Apparatus for testing physical condition of a self-propelled vehicle rider
First Claim
1. A device for enabling the speed of a bicycle wheel having spokes to be determined comprising a bicycle reflector, a housing for carrying the reflector, means for mounting the housing on the spokes so the reflector is substantially broadside to the direction of wheel travel, and a permanent magnet carried by the housing in a position enabling magnetic flux to be coupled from the permanent magnet to a magnetic flux sensitive transducer mounted on a part of the bicycle stationary relative to the spokes and the reflector to be seen by viewers broadside of the wheel.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The physical condition of a bicycle rider is tested by monitoring the heart beat of the rider and the distance traversed during testing. A portable electronic instrument housing includes a digital computer responsive to signals indicative of the heart beat and travel distance, numerical quantities associated with physiological parameters of the rider, and a clock source to derive signals indicative of different physical activities of the rider. The distance signal is derived by mounting a permanent magnet in a reflector carried by wheel spokes of the bicycle. A first reed switch responds to flux from the permanent magnet to derive a pulse for each wheel revolution. A pulse for each revolution of the bicycle sprocket assembly, derived by a second permanent magnet-reed switch combination, is coupled to the computer and combined with the clock source to derive a signal indicative of number of sprocket assembly turns per unit length of time. A cueing signal to signal the cyclist when he should complete each pedal turn to assist in maintaining a constant forward speed, regardless of gear ratio, is derived by combining the pulses from the two reed switches with a desired forward speed signal.
159 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A device for enabling the speed of a bicycle wheel having spokes to be determined comprising a bicycle reflector, a housing for carrying the reflector, means for mounting the housing on the spokes so the reflector is substantially broadside to the direction of wheel travel, and a permanent magnet carried by the housing in a position enabling magnetic flux to be coupled from the permanent magnet to a magnetic flux sensitive transducer mounted on a part of the bicycle stationary relative to the spokes and the reflector to be seen by viewers broadside of the wheel.
- 2. A device for enabling the speed of a bicycle wheel having spokes to be determined comprising a bicycle reflector, a first housing for carrying the reflector, means for mounting the first housing on the spokes so the reflector is substantially broadside to the direction of wheel travel, a magnetic flux transducer, a second housing for the transducer, means for mounting the second housing on a part of the bicycle stationary with respect to the wheel, and a permanent magnet carried by the first housing in a position enabling magnetic flux to be coupled from the permanent magnet to the transducer and the reflector to be seen by viewers broadside of the wheel.
- 5. Apparatus for testing the physical condition of a cyclist comprising means adapted to be mounted on the subject for monitoring and deriving a first signal indicative of heart activity of the subject, means adapted to be mounted on a cycle for deriving a second signal indicative of distance traversed by the cycle during testing, input means for deriving at least one signal indicative of a predetermined physiological parameter of the subject, a clock source for deriving a timing signal during testing of the cyclist, computer means responsive to the first, second, predetermined physiological parameter and timing signals for calculating deriving a signal indicative of physical activity of the cyclist being tested, and indicator means responsive to the physical activity signal.
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13. Apparatus for testing the physical condition of a subject riding a vehicle propelled by the subject comprising means adapted to be mounted on the subject for monitoring and deriving a first signal indicative of heart activity of the subject, means adapted to be mounted on the vehicle for deriving a second signal associated with distance traversed by the subject during testing, a portable electronic instrument housing, means for coupling said first and second signals to terminals on the instrument housing, said housing including:
- (a) a keyboard for enabling signals to be derived indicative of numerical quantities associated with plural physiological parameters of the subject, (b) a clock source for deriving timing signals, (c) digital computer means responsive to the first, second, timing and keyboard signals for calculating plural digital output signals indicative of different physical activities of the tested subject, (d) visual digital indicator means, (e) plural key switches, each associated with a different one of the physical activities, and (f) means responsive to activation of the plural key switches for selectively coupling different ones of the plural output signals to the visual indicator means so only one of the output signals is supplied to the indicator means at a time.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- 26. Apparatus for supplying cueing signals to a cyclist of a multigear cycle propelled by turning of pedals, the cueing signal being designed to assist the cyclist in maintaining a desired, constant forward speed regardless of gear ratio, comprising transducer means for deriving first and second signals respectively indicative of pedal and wheel turning speeds, and means for combining first and second signals and an indication of the desired, constant forward speed for calculating the frequency of a cueing signal and for deriving a cueing signal at the computed frequency.
Specification