WO2007139297A1

WO2007139297A1 - Driving apparatus for bicycle

Info

Publication number: WO2007139297A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/002407
Authority: WO
Inventors: Keun Bong Hong
Original assignee: Keun Bong Hong
Priority date: 2006-05-30
Filing date: 2007-05-17
Publication date: 2007-12-06
Also published as: KR100643000B1

Abstract

Disclosed is a bicycle driving apparatus for generating propulsive force via linear reciprocating movements of pedals (90, 90') while maximizing the propulsive force by sufficiently long- length levers (80, 80') even by low pedal pushing force and overcoming structural instability of the long levers (80, 80'). The driving apparatus includes driving wheels (30, 30') located at opposite sides of a free wheel (12) coupled to a rotating shaft (11 ) of a frame (10) and having one-directional bearings (31 ), direction-converting wheels (40, 40') connected perpendicular to the driving wheels (30, 30') by a chain (45), first supporting pipes (50, 50') supported by the frame (10) and having a guiding slot (62), first supporting rollers (51, 51 ') rotatably and movably installed in the first supporting pipes (50, 50'), chain connectors (70, 70') formed at the chain (45) to change the orientation direction of chain holes (46) and connected to center shafts of the first supporting rollers (51, 51 ') through the guiding slots (52), levers (80, 80') extended upward from the chain connectors (70, 70'), and pedals (90, 90') provided at the levers (80, 80') to perform forward and rearward reciprocating movements.

Description

DRIVING APPARATUS FOR BICYCLE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a driving apparatus for a bicycle, and more particularly, to a bicycle driving apparatus, which can generate a propulsive force via linear reciprocating movements of pedals and maximize the propulsive force even when the pedals are pushed by a low force by virtue of levers having a sufficiently long length and also, can overcome the structural instability of the long levers.

[2]

Background Art

[3] In general, a driving apparatus for a bicycle is designed to transmit a rotating force of pedals, which is generated as the user rotates the pedals with his/her legs and feet, to a rear wheel by means of a chain. In a basic power-generation mechanism of the bicycle driving apparatus, if the user pushes one of the pedals downward to generate a driving force, the other pedal is moved upward by the driving force. Accordingly, a main power for propelling a bicycle is generated only for a limited term in which the pedal is pushed downward.

[4] However, since the pedal is moved downward along a semicircular path, there inevitably exists, due to the user's physical exercise characteristics, the risk of applying uneven high or low force to the pedal according to the rotating position of the pedal. In particular, when the user pedals the bicycle up to hill, it may impossible for the user to appropriately apply a desired force to the pedal when the pedal has a certain angle. As a result, the bicycle may fall over with the absence of a propulsive force.

[5] All the above described problems are caused because the propulsive force of the bicycle depends on rotation of the pedals.

[6]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[7] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a driving apparatus for a bicycle, which can always apply an even force to pedals and consequently, generate a constant propulsive force by improving the pedals to perform linear reciprocating movements, rather than rotating movements, while maximizing the propulsive force even when the pedals are pushed by a low force by virtue of levers having a sufficiently long length, and also, can overcome the structural instability of the long levers.

[8] Technical Solution

[9] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a driving apparatus for a bicycle to be driven by rotation of a free wheel coupled to a rotating shaft of a frame, comprising: a pair of driving wheels located at opposite sides of the free wheel and having one-directional bearings, respectively, to transmit a rotating force to the rotating shaft only in one direction; a pair of direction-converting wheels arranged perpendicular to the driving wheels and connected to the respective driving wheels by means of a chain; first supporting pipes supported by the frame, each first supporting pipe having a guiding slot; first supporting rollers received in the respective first supporting pipes in a rotatably movable manner; chain connectors formed at the chain located at opposite lateral sides of the first supporting pipes, to change the orientation direction of chain holes at their front and rear ends, the chain connectors being connected to center shafts of the respective first supporting roller by passing through the guiding slots; levers extended upward from the chain connectors, respectively; and pedals provided at distal ends of the respective levers, to perform forward and rearward reciprocating movements.

[10]

Advantageous Effects

[11] The present invention provides a driving apparatus for a bicycle having the following effects. First, a bicycle propulsive force can be generated by linear reciprocating movements of pedals, and this allows an even force to be applied to the pedals, resulting in a desired constant propulsive force. Further, the use of levers having a sufficiently long length can achieve a great propulsive force even by a low pedal pushing force, and any structural instability of the long levers can be overcame via the use of supporting pipes and supporting rollers. Furthermore, shock-absorbing members are provided at front and rear end surfaces of the supporting pipes, to attenuate collision shock of the supporting rollers and to generate a repulsive force advantageous to achieve the reciprocating movements of the pedals.

[12]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[13] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a bicycle provided with a bicycle driving apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the bicycle driving apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[16] FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken along the line A-A of FlG. 1, FlG. 3 illustrating first and second supporting rollers installed in the same direction as each other, FlG. 4 illustrating first and second supporting rollers installed perpendicular to each other;

[17] FlG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of a first supporting pipe for use in the bicycle driving apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[18] FlG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of a first supporting pipe for use in the bicycle driving apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[19]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[20] Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of related known configurations or functions incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

[21] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a bicycle driving apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The driving apparatus is for use in a bicycle designed to be driven by rotation of a free wheel 12 coupled to a rotating shaft 11 of a frame 10. The driving apparatus for the bicycle comprises: a pair of driving wheels 30 and 30' located at opposite sides of the free wheel 12 and having one-directional bearings 31, respectively, to transmit a rotating force to the rotating shaft 11 only in one direction; a pair of direction-converting wheels 40 and 40' arranged perpendicular to the driving wheels 30 and 30' and connected to the respective driving wheels 30 and 30' by means of a chain 45; first supporting pipes 50 and 50' supported by the frame 10, each first supporting pipe 50 or 50'having a guiding slot 52; first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'received in the respective first supporting pipes 50 and 50' in a rotatably movable manner; chain connectors 70 and 70' formed at the chain 45 located at opposite lateral sides of the first supporting pipes 50 and 50' to change the orientation direction of chain holes 46 at their front and rear ends, the chain connectors 70 and 70' being connected to center shafts of the respective first supporting rollers 51 or 51'by passing through the guiding slots 52; levers 80 and 80'extended upward from the chain connectors 70 and 70'respectively; and pedals 90 and 90'provided at distal ends of the respective levers 80 and 80' to perform forward and rearward reciprocating movements. [22] The pair of driving wheels 30 and 30' are provided at opposite sides of the free wheel

12 coupled to the rotating shaft 11 of the frame 10, and in turn, the one-directional bearings 31 are provided at the center of the respective driving wheels 30 and 30' Thereby, the driving wheels 30 and 30' are adapted to rotate in opposite directions from each other, to transmit their rotating force to the rotating shaft 11 only in one direction.

[23] The pair of direction-converting wheels 40 and 40' are horizontally installed at the front side of the driving wheels 30 and 30' The direction-converting wheels 40 and 40' are connected to the driving wheels 30 and 30' by means of the chain 45 and adapted to rotate in opposite directions from each other. The direction-converting wheels 40 and 40' are centrally provided with bearings and thus, are freely rotatable. The diameter of the direction-converting wheels 40 and 40'is equal to a distance between the driving wheels 30 and 30'In this case, since the driving wheels 30 and 30' are connected to the direction-converting wheels 40 and 40'by means of the chain 45 such that they are perpendicular to each other, the chain 45 has to be configured such that the orientation direction of the chain holes 46 are changed by a right angle between the driving wheels 30 and 30' and the direction-converting wheels 40 and 40' For this, in the present invention, the chain connectors 70 and 70' are used to change the orientation direction of the chain holes 46 of the chain 45 between the driving wheels 30 and 30' and the upper direction-converting wheels 40, and a chain joint 71 is used to change the orientation direction of the chain holes 46 of the chain 45 between the driving wheels 30 and 30' and the lower direction-converting wheel 40'.

[24] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first supporting pipes 50 and 50' each having the guiding slot 52, are arranged at facing lateral sides of both the chain connectors 70 and 70' and in turn, the first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'are mounted in the first supporting pipes 50 and 50'respectively. The first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'are centrally provided with bearings such that the first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'can slide or move while freely rotating within the first supporting pipes 50 and 50' In this case, the center shafts of the first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'are coupled to the chain connectors 70 and 70'by passing through the guiding slots 52.

[25] To efficiently support the force transmitted to the pedals 90 and 90' two first supporting rollers 51 or 51 'may be arranged at front and rear positions, respectively, within the associated first supporting pipe 50 or 50 such that the first supporting rollers 51 or 51 'are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Similarly, the center shafts of the first supporting rollers 51 or 51 'are coupled to the associated chain connector 70 or 70'.

[26] The levers 80 and 80' are formed at the upper side of the chain connectors 70 and 70' and in turn, the pedals 90 and 90' are formed at the distal ends of the levers 80 and 80' so as to perform forward and rearward reciprocating movements. In this case, to obtain a great propulsive force even when the pedals 90 and 90' are pushed by a low force, it is preferable to provide the levers 80 and 80' with a long length.

[27] When the levers 80 and 80' have a sufficiently long length, the driving apparatus further comprises: second supporting pipes 60 and 60' each having a guiding slot 62, provided above the first supporting pipes 50 and 50'and supported by the frame 10; and second supporting rollers 61 and 61' received in the respective second supporting pipes 60 and 60'in a rotatably movable manner. The second supporting rollers 61 and 61 'may be installed in the same direction as that of the first supporting rollers 51 and 51' (See FlG. 3), or may be installed perpendicular to the first supporting rollers 51 and 51' (See FlG. 4). In both the cases, a center shaft of each of the second supporting rollers 61 and 61 'is coupled to the lever 80 or 80'by passing through the guiding slot 62. With this configuration, even if the levers 80 and 80' have a significantly long length, the levers 80 and 80' can achieve a high structural stability in movement without causing horizontal and vertical vibrations.

[28] In relation with the first and second supporting rollers 51 and 51' and 61 and 61 'to attenuate noise and friction caused during their sliding or rotating movements, preferably, raised rails 53 are formed at inner top and bottom surfaces of the first supporting pipes 50 and 50'and raised rails 63 are formed at inner top and bottom or left and right surfaces of the second supporting pipes 60 and 60' Also, rail grooves 54 and 64 are formed in the first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'and the second supporting rollers 61 and 61 'at positions corresponding to the raised rails 53 and 63. This rail- and-groove configuration has the effect of reducing a contact area between the first and second supporting rollers 51 and 51 'and 61 and 61 'and the inner surfaces of the first and second supporting pipes 50 and 50'and 60 and 60'.

[29] At the time when the pedals 90 and 90' reach a foremost or rearmost point of their movement path, the first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'and the second supporting rollers 61 and 61 'collide against inner front and rear end surfaces of the first supporting pipes 50 and 50'and the second supporting pipes 60 and 60'. Therefore, to attenuate a collision shock and generate a bit of repulsive force, as shown in FlG. 5, shock- absorbing members 81 are preferably attached to the inner front and rear end surfaces of the first supporting pipes 50 and 50'and the second supporting pipes 60 and 60' . In this case, the shock-absorbing members 81 are made of any elastic material selected from among rubber, silicone, polyurethane, and the like. Alternatively, as shown in FlG. 6, springs 82 for supporting the shock-absorbing members 81 may be additionally provided.

[30] In the present invention, the pedals 90 and 90' are adapted to linearly move forward and rearward. Therefore, a distance between front and rear wheels of the bicycle is longer than that of a general bicycle, and the length of a handle connecting bar 93, which connects a handle 91 to the front wheel, is lengthened. In the case of the long- length handle connecting bar 93, preferably, a universal joint 92 is mounted to a folded portion of the handle connecting bar 93, for steering of the front wheel. As the user rotates the handle 91 clockwise or counterclockwise, the front wheel can be steered leftward or rightward under the operation of the universal joint 92.

[31] Hereinafter, the function and operation of the bicycle driving apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, having the above described configuration, will be described with reference to FlG. 2.

[32] If the user pushes the left pedal 90' forward, the left lever 80' and chain connector

70' are moved forward together, and the left second supporting roller 61 'and first supporting roller 51 'are moved forward together while supporting the left lever 80'. In this case, with the use of the lever 80' having a sufficiently long length, the second supporting roller 61 'acts as the center point of leverage, thereby being capable of pushing the first supporting roller 51'. Accordingly, even if the user applies a low force to the pedal 90' a great propulsive force can be achieved. Furthermore, the probability of structural instability due to the long length of the lever 80' can be overcame by a dual supporting structure consisting of the second supporting roller 61 'and the first supporting roller 51'.

[33] Subsequently, the chain 45 connected to the left chain connector 70' is moved forward, thereby allowing the left driving wheel 30' to be rotated forward. Consequently, the left driving wheel 30' rotates the free wheel 12, coupled to the rotating shaft 11, by the one-directional bearing 31 mounted to the center of the driving wheel 30'.

[34] The orientation direction of the chain holes 46 is changed by the chain joint 71, the horizontally installed lower direction-converting wheel 40' is rotated counterclockwise by the chain 45, and the chain 45, downstream of the chain joint 71, rotates the right driving wheel 30 rearward. In this case, the right driving wheel 30 has an idling rotation by the one-directional bearing 31 mounted therein, therefore the right driving wheel 30 cannot rotate the free wheel 12 coupled to the rotating shaft 11.

[35] With the forward movement of the left pedal 90' all of the right pedal 90, lever 80, first supporting roller 51, second supporting roller 61, and chain connector 70 are moved rearward.

[36] As the left pedal 90' is moved from the rearmost point to the foremost point of the pedal movement path, the linear movement is converted into a rotating movement. Then, as the user moves again the right pedal 90 from the rearmost point to the foremost point, the propulsive force can be continuously generated. With the use of the levers 80 and 80' having a sufficiently long length, a large output can be obtained from a small input, on the basis of leverage. [37] Meanwhile, when the pedals 90 and 90'reach the rearmost point or foremost point of their movement path, there is the probability of noise, shock, and the like because the first supporting rollers 51 and 51 'and the second supporting rollers 61 and 61 'collide against the front and rear end surfaces of the first supporting pipes 50 and 50' and the second supporting pipes 60 and 60'. The shock-absorbing members 81 can act to attenuate the collision shock and to generate a repulsive force helpful to reciprocate the pedals 90 and 90'. Industrial Applicability

[38] As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a driving apparatus for a bicycle having the following effects. Firstly, the user is able to generate a propulsive force by linearly reciprocating pedals. This allows an even force to be applied to the pedals, resulting in a desired constant propulsive force. Secondly, when using levers having a sufficiently long length, a great propulsive force can be obtained even by a low pedal pushing force, on the basis of leverage using second supporting rollers as the center point of leverage. Thirdly, with the provision of supporting pipes and supporting rollers, it is possible to eliminate the risk of structural instability of the long levers. Fourthly, according to the present invention, shock-absorbing members are provided at front and rear end surfaces of the supporting pipes. The shock-absorbing members have the effect of attenuating collision shock of the supporting rollers and generating a repulsive force advantageous to achieve the reciprocating movements of the pedals.

[39] It will be appreciated that, although the above description and the accompanying drawings are limited to the use of a bicycle, the driving apparatus of the present invention can be applied to various fitness equipment and other articles of the type driven by the user's legs and feet within the scope of the present invention.

[40] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

[1] A driving apparatus for a bicycle to be driven by rotation of a free wheel coupled to a rotating shaft of a frame, comprising: a pair of driving wheels located at opposite sides of the free wheel and having one-directional bearings, respectively, to transmit a rotating force to the rotating shaft only in one direction; a pair of direction-converting wheels arranged perpendicular to the driving wheels and connected to the respective driving wheels by means of a chain; first supporting pipes supported by the frame, each first supporting pipe having a guiding slot; first supporting rollers received in the respective first supporting pipes in a rotatably movable manner; chain connectors formed at the chain located at opposite lateral sides of the first supporting pipes, to change the orientation direction of chain holes at their front and rear ends, the chain connectors being connected to center shafts of the respective first supporting roller by passing through the guiding slots; levers extended upward from the chain connectors, respectively; and pedals provided at distal ends of the respective levers, to perform forward and rearward reciprocating movements.

[2] The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two first supporting rollers are arranged, respectively, at front and rear positions at a predetermined interval within each of the first supporting pipes, and the center shafts of the first supporting rollers are coupled to the associated chain connector.

[3] The driving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: second supporting pipes each having a guiding slot and provided above the respective first supporting pipes and supported by the frame; and second supporting rollers received in the respective second supporting pipes in a rotatably movable manner, the second supporting rollers being installed in the same direction as or perpendicular to that of the first supporting rollers, a center shaft of each of the second supporting rollers being coupled to the associated lever by passing through the guiding slot.

[4] The driving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the chain is further formed with a chain joint to change the orientation direction of the chain holes by a right angle.

[5] The driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein raised rails are formed at inner top and bottom surfaces of the first supporting pipes and at inner top and bottom or left and right surfaces of the second supporting pipes, and rail grooves are formed in the first and second supporting rollers.

[6] The driving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein shock- absorbing members are attached to inner front and rear end surfaces of the first and second supporting pipes.