Man - machine interface improvement

• US 20060035758A1
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Rogozinski
• Original Assignee: Joseph Rogozinski
• Inventors: Rogozinski, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/57
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2022/0617 with separate crank axis for each limb, e.g. being separately adjustable or non parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0015 with an adjustable movement path of the support elements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0046 Details of the support elements or their connection to the exercising apparatus, e.g. adjustment of size or orientation attachments of resisters or weights to the body of the user A63B21/4001; using rollers, wheels, castors or gliding means to be moved over the floor or guide tracks A63B22/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2168 Pedals

Abstract

A pedal assembly for a bicycle, including a pedal, a crank arm having an axis of rotation of the crank arm, and a variable attachment device that attaches the pedal to the crank arm at an angle of inclination with respect to the axis of rotation of the crank arm, wherein the variable attachment device enables changing the angle of inclination with respect to the axis of rotation of the crank arm without disassembly of the pedal from the crank arm.

Claims

1. A pedal assembly comprising:

a pedal;

a crank arm having an axis of rotation; and

a variable attachment device that attaches said pedal to said crank arm at an angle of inclination with respect to said axis of rotation of said crank arm, wherein the variable attachment device enables changing the angle of inclination with respect to said axis of rotation of said crank arm without disassembly of said pedal from said crank arm.

2. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment device operative to adjust an angle of an upper surface of said pedal with respect to an axis of rotation of said pedal.

3. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment device operative to adjust an angle of an upper surface of said pedal with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein the adjustment device enables changing the angle of the upper surface of the pedal with respect to the horizontal plane without disassembly of said pedal from said crank arm.

4. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein if said angle of inclination with respect to said axis of rotation of said crank arm is not zero, then the angle of an upper surface of the pedal with respect to a horizontal plane continuously changes during rotation of said crank arm.

5. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein said variable attachment device comprises a plate with an arcuate slot formed therein attached to said crank arm with a mechancial fastener passing through the arcuate slot, said pedal being threadedly attached to said plate.

6. An assembly for a bicycle, comprising:

a crank arm having an axis of rotation and a pedal mounting hole tilted at a non-zero angle from the axis of rotation of said crank arm.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, further comprising a pedal threadedly attached to the pedal mounting hole of said crank arm.

8. A bicycle system comprising:

a source for radiating energy connectable to a leg of a bicycle rider; and

a target arranged to be in a line of sight of a beam emanating from the source of radiating energy, wherein impingement of the beam on the target characterizes movements of the leg of the bicycle rider during pedaling.

9. The bicycle system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one sensor adapted to sense the impingement of the beam on the target.

10. The bicycle system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one camera adapted to sense the impingement of the beam on the target.