Bicycle trainer

• US 10,384,111 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shu-Chiung Liao Lai
• Original Assignee: Shu-Chiung Liao Lai
• Inventors: Liao, Chia-Sheng, Lee, Yao-Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Andrew S
• Application Number:
  US15/806,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20190134480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/009 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled in synchronism with visualising systems, e.g. hill slope
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/162 for front fork or handlebar
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/164 supports for the rear of the bicycle, e.g. for the rear forks
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/168 Force transfer through the rim of the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00192 using resistance provided by magnetic means A63B21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0055 the produced electric power used as a source for other equipment, e.g. for TVs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/78 Surface covering conditions, e.g. of a road surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/023 Supports, e.g. poles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1407 on vehicles not being driven by a motor, e.g. bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 : Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

A bicycle trainer includes a magnetic control damping device controlling a resisting force of a roller set to simulate stamp strengths required by a bicycle on various roads. A lifting device controls a support frame and a base seat to drive a front fork of the bicycle up or down to dynamically simulate states of the body of the bicycle on various roads, so that the actual effect closest to the bicycle running on an uphill, smooth or bumpy road can be achieved. In addition, a power generation device converts the rotating power, generated by the roller set, into the electric power for the dynamic simulation or other electronic devices.

Claims

1. A bicycle trainer, comprising:

a base seat comprising a base and a front fork holder disposed on a front end of the base seat, wherein the front fork holder has a fixing rod with a top end portion onto which a front fork of a bicycle is mounted;

a support frame having one end swingably combined with a front end of the base, and the other end having a plurality of rollers;

a roller set comprising a front roller and a rear roller parallelly and separately disposed on the base, wherein a rear wheel of the bicycle rests against top sides of the front and rear rollers;

a magnetic control damping device, which is disposed on the base and generates a magnetic drag force to control a damping effect of the rear roller;

a power generation device, which is disposed in the rear roller, and converts a rotating power of the rear roller into an electric power;

a lifting device, which is connected to the front fork holder and the support frame, and controls the support frame to drive the front end of the base seat up or down;

a rechargeable battery storing and supplying the electric power; and

a controller, which is connected to the rechargeable battery, the lifting device, the power generation device and the magnetic control damping device, supplies the electric power, generated by the power generation device, to the lifting device and the magnetic control damping device, stores excess electric power into the rechargeable battery, controls a magnitude of the magnetic drag force generated by the magnetic control damping device, and controls the lifting device to drive the support frame to move the front end of the base seat up or down by a height.

2. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the front fork holder is retractably and adjustably combined with the front end of the base.

3. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein one end of the rear roller is combined with a flywheel with a larger outer diameter.

4. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the base seat comprises a rear housing and a front housing, the rear housing is disposed on a rear portion of the base and covers the roller set and the magnetic control damping device, the rear housing is formed with an opening for exposing top side portions of the front roller and the rear roller, the front housing is disposed on the front fork holder, the top end portion of the fixing rod extends out of the front housing, and the front housing covers the lifting device, the rechargeable battery and the controller.

5. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device comprises a seat base, a screw rod, a sleeve and a driver, the seat base is swingably combined with the fixing rod of the front fork holder, a top end of the screw rod is rotatably combined with the seat base, a bottom end of the sleeve is swingably combined with the support frame and a bottom end of the screw rod is screwed to a top end of the sleeve, the driver disposed on the seat base drives the screw rod to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise so that the screw rod is retractable on one end of the sleeve.

6. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a plurality of connection units to be electrically connected to a plurality of power lines by way of inserting and connected to a plurality of electronic devices, wherein the connection units supply the electric power to the electronic devices.

7. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, further comprising a display device, which is connected to the controller in a wired or wireless manner, and displays images when the bicycle runs on various roads, wherein different signals are generated and transmitted to the controller in correspondence with the images, so that the controller controls the lifting device and the magnetic control damping device according to the images to dynamically simulate situations when the bicycle runs on the various roads.

8. The bicycle trainer according to claim 7, wherein the display device is one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer or a monitor.

9. The bicycle trainer according to claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a wireless signal transceiver module and a plurality of connection units, wherein the wireless signal transceiver module is connected to the display device in a wireless manner, wherein the connection units are respectively electrically connected to power lines by way of inserting and connected to a plurality of electronic devices and supply the electric power to the electronic devices, or are electrically connected to a wire by way of inserting and connected to the display device to supply the electric power to the display device, so that the display device controls the controller.

10. The bicycle trainer according to claim 9, wherein the wireless signal transceiver module comprises a bluetooth module.

11. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, further comprising an operation device connected to the controller in a wired or wireless manner to manually control the magnetic control damping device and the lifting device through the controller.

12. The bicycle trainer according to claim 11, wherein the operation device is a wireless remote controller or a wired operator.

13. The bicycle trainer according to claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a wireless signal transceiver module and a plurality of connection units, wherein the wireless signal transceiver module is connected to the operation device in a wireless manner, wherein the connection units are electrically connected to power lines by way of inserting and supply the electric power to electronic devices, or are electrically connected to a wire and connected to the operation device to supply the electric power to the operation device and so that the operation device controls the controller.

14. The bicycle trainer according to claim 13, wherein the wireless signal transceiver module comprises an infrared module.