Method and device for measuring force, torque and output on an ergometer or bicycle

• US 8,316,709 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Grab, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US12/674,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 738/623.35, 738/623.34, 738/623.25, 733/790.1
• US Class Current: 73/379.01
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0652 Visualisation or indication relating to symmetrical exercise, e.g. right-left performance related to spinal column
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/54 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means

Abstract

A method and device for measuring force, torque and output on an ergometer or bicycle. When the ergometer or bicycle is used as intended, a torque is transmitted via a shaft onto a flexible drive and further onto the flywheel of an ergometer or the rear wheel of the bicycle by two pedal cranks. The flexible drive has a pulley or a sprocket wheel which is non-rotatably connected to the shaft in at least one direction of rotation. Elastic torsions of the shaft that result independently from the torque transmission are detected at both sides of the pulley or of the sprocket wheel as a measure of the forces applied to the shaft to determine the torque and output both of the left and right leg of the user of the ergometer or bicycle. Corresponding electrical sensor signals are generated and supplied to a memory and/or evaluation unit for further processing.

Claims

1. A method for measuring force, torque and output on an ergometer or a bicycle, comprising:

transmitting torque from two pedal cranks, equipped with pedals, via a shaft to a wrap-around drive that has a belt pulley or a chain wheel connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the shaft in at least one direction of rotation, and to an ergometer flywheel or to a rear wheel of the bicycle;

detecting elastic torsions of the shaft, which result from the torque transmission, via a separate sensor arranged axially on each side of the belt pulley or of the chain wheel independently of one another, as a measure of forces applied to the shaft

generating corresponding sensor signals; and

delivering the sensor signals generated for further processing to a storage and/or an evaluation unit to determine the torque and the output both of a left and a right leg of a user of the ergometer or the bicycle based on the elastic torsions of the shaft detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the elastic torsions of the shaft are detected according to the principle of magnetostriction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rotational speed of the shaft is detected and is delivered to the storage and/or the evaluation unit, and an output furnished by the user with the right leg and/or with the left leg is calculated by dividing the torque acting on the shaft on a right side and/or on a left side by the measured rotational speed measured.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor signals are delivered to the storage and/or evaluation unit electrically or contactlessly.

5. A device for measuring force and output on an ergometer or bicycle, where torque transmission from two pedal cranks, equipped with pedals, via a shaft to a wrap-around drive and, further on, to an ergometer flywheel or to a rear wheel of the bicycle takes place, and where the wrap-around drive has a belt pulley or a chain wheel which is connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the shaft in at least one direction of rotation,

wherein a separate sensor for contactless detection of deformations of the shaft in the form of elastic torsions resulting from torque transmission, as a measure of forces applied to the shaft, for the purpose of determining the torque and the output both of a left and of a right leg of a user of the ergometer or the bicycle, is arranged axially on each side of the belt pulley or the chain wheel.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the separate sensors for measuring the elastic torsions of the shaft are each formed by at least one magnetostrictive torque sensor means.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the separate sensors each comprise at least one magnetically coded region on the shaft and at least one sensor coil spaced apart from the magnetically coded region.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the magnetically coded region is formed by coatings composed of magnetostrictive material which are connected fixedly to the shaft or by separate built-on parts composed of magnetostrictive material and fixedly connected to the shaft.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein rotational speed transmitters are arranged on a surface of the shaft and cooperate with a rotational speed sensor which is arranged above the rotational speed transmitters and is connected to a storage and/or evaluation unit.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the separate sensors are connected electrically or contactlessly to a storage and/or evaluation unit for processing of generated sensor signals of the deformations of the shaft that are detected.

11. The device of claim 5, further comprising two bearing points, wherein the belt pulley or the chain wheel, together with the separate sensors, is arranged within a region of the shaft which is axially delimited by the two bearing points.

12. The device of claim 5, further comprising two bearing points, wherein the belt pulley or the chain wheel is arranged outside a region of the shaft which is axially delimited by the two bearing points, and at least one of the separate sensors is arranged within the region.