US20030139265A1

US20030139265A1 - Gym bicycle

Info

Publication number: US20030139265A1
Application number: US10/053,783
Authority: US
Inventors: David Lin; Chih-Liang Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-11-30
Filing date: 2002-01-22
Publication date: 2003-07-24

Abstract

A gym bicycle has a body secured on a frame. The body has a flywheel, a magnetic seat, a driving wheel and a plurality of driven wheels received in a housing. The magnetic seat is provided outside the flywheel in a radial direction. The flywheel and the driving wheel are coaxially mounted by an axle extending through the housing. The driven wheels are circumferentially mounted around the axle by shafts extending through the driving wheel, and located between the driving wheel and the flywheel. The driven wheels are engaged with a tube formed at the center of the flywheel. A plurality of friction wheels is respectively mounted on the other ends of the shafts and engaged with a flange formed on an inner wall of the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to gym equipment, and more particularly to a gym bicycle.

2. Description of Related Art

Gym bicycles are very popular as they provide good exercise without exposing the rider to the dangers and inconveniences of riding a bicycle outdoors. Referring to FIG. 7, a conventional gym bicycle has a frame ( 50). A driving wheel (60) is mounted at a front portion of the frame (50) and a driven wheel (70) is mounted at a rear portion of the frame (50). An axle (61) is secured through the driving wheel (60), and two cranks (62) each with a pedal (63) are respectively mounted at two ends of the axle (61). The driven wheel (70) is connected with the driving wheel (60) by a chain (64), and has a ring (71) formed on an outer periphery of the driven wheel (70). A magnetic seat (80) is mounted outside the driven wheel (70) and has a plurality of magnets (81) provided thereon. The driving wheel (60) and the driven wheel (61) are covered with a housing (51) for safety.

When a user operates the driving wheel ( 60) to rotate the driven wheel (70), the magnets (81) generate resistances to rotation of the driven wheel (70).

However, the conventional gym bicycle is designed to resemble a conventional bicycle with two wheels, which occupies a large space and is inconvenient to store, as well as ship from a manufacturer.

Therefore, the invention provides an improved gym bicycle to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is to provide a gym bicycle which has coaxial driving and driven wheels to reduce its size.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gym bicycle in accordance with the invention; [0010]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the gym bicycle; [0011]
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the gym bicycle; [0012]
FIG. 4 is a side view of a flywheel, a driving wheel and driven wheels of the gym bicycle; [0013]
FIG. 5 is a side view showing that the wheels are driven to rotate; [0014]
FIG. 6 is a side view showing that a magnetic seat is adjusted by using a cable; and [0015]
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a conventional gym bicycle.[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a gym bicycle in accordance with the invention has a body ([0017] 10) secured on a support (40).
The body ([0018] 10) has a housing being composed of a first semi-housing (11) and a second semi-housing (12). The first semi-housing (11) has a flange (111) formed on an inner wall thereof and a first hole (110) defined through the flange (111). The second semi-housing (12) has a second hole (120) in alignment with the first hole (110).
A flywheel ([0019] 13) is pivotally mounted between the first and second semi-housings (11, 12). A chamber (130) is defined in the flywheel (13) and facing the first semi-housing (11). A tube (132) with a third hole (131) is formed at the center of the chamber (130). A ring (134) is provided on an outer periphery of the flywheel (13).
A magnetic seat ([0020] 14) is provided outside the flywheel (13) in a radial direction and has an arc part (not numbered) corresponding to the outer periphery of the flywheel (13). An adjusting end (140) is formed at a top of the magnetic seat (14) and a pivoted end (142) is formed at a bottom of the magnetic seat (14) and pivotally mounted on the housing. A slit (141) is defined at the adjusting end (140) and an adjusting cable (15) extends through the slit (141). A plurality of magnets (143) is mounted on an inner wall of the arc part and generates a resistance against rotation of the flywheel (13).
A driving wheel ([0021] 20) is mounted between the first semi-housing (11) and the flywheel (13) and coaxial with the flywheel (13). An axle (21) is inserted through the first semi-housing (11), the driving wheel (20), the flywheel (13) and the second semi-housing (12). A non-return bearing (25) is mounted between the first axle (21) and the driving wheel (20).
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and [0022] 4, a plurality of openings (22) is defined through the driving wheel (20) and circumferentially and evenly arranged about the axle (21). A plurality of blocks (23) is received in the openings (22) and each have an aperture (230) defined therethrough and a pole (231) formed at a side wall thereof. A plurality of resilient members (24) is respectively provided in the openings (22), and each having a first end mounted on the respective pole (231) and a second end received in a recess (not numbered) defined in the respective opening (22) and facing the pole (231).
A plurality of shafts ([0023] 31) is respectively inserted through the apertures (230) of the blocks (23) and each have a bearing (32) provided between the respective shafts (31) and the apertures (230). The shafts (31) each have a friction wheel (310) provided at an outer end and engaged with the flange (111) of the first semi-housing (11), and an inner end (312) extending through the respective block (23). A plurality of driven wheels (30) is respectively secured on the inner ends (312) of the shafts (31). The driven wheels (30) are engaged with the tube (132) for driving the flywheel (13) by the friction between the driven wheels (30) and the tube (132). Under the force of the resilient members (24), the blocks (23) and the shafts (31) are pushed to make the driven wheels (30) and the friction wheels (310) tightly abutted the tube (132) and the flange (111), respectively.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the axle ([0024] 21) extends out from the first hole (110) and the second hole (120) and has two cranks (41) each with a pedal (42) respectively mounted at two ends thereof.
Referring to FIGS. 1,2, [0025] 4 and 5, when a user steps the pedals (42) to rotate the axle (21) and the driving wheel (20), the shafts (31) have revolutions around the axle (21) and rotations caused by the engagement between the friction wheel (310) and the flange (111). The driven wheels (30) are driven by the shafts (31) to rotate and the flywheel (13) is driven by the friction between the driven wheels (30) and the tube (132) to rotate.
The magnetic seat ([0026] 14) can generate a resistance against the rotation of the flywheel (30), so that using the bicycle can strengthen the user's body.
Referring to FIG. 6, a distance between the flywheel ([0027] 13) and the magnetic seat (14) can be adjusted by means of pulling or releasing the adjusting cable (15) for changing the resistance against the rotation of the flywheel (13).
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. [0028]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A gym bicycle comprising:

a frame (40),

a body (10) mounted on the frame (40), the body (10) having

a housing being composed of a first semi-housing (11) and a second semi-housing (12), the first semi-housing (11) having a flange (111) formed at an inner wall thereof and a first hole (110) defined through the flange (111), the second semi-housing (12) having a second hole (120) in alignment with the first hole (110);

a flywheel (13) rotatably mounted between the first semi-housing (11) and the second semi-housing (12) by an axle (21) extending through the first hole (110) and the second hole (120), the flywheel (13) having a chamber (130) facing the first semi-housing (11), and a tube (132) formed at the center of the chamber (130) and the axle (21) extending through the tube (132);

a magnetic seat (14) mounted outside the flywheel (13) in a radial direction, the magnetic seat (14) having a first end (142) pivotally mounted between the semi-housings (11, 12), a second end (140) on which an adjustable cable (15) is mounted, and a plurality of magnets (143) mounted on an inner wall of the magnetic seat (14);

a driving wheel (20) mounted between the first semi-housing (11) and the flywheel (13) and coaxial with the flywheel (13), the axle (21) extending through the driving wheel (20), and a non-return bearing (25) mounted between the driving wheel (20) and the axle (21); and

a plurality of shafts (31) respectively extending through the driving wheel (20) and circumferentially arranged around the axle (21), the shafts (31) each having a friction wheel (310) provided at an outer end thereof and engaged with the flange (111), and a driven wheel (30) mounted at an inner end (312) thereof, the driven wheels (30) received in the chamber (130) and engaged with the tube (132),

two cranks (41) respectively mounted on two ends of the axle (21), and

two pedals (42) respectively mounted on the cranks (41).

2. The gym bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving wheel (20) further comprises a plurality of openings (22) circumferentially defined around the axle (21), an identical plurality of blocks (23) respectively received in the openings (22) and each having an aperture (230) defined through the block (23); and the shafts (31) are respectively and rotatably inserted through the apertures (23).

3. The gym bicycle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driving wheel (20) further comprises a plurality of resilient members (24) respectively mounted between the blocks (23) and inner walls of the respective openings (22).

4. The gym bicycle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the blocks (23) each have a pole (231) formed at a sidewall thereof, and the resilient members (24) each have a first end mounted on the pole (231).

5. The gym bicycle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the openings (22) each having a recess defined in an inner wall facing the respective pole (231), and the resilient members (24) each have a second end received in the recess.

6. The gym bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second end (141) of the magnetic seat (14) has a slit (141) for receiving the adjustable cable (15).