US20060189452A1

US20060189452A1 - Magnetic resistance device for upright bikes

Info

Publication number: US20060189452A1
Application number: US11/062,836
Authority: US
Inventors: Ming-Fu Chou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-02-23
Filing date: 2005-02-23
Publication date: 2006-08-24

Abstract

A magnetic resistance upright bike includes a frame and a driving wheel and a fly wheel are connected to the frame wherein the fly wheel is driven by the driving wheel. A magnetic resistance device includes a support member fixed on the frame and a magnet assembly is connected on the support member. The magnet assembly includes two magnets supported on the support member and the fly wheel is rotatably located between the two magnets. A circuit board is electrically connected to the two magnets and a control device is connected to the circuit board. The gap between the fly wheel and the magnets are fixed and the magnetic force can be controlled by adjusting the current powering the magnets.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a magnetic resistance device for upright bikes and the device is easily assembled and manufactured and suitable for different types of upright bikes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional upright bike 70 with a magnetic resistance device 76 is disclosed in FIG. 9, and generally includes a bike frame 72 and a transmission device 74 which is connected to the frame 71 and is composed of a drive wheel 742 with a crank connected thereto, and a fly wheel 741 which is rotated by rotation of the crank by the users. The magnetic resistance device 76 includes an electric magnet 761 which is composed of silicon steel strips and coils. A control device 762 is connected to the magnet 761 so that the user can operate the control device 762 to control the current passing through the magnet 761 to control the magnetic resistance between the magnet 761 and the fly wheel 741. The silicon steel strips have to be made according to the curvature of the fly wheel 741 so as to keep an even gap between the fly wheel 741 and the silicone steel strips. However, the sizes of the fly wheels 741 may vary for different types of upright bikes so that the manufacturers have to prepare different molds for the manufacture. This increases the manufacturing cost.
Another conventional magnetic resistance upright bike 80 is disclosed in FIGS. 10 and 11, and includes a frame 82 with a transmission device 84 which includes a drive wheel 841 and a fly wheel 842 which is rotated by the rotation of the crank on the drive wheel 841 by the users. A magnetic resistance device 86 is located at a distance from an outer periphery of the fly wheel 842 so as to provide a magnetic resistance to the fly wheel 842. The magnetic resistance device 86 includes a support member 861 on which a plurality of permanent magnets 862 are connected, a spring 863, a cable 864, a threaded rod 865 and a nut 866. The spring 863 has one end fixed to the support frame 861 and the other end of the spring 863 is connected to the frame 82. The spring force of the spring 863 can be adjusted by movement of the threaded rod 865 and the cable 864 and in turn to adjust the angle of the support member 861. The spring 863 keeps the support member 861 to have a tendency to maintain a t the position where a certain gap is defined between the periphery of the fly wheel 842 and the magnets 862 connected on the support member 861. A link 865 has one end pivotably connected to a base by a rivet 866 and the other end of the link 865 is connected to the other end of the cable 864. The user may operate the link 865 to adjust the width of the gap between the support member 861 and the periphery of the fly wheel 842. However, the pivotable support member 861 cannot keep the gap precisely as desired and the spring 863 has an inherent fatigue problem.
The present invention intends to provide a magnetic resistance device for an upright bike wherein the magnets are located on two sides of the fly wheel and are manufactured modularized so as to obtain an economical and compact magnetic resistance device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a magnetic resistance upright bike which comprises a frame and a transmission device is connected to the frame. The transmission device includes a driving wheel and a fly wheel which is driven by the driving wheel. A magnetic resistance device includes a support member fixed on the frame and a magnet assembly connected on the support member. Two magnets are supported on the support member and the fly wheel is rotatably located between the two magnets. A circuit board is electrically connected to the two magnets and a control device connected to the circuit board.
The fly wheel is located between the two magnets so that the magnets are not necessary made in different shapes according to the sizes of the fly wheel, so that the magnet assembly can be made modularized which is less expensive when compared with the conventional magnetic resistance devices.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view to show the magnetic resistance device and the upright bike of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show that the magnetic resistance device is connected to the upright bike of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side view of perspective view to show the upright bike with the magnetic resistance device of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an end view to show that the fly wheel is rotatably located between the two magnets of the magnetic resistance device of the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows that the magnetic resistance device is connected to another position relative to the fly wheel;
FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the support member of the magnetic resistance device of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows two sets of the magnetic resistance device of the present invention are used on one upright bike;
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the upright bike of the present invention;
FIG. 9 shows a conventional magnetic resistance device on an upright bike;
FIG. 10 shows another conventional magnetic resistance device on an upright bike, and
FIG. 11 shows that the support member of the magnetic resistance device in FIG. 10 is pivoted away from the fly wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the upright bike of the present invention comprises a frame 10 including two posts and a transmission device 20 is connected to the frame 10. The transmission device 20 includes a driving wheel 21 and a fly wheel 23 which is driven by the driving wheel 21 by a belt or a chain. The fly wheel 23 is rotatably connected between the two posts and the driving wheel 21 is connected to a crank to which two pedals are connected so that when the user rotates the crank, the fly wheel 23 is rotated by the driving wheel 21 via the belt.
A magnetic resistance device 30 includes a support member 31 fixed on a transverse bar between the two posts of the frame 10 and a magnet assembly 32 is connected on the support member 31. The magnet assembly 32 includes two magnets 321, 322 which are supported on the support member 31. The fly wheel 23 is rotatably located between the two magnets 321, 322. The support member 31 is a U-shaped member including a base plate and two sidewalls, wherein the base plate is fixed on the transverse bar by a bolt and the two magnets 321, 322 are located on the base plate and between the two sidewalls.
A circuit board 11 is electrically connected to the two magnets 321, 322 and a control device 12 connected to the circuit board 11. The user may operate the control device 12 to adjust the current powering the magnets 321, 322 so as to obtain different magnetic force.
Therefore, the magnet resistance device 30 can be independently manufactured regardless of shapes and sizes of the fly wheels 23. The magnet resistance device 30 can be made modularized to reduce the manufacturing cost.
As shown in FIG. 5, the position of the magnet resistance device 30 can be moved to any position on the frame 10 as long as the fly wheel 23 goes between the two magnets 321, 322.
As shown in FIG. 6, the support member 31 is a U-shaped member including a base plate and two sidewalls, wherein the two sidewalls are connected to the shaft of the fly wheel 23 and the two magnets 321, 322 are located on the base plate. There can be two sets of the magnetic resistance device 30 which are electrically connected in parallel with each other to provide more powerful magnetic resistance to the fly wheel 23. As shown in FIG. 7, the number of the magnet assembly 32 can be arranged in parallel or in series with each other so as to have desired magnetic forces.
FIG. 8 shows that the fly wheel 23 includes a generator set connected to spokes of the fly wheel 23, and coils 24 which are located along the periphery of the fly wheel 23. The generator set and the coils can also be fixed on the pedals so as to control the voltages and currents, or magnetic farce to be used.
The magnets 321, 322 can be manufactured modularized and the number of the magnets can be adjusted according to the specifications of the fly wheel 23. The magnetic resistance device 30 is installed regardless of the thickness, the diameter or the shape of the fly wheels. Furthermore, the fly wheel 23 is not in contact with the magnets 321, 322 so that no noise is produced. It is noted that the magnetic resistance device 40 can be installed to either of the drive wheel 21 or the fly wheel 23 to achieve the same purpose.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A magnetic resistance upright bike comprising:

a frame and a transmission device connected to the frame, the transmission device including a driving wheel and a fly wheel which is driven by the driving wheel;

a magnetic resistance device including a support member fixed on the frame and a magnet assembly connected on the support member, the magnet assembly including two magnets which are supported on the support member, one of the drive wheel and the fly wheel rotatably located between the two magnets, and

a circuit board electrically connected to the two magnets and a control device connected to the circuit board.

2. The bike as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member is a U-shaped member including a base plate and two sidewalls, the base plate is fixed on the frame and the two magnets are located on the base plate and between the two sidewalls.

3. The bike as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member is a U-shaped member including a base plate and two sidewalls, the two sidewalls are connected to a shaft of the fly wheel and the two magnets are located on the base plate.

4. The bike as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fly wheel includes a generator set connected to spokes of the fly wheel and coils which are connected on a periphery of the fly wheel.