BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view of a therapeutic tricycle according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the therapeutic tricycle shown in FIG. 1 with the frame, seat, and rear wheels cut away.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the therapeutic tricycle shown in FIG. 1 with the frame, seat, and rear wheels cut away.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the support tube, partially cut away to show the interlocking head tube and fork tube.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the interlocking head tube and fork tube.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description of the of the present invention, like numerals and characters designate like elements throughout the figures of the drawings.
Referring generally to FIGS. 1-5, a therapeutic tricycle 20 has a front assembly 22, an inverted frame assembly 24, a seat assembly 26, and a rear assembly 28. The inverted frame assembly 24 has a front end portion 30 (See FIG. 2) and a rear end portion 32. The front assembly includes a support tube 34 and a frame attachment member 36. The front end portion 30 of the frame assembly 24 is attached to the frame attachment member 36. The rear wheel assembly 28 is attached to the rear end portion 32 of inverted frame assembly 24.
Still referring to FIGS. 1-5, the support tube 34 has an upper portion 38 terminating in a top end 40, an intermediate portion 42, and a lower portion 44 terminating in a bottom end 46. The top end 40 includes an upper bearing flange 48, and the bottom end 46 includes a lower bearing flange 50.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the support tube 34 supports a partially enclosed fork tube 52. The fork tube has a slotted and threaded top end 54 and a lower end 56 (See FIG. 5). The top end 54 of the fork tube 52 extends upwardly from the top end 40 of the support tube 34. The lower end 56 of the fork tube 52 extends downwardly from the bottom end 46 of the support tube 34 and supports two fork members 58, 60. The lower end 56 of the fork tube includes a race 62 which cooperates with the lower bearing flange 50 of the support tube 34 to enclose a lower caged axial ball bearing 64 (not shown).
Still referring to FIGS. 1-3, the support tube 34 also supports a partially enclosed head tube 70. The head tube 70 has a lower portion 72 terminating in a lower end 74 with aligned transverse slots 76, 78 (See FIG. 4, only one slot shown). The head tube 70 has an upper portion 80 terminating in an upper end 82. The upper end 82 of the head tube 70 supports a horizontal upper axle tube 84. The upper axle tube 84 supports a hand crank assembly 90. The upper crank assembly 90 (sometimes referred to herein as the hand crank assembly) includes an upper pedal sprocket 92 (sometimes referred to as the hand pedal sprocket) and an upper pedal axle 94 (sometimes referred to as the hand pedal axle). The upper pedal axle 94 is supported at each end by sealed ball bearings (not shown). Because crank assemblies are well known in the art, no further details of the hand crank assembly 90 are necessary.
Referring now to FIGS. 2-3, fork members 58, 60 of the front assembly 22 support a front wheel and axle assembly 100 attached to a lower crank assembly 102 (sometimes referred to herein as the foot crank assembly) and a lower pedal sprocket 104 (sometimes referred to as the foot pedal sprocket). Because crank assemblies are well known in the art, no further details of the foot crank assembly 102 are necessary. A chain tensioning member 106 attached to the fork member 58 facilitates tightening of the tension on a chain 108. The chain tensioning assembly 106 includes a chain tensioning sprocket 110 rotatably attached to a stub axle 112.
Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the upper pedal sprocket 92, the lower pedal sprocket 104, and the chain tensioning sprocket 110 must be properly aligned in a common plane for proper operation of the chain 108. Even a slight deviation from co-planarity can cause the chain to jump off one or more of the sprockets 92, 104, 110 in the path of the drive chain 108.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, the present invention provides a fork tube 52 and a head tube 70 which are locked in fixed position so the sprockets 92, 104, and 110 remain in co-planar alignment. The head tube 70 is slidably received within the fork tube 52. As the head tube is moved downwardly in the direction of arrow 114 within the fork tube 52, the aligned slots 76 in the lower portion 72 of the head tube 70 engage a transverse pin 116 in the fork tube 52. The fork tube 52 is secured within the support tube 34 by a flanged support tube nut 118 which cooperates with the flanged end 40 to house an upper caged axial ball bearing 120 (not shown). The head tube 70 is secured within the fork tube 52 by a head tube locking nut 122 attached to the slotted and threaded end 54 of the fork tube 52. For convenience, a washer 124 is placed between the flanged support tube nut 118 and the head tube locking nut 122.
Referring once again to FIGS. 1-5, a pair of aligned bores 130, 132 in the support tube 34 and the fork tube 52, respectively, permit locking of the fork tube 52 by insertion of a pull pin 138 through the aligned bores 130, 132. When the pin 138 is in place, the fork tube 52 will not turn within the support tube 34, and the therapeutic tricycle is limited to forward and backward movement only with no turning of the front wheel and axle assembly 100. A second pair of bores 134, 136 in the support tube 34 and the fork tube 52, respectively, permit insertion of a pull pin 140 to permit only limited radial movement of the fork tube 52 within the support tube 34 because the bore 136 in the fork tube 52 is larger than the bore 134 in the support tube 34. If both pull pins 138, 140 are removed, the fork tube 52 has generally unrestricted radial movement within the support tube 34. A chain guard 142 protects the child with developmental disabilities from injuries related to the chain 108.
The rear assembly 28, attached to the rear portion 32 of the frame 24, includes wheels 144 and a hand brake assembly 146. The seat assembly 26 is adjustably attached to a vertical frame member 148 and secured by a hand knob 150.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Patent Application
20070284843
