CRANKSET BASED BICYCLE POWER MEASUREMENT

• US 20090119032A1
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRAM LLC (SRAM International Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SRAM LLC (SRAM International Corp.)
• Inventors: Meyer, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,006,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/44
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/411 Torque sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/421 at the pedal crank
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 3/16 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/1457 involving resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/242 by measuring and simultaneously multiplying torque and velocity

Abstract

The present application relates to an input torque measuring device for a drive train of a bicycle. The drive train includes a first crank arm and a second crank arm. An inboard end of each crank arm is rotatably mounted to the bicycle at a bottom bracket of the bicycle. At least one chain ring is configured to rotate a driven wheel of the bicycle. A spider is connected to the first crank arm adjacent the bottom bracket and extends out to the at least one chain ring. The chain ring is attached to the spider by a fastener extending through a bushing within an opening of the spider. Sensors may be attached to the spider or the crank arms and may be directly connected to a flexible circuit board. The sensors, the flexible circuit boards and other components of the input torque measuring device may be encapsulated in a protective material.

Claims

1. An input torque measuring device for a drive train of a bicycle, the drive train including a first crank arm and a second crank arm configured to be engaged by a rider of the bicycle at an outboard end, an inboard end of each crank arm rotatably mounted to the bicycle at a bottom bracket of the bicycle, at least one generally planar chain ring oriented generally perpendicular to the bottom bracket and configured to rotate about the bottom bracket and to rotate a driven wheel of the bicycle, the device comprising:

a spider connected to a first crank arm adjacent the bottom bracket and extending out to and directly supporting the at least one chain ring, the spider configured to transmit force applied to the crank arms directly to the at least one chain ring;

the at least one chain ring mounted to the spider by a removable fastener extending through an opening in the spider and a corresponding opening in the chain ring, with a bushing fitted within the opening of the spider so that the fastener exerts clamping force against the chain ring and the bushing;

a plurality of sensors configured to respond to the force applied to the pedals and transmitted to the at least one chain ring and produce an electronic signal relative to the force transmitted to the at least one chain ring, each sensor oriented to be generally parallel to a plane of the at least one chain ring;

an electronic circuit configured to receive the electronic signals from each sensor.

2. The input torque measuring device of claim 1, further comprising the spider including a plurality of arms extending from a center of the spider out to the at least one chain ring, each arm connected to the at least one chain ring by a removable fastener extending through an opening in the spider arm and a corresponding opening in the chain ring, with a bushing fitted within the opening of the spider arm so that the fastener exerts clamping force against the chain ring and the bushing.

3. The input torque measuring device of claim 1, further comprising the plurality of sensors encapsulated in a protective material.

4. The input torque measuring device of claim 1, further comprising the electronic circuit encapsulated in a protective material.

5. The input torque measuring device of claim 1, further comprising a separate unit including a processor for analyzing data collected from the sensors, the separate unit removably mounted to the bicycle.

6. An input torque measuring device for a drive train of a bicycle, the drive train including a first crank arm and a second crank arm configured to be engaged by a rider of the bicycle at an outboard end, an inboard end of each crank arm rotatably mounted to the bicycle at a bottom bracket of the bicycle, at least one generally planar chain ring oriented generally perpendicular to the bottom bracket and configured to rotate about the bottom bracket and to rotate a driven wheel of the bicycle, the device comprising:

a spider connected to a first crank arm adjacent the bottom bracket, the spider including a plurality of spider arms extending out to and directly supporting the at least one chain ring, the spider configured to transmit force applied to the crank arms through the spider arms to the at least one chain ring;

a plurality of sensors configured to respond to the force applied to the pedals and transmitted to the at least one chain ring and produce an electronic signal relative to the force transmitted to the at least one chain ring;

each sensor comprising a strain grid and a flexible printed circuit board;

an electronic circuit on the flexible printed circuit board configured to receive the electronic signals from each sensor.

7. The input torque measuring device of claim 6, the flexible printed circuit board further comprising at least one of a strain gage measurement component, an rpm measurement component, a processor and a communications component.

8. The input torque measuring device of claim 7, further comprising the plurality of sensors and the flexible printed circuit board and any components of the flexible printed circuit board encapsulated in a protective material.

9. The input torque measuring device of claim 6, further comprising the plurality of sensors encapsulated in a protective material.

10. The input torque measuring device of claim 6, further comprising the plurality of sensors and the flexible printed circuit board encapsulated in a protective material.

11. The input torque measuring device of claim 6, further comprising the grid of each sensor connected directly to the flexible printed circuit board of the sensor.

12. The input torque measuring device of claim 6, further comprising a separate unit including a processor and a data collector for receiving signals from the sensors, the unit being removably mounted to the bicycle.

13. The input torque measuring device of claim 12, further comprising the separate unit being encapsulated in a protective material and the protective material configured to form integral mounting features for mounting the unit to the bicycle.

14. An input torque measuring device for a drive train of a bicycle, the drive train including a first crank arm and a second crank arm configured to be engaged by a rider of the bicycle at an outboard end, an inboard end of each crank arm rotatably mounted to the bicycle at a bottom bracket of the bicycle, at least one chain ring mechanically connected to the crank arms and configured to rotate a driven wheel of the bicycle, the device comprising:

at least one of the crank arms including at least one strain measurement device configured to generate an electronic signal when a force is applied to the crank arm, the electronic signal relative to the force applied to the crank arm;

a flexible printed circuit board including circuitry configured to receive the electronic signal from the at least one strain measurement device.

15. The input toque measuring device of claim 14, further comprising the flexible circuit board directly connected to the at least one strain measurement device.

16. The input torque measurement device of claim 14, further comprising the at least one strain measurement device mounted in a recess of the crank arm and encapsulated with the flexible printed circuit board in a protective material.

17. The input torque measuring device of claim 14, further comprising the crank arm connected to the at least one chain ring by a spider, the spider including at least one arm with a distal end and an area for receiving the chain ring with an opening extending through the distal end and a bushing fitted within the opening, the chain ring including an opening corresponding to the opening of the spider arm, and a fastener extending through the opening of the chain ring and the bushing and exerting a clamping force on the chain ring and the bushing to secure the chain ring to the spider.