Data display unit for a bicycle

• US 4,633,216 A
• Filed: 01/18/1985
• Issued: 12/30/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cat Eye Co Limited (Cat Eye)
• Original Assignee: Tsuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsuyama, Sadaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Strecker, Gerard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Solis, Jose M.
• Application Number:
  US06/692,931
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 340/793, 340/134, 340/756, 324/115, 324/174, 324/173, 324/166, 324/161, 324/160, 324/99 R, 324/99 D
• US Class Current: 340/432
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/22 electronic, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/103 by comparing the value of the measured signal with one or several reference values in general G01R17/00

Abstract

A running data display unit (1) for a bicycle calculates running data such as running speed, running distance, average speed, maximum speed etc. of a bicycle, based on pulse signals from a revolution detecting portion (3). This calculation is performed by a microcomputer incorporated in the display unit. The running data obtained by the calculation are displayed in a digital form on a liquid crystal display panel (15). If the running data displayed on the panel (15) is the running distance, the running distance is represented as a numerical value including five figures at maximum. The running distance not attaining 1000 km (or miles) is represented down to two decimal places and when the running distance attains 1000 km (or miles), the manners of display is automatically by the microcomputer (30) changed so that display is made down to only the decimal place.

Claims

1. A running data display unit for a bicycle, comprising:

wheel revolution detecting means located in association with a wheel of a bicycle in a manner in which no load is applied to said wheel, said wheel revolution detecting means providing pulses signal according to the number of revolutions of said wheel;

running data calculating means coupled to said revolution detecting means, by which running data including the running speed, the running distance, the average speed, and the maximum speed of a bicycle are calculated based on said pulses signal provided from said revolution detecting means;

running data calculation start and stop selecting means coupled to said running data calculating means for starting or stopping the calculation of running data by said running data calculating means;

liquid crystal display means coupled to said running data calculating means for selectively displaying the running data calculated by said running data calculating means, a speed unit in association with said running data being displayed in said display means;

said liquid crystal display means comprising an area assigned for digital display of numeric data having a plurality of figures and a decimal point indicating to be positioned between specified figures out of said plurality of figures of said numeric data, so that specified data out of said running data can be displayed;

decimal point indication selecting means coupled to said running data calculating means and said liquid crystal display means, by which said decimal point indication is given in a first position between specified figures if a numerical value of said specified data calculated by said running data calculating means is less than a predetermined numerical value and said decimal point indication is selected automatically to be given in a second position between specified figures if a numerical value of said specified data exceeds said predetermined numerical value.

2. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said specified data is a running distance.

3. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal display means comprises at least two data display areas,

said running speed being displayed at all times in one of said data display areas, and

any data out of the running data other than said running speed being selectively displayed in the other data display area.

4. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 3, wherein said other data display area is an area in which numeric data of five figures can be displayed in a digital form.

5. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 4, wherein said predetermined numerical value in said specified data is 1000 km or 100 miles.

6. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 5, wherein said first position between specified figures is a position between the second figure and the third figure from the right in said specified data, and

said second position between specified figures is a position between the first figure and the second figure from the right in said specified data.

7. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said power supply means comprises:

a constant voltage storage battery which can be charged, and

charging means coupled to said storage battery, by which energy is generated by photoelectric conversion and is applied to said storage battery.

8. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said display unit further comprising:

pedal revolution detecting means detachable from said running data calculating means, said pedal revolution detecting means being located in association with a pedal of said bicycle in a manner in which not load is applied to said pedal,

said running data calculating means calculating a cadence as the number of revolutions per minute of said pedal based on the output of said pedal revolution detecting means.

9. A running data display unit for a bicycle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said wheel revolution detecting means and said pedal revolution detecting means are magnet sensors.