WO2006027649A1

WO2006027649A1 - Rear wheel stand for a bicycle

Info

Publication number: WO2006027649A1
Application number: PCT/IB2005/002218
Authority: WO
Inventors: Amerigo SARTORE
Original assignee: Elite Srl
Priority date: 2004-09-10
Filing date: 2005-09-12
Publication date: 2006-03-16
Also published as: TW200609023A; ITVI20040214A1

Abstract

A rear wheel stand for a bicycle, particularly for cycling exercise, comprises at least a first portion (2) for connection to the hub (M) of the wheel (R) and one second portion (3), which is associated to the first portion (2) and is designed to firmly rest on the floor (F) to support the wheel (R). Braking means (4) are further provided, which are associated to the second portion (3) to interact with the periphery (P) of the wheel (R) and provide resistance to rotation thereof. More in detail, the first and second portions (2, 3) are hinged together and may be angularly inclined in such a manner that the weight of both the bicycle (B) and the user automatically provide optimilium grip conditions between the braking means (4) and the periphery (P).

Description

REAR WHEEL STAND FOR A BICYCLE

Field of the Invention

This invention generally finds application in the field of sports and leisure equipment, and particularly relates to a rear wheel stand for cycling exercise, in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

Background Art

Many bicycle stands for cycling exercise are known.

US-A-4,421 ,308, US-A-3,368,809, US-A-3,352,426, US-A-3, 107,915, US-A- 553,373 respectively disclose a stand having a base that is designed to rest on the floor at least at three or four points, and a pair of locking members associated to the base and designed to be connected to the bicycle in a supporting relationship. The locking members may be connected to the base at different heights, so that bicycles of different types and sizes may be locked thereby. The rear tire is arranged to contact a suitable roller of a resistance unit and means are generally provided for adjusting contact pressure between the tire and the resistance unit, to assure proper contact therebetween during training.

An apparent drawback of this solution lies in that laborious and time-consuming steps may be required to put the stand in operation. The user has to mount the locking members to the bicycle, adjust the height thereof with respect to the base and the floor, bring the roller of the resistance unit into contact with the rear tire and finally adjust the pressure between the latter and the roller.

Furthermore, in these solutions the cyclist's weight is wholly absorbed by the locking members, which in turn transfer it to the base. Therefore, a further drawback is that both the locking members and the base should be sized to support the whole user's weight, which involves a size and cost increase. Yet another drawback of these solution is that the height of the rear wheel from the floor may be only adjusted in steps of a predetermined size. Therefore, depending on the rear wheel size, the bicycle may have a forward inclination, that is different from the normal road-riding inclination, and the user is required to adapt thereto.

US-A-4,082,265 and US-A-4,580,983 respectively disclose a stand, which comprise a frame resting on the floor, at least two rollers, rotatably connected to the frame and a connecting member between the frame and the bicycle, which is designed to help the cyclist to maintain his/her balance during exercise. In operation, the front wheel is supported on a first roller and the rear wheel is supported on one or two rollers whose axes of rotation are substantially parallel to that of the first roller. Therefore, the weight of the cyclist is transferred to the rollers and not to the connecting member.

An apparent drawback of this arrangement is its complexity, which involves relatively high costs. Furthermore, these arrangements have a large size and a heavy weight, and may not be easily used in normal domestic environments.

Summary of the invention

A primary object of this invention is to obviate the above drawbacks, while providing a stand that allows easy and fast mounting of a bicycle thereon, without requiring difficult and time-consuming adjustments.

A particular object is to provide a stand that allows a practical and comfortable use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stand that has a relatively small size and low weight, allowing it to be easily used in many different environments and conveniently handled. Another particular object is to provide a cost-effective stand.

These objects, as well as other objects that will be more apparent hereafter, are fulfilled, according to claim 1 , by providing a rear wheel stand for a bicycle, particularly for cycling exercise, wherein the wheel has a hub and a periphery defined by a tire, which stand comprises at least one first portion to be connected to the hub of the wheel and one second portion, which is associated to the first portion and is designed to firmly rest on the floor to support the wheel, braking means associated to the second portion to interact with the wheel periphery and provide resistance to rotation thereof, characterized in that the first and second portions are hinged together and may be angularly inclined in such a manner that the weight of both the bicycle and the user automatically assure an optimized grip between the braking means and the periphery.

Thanks to this particular arrangement, the bicycle may be mounted to the stand in a fast and easy manner, thereby allowing a more convenient use of the stand.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of a few preferred, non-exclusive embodiments of a stand according to the invention, which are described as non-limiting examples with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a stand according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the stand of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a further side view of the stand of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 4 is a further top view of the stand of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 5 is a partially perspective view of the stand of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the stand of FIG. 1 , in an operating condition; FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the stand of FIG. 1 , in a folded condition;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top view of a detail of FIG. 2; FIG. 9 is a partial top view of the stand of FIG. 1. Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

Particularly referring to the above figures, a stand according to the invention is described, which is generally designated with numeral 1.

The stand 1 is arranged to support a rear wheel R of a bicycle B, particularly for cycling exercise. The wheel R has a hub M and a periphery P defined by a tire T.

More in detail, the stand 1 comprises at least a first portion (2) to be connected to or near the hub M of the wheel R and one second portion 3, which is associated to the first portion 2 and is designed to firmly rest on the floor F to support the wheel R.

Braking means 4 are further provided, which are associated to the second portion 3 to interact with the periphery P of the wheel R and provide resistance to rotation thereof.

A peculiar feature of the invention is that the first and second portions 2, 3 are hinged together and may be angularly inclined. Thus, the weight of both the bicycle B and the user automatically bring the periphery P of the wheel R into contact with the braking means 4 and assure optimized grip therebetween.

The maximum angle A of relative rotation between the first and the second portions 2, 3 may be at least a right angle, so that the stand 1 may be easily turned from an operating arrangement, as shown in FIG. 6, to a reduced-size folded arrangement, as shown in FIG. 7, and vice versa. In the operating arrangement, the first and second portions 2, 3 may be suitably inclined relative to each other, whereas in the folded arrangement, the portions 2, 3 may be in substantially adjacent positions.

More in detail, the first portion 2 may include at least one arm 5, whose upper end

6 may be connected, in the operating arrangement, to the hub M of the wheel R, and whose lower end 7 is hinged to the second portion 3. There may be provided one arm 5 or a pair of arms 5, 5'. The latter may have respective upper ends 6, 6' which are designed to be connected to the hub M of the wheel R on opposite sides. Also, each arm 5, 5' may have a lower end 7, T that is hinged to the second portion 3 and stably connected to a connecting member 8. Thus, the first portion 2 may be have a monolithic construction and comprise both the arms 5, 5' and the connecting member 8.

In certain particular embodiments, the arms 5, 5' may be curved or straight tubular members, that are attached at their lower ends 7, T to the connecting member 8, itself consisting of a curved or straight tubular element. To allow proper use of the stand 1 , the arms 5, 5' are as long as or longer than the radius of the wheel R. The base material of the first portion 2 may be of various types and natures, and may particularly be a metal material, such as steel or an aluminum alloy.

The connecting member 8 may have an essentially horizontal orientation and may have two areas 9, 9' designed for contact with the floor F.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the second portion 3 may comprise at least one elongate member 10, which may have different inclinations with respect to the floor F in its operating condition, and may particularly have an essentially horizontal orientation.

As shown in FIG. 5, the elongate member 10 may have an end 11 proximal to the first portion 2 and connected thereto by hinge means 12, preferably placed in the proximity of the lower ends 7, T of the arms 5, 5'. Also, the elongate member 10 may have an end 13 distal to the hinge means 12, the braking means 4 being possibly connected near it.

The second portion 3 may have one elongate member 10 or a pair of elongate members 10, 10'. The latter may have respective ends 11 , 11' proximal to the first portion 2, and connected thereto by the hinge means 12, as well as respective ends 13, 13' distal to the hinge means 12. As shown in FIG. 9, the elongate members 10, 10' may be placed at a distance that may be adjusted in a continuous manner from a maximum value, corresponding to the position of the proximal ends 11 , 11', to a minimum value, corresponding to the position of the distal ends 13, 13'.

In certain preferred embodiments, the second portion 3 may include a base for resting on the floor, which is connected to the distal end 13, 13' of each elongate member 10, 10'.

The base 14 may be integral with each elongate member 10, 10' or hinged to the distal end 13, 13' of each elongate member 10, 10'. In this case, an at least partial rotation may be allowed between the elongate members 10, 10' and the base 14, so that the latter may adapt its inclination independently of the elongate members 10, 10' and may firmly rest on the floor F. Furthermore, the possibility of rotating the base 14 allows to reduce the size of the folded arrangement.

The braking means 4 may be mounted to the top of the base 14 and may include at least one roller 15, which is rotatably mounted in a housing 16 integral with the base 14. The roller 15 may have an outer cylindrical surface for contact with the periphery P of the wheel R. The housing 16 may be integral with the base 14 or formed in a body 17 that is removably attached to the base 14, as shown in the figures. Particularly, FIG. 1 , FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 8 show the stand 1 with the body 17 mounted on the base 14, whereas FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 9 show the stand 1 with the base 14 alone, without the body 17 and without the braking means 4.

The base material of the elongate members 10, 10' and of the base 14 may be of various kinds. Particularly, the elongate members 10, 10' may be made of plastic or of a composite material. Since the user's weight is transferred to the roller 15 and to the base 14, the stresses acting on the elongate members 10, 10" are relatively low. From the above disclosure, the stand of the invention proves to fulfill the proposed objects and particularly allows to support a bicycle by a few simple steps in which the upper ends of the arms are locked to the hub. The combined weight of the bicycle and the user allows to automatically maintain a proper contact pressure between the wheel periphery and the roller of the braking means, without requiring relatively time-consuming manual adjustments before use. Also, the stand of the invention has a small size both in the operating arrangement and in the folded arrangement.

The stand of the invention is susceptible of a number of changes and variants, within the inventive concept disclosed in the appended claims. All the details thereof may be replaced by other technically equivalent parts, and the materials may vary depending on different needs, without departure from the scope of the invention.

While the stand has been described with particular reference to the accompanying figures, the numerals referred to in the disclosure and claims are only used for the sake of a better intelligibility of the invention and shall not be intended to limit the claimed scope in any manner.

Claims

1. A rear wheel stand for a bicycle, particularly for cycling exercise, wherein the wheel (R) has a hub (M) and a periphery (P) wit a tire (T), which stand comprises at least one first portion (2) for connection to the wheel (R) proximale to the hub (M) thereof and one second portion (3), which is associated to said first portion (2) and is designed to firmly rest on the floor (F) to support the wheel (R), braking means (4) associated to said second portion (3) to interact with the periphery (P) of the wheel (R) and provide resistance to rotation thereof, characterized in that said first and said second portions (2, 3) are reciprocally hinged and susceptible to be angularly inclined in such a manner that the weight of both the bicycle (B) and the user automatically provide optimum grip conditions between said braking means (4) and the periphery (P).

2. Stand as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said first portion (2) includes at least one arm (5), havin an upper end (6) connectable to the hub (M) of the wheel (R), and a lower end (7) hinged to said second portion (3).

3. Stand as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said first portion (2) includes a pair of arms (5, 5'), havign respective upper ends (6, 6') attachable to the hub (M) of the wheel (R) on opposite sides thereof, and respective lower ends (7) hinged to said second portion (3).

4. Stand as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said first portion (2) has a substantially horizontal connecting member (8) between said arms (5, 5'), which is stably connected to the latter at their lower ends (7, 7').

5. Stand as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said connecting member (8) has two contact areas (9, 9') designed for resting on the floor (F).

6. Stand as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said second portion (3) has at least one elongate member (10). δ

7. Stand as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said elongate member (10) is substantially horizontal.

8. Stand as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said elongate member (10) has an end (11) proximal to said first portion (2) and connected thereto by hinge means (12).

9. Stand as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said elongate portion (10) has an end (13) distal to said hinge means (12), said braking means (4) being possibly connected near it.

10. Stand as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said second portion (3) comprises a base (14) for resting on the floor (F), which is connected at said distal end (13) of the elongate member (10).

11. Stand as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said base (14) is hinged to said distal end (13) of the elongate member (10) for at least partially rotating relative to this latter.

12. Stand as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that said braking means (4) are mounted to the top of said base (14).

13. Stand as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that said braking means (4) include at least one roller (15) which is rotatably mounted in a housing (16) integral with said base (14), said roller (15) having an outer cylindrical surface, designed to come in contact with the periphery (P) of the wheel (R).

14. Stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the maximum angle (A) of relative rotation between said first and, to define an operative configuration, said second portions (2, 3) is at least a right angle with said first and second portions (2, 3) appropriately inclined relative to each other, and a folded configuration, with said portions (2, 3) substantially adjacent.

15. Stand as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second portion (3) comprises a pair of elongate members (10, 10') having respective ends (11 , 11') proximal to said first portion (2), which are connected thereto by said hinge means (12), and respective ends (13, 13') distal to said hinge means (12).

16. Stand as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that said elongate members (10, 10') have a relative distance that is continuously adjustable from a maximum value, in correspondence of said proximal ends (11 , 11'), to a minimum value, in correspondence of said distal ends (13, 13').

17. Stand as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base material of said elongate members (10, 10') is of the composite type.