Adjustable stationary bicycle

• US 7,905,817 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cycling Sports Group Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guru Cycles Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giannascoli, Antonio, St-Amant, Eric, Thibault, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada; Rinaldi I
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, ROBERT FRANKLIN
• Application Number:
  US11/845,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 482/57, 482 51- 52
• US Class Current: 482/57
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/54 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/096 automatically adjusted according to anthropometric data of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/16 for cycling , i.e. arrangements on or for real bicycles

Abstract

A stationary bicycle comprises a frame. A crankset is rotatably mounted to the frame to receive a pedaling actuation from a user of the stationary bicycle. A seat is mounted to the frame to support the user using the crankset in the pedaling actuation. A handlebar is mounted to the frame to serve as a hand/arm support for the user during the pedaling actuation. Translational joints between the frame and the seat and the handlebar are provided for translational displacement of the seat or handlebar with respect to the crankset. A mechanism is connected to the translational joint for locking the translational joint in a selected position, the mechanism allowing movement of the translational joint solely by a selected actuation displacing the translational joint proportionally in the direction of the translational displacement.

Claims

1. A stationary bicycle control system in combination with a stationary bicycle, comprising:

a stationary bicycle comprising a crankset rotatably mounted to a frame to receive a pedaling actuation from a user of the stationary bicycle, a seat and a handlebar, at least two 1-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) seat joints between the frame and the seat, and at least two 1-DOF handlebar joints between the frame and the handlebar;

seat actuators electrically powered to actuate each of the at least two 1-DOF seat joints to cause displacement of the seat in vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the crankset;

handlebar actuators electrically powered to actuate each of the at least two 1-DOF handlebar joints to cause displacement of the handlebar in vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the crankset;

a bicycle controller system comprising;

a user interface for manually entering/adjusting positions for the seat and for the handlebar;

a position commander for displacing the seat and the handlebar through actuation of the seat actuator and the handlebar actuator; and

a position calculator receiving actuation data from the position commander and calculating a position of the seat and of the handlebar so as to guide the position commander in positioning the seat and the handlebar to selected positions as manually entered in the user interface.

2. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the bicycle controller system further comprises a profile calculator for recording a desired position for the seat and for the handlebar, the desired position being specific to a user.

3. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 2, further comprising sensors to measure parameters associated with the user performing the pedaling actuation.

4. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 3, wherein the profile calculator records said parameters as a function of positions of the seat and of the handlebar.

5. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 4, wherein the parameters are at least one of a pedaling power, a pedaling cadence and a heart rate of the user.

6. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 2, wherein the bicycle controller system has a frame size calculator for identifying suitable bicycle frames as a function of the desired position of the seat and of the handlebar.

7. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 1, further comprising a profile database to store a profile of the user, the profile comprising at least a desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

8. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 1, further comprising a statistical database to store statistical data associating anthropometric data of users with desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

9. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 8, wherein the database is a remotely-located server.

10. A stationary bicycle control system in combination with a stationary bicycle, comprising:

a stationary bicycle comprising a crankset rotatably mounted to a frame to receive a pedaling actuation from a user of the stationary bicycle, a seat and a handlebar, at least one 1-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) seat joint between the frame and the seat, and at least one 1-DOF handlebar joint between the frame and the handlebar;

a seat actuator electrically powered to actuate the 1-DOF seat joint to cause displacement of the seat;

a handlebar actuator electrically powered to actuate the 1-DOF handlebar joint to cause displacement of the handlebar;

a bicycle controller system comprising;

a user interface for manually entering/adjusting positions for the seat and for the handlebar;

a position commander for displacing the seat and the handlebar through actuation of the seat actuator and the handlebar actuator;

a position calculator receiving actuation data from the position commander and calculating a position of the seat and of the handlebar so as to guide the position commander in positioning the seat and the handlebar to selected positions as manually entered in the user interface; and

a profile calculator for recording a desired position for the seat and for the handlebar, the desired position being specific to a user.

11. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 10, further comprising sensors to measure parameters associated with the user performing the pedaling actuation.

12. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 11, wherein the profile calculator records said parameters as a function of positions of the seat and of the handlebar.

13. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 12, wherein the parameters are at least one of a pedaling power, a pedaling cadence and a heart rate of the user.

14. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 10, further comprising a profile database to store a profile of the user, the profile comprising at least a desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

15. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 10, further comprising a statistical database to store statistical data associating anthropometric data of users with desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

16. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 15, wherein the database is a remotely-located server.

17. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 10, wherein the bicycle controller system has a frame size calculator for identifying suitable bicycle frames as a function of the desired position of the seat and of the handlebar.

18. A stationary bicycle control system in combination with a stationary bicycle, comprising:

a stationary bicycle comprising a crankset rotatably mounted to a frame to receive a pedaling actuation from a user of the stationary bicycle, a seat and a handlebar, at least one 1-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) seat joint between the frame and the seat, and at least one 1-DOF handlebar joint between the frame and the handlebar;

a seat actuator electrically powered to actuate the 1-DOF seat joint to cause displacement of the seat;

a handlebar actuator electrically powered to actuate the 1-DOF handlebar joint to cause displacement of the handlebar;

a bicycle controller system comprising;

a user interface for manually entering/adjusting positions for the seat and for the handlebar;

a position commander for displacing the seat and the handlebar through actuation of the seat actuator and the handlebar actuator;

a position calculator receiving actuation data from the position commander and calculating a position of the seat and of the handlebar so as to guide the position commander in positioning the seat and the handlebar to selected positions as manually entered in the user interface; and

a profile database to store a profile of the user, the profile comprising at least a desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

19. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 18, further comprising a statistical database to store statistical data associating anthropometric data of users with desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

20. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 19, wherein the database is a remotely-located server.

21. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 18, wherein the bicycle controller system has a frame size calculator for identifying suitable bicycle frames as a function of the desired position of the seat and of the handlebar.

22. A stationary bicycle control system in combination with a stationary bicycle, comprising:

a stationary bicycle comprising a crankset rotatably mounted to a frame to receive a pedaling actuation from a user of the stationary bicycle, a seat and a handlebar, at least one 1-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) seat joint between the frame and the seat, and at least one 1-DOF handlebar joint between the frame and the handlebar;

a seat actuator electrically powered to actuate the 1-DOF seat joint to cause displacement of the seat;

a handlebar actuator electrically powered to actuate the 1-DOF handlebar joint to cause displacement of the handlebar;

a bicycle controller system comprising;

a user interface for manually entering/adjusting positions for the seat and for the handlebar;

a position commander for displacing the seat and the handlebar through actuation of the seat actuator and the handlebar actuator;

a position calculator receiving actuation data from the position commander and calculating a position of the seat and of the handlebar so as to guide the position commander in positioning the seat and the handlebar to selected positions as manually entered in the user interface; and

a statistical database to store statistical data associating anthropometric data of users with desired position for the seat and for the handlebar.

23. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 22, wherein the database is a remotely-located server.

24. The stationary bicycle control system in combination with the stationary bicycle according to claim 22, wherein the bicycle controller system has a frame size calculator for identifying suitable bicycle frames as a function of the desired position of the seat and of the handlebar.