US20030166437A1

US20030166437A1 - Exercising monocycle

Info

Publication number: US20030166437A1
Application number: US10/086,704
Authority: US
Inventors: Hsiu-Chih Ho
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-04
Filing date: 2002-03-04
Publication date: 2003-09-04

Abstract

An exercising monocycle includes a main body provided with a seat so that a user may be seated on the seat to ride the exercising monocycle, a main frame secured on the main body, a main shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame, an acceleration mechanism driven by the main shaft to output an acceleration power, and a magnetic control mechanism mounted in the main frame. The magnetic control mechanism includes a flywheel for receiving the acceleration power output from the acceleration mechanism, and a damping device for increasing a resistance applied on rotation of the flywheel, and the acceleration mechanism being surrounded by the flywheel. Thus, the exercising monocycle has a smaller volume and occupies a smaller space.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exercising monocycle, and more particularly to an exercising monocycle which has a smaller volume and occupies a smaller space.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional exercising bicycle in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 7 comprises

main frame

60, a drive sprocket 61 driven and rotated by pedals 63, a driven sprocket 64 driven and rotated by the drive sprocket 61 by a chain 65, a flywheel 62 mounted on the driven sprocket 64, and a damping device 66 mounted on the flywheel 62.

However, the conventional exercising bicycle in accordance with the prior art has the following disadvantages.

1. The

drive sprocket

61 is spaced from the driven sprocket 64 with a determined distance, so that the conventional exercising bicycle has a larger volume, thereby occupying a larger space.

2. The acceleration effect of the conventional exercising bicycle is achieved by the radius ratio between the

drive sprocket

61 and the driven sprocket 64. However, the radius ratio between the drive sprocket 61 and the driven sprocket 64 is limited by the size of the drive sprocket 61 and the driven sprocket 64, so that the acceleration effect of the conventional exercising bicycle is not sufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional exercising bicycle.

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an exercising monocycle, wherein the main shaft of the power input and the flywheel of the power output are arranged in the main frame, so as to form a single-wheel type structure, thereby greatly reducing the volume of the exercising monocycle, so that the exercising monocycle occupies a smaller space.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an exercising monocycle, wherein the acceleration mechanism includes multiple gears that may co-operate with each other, and the transmission ratio of the gears is not limited by the space and the wheel radius, so as to obtain a higher transmission ratio, thereby increasing the exercising effect.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an exercising monocycle, comprising:

a main body, provided with a seat so that a user may be seated on the seat to ride the exercising monocycle;

a main frame, secured on the main body;

a main shaft, rotatably mounted in the main frame;

an acceleration mechanism, mounted in the main frame, and driven by the main shaft, to output an acceleration power; and

a magnetic control mechanism, mounted in the main frame, and includes a flywheel for receiving the acceleration power output from the acceleration mechanism, and a damping device for increasing a resistance applied on rotation of the flywheel, and the acceleration mechanism being surrounded by the flywheel.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0018]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0019]
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a flywheel of an exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0020]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0021]
FIG. 4 is a side plan cross-sectional assembly view of the exercising monocycle as shown in FIG. 3; [0022]
FIG. 5 is a front plan cross-sectional assembly view of the exercising monocycle as shown in FIG. 3; [0023]
FIG. 6 is a schematic operational view of the exercising monocycle as shown in FIG. 5 in use; and [0024]
FIG. 7 is a side plan view of a conventional exercising bicycle in accordance with the prior art.[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. [0026] 1-5, an exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body 1, a main frame 10, a main shaft 20, an acceleration mechanism 30, and a magnetic control mechanism 40.
The [0027] main body 1 is provided with a seat 1′ so that the user may be seated on the seat 1′ to ride the exercising monocycle.
The [0028] main frame 10 is a substantially U-shaped frame that is secured on the main body 1. The main frame 10 includes a bottom plate 12 secured on the main body 1, and two opposite fixing plates 11. Preferably, the bottom plate 12 is integrally formed with the two opposite fixing plates 11. Each of the two opposite fixing plates 11 is provided with a bearing 13. One of the two opposite fixing plates 11 is protruded with two opposite support plates 14.
The [0029] main shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in the bearing 13 of each of the two opposite fixing plates 11, and has two ends each protruded outward from each of the two opposite fixing plates 11 and each secured with a crank 21 which has a pedal 22, so that the main shaft 20 may be rotated through the cranks 21 by stepping the pedals 22.
The [0030] acceleration mechanism 30 is mounted in the main frame 10, and is driven by the main shaft 20, to output an acceleration power.
The [0031] magnetic control mechanism 40 is mounted in the main frame 10, and includes a flywheel 41 for receiving the acceleration power output from the acceleration mechanism 30, and a damping device 45 for increasing the resistance of the entire system. Preferably, the acceleration mechanism 30 is mounted in the flywheel 41, and the damping device 45 is a magnetic type damping device.
Thus, the user may be seated on the [0032] seat 1′ to tread the pedals 22, thereby driving the main shaft 20 to rotate. Then, the acceleration mechanism 30 may be driven by rotation of the main shaft 20 to output an acceleration power to accelerate rotation of the flywheel 41. The rotation of the flywheel 41 is subjected to the resistance of the damping device 45, so that the user has to provide a treading force to overcome the resistance of the damping device 45, thereby obtaining an exercising effect.
The [0033] acceleration mechanism 30 includes a drive gear 31 secured on and rotated by the main shaft 20, and a driven gear 32 rotatably mounted on the main shaft 20. A single direction bearing 320 is mounted on one side of the driven gear 32. The acceleration mechanism 30 further includes a support shaft 33 mounted on the main frame 10 and is parallel with the main shaft 20, and a composite gear 34 rotatably mounted on the support shaft 33. The composite gear 34 includes a smaller gear 340 meshing with the drive gear 31, and a larger gear 341 meshing with the driven gear 32. Preferably, the drive gear 31 has sixty teeth, the driven gear 32 has twenty teeth, the larger gear 341 has sixty teeth, and the smaller gear 340 has twenty teeth, thereby obtaining the optimum rotation ratio of 1:9.
The [0034] flywheel 41 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 is mounted on the single direction bearing 320 that is mounted on one side of the driven gear 32. The flywheel 41 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 is formed with an annular flange 42 which has an inner wall provided with a metallic layer 43.
The [0035] flywheel 41 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 has a surface formed with multiple through holes 44 each having one side protruded with an air guide plate 440 for introducing the ambient colder air through the through holes 44 into the system when the flywheel 41 is rotated, and for carrying the heat produced by the magnetic resistance out of the system through the through holes 44 when the flywheel 41 is rotated, thereby achieving the heatsink effect.
The [0036] damping device 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 includes two opposite support plates 46 each provided with multiple magnetic blocks 460 which are spaced from the flange 42 of the flywheel 41 with a determined distance. Each of the two opposite support plates 46 has a first end formed with a pivot end 461 and a second end formed with a free end 462. The damping device 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 includes two pivot shafts 47 each extended through the pivot end 461 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 and each secured on each of the support plates 14 of the fixing plate 11 of the main frame 10, so that the free end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 may be pivoted about the pivot shaft 47.
Thus, the user may be seated on the [0037] seat 1′ to tread the pedals 22, thereby driving the main shaft 20 to rotate, thereby rotating the drive gear 31 which rotates the smaller gear 340 which rotates the larger gear 341 which rotates the driven gear 32 which rotates the single direction bearing 320 which rotates the flywheel 41.
Referring to FIG. 5, when the [0038] flywheel 41 is rotated, the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41 is subjected to the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46. Thus, the rotation of the flywheel 41 is subjected to the resistance of the damping device 45, so that the user has to provide a treading force to overcome the magnetic resistance produced by the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 of the damping device 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40, thereby obtaining an exercising effect.
In general, the magnetic force of the [0039] magnetic blocks 460 of the support plates 46 of the damping device 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 may be changed, to change the magnetic resistance produced by the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460, so as to determine and change the user's exercising strength, that is, the range of consumption of the user's physical energy.
The exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises an adjusting [0040] device 50 for adjusting the distance between the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41 and the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46, so as to change the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of the support plates 46 of the damping device 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40.
The adjusting [0041] device 50 includes a seat plate 51, a control rod 52, a guide wheel 54, two control wires 55, and two elastic members 56.
The [0042] seat plate 51 is secured on an upper portion of one of the two fixing plates 11 of the main frame 10, and is formed with a through hole 510, and multiple positioning recesses 511 surrounding the through hole 510.
The [0043] control rod 52 is passed through the through hole 510 of the seat plate 51, and has an upper section secured with a rotary knob 520, a mediate section provided with a positioning block 53, and a lower section extended into the main frame 10 and secured with a fixing block 521. The positioning block 53 has a bottom formed with a chamber 530 for receiving a compression spring 531 and a positioning ball 532 that may be locked in one of the multiple positioning recesses 511 of the seat plate 51, thereby providing a temporary positioning effect when the rotary knob 520 is rotated.
The [0044] guide wheel 54 is mounted on the seat plate 51, and is located adjacent to the fixing block 521 of the control rod 52. The guide wheel 54 has a periphery formed with multiple grooves 540.
Each of the two [0045] control wires 55 has a first end secured on the free end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 and a second end reeved through the grooves 540 of the guide wheel 54 and secured on the fixing block 521 of the control rod 52.
Each of the two [0046] elastic members 56 has a first end secured on the seat plate 51 and a second end secured on the free end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46.
When the [0047] rotary knob 520 is rotated, the control rod 52 may be rotated to rotate the fixing block 521 which pulls the control wires 55 through the guide wheel 54, so that the free end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 may be pulled and moved by each of the two control wires 55 from the position as shown in FIG. 5 to the position as shown in FIG. 6, thereby increasing the distance between the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 and the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41, so that the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 on the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41 is decreased, and the magnetic resistance produced by the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 is decreased. Thus, the user's exercising strength (or the range of consumption of the user's physical energy) is reduced.
On the contrary, when the [0048] rotary knob 520 is rotated reversely, the control rod 52 may be rotated to rotate the fixing block 521 which releases the control wires 55 through the guide wheel 54, so that the free end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 may be pushed by the restoring force of each of the two elastic member 56 to move from the position as shown in FIG. 6 to the position as shown in FIG. 5, thereby decreasing the distance between the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 and the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41, so that the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 on the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41 is increased, and the magnetic resistance produced by the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 is increased. Thus, the user's exercising strength (or the range of consumption of the user's physical energy) is increased.
Accordingly, the exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages. [0049]
1. The [0050] main shaft 20 of the power input and the flywheel 41 of the power output are arranged in the main frame 10, so as to form a single-wheel type structure, thereby greatly reducing the volume of the exercising monocycle, so that the exercising monocycle occupies a smaller space.
2. The [0051] acceleration mechanism 30 includes multiple gears that may co-operate with each other, and the transmission ratio of the gears is not limited by the space and the wheel radius, so as to obtain a higher transmission ratio, thereby increasing the exercising effect.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention. [0052]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An exercising monocycle, comprising:

a main frame, secured on the main body;

a main shaft, rotatably mounted in the main frame;

2. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the main frame is a substantially U-shaped frame that includes two opposite fixing plates secured on the main body.

3. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the main frame includes a bottom plate secured on the main body and mounted between the two opposite fixing plates.

4. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 2, wherein one of the two opposite fixing plates is protruded with two opposite support plates.

5. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the main shaft is rotatably mounted in each of the two opposite fixing plates, and has two ends each protruded outward from each of the two opposite fixing plates and each secured with a crank which has a pedal, so that the main shaft may be rotated through the cranks by stepping the pedals.

6. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the acceleration mechanism includes:

a drive gear secured on and rotated by the main shaft;

a driven gear rotatably mounted on the main shaft;

a single direction bearing mounted on one side of the driven gear;

a support shaft mounted on the main frame and parallel with the main shaft; and

a composite gear rotatably mounted on the support shaft, and including a smaller gear meshing with the drive gear, and a larger gear meshing with the driven gear.

7. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 6, wherein the drive gear has sixty teeth, the driven gear has twenty teeth, the larger gear has sixty teeth, and the smaller gear has twenty teeth, thereby obtaining an optimum rotation ratio of 1:9.

8. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 6, wherein the flywheel of the magnetic control mechanism is mounted on the single direction bearing, and is formed with an annular flange which has an inner wall provided with a metallic layer.

9. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flywheel of the magnetic control mechanism has a surface formed with multiple through holes each having one side protruded with an air guide plate.

10. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 8, wherein the damping device of the magnetic control mechanism includes two opposite support plates each provided with multiple magnetic blocks which are spaced from the flange of the flywheel with a determined distance.

11. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 10, wherein each of the two opposite support plates has a first end formed with a pivot end and a second end formed with a free end, and the damping device of the magnetic control mechanism includes two pivot shafts each extended through the pivot end of each of the two opposite support plates and each secured on the main frame, so that the free end of each of the two opposite support plates may be pivoted about the pivot shaft.

12. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 10, further comprising an adjusting device for adjusting the distance between the metallic layer of the flywheel and the magnetic blocks of the two opposite support plates, so as to change the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks of the support plates of the damping device of the magnetic control mechanism.

13. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 12, wherein the adjusting device includes a seat plate, a control rod, a guide wheel, two control wires, and two elastic members, wherein:

the seat plate is secured on the main frame and formed with a through hole;

the control rod is passed through the through hole of the seat plate, and has an upper section secured with a rotary knob, a mediate section provided with a positioning block, and a lower section extended into the main frame and secured with a fixing block,

the guide wheel is mounted on the seat plate, and is located adjacent to the fixing block of the control rod, the guide wheel has a periphery formed with multiple grooves;

each of the two control wires has a first end secured on the free end of each of the two opposite support plates and a second end reeved through the grooves of the guide wheel and secured on the fixing block of the control rod; and

each of the two elastic members has a first end secured on the seat plate and a second end secured on the free end of each of the two opposite support plates.

14. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 12, wherein the seat plate is secured on the main frame, and is formed with a through hole, and multiple positioning recesses surrounding the through hole, and the positioning block has a bottom formed with a chamber for receiving a compression spring and a positioning ball that may be locked in one of the multiple positioning recesses of the seat plate, thereby providing a temporary positioning effect when the rotary knob is rotated.