JP2838747B2 - Easy-to-disassemble recreational water cycle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a recreational water cycle or water velo, in particular, which is easy to assemble and disassemble, can be stored or transported in a minimal space when disassembled, and requires only a small amount of assembly. The present invention relates to a water cycle which can be carried out quickly without requiring tools in several stages.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various types of water cycles are known that include a bicycle shaped pedal so that it can travel with the occupant on the water. These water cycles take up a considerable amount of storage because they are relatively heavy and cannot be folded. They cannot be easily transported in passenger car trunks. Three tire-shaped floating members are arranged side by side, two members are arranged on the rear side, one member is arranged in a triangle in front, so that one in front can be steered like a front wheel of a bicycle. It has been conventionally proposed to provide a water cycle. For example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,351. To move the structure, a paddle is attached to the rear tire and connected to a bicycle pedal by a chain drive.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to be lightweight and stable, to be easily disassembled when not in use, and to take up minimal space when disassembled. It is an object of the present invention to provide a water cycle which can be transported in a box, is robust, and can be easily assembled without using tools in the shortest time when it is desired to use it.

[0004]

Briefly described, the present water cycle is provided with two elongated floating members. The frame is attached to the floating member by a quickly removable coupling member. The frame itself is comprised of a plurality of frame members connected by a quick-release coupling. Preferably, the frame members are joined by a coupling sleeve or bush and secured in place by a spring-biased lock pin. The frame itself is preferably formed of a tubular material such as a non-corrosive lightweight metal. Preferably, the floating members are formed of an expandable plastic material so that they can contract when removed from the frame so that the entire cycle takes up minimal space. The elongated floating member, according to a feature of the present invention, is generally torpedo shaped with a substantially circular cross section, and preferably forms a keel.

[0005]

The water cycle according to the present invention can be easily assembled and disassembled without tools for transportation and storage, and takes up a minimum space when disassembled. According to a feature of the present invention, the provision of an overload coupling or clutch can protect the parts of the propeller immersed in water from damage, and one overload device allows the cycle to meet the direction of travel. Another overload device is arranged to be able to respond to lateral overloads or obstacles.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, referring to FIGS.
In this cycle, the frame 3 and three floating members 2a, 2a
b, 2c. The frame is formed of a tubular member, and the tubes of the frame are connected to each other by a coupling sleeve. A handlebar 4 is provided for steering the cycle, and is connected to the front floating member 2a. Saddle 5, which is a standard bicycle saddle, etc.
Are provided as seats for the user.

The frame viewed from the top is generally triangular and has a first frame portion formed by tubular members 6, 7, 8 as best seen in FIG. The tubes or pipes 6, 7, 8 are removably inserted or fitted into coupling sleeves (sockets) or bushes 9, 10, 11. The frame is further provided with a second upwardly extending second frame portion comprising three tubes 12, 13, 14 (FIG. 1). The upper ends of the tubes 12, 13, 14 are fitted into the saddle connector 15, and the tubes 12, 13, 14 are turned downward in a tripod shape.
It extends to the first frame part according to 7,8. The three legs 12, 13, 14 of the second frame portion are spaced at about 120 ° from each other when viewed from above. Tube 1
The ends of 2, 13, 14 are likewise coupling sleeves
(Socket) Removably fitted in 9, 10 and / or 11. A tube 25 extends perpendicularly from the coupling 9, but it can also be somewhat inclined towards the seat 5. A handlebar column 27 is inserted through the pipe 25. A joint 38 having a horizontal free axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane passing through the center of the handlebar 4 and the saddle enables a limited pivotal movement of the front floating member 2a so as to overcome small waves. It can rotate around. Also, to further increase the strength,
One or two stay rods or tubes 27a (FIG. 1) can be attached to one or both of the tubes of the first frame part, for example tube 6
And 7 can be connected. The tube, the sleeve and the coupling member, ie the coupling sleeve and the bush and the reception coupling are preferably made of lightweight metal. Coupling (socket) 9, 1
The 0, 11 and joint 38 are secured to the respective floating members by conventional mounting flaps 9a, 10a, 11a, and the coupling is molded or otherwise attached to the flaps. When assembled and the user rides, the cycle is submerged to the position indicated by water line W.

A driver crank 16 provided with a pedal 56 similar to a bicycle pedal is arranged below the saddle 5. It is connected to the transmission 17. The transmission 17 is arranged in a closed housing 26.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transmission 17 is provided with a large gear 18, the shaft of which is connected to the crank arm 16. The large gear 18 meshes with the small gear 19. The shaft of the gear 19 is connected to the gear 20, and the driven gear 31 is connected to the bevel wheel 21, which is connected to the bevel gear 22, and the propeller shaft 24 is driven. . The propeller shaft extends obliquely downward, and a propeller 32 is attached to a tip end thereof. The gear ratio between the rotation of the crank 16 and the rotation of the propeller shaft 24 is preferably selected such that the propeller experiences a rotational speed of about 1,350 rpm when the crank 16 makes one revolution per second, ie a ratio of about 1: 23.5. You. The propeller is surrounded by a drum-shaped propeller protective envelope 44 which is connected to the first frame portion by a suitable support rod or tube 46 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

The floating members 2a, 2b, 2c are preferably identical and can be folded by being formed of plastic foil or sheet material, and are shown in top and end views in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, in use. Allow it to inflate to the shape shown. Preferably, it is molded from plastic so that the keel 40 can be formed. The floating member as a whole has an elongated torpedo shape with a cross section of, for example, a substantially circular or elliptical shape, and a keel 40 is integrally formed therewith. The central portion of each floating member as viewed in the longitudinal direction is preferably substantially circular or another rounded shape. The diameter of the floating member is
It is preferred that it be smaller towards the end of the cycle, ie towards the front end.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, the tube and the connecting sleeve or bush are configured to form a push-fit and snap-fit connection to facilitate assembly and disassembly without the use of tools. .

Referring to FIG. 6, which schematically shows one of the connections, the outer sleeve or bush 9
Is provided with a through hole 33 at a position facing the diametrical direction. Pins 30, 30 are coaxially arranged inside the tube and are pressed outwardly by a spring 41 and are connected together by a connecting bail or connecting strap 28. The pin 30 is fitted into the alignment through hole 33 of the sleeve 9. The spring 41 is dimensioned such that the tube 6 can be removed from the sleeve 9 preferably by hand pressing a rounded pin 30 at the outer end. This makes it possible to easily connect and disconnect the tubes to and from the respective sleeves, bushes or connection joints without using tools. Thereby,
Space required for the cycle when disassembled is reduced. When the air is evacuated, the floating members 2a, 2b, 2c can be folded, so that only a small space is taken. A suitable valve, such as a bicycle valve, can be attached to the floating member, but is not shown in the drawings for simplicity. In this way, the entire cycle can be stored and transported in a minimum space, and can be quickly assembled without tools when desired.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the propulsion of the cycle is provided by a paddle wheel shown in FIG. 4 instead of a propeller. Preferably, two paddle wheel units 35 are mounted on a common shaft 36. A chain in which a sprocket wheel 43 is provided between the paddle wheel units 35 and is connected to the hub 36 of the crank 16
37 is engaged. Preferably, each paddle 39 can be inserted and removed from the paddle wheel hub 35 'to facilitate assembly and disassembly, which also reduces the space required for disassembly cycles. The paddle wheel 35 is positioned so that only the lower end of the paddle is immersed in water. For example, a splash shield 45, similar to a bicycle mudguard, is properly installed to prevent splashing water from the paddles.

The size of the floating members 2a, 2b, 2c depends to some extent on the application, ie whether the cycle is for adults or children. When a large floating member is used, it is easy to arrange the two saddles side by side by forming the cycle in a double structure.

As shown in FIG. 1, a child seat 48 can be attached to the support tube 25 for the handlebar 4. This can be, for example, a separately provided accessory for the cycle. If desired, the seat can be rotatable about the front handlebar tube 25. FIG.
If desired, a ladder 42 can be attached to the rear transverse tube 8, as shown in FIG. When the tube 8 is removed from the frame, the tube can be slid and removed from the connecting sleeve for the ladder 42, which also reduces the overall space requirement and allows for flat storage and transport.

Various modifications and alternative drive structures are possible. 7 to 9 show the two-stage drive structure of the propeller 32, the two-part housing holding the crank arm 16 in a known manner in a suitable manner. A pedal 56 is provided on a horizontal portion outside the crank arm 54. The crank 16 is supported in the housing 50 by a ball bearing 58. The crank 16 is fixed to a large gear 60, and the large gear 60 meshes with a small spur gear 61. A second gear 62 is connected to the shaft of the spur gear 61, and is rotatably connected to the shaft.
It is fixed to 64 and is fitted in a suitable bearing in the housing 50. The gear 62 has two outer gears 5 having different diameters.
7, 59 are provided. The large-diameter gear 57 is connected to a gear 66 slidable on a shaft 68 in the axial direction. An axially slidable sleeve is connected to the gear 66, and a large gear 72 is attached thereto, so that the gear 66 is attached to the gear 57,
Alternatively, the gear 72 is selectively engaged with the gear 59 so that two types of gear ratios can be obtained. The shaft 68 further holds a spur gear 74 that meshes with a spur gear 76 mounted in a bearing 78. The sleeve 70 is rotatable with the shaft 68 by, for example, a spline connection.

The propeller 32 is attached to the shaft 80 by a coupling unit 86. To enable the coupling unit 86 to be removed from the housing 50 along with the propeller 32, a hole formed in the sleeve or bush 84 can be engaged with a spring-loaded operating handle 92, or otherwise. Coupling structure 81 including at least one bolt 90 that can be removed
(FIG. 9) is provided. Bolt shown in FIG.
90 is in the engaged position and the bolt 90 on the left in FIG. 7 is in the released position.

The lower end of the shaft 80 fits into the bearing of the unit 86 (FIG. 8), and the bevel gear 96
Meshes with the further bevel gear 98, thereby driving the propeller stub shaft 100 rotatably supported in the propeller housing 44.

The gear change, ie, the shift, is performed by the hand lever 110. As shown in FIG. 9, the hand lever 110 is attached to the shaft 114, and is rotatable back and forth. The inner end of the shaft 114 is connected to an eccentric 116, which shifts the sleeve 70, and thus the gears 66 and 72, axially, thereby causing the gear 66 or 72 to shift.
Can mesh with a corresponding gear 57 or 59 connected to the gear 72.

According to a feature of the present invention, the housing 50 comprises:
Rotation is performed around a pipe member 120 (FIGS. 9 and 10) extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction of movement indicated by arrow A (FIG. 1), that is, in a direction parallel to the frame member 8. And can be rotated about a horizontal axis. Engagement position marks or stops are provided to indicate the position of the housing 50 and thus the propeller 32.
The first engagement position is defined by an engagement notch 124 (FIG. 10). This position positions the propellers in deep water. The second engagement position is defined by an engagement notch 125 positioned at a shallow position in the water. The third engagement position is defined by an engagement abutment 126 for raising the propeller completely above the water line W.

According to yet another feature of the invention, an overload release device is provided for disconnecting the damaged member when the cycle encounters an obstacle to avoid damage to the floating member and the entire water cycle. Is provided. An overload safety member for the propeller is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, which raises the propeller 32 and the housing 50 together.

Positioning notches and contact portions 124, 125 and
126 is formed on the extension 122 projecting from the housing 50. An engagement or latch lever 128 loaded by a tension spring 130 is provided to engage the respective notch 124, 125 or raised abutment 126. The latch lever 128 has a shaft 134 at the end opposite the engagement latch tip.
It can be rotated around. One end of the spring 130 is connected to the latch lever 128, and the other end is attached to a lever 133 that can rotate around a stub shaft 135. The position and tension of the spring 130 can be adjusted by an adjustment screw 132 engaging a lever 133 to change the biasing or tensioning force of the spring 130, and the latch lever 128 can be moved to the latch notches 124, 125, 126. The force required to pull off the can be selectively adjusted to the user. This allows the release force to be adjusted to the weight of the person using the cycle.

The cycle is provided with a further overload release device 145 that deflects the housing 50 and the propeller 32 to the side if an obstacle is encountered. A stub sleeve 142 is rotatably attached to a horizontal shaft 140 attached to the frame and extending in the longitudinal direction. Axis 140 is
It extends in the direction of movement of the cycle indicated by arrow A. For example, by fixing the shaft 120 to the horizontal shaft 140, the housing 50 including the propeller 32 can be rotated around the horizontal shaft 140. An arm 144 is fixed to the sleeve 142, and a groove 146 is formed at the end thereof. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the pawl clutch 151
The protrusion 148 of the coupling member 150 can be engaged with the groove 146. The coupling protrusion 148 is rotatable around an inclined shaft 152, and an operation wing 154 for performing a manual reset is connected to the shaft 152. A protrusion formed on the end face of the coupling member 150 is engaged with a corresponding recess 165 of the coupling sleeve 162. The sleeve 162 is biased by a spring 164. Spring 164
The spring force is adjusted by a threaded sleeve 166 which is threadably or otherwise adjustably mounted on an intermediate sleeve member secured to the tube 152 and secured to the tube 152. With this structure, the notch / groove meshing structure 165 is formed.
Can be adjusted to allow the coupling member 150 to rotate. In this way, the coupling member 150 or the propeller housing
Since the engaging projection 148 is disengaged from the groove 146 by a force equal to or more than a predetermined value acting on the side of the housing 50, the housing 50 including the propeller 32 and the entire driving structure thereof rotate, and Damage can be avoided.

[0024] To provide a lightweight yet robust structure, at least a portion of the gear mechanism can be formed of a high strength plastic material, which is non-corrosive and utilizes water as a lubricating fluid. it can. Various changes can be made within the scope of the invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a cycle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a cycle.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the cycle.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a cycle similar to FIG. 1, but showing another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a detail view, partly in section, showing a first embodiment of the pedal crank drive and gear device.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a coupling structure that allows quick removal between a frame portion and a floating member or another frame portion.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the pedal crank drive and the gear device.

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view through a propeller drive, showing the gearing and its drive.

FIG. 9 shows a gear device for driving a propeller shaft;
It is sectional drawing which passes through a gear housing.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an overload canceling device that enables a lateral rotation of a driving member.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along a dotted line XI-XI.

FIG. 12 shows a line XII-XI of FIG. 13 showing an overload release mechanism.
It is sectional drawing along I.

13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the overload release mechanism of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2a, 2b, 2c Floating member 3 Frame 5 Saddle 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25 Tube 9, 10, 11 Coupling sleeve 30, 30 'Pin 33 hole 38 Joint 41 Spring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B63B 35/73 B63B 7/04 B63H 16/20

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. Three floating members (2) are attached
Frame, and two of these three floating members
Are arranged in parallel apart from each other, and the two floating members
The remaining one floating member located in the middle of (2) is maneuvering
It is possible that at least one seat (5)
Coupled to the frame above the floating member (2)
And each of the floating members (2) is an elongated member.
Formed and removably coupled to the frame
A water cycle driven by human power
And the frame has a horizontal member coupled to the floating member.
Triangular first frame portions (6, 7, 8) and
One frame part and supports said seat (5)
Frame parts (12, 13, 14) of a tripod structure
Is provided, and the frame has a triangular pyramid shape.
The frame is formed with coupling three at each corner position.
(9, 10, 11, 15) and pipe fittings
The coupling three so that the frame can be disassembled.
Tubes (6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14) are removed
A water cycle, wherein the water cycle is engaged . 2. The coupling sleeve (9, 10,...).
11, 15) and the tubes (6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 1)
4) a removable engagement between the coupling
A sleeve and a through hole (33) provided in the tube.
Make a pair of pins with round heads
Fit into the through hole by spring (41) located inside
The water cycle according to claim 1, wherein the water cycle is realized by a pair of pins (30) . 3. The coupling of the steerable floating member.
The joint (38) is connected to the sleeve (9).
And the floating member (2) can rotate within a limited range.
Has been way, it is characterized in claim 1 or 2
2. The water cycle according to 1. 4. A transmission (17) driven by a pedal crank (16) is arranged in a housing (50).
The housing (50) is rotatable about a horizontal pipe member (120) in a direction orthogonal to the propulsion direction, together with the drive shaft (80) of the propeller (32). The water cycle according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the water cycle is performed.