Patent Application
20240374979
The present disclosure relates to a bicycle trainer and more particularly to a bicycle trainer having improved acceleration feel.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Busy schedules, bad weather, focused training, and other factors cause bicycle riders ranging from the novice to the professional to train indoors. Numerous indoor training options exist including exercise bicycles and trainers. An exercise bicycle looks similar to a bicycle but without wheels, and includes a seat, handlebars, pedals, crank arms, a drive sprocket and chain. An indoor trainer, in contrast, is a mechanism that allows the rider to mount her actual bicycle to the trainer, with or without the rear wheel, and then ride the bike indoors. The trainer provides the resistance and supports the bike but otherwise is a simpler mechanism than a complete exercise bicycle. Such trainers allow a user to train using her own bicycle, and are much smaller than full exercise bicycles, and often are less expensive than full exercise bicycles.
While very useful, conventional trainers nonetheless suffer from many drawbacks. For example, it is often difficult to level conventional trainers from side to side. Moreover, riding a slightly tilted bicycle is uncomfortable and can cause unintended damage to the bicycle. In another example, many riders prefer that their bicycle be level fore and aft so that it feels like the rider is training on a flat surface as opposed to an incline or decline. Most conventional trainers, however, cannot be vertically adjusted so the rider places boards, books, or the like under the trainer to elevate the entire trainer, or under the front wheels to elevate the front of the bicycle.
While many trainers are portable based on the simple fact that they are relatively small. Such trainers are nonetheless heavy, can be awkward to load into car trunks, and can still occupy substantial space when not in use. Portability, however, is important as some folks may want to store their trainer when not in use and some folks may take their trainer to races and the like in order to warm-up before a race and cool-down afterward. Finally, providing an improved and more realistic rider feel on the trainer is also important.
With these thoughts in mind among others, aspects of the trainer disclosed herein were conceived.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
Aspects of the present disclosure involve a bicycle trainer that provides several advantages over conventional designs. The trainer includes a vertically adjustable rear axle and cassette (rear bicycle gears) where the user mounts her bicycle to the trainer. Generally speaking, the user removes her rear wheel from the drop outs at the rear of the bicycle (not shown) and then connects the rear axle and cassette of the trainer to the drop outs in the same manner that the rear wheel would be coupled to the bicycle.
The cassette is coupled to a pulley that drives a belt connected to a flywheel or other resistance mechanism such that when the user is exercising, her pedaling motion drives the flywheel. The flywheel includes an electromagnetic brake that is controllable. Further, torque imparted on the flywheel by a rider pedaling a bicycle mounted on the trainer, is measured at a bracket interconnecting a portion of the flywheel with a stationary portion of the frame. Based on power measurements, RPM, heart rate and other factors, the magnetic brake may be controlled. Control of the trainer, and display of numerous possible features (power, RPM, terrain, video, user profile, heart rate, etc.) may be provided through a dedicated device or through a smart phone, tablet or the like, running an app configured to communicate with the trainer.
In one embodiment of the bicycle trainer, the trainer includes a frame assembly that supports an axle to which a rear wheel of a bicycle may be connected. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the frame assembly includes a pair of support legs connected to a center structure. The center structure includes a first curved track and a second curved track longitudinally spaced along the center structure from the first curved track. The frame assembly includes a glide base having a first guide roller engaged with the first curved track and a second guide roller engaged with the second curved track. The frame assembly includes a main frame member coupled to the glide base. A first axle is supported by the main frame member, the first axle adapted to be connected to a pair of drop-outs from a bicycle with a rear wheel removed from the pair of drop-outs to operably connect the bicycle to the bicycle trainer. A resistance unit is drivingly coupled to the first axle.
According to a further aspect, the first curved track includes a pair of first curved track members on opposite sides of the glide base and the first guide roller includes a pair of first guide rollers on opposite sides of the glide base and each engaged with a respective one of the pair of first curved track members.
According to a further aspect, the center structure includes an elongated leg and the pair of first curved track members are disposed on opposite sides of the elongated leg.
According to a further aspect, the glide base includes a rear bracket that supports the first support guide roller and an elongated rail that is connected to the rear bracket and supports the second support guide roller.
According to a further aspect, the first support guide roller includes a pair of first support guide rollers and the rear bracket is U-shaped with one of each of the pair of first support guide rollers being supported to a respective leg of the U-shaped rear bracket and the main frame member is pivotally coupled between the legs of the U-shaped rear bracket.
According to a further aspect, the frame assembly is vertically adjustable.
According to a further aspect, the frame assembly includes an adjustment bracket pivotally connected with the main frame member and adjustably connected to the glide base.
According to a further aspect, the pair of support legs are each pivotally mounted to the center bracket.
According to a further aspect, a lockout mechanism is selectively engageable to prevent movement between the glide base and the center structure.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a bicycle trainer includes a frame assembly including a mounting bracket with a pair of support legs mounted to the mounting bracket. A center structure is mounted to the mounting bracket between the pair of support legs. The center structure includes a first curved track and a second curved track longitudinally spaced along the center structure from the first curved track. The frame assembly includes a glide base having a first guide roller engaged with the first curved track and a second guide roller engaged with the second curved track. The frame assembly includes a main frame member pivotally coupled to the glide base. A first axle is supported by the main frame member. The first axle is adapted to be connected to a pair of drop-outs from a bicycle with a rear wheel removed from the pair of drop-outs to operably connect the bicycle to the bicycle trainer. A resistance unit is drivingly coupled to the first axle.
Other implementations are also described and recited herein. Further, while multiple implementations are disclosed, still other implementations of the presently disclosed technology will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative implementations of the presently disclosed technology. As will be realized, the presently disclosed technology is capable of modification in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not limiting.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Aspects of the present disclosure involve a bicycle trainer that provides several advantages over conventional designs. The trainer includes a vertically adjustable rear axle and cassette (rear bicycle gears) where the user mounts her bicycle to the trainer. Generally speaking, the user removes her rear wheel from the drop outs at the rear of the bicycle and then connects the rear axle and cassette of the trainer to the drop outs in the same manner that the rear wheel would be coupled to the bicycle.
The cassette is coupled to a pulley that drives a belt connected to a flywheel or other resistance mechanism such that when the user is exercising, her pedaling motion drives the flywheel. The flywheel includes an electromagnetic brake that is controllable. Further, torque imparted on the flywheel by a rider pedaling a bicycle mounted on the trainer, is measured at a bracket interconnecting a portion of the flywheel with a stationary portion of the frame. Based on power measurements, RPM, heart rate and other factors, the magnetic brake may be controlled. Control of the trainer, and display of numerous possible features (power, RPM, terrain, video, user profile, heart rate, etc.) may be provided through a dedicated device or through a smart phone, tablet or the like, running an app configured to communicate with the trainer.
More particularly, with reference to
A distal end of the first and second support legs 18, 20 are provided with flexible and adjustable leveling support pads 22. Additionally, an elongate pad 24 is coupled to a bottom side of the rear mounting bracket 14. Each pad 22 and leg 18, 20 functions in the same manner so the first pad 22 at the outer end of the first leg 18 is discussed in detail. Referring to
Each of the first and second support legs 18, 20 are pivotally supported to a respective one of a pair of side pivot brackets 28 by a pivot pin 30. The pair of side pivot brackets 28 each include an upper arcuate surface 32 having a pair of notches 32a, 32b, one of which 32a corresponding to an inwardly pivoted configuration of the first and second support legs 18, 20, and the second notch 32b corresponding with an outwardly pivotal (as shown) configuration of the first and second support legs 18, 20. A retention assembly 34 is coupled with the leg adjacent the upper arcuate surface and notches 32a, 32b. The retention assembly 34 includes a spring loaded pin 36 with a user engageable head 38. The pin 36 supports a collar that selectively fits within the notches 32a and 32b. By depressing the pin 36 against the spring, the collar moves downwardly into a recess defined in the leg 18, 20 and disengages the respective notch 32a, 32b. The leg may then be pivoted inwardly or outwardly, and when the user releases the pin 36, the spring nudges the pin 36 upward causing the collar to engage one of the respective notches 32a, 32b securing the leg 18, 20 in the desired position.
The pair of side pivot brackets 28 are each connected to a respective one of a pair of side housings 40 that are each connected to opposite sides of the rear mounting bracket 14. As shown in
With reference to the cross-sectional view of
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In operation, the slider assembly 64 is able to move forward and rearward along the front curved track 50 and the pair of rear curved tracks 56 in response to rider accelerations and provide an improved rider experience. The lockout mechanism 120 can be engaged to prevent the slider assembly 64 from moving relative to the front curved track 50 and rear curved tracks 56, as discussed above.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
