower roller that rolls on the lower surface of the rail each have a flange portion to prevent dropping (Patent Document 1). In addition, in some cases, a roller frame having a pair of an upper roller and a lower roller is rotatably installed on the gantry so that the movement of the roller can easily follow the gantry (Patent Document 1).
However, this is a device that assumes heavy cargo, and its main purpose is to prevent damage to the rail due to contact with the brim portion.

In addition, there is also a technique in which a concave groove is provided in a wheel to prevent wheel removal (Patent Document 2). However, it is not enough for humans to travel on the rails with confidence.

  Under such circumstances, there is a need for a mobile device that can be operated easily and safely on a monorail in a small land or land that needs to avoid obstacles.

JP 2004-106610 A JP 2003-250306 A

  The monorail bicycle according to the present invention has been completed by paying attention to the above circumstances, and can be moved on a monorail by bicycle even in a narrow land or land where obstacles must be avoided, and it is not derailed. The purpose is to be able to operate safely.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to allow the operator to concentrate on traveling by preventing the bicycle from swinging to the left and right during climbing when traveling on slopes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle operator with the pleasure of traveling in the air in order to enhance the effects of playing.

  The inventor of the present invention has accumulated many years of research on new vehicles, and has obtained knowledge related to the present invention.

  From a first aspect of the present invention, a passenger seat portion where an operator sits, a drive wheel installed in front of the passenger seat portion, a pedal portion connected to an axle of the drive wheel, and upper and lower each of the monorail At least one roller on the surface, a connecting portion for connecting the roller, a support roller portion made of a spring for applying a contact pressure between the roller and the monorail, and a roller to prevent the drive wheel from coming off the track of the monorail. There is provided a monorail bicycle characterized by comprising at least a guide roller portion provided with a guide roller.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monorail bicycle characterized in that the contact surface of the drive wheel with the monorail track is an elastic body having a high coefficient of friction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monorail bicycle including the roller portion and an auxiliary battery. Although the bicycle according to the present invention is basically driven by human power, the burden on the operator can be reduced by assisting driving by using a battery for welfare and rehabilitation, such as in the case of slopes. There is a merit. It is also possible to provide a spring energy utilization assist device (Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-293640) for pedal reverse rotation input instead of the auxiliary battery.

From the 4th viewpoint of the present invention, a monorail bicycle provided with a weight is provided. In the case of climbing or the like, there is a merit that the supporting force of the support roller through the elliptical cam is increased by the vertical maintaining action of the weight, thereby preventing the monorail bicycle from swinging to the left and right.

  From the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the support roller portion, the monorail track lower surface side roller is composed of a pair of rollers, and the distance between the pair of rollers is at least the width of the column supporting the monorail track. A bicycle is provided.

Furthermore, from the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monorail bicycle in which support rollers are arranged on the left and right sides of the track and the track is sandwiched from the left and right. In a monorail system of a type that supports the track from directly below, the support roller and the track can be brought into close contact with each other by sandwiching the track from the left and right with the support roller. That is, the object of the present invention can be achieved even if the roller of the roller portion is of a type that clamps the track from the left and right, in addition to the type that clamps the track from the top and bottom.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monorail bicycle system characterized by combining a monorail track formed of a transparent material and a monorail bicycle. By traveling on a transparent track, there is an advantage that it gives the impression that the bicycle is traveling in the air.

  In the monorail bicycle according to the present invention, the upper and lower rollers rotate in close contact with the track surface by the repulsive force of the spring in the support roller portion. In addition, the guide roller portion can be rotated without being removed from the raceway due to the effect of the contact force of the support roller portion with the monorail raceway surface due to the provision of the flange on the roller. Therefore, the monorail bicycle can ensure safe driving without removing the drive wheels.

  Since the bicycle according to the present invention is basically moved manually, it has a simple structure and can be manufactured at low cost, so it can be easily used in amusement facilities, welfare facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and the like. .

For example, a square pipe with a width of about 5 cm is sufficient for a monorail track on which a bicycle travels, and can be installed on an extremely narrow land. The monorail bicycle according to the present invention can travel up to a curve with a small curvature, at least about 3 m in diameter, and in the case of a monorail system that supports the monorail track from directly below, up to a curve of about 1 m in diameter. It is possible to run. Therefore, even if there is an obstacle, the track can be installed by avoiding it very easily.

The track can be installed and removed in a few days, so it can be installed for events. It can also be used as a temporary transit means in the event of a disaster until the completion of construction.
In the mountainous area, workers can commute safely and quickly by using the monorail bicycle according to the present invention for commuting.
In addition, if a tsunami occurs due to a typhoon or an earthquake, even if the slope is steep to evacuate to the top of a high place, it is possible to evacuate quickly using a monorail bicycle. .

  By making the driving wheel an elastic body having a high friction coefficient such as a rubber tire, it is possible to improve riding comfort and prevent slipping.

  By installing an auxiliary battery or an assist device using spring energy for pedal reverse input (see Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-293640 for details) on the bicycle, the burden on the elderly, rehabilitated patients, etc. The range of utilization of the monorail bicycle according to the present invention can be expanded.

  Equipped with an auxiliary battery makes it possible for elderly people, patients undergoing treatment for diseases and injuries, children with weak physical strength, such as children, etc., for example, moving these people by connecting old health facilities, rehabilitation facilities, etc. to stations, etc. Is convenient.

  When the bicycle further includes a weight, the roller that contacts the lower surface of the track moves forward and pinches the track when the elliptical cam rotates due to the vertical maintaining action of the weight during climbing. Therefore, the monorail bicycle can be prevented from shaking to the left and right. As a result, the operator can concentrate on the operation without worrying about the shaking of the vehicle body.

In the monorail bicycle system, there are a type (FIG. 5) that supports the monorail track by connecting the track side and the track support (FIG. 5), and a type that supports the track support by installing the track support directly below the track (FIG. 9).
In a monorail bicycle system of a type that supports the track from directly below, the support rollers arranged on the left and right sides of the track sandwich the monorail track, or the roller on the lower surface of the monorail track is composed of a pair of rollers. By sandwiching the monorail track by the pair of rollers (FIG. 9), it is possible to achieve the same effect as when sandwiched from above and below.
Therefore, according to the present invention, holding the track with the support roller to prevent the wheel from being removed can be realized in various types of monorail systems and can be widely applied.

  By forming the track with a transparent material, not only the operator but also those who are observing in the surroundings have the impression that the bicycle is traveling in the air when the bicycle is traveling. This gives pleasure to the bicycle according to the invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the illustrated configuration.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the roller portion is arranged behind the operator, and the guide roller is arranged in front of the driving wheel. The monorail bicycle according to FIG. 1 includes a main body frame 1, an operator's passenger seat portion 2, a pedal 3, a drive wheel 4, a guide roller portion 5, and a support roller portion 6.

The drive wheel is composed of rubber tires and metal injected with air. By adopting the pneumatic rubber tire, the ride comfort can be improved and the track gripping force can be enhanced. The drive wheel has a built-in coaster brake.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the support roller portion. The support roller section includes an upper surface front support roller (sandwiching roller) 61a, a lower surface front support roller (sandwiching roller) 62a, an upper surface rear support roller (sandwiching roller) 61b, and a lower surface rear support roller (sandwiching roller) 62b. A connecting portion 67a for connecting the upper front support roller and the lower front support roller, a connecting portion 67b for connecting the upper rear support roller and the lower rear support roller, and adjustments connecting the lower rollers 62a and 62b. It comprises a guide bar portion 69 having a spring 66 and a connecting portion including a swivel 68 that connects the main body to the upper surface front support roller and the upper surface rear support roller. The configuration of the guide roller 5 is the same as that of the support roller portion in FIG.

  The operator rotates the pedal 3, the rotational force is transmitted to the drive wheel 4, the drive wheel rotates, and the monorail bicycle starts traveling on the track. At this time, due to the repulsive force of the adjustment spring (compression spring) of the guide rod portion 69, the lower surface front roller 62a fixed to the rod portion moves relatively rearward and is a position directly below the upper surface front roller 61a. Will change backwards. Then, since the distance between the lower surface front roller 62a and the upper surface front roller 61a is kept constant by the connecting means 67a, the track pinching force between the upper and lower support rollers 61a and 62a is generated, and the support roller And rotate more closely. The swivel adjusts the difference between the vehicle body direction and the track direction at the time of the curve.

  In order to generate the track pinching force, the present invention is not limited to the adjusting spring according to the present embodiment, and it is needless to say that a spring by another method can be used.

  On the other hand, the guide roller 5 installed in front of the drive wheel has the same structure as the support roller, and leads the drive wheel while rotating.

  When the support roller is rotated in close contact with the track, the guide roller 5 is also rotated while further improving the adhesion with the track upper surface. As a result, coupled with the structure of the guide roller itself, the guide roller rotates without being removed. Therefore, the monorail bicycle can travel stably without removing the drive wheel 4.

In FIG. 2, the guide roller portion 20 has two upper and lower rollers so that the monorail track is sandwiched between the two rollers and the drive wheel, thereby increasing the track grounding force of the guide roller and driving wheel. This further enhances the ability to prevent derailment. The guide roller portion includes a swivel as in FIG.

  3 and 4 show that the guide roller portion is composed of two guide rollers that are in contact with the lower surface of the track, and the structure is such that the track is sandwiched between the two guide rollers on the lower surface of the track and the drive wheel. This further enhances the ability to prevent derailment.

  The present invention is applicable to both a monorail system (FIG. 5) in which the monorail support supports the monorail from the side of the monorail track and a monorail system (FIG. 9) in which the monorail is supported from the lower surface of the monorail. It is possible to implement. An example of a type that is supported from the lower surface of the monorail will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8, and 9.

  FIG. 7 shows the passenger seats 1 and 2, the pedal 3, the upper surface front support roller 80, the lower surface front support roller 82, the chain 81 that transmits the rotational force of the pedal to the upper surface front support roller, It consists of a sandwiching roller 100. In FIG. 7, the upper front support roller 80 has both a guide roller function and a drive wheel function.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of the passenger seat. The seat is transparent and the rear pinching rollers at the bottom of the seat are shown. The rear sandwiching rollers 100 and 101 are connected obliquely by a connecting portion 102, and are further configured to increase the adhesion with the track by an adjustment spring 103.

  FIG. 9 is a front view of the passenger seat portion and the support roller portion. The lower surface support roller is divided into 62R and 62L to form a pair. Further, the weight is divided into 63R and 63L to form a pair. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to cope with a type in which the support column is connected from directly below the rail.

The operator rotates the pedal 3, the rotational force is transmitted to the upper front roller 80, the upper front roller 80 rotates, and the monorail bicycle starts running on the track. At this time, due to the repulsive force of the adjustment spring (compression spring) of the guide rod portion 69, the lower front roller 82 (62R and 62L in FIG. 9) fixed to the rod portion moves relatively rearward, and the upper front portion The position immediately below the roller 80 (61 in FIG. 9) will be changed backward. Then, since the distance between the lower surface front roller 82 and the upper surface front roller 80 is kept constant by the connecting means, a track pinching force is generated by the upper and lower support rollers 80 and 82, and the support roller Rotates with increased adhesion.

Further, the sandwiching roller installed at the rear part further increases the running stability of the monorail bicycle by further increasing the adhesion between the right and left tracks by the compression force of the adjusting spring.

Next, based on FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the embodiment at the time of installing a weight is described in detail.
In FIG. 1, the roller portion is arranged at the rear, and the guide roller is arranged in front of the drive wheel. The monorail bicycle according to FIG. 1 includes a main body frame 1, an operator's passenger seat portion 2, a pedal 3, a drive wheel 4, a guide roller portion 5, and a support roller portion 6.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the roller portion. The roller portion includes an upper front support roller (sandwiching roller) 61a, a lower front support roller (sandwiching roller) 62a, an upper rear support roller (sandwiching roller) 61b, a lower rear support roller (sandwiching roller) 62b, A connecting portion 67a that connects the upper front support roller and the lower front support roller, a connecting portion 67b that connects the upper rear support roller and the lower rear support roller, and an adjustment spring that connects the lower rollers 62a and 62b. And a connecting portion having a swivel 68 that connects the main body to the upper surface front support roller and the upper surface rear support roller. An elliptical cam 64 is fitted to the rearmost part of the guide bar, and a weight 63 is suspended from the elliptical cam via a pendulum 65.

  Of the connecting portions, the lower-surface rear support roller 62b is connected to the upper-surface rear support roller 61b by the rear connection portion 67b, and is connected to the guide rod portion 69 so as to be movable left and right. A double nut (not shown) fixed to the guide rod is installed at the rear of the elliptical cam. A pendulum that hangs down is connected to the elliptical cam, and a weight of 10 kg is connected to the lower part of the pendulum.

  When the bicycle according to the present invention approaches the slope during traveling, if the bicycle is inclined along the inclination of the track surface, the weight is moved backward by the attractive force, and the pendulum is kept vertical. Then, the elliptical cam rotates to push the lower surface rear roller forward, and the lower surface rear roller 62b is positioned ahead of the upper surface rear roller 61b. Since 67b that connects the lower surface rear roller 62b and the upper surface rear roller 61b has a fixed length, the forward movement of the lower surface rear roller 62b becomes a pinching force of the track and can prevent the bicycle from swinging left and right. .

Therefore, the operator can oscillate the bicycle right and left and can accurately input the stepping force, and can step on the pedal with peace of mind.

The upper half of the elliptical cam has an elliptical shape and the lower half has a circular shape (referred to as “deformed elliptical cam”), and the diameter of the double nut is smaller than the major axis of the modified elliptical cam. It is also possible to limit the effect of installation when climbing. That is, when climbing uphill, the deformed elliptical cam tilts and the upper ellipse pushes the lower rear roller, generating a track pinching force, but when going downhill, the upper elliptical part becomes a double nut even if the deformed elliptical cam tilts. Since they do not contact, the deformed elliptical cam does not push the lower rear roller, and no track pinching force is generated by the upper and lower rollers.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the passenger seat. The weight 63 is located directly below the monorail track 7 and generates a track pinching force by the upper surface rear roller 61 and the lower surface rear roller 62 during climbing.

The monorail bicycle according to the present invention is considered to create demand in a new field as a new simple vehicle, a safe and enjoyable vehicle.
Also, in mountainous areas, workers can commute safely and quickly by using the monorail bicycle according to the present invention for commuting.

In the monorail bicycle according to the present invention, the guide roller portion has the same structure as the support roller portion. In the monorail bicycle according to the present invention, the guide roller portion has two upper and lower rollers. In the monorail bicycle according to the present invention, two rollers of the guide roller portion are installed on the lower surface of the track. In the monorail bicycle according to the present invention, two rollers of the guide roller portion are installed on the lower surface of the track. This is a monorail system that supports the monorail track from the side, and the passenger seat and support roller are viewed from the front. It is detail drawing of a support roller part. In the monorail bicycle according to the present invention, the support roller also serves as a drive wheel. A rear sandwiching roller is installed at the rear of the support roller. It is a top view of a passenger seat part. This is a monorail system that supports the monorail from directly below, with the passenger seat and support roller seen from the front.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body frame part 2 Seat part 3 Pedal part 4 Drive wheel 5 Guide roller part 6 Support roller part 7 Rail
8 Pilot 9 Passenger 10 Storage car 11, 12, 13 Swivel 20 Guide roller part A
30 Guide roller B
40 Guide roller C
50 Handle part 61a, 61b Nipping roller A
62a, 62b Nipping roller B
62L, 62R A pair of sandwiching rollers 63 Weights
63L, 63R A pair of weights
64 Contact pressure adjusting cam (elliptical cam)
65 Furiko 66 Adjusting springs 67a, 67b Connecting portion 68 Swivel 70 Post (side connection type)
71, 72 Post 80 Drive wheel 81 Chain 82 Nipping roller 83 Weight
90 Brake levers 100 and 101 Nipping rollers 102 Connecting portion 103 Adjustment spring

Claims (7)

A passenger seat where an operator sits, a drive wheel installed in front of the passenger seat, a pedal connected to the axle of the drive wheel, at least one roller on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the monorail track, At least a connecting portion for connecting the rollers, a supporting roller portion comprising a spring for applying a contact pressure between the roller and the monorail, and a guide roller portion provided with a flange on the roller so that the driving wheel does not come off the track of the monorail. A monorail bicycle characterized by having.   The monorail bicycle according to claim 1, wherein a contact surface of the drive wheel with the monorail track is an elastic body having a high coefficient of friction. The monorail bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an auxiliary battery. 4. The support roller part according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a compression spring, further provided with a weight, an elliptical cam, a pendulum, and a guide rod, and when the hill is climbed, the elliptical cam is rotated by the vertical maintaining action of the weight, and the lower surface of the monorail track A monorail bicycle characterized by increasing the track pinching force by the upper and lower support rollers by pushing the support roller in contact with the front.   The support roller part according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the roller on the lower surface side of the monorail track is constituted by a pair of rollers, and the interval between the pair of rollers is at least equal to or greater than the width of the column supporting the monorail track. Characteristic monorail bicycle   5. A monorail bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the support rollers are arranged on the left and right side surfaces of the monorail track. The said monorail bicycle system characterized by combining the monorail track formed of a transparent material, and the monorail bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.