JPS6328078Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) This invention relates to the disclosure of drive mechanisms for various types of bicycles, such as two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled bicycles.

(Prior art) A typical bicycle drive mechanism in the prior art is as follows:
A freewheel attached to the shaft of the drive wheel and a gear rotated by a pedal crank are connected through an endless chain, and the ratio of the number of teeth of the gear to the number of teeth of the freewheel is adjusted to By rotating the wheel once, the drive wheel is rotated an appropriate number of times.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) Therefore, in order to rotate the drive wheel in conventional bicycles, the pedal cranks, which are provided as a pair on the left and right sides of the gear, must be rotated alternately on the left and right sides. Not only does this increase the rotation range of the pedal crank, but it also increases the flexion rate of the foot joints, particularly the knees, of the pedaler who rotates the pedal crank. Those who cannot bend the crank freely and elderly people with stiff joints have difficulty rotating the crank.

In contrast to such conventional bicycle drive mechanisms, for example, in the invention described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 27-5057 and the invention described in British Patent No. 1448724, a pedal crank is used as a rear wheel as a driving wheel. There existed a drive mechanism in which the rotation of the pedal crank was replaced with a rod of arbitrary length that was pivotally supported on the axle of the wheel, and the driving force of the drive wheels was captured by the vertical movement of the pedal crank rotation operation by depressing the rod. However, in all of these inventions, the chain connected to the freewheel attached to the shaft of the driving wheel or the cable connected to the chain extends from the axle of the rear wheel which becomes the driving wheel. Since the chain is directly connected to the rod, in order to treat the vertical movement of the rod as a movement movement, the chain or the cable connected to the chain must be pulled by the downward movement of the rod. In other words, since the transmission member such as the chain must be connected at least at a right angle to the rod, the transmission member such as the chain must be temporarily detoured to the direction changing member provided above. After this, the freewheel is connected to the freewheel at an appropriate angle, which causes the transmission member to elongate more than necessary and unintentionally, resulting in poor transmission. Since the connecting means positions the transmitting member close to the pedaler's feet, there are disadvantages such as the transmitting member sticking to or getting tangled with the pedaler's feet and clothes.

In addition, the former invention has difficulty in operability because the transmission mechanism must be operated by foot, while the latter invention aims to cause the left and right rods to swing relative to each other. Since these are connected to each other by rocking arms and links, it is impossible to step on the left and right arms at the same time, and those with weak legs may be able to step on both legs by shifting their weight. Such easy driving was impossible.

(Purpose of the present invention and means for solving problems) The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned inconveniences, and one of its expected main purposes is to drive bicycles, etc. While the mounting style of the pedal crank used for bicycles is as close as possible to the mounting style of a pedal crank on a regular bicycle, the pedal crank is placed between the upper and lower points of the pedal. Normally, the pedal should be rotated one revolution (360 degrees) before the pedal is pressed.
Eliminates the rotational operation within the 180 degree rearward and lateral range, which is considered "play" when
The aim is to provide efficient drive input and reduce the flexion rate of the foot joints.

Next, one of the other main objectives anticipated in the present invention is to eliminate the rotational operation at the rear and side of the pedal crank, thereby eliminating the disadvantages associated with 360 degree rotation, especially the increased rotation range; This is intended to effectively solve the problem of the pedal crank becoming difficult to press down and the problem of the pedal crank contacting the ground at the bottom point, and at the same time making it possible to install a relatively long pedal crank.

Furthermore, one of the other main objects anticipated in the present invention is to provide a pedal crank with a ram section slidably connected to the pedal crank, and to connect a transmission member such as a chain to one free end of the ram section. The purpose of this invention is to connect the transmission member to the freewheel at an appropriate angle without having to bypass the direction changing device provided above, thereby avoiding excessive extension of the transmission member.

Furthermore, one of the other main objects envisaged in the present invention is to provide a means for driving a bicycle by connecting a gear lever installed at hand with a lever section telescopically connected to a pedal crank. By expanding and contracting the ram part, gradual increase over a wide range,
This is to ensure that gradual and rapid speed changes can be performed reliably.

Next, one of the other main purposes of the present invention is to omit the need for gears for shifting, and to make it possible to change gears, which are normally done while driving, not only while driving, but also when stopped. At the same time, in the pedal crank depression operation, one-foot depression is an absolute theory, and the idea was to make it possible to drive using the shift of body weight by simultaneous depression of both feet.

In order to achieve appropriate and purposeful effects on these characteristics, the present invention has a configuration in which a pair of left and right pedal cranks are pivotally supported on a bicycle, etc., and each pedal crank is provided with a pair of pedal cranks that are substantially orthogonal to the pedal crank. A guide post is provided in the direction of the guide post, and a ram rod whose free end is always directed downward is slidably inserted into the guide post, and an operation for indexing the ram rod upward. A service line is connected to the bottom of the ram, and then to the top of the ram:
A chain meshing with a freewheel that rotationally drives the drive wheel shaft only in the forward direction, or one end of a drive cable connected to the chain, and the other end of the chain or the other end of the chain The cable attached to the bicycle was attached to the main body of the bicycle, etc., and considerable design changes were planned in line with the gist of this configuration.

(Example) Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be explained with reference to a typical example shown in the drawings. Reference numeral 1 indicates a bicycle such as a two-wheeled bicycle, and the pedal crank 2 for pedaling is mounted on its full rotation (360 degrees) bearing. In particular, the pedal crank 2
is rotatably supported between the upper and lower points of the pedal and only within a range of 180 degrees to the side before the pedal is depressed.

Further, a guide post 2 is provided on the shaft support side of the pedal crank 2 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the pedal crank 2.
a, and a ram 2b which is slidably fitted into the guide post 2a has a spring 12 interposed between one free end of the ram 2b and the guide post 2a. On the other hand, the free end is always biased downward.

Reference numeral 11 is an operating cable for pulling the ram 2b upward, and a guide provided at the base of the bearing of the pedal crank 2 connects the shift lever 10 provided at a position where it can be manually operated and the lower part of the ram 2b. Part 2c
, and the position of the other free end of the hammer rod 2b relative to the bearing base of the pedal crank 2 is determined by the pulling operation of the operating cable 11 and the restoring force of the hammer rod 2b that is elastically activated. The length relative to the upper part of the ram 2b is adjustable.

In the drive mechanism of the present invention, the crank gear in the conventional example is omitted, and an endless chain, etc., which is normally attached to the gear, is connected to the chain 5 connected to the upper part of the ram 2b or to the chain 5. This is replaced by a continuous driving cable 3.

One end of the chain 5 or the driving cable 3 connected to the chain 5 is connected to the upper part of the ram 2b of the pedal crank 2, and the chain 5 is connected to the rear wheel axle which becomes the driving wheel. It is mounted on freewheels 4 which receive drive input only during forward and lateral rotation, and which are arranged in pairs on the left and right, and on the chain 5 or the driving cable 3 connected to the chain 5. The other end is elastically connected directly or via a cable 3a to a spring 6 connected to the bicycle body, such as a pedal stopper rod 7 that serves as a support member for the pedal crank 2.

In processing the end of the chain 5, as described above, in addition to connecting it directly to the ram 2b or the spring 6, or interposing an appropriate cable 3a, a spring 6a is connected to the rear wheel shaft that becomes the driving wheel. Considerable design changes were planned, such as connecting the rotary plate 8, which is installed from the shaft, via a guide roller 9.

Incidentally, the speed change operation using the pedal crank 2 can be performed by freely adjusting the relative position of the upper part of the ram 2b with respect to the bearing base of the pedal crank 2, and can also be done at the same time by changing the length of the pedal crank 2 itself. This takes into consideration the torque load that matches the physical strength of the person pedaling.As an example, as shown in Fig. 3, the pedal crank 2 is divided, and on the other hand, with respect to the base rod 2', An auxiliary cylindrical rod 2'' is slidably inserted, and the auxiliary cylindrical rod 2'' is resiliently biased with a coil spring 17 and fixed at a required length position with a pin 18. is also planned.

(Effects of the invention) The present invention has a characteristic configuration as described above, in particular, the pedal crank 2 is provided with a telescopic ram 2b, and the chain 5 or a driving cable connected to the chain 5 is provided on the ram 2b. By making the connection 3, the connection position of the chain 5 etc. is set at an upper position where it cannot interfere with the foot stepping on the pedal,
Moreover, excessive elongation of the chain 5 or the driving cable 3 connected to the chain 5 is avoided.

Further, the rotational position and rotation width of the pedal crank 2 can be set between the most efficient pedal top and bottom points, and the driving wheel can be controlled by depressing the pedal within the lateral range before the pedal is pressed. Although the pedal crank 2 is configured to be driven by the pedal crank 2, the mounting manner of the pedal crank 2 can be made as close as possible to the mounting manner of the pedal crank on a regular bicycle, so that there is no discomfort in driving operation on a regular bicycle. It was possible to provide the operation.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the speed change operation involves changing the relative position between the ram 2b of the pedal crank 2 and the shaft support of the pedal crank 2, and furthermore, such a change in relative position is By towing the ram 2b with the manually operated operating cable 13, it is possible to perform speed change operations easily while driving, and to make delicate speed change adjustments immediately and effectively even when the vehicle is stopped. It is something.

In the past, this kind of bicycle was driven by the rotation of the crank over 360 degrees, but in relation to the pedal position, it was usually a range of 180 degrees in front of the vertical base line from the crankshaft. Within this 180 degree range, it is recognized that a pedaling force effective to drive the drive wheels can be created only within a range narrower than this 180 degrees, and other rotational movements are due to "play" that has nothing to do with drive. It is understood as a part.

The present invention eliminates the rotary motion part that is not recognized as a drive input, which has been accepted in conventional bicycles, and replaces it with only a pedal drive directed toward the front, and also allows the length of the pedal crank to be freely changed. The purpose is to change the generated torque in a manner that allows the bicycle to run more reliably and smoothly.

In addition, it is possible to depress both pedal cranks 2 at the same time, so that even weak elderly people and people with foot joint problems can run by strongly depressing the pedal cranks 2 with both feet.
In particular, even a person with a disability in one leg can run with only one leg, since the pedal crank 2 can return to the depressed position by a spring attack.

As mentioned above, since the rotational drive of the pedal crank 2 is denied, there is a risk that the pedal crank 2 will come into contact with the ground, as well as an unreasonable extension of the rotation radius (therefore, an unreasonable extension of the rider's legs). In addition to correcting the problem, by replacing the conventional method of shifting gears with a method of shifting by changing the length of the pedal crank 2, it has become possible to perform delicate shifting according to the leg strength of the person operating the bicycle. Unlike changing gears, such a speed change operation was effortless, and moreover, it was possible to easily change speeds using a lever at hand, even when the vehicle was in motion or stopped.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a typical embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a side view of a pedal crank section. In addition, in the figure 1...bicycle, 2...pedal crank, 3...drive cable, 4...freewheel,
5... Chain, 6... Spring, 7... Stopper rod, 8... Rotating plate, 9... Guide roller, 10... Speed change lever, 11... Operation cable, 12, 13... Spring, 14... indicates a pin.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a pair of left and right pedal cranks 2 that are pivotally supported on a bicycle 1, etc., each pedal crank 2 is
A guide post 2a is provided in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pedal crank 2, and a ram 2b whose free end is always springing downward is slidably inserted into the guide post 2a. At the same time, an operating cable 13 that pulls the ram 2b upward is connected to the lower part of the ram 2b, and then, at the upper part of the ram 2b, there is a rotary drive cable 13 that is rotatably driven only with the driving wheel shaft facing forward. One end of the chain 5 meshing with the freewheel 4 or the driving cable 3 connected to the chain 5 is connected to the other end of the chain 5 or the other end of the chain 5. A drive mechanism for a bicycle or the like, characterized in that a cable 3a is elastically connected to a main body of the bicycle or the like.