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Motion conversion assembly and vehicle

  • US 6,158,757 A
  • Filed: 07/24/1998
  • Issued: 12/12/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An occupant-propelled vehicle for being propelled by an occupant over an environmental surface, the occupant-propelled vehicle comprising:

  • a vehicle body; and

    a first vehicle propulsion system comprising;

    a first drive wheel rotatably coupled to the vehicle frame for contact with an environmental surface;

    a drum rotatable coupled to the vehicle frame and drivingly engaged with the drive wheel such that a rotation of the drum in a first rotary direction yields a rotation of the drive wheel in a first rotary direction;

    a movable force receiver for receiving an input force from an occupant;

    an elongated and flexible motion conversion member for converting reciprocating motion to rotary motion, the motion conversion member with a first reference point spaced a given effective-travel distance from a second reference point and a body portion between the first reference point and the second reference point overlying the drum, the motion conversion member drivably coupled to the force receiver so that an input force imparting movement to the force receiver imparts endwise, driven movement to the motion conversion member;

    an actuator mechanism operably associated with the motion conversion member for selectively increasing the effective-travel distance between the first reference point and the second reference point thereby actuating the motion conversion member from a slackened, disengaged state wherein there is substantially free movement between the drum and the motion conversion member to a tensioned state wherein there is frictional engagement between the drum and the motion conversion member wherein an input force imparting movement to the force receiver imparts endwise movement to the motion conversion member to impart rotary motion to the drum to impart rotary motion to the drive wheel and thereby to propel the vehicle and wherein a restriction on the movement of the force receiver tends to restrict rotary motion of the drum;

    wherein the force receiver is drivingly coupled to a first connection point and to a second connection point of the motion conversion member wherein the drum is interposed between the first and second connection points whereby an input of force to the force receiver in a first direction imparts an endwise movement to the flexible motion conversion member and, when the motion conversion member is tensioned, imparts rotary motion to the drum and rotary motion to the drive wheel in a first rotary driving direction and an input of force to the force receiver in a second direction imparts an opposite endwise movement to the flexible motion conversion member and, when the motion conversion member is tensioned, imparts rotary motion to the drum in a second rotary driving direction; and

    an elongate and generally rigid drive arm drivably connected to the force receiver at at least one drive point wherein at least one connection point of the flexible motion conversion is drivably and fixedly coupled to the drive arm.

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