Bike balance mechanism

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a bicycle balancing mechanism, comprising a linkage assembly, two wheels, a frame assembly, and a balancing device. The two wheels are connected to the linkage assembly and located on either side of it. The frame assembly is movably connected to the linkage assembly. The balancing device includes a cylinder, an axle, and a piston. The cylinder is connected to either the frame assembly or the linkage assembly. The connection between the cylinder and the frame assembly or the linkage assembly is located in the middle of the cylinder. The axle is connected to the linkage assembly or the frame assembly and passes through the cylinder. The piston is disposed within the cylinder and fixed to the axle. The piston divides the interior of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber. When the linkage assembly is actuated, the axle moves responsively relative to the cylinder, causing the piston to move toward the first chamber or the second chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a balancing mechanism, and more particularly to a balancing mechanism for use in bicycles with dual front and rear wheels. Prior Technology

[0002] When cornering quickly on a dual-front / rear-wheel bicycle (a type of tricycle), the centripetal force generated by the shifting of the center of gravity counteracts the centrifugal force during cornering. Therefore, a linkage mechanism is designed to allow the two front / rear wheels to move together. However, after cornering, the shifted center of gravity makes it difficult to return to center. The conventional approach is to install power assist devices, such as shock absorbers, on each wheel to provide assistance in returning to center. However, installing these separate assist devices increases the overall weight and only provides rebound force. Adjusting the assist force too high makes it harder to lean during cornering; too little rebound force makes it difficult to return to center after cornering and maintain balance even at very slow speeds or when stationary, thus failing to meet the user's needs.

[0003] In view of the above, proposing an improvement scheme is a direction that practitioners in this technical field are committed to developing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The bicycle balancing mechanism disclosed herein uses only a single balancing device. When the linkage assembly actuates, the shaft of the balancing device moves responsively relative to the cylinder of the balancing device, causing the piston of the balancing device to move towards either the first or second chamber. Furthermore, when the piston moves towards the first chamber, the pressure in the first chamber increases while the pressure in the second chamber decreases. Therefore, the resultant force of the two chambers guides the linkage assembly back to its origin, rather than canceling each other out as in conventional techniques. This provides elastic support for the bicycle's tilting motion and provides appropriate force at slow speeds or when stationary. The balancing device can be further positioned at the center of the frame assembly, offering improved left-right linkage and responsiveness compared to the conventional technique of mounting shock absorbers on each wheel, thereby addressing the problems of previous technologies.

[0005] Based on the above, and according to one aspect of this disclosure, a bicycle balancing mechanism is proposed. The bicycle balancing mechanism includes a linkage assembly, two wheels, a frame assembly, and a balancing device. The two wheels are connected to the linkage assembly and are located on both sides of the linkage assembly. The frame assembly is movably connected to the linkage assembly. The balancing device includes a cylinder, a shaft, and a piston. The cylinder is connected to the frame assembly. The shaft is connected to the linkage assembly and passes through the cylinder. The piston is disposed within the cylinder and fixed to the shaft. The piston divides the interior of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber. When the linkage assembly is actuated, the shaft moves responsively relative to the cylinder to move the piston toward the first chamber or the second chamber.

[0006] To provide a better understanding of the above and other aspects of this disclosure, specific embodiments are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0007] The following figures are merely illustrative of embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments or claims: Figure 1A shows a front view of a bicycle balancing mechanism of the disclosed embodiment tilted to one side. Figure 1B shows a front view of a bicycle balancing mechanism of the disclosed embodiment tilted to the other side. Figure 1C illustrates a schematic diagram of a bicycle balancing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure applied to a dual rear-wheel tricycle. Figure 2A shows a schematic diagram of the bicycle's balancing mechanism when the balancing devices are not in operation. Figure 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the balancing device in Figure 2A. Figure 3A illustrates a schematic diagram of the balancing device included in a bicycle balancing mechanism when it corresponds to the scenario shown in Figure 1A. Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the balancing device in Figure 3A. Figure 4A illustrates a schematic diagram of the balancing device included in a bicycle balancing mechanism when it corresponds to the scenario shown in Figure 1B. Figure 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the balancing device in Figure 4A. Figure 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device according to another embodiment. Figure 6B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device according to another embodiment disclosed herein. Figure 6C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device according to another embodiment disclosed herein. Figure 6D illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device according to another embodiment. Implementation

[0008] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below, with accompanying drawings as examples. In addition to these descriptions, this disclosure can be widely implemented in other embodiments, and any easy substitutions, modifications, or equivalent changes to the described embodiments are included within the scope of this disclosure and are subject to the following patent claims.

[0009] Please refer to Figures 1A, 1B, and 1C, where Figure 1A shows a front view of a bicycle balancing mechanism 100 of an embodiment disclosed herein tilted to one side, Figure 1B shows a front view of the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 tilted to the other side, and Figure 1C shows a schematic diagram of the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 applied to a dual rear-wheel tricycle. Specifically, Figure 1A shows, for example, a scenario where the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 is tilted to the left, for example, by 15 degrees while riding, and Figure 1B shows, for example, a scenario where the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 is tilted to the right, for example, by 15 degrees while riding.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 of this embodiment can be applied to a tricycle with two front wheels. However, it is not limited thereto. In other possible embodiments, as shown in Figure 1C, the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 can also be applied to a tricycle with two rear wheels. The following description mainly uses the application of the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 to a tricycle with two front wheels as a representative embodiment.

[0011] The bicycle balancing mechanism 100 may include a linkage assembly 110, wheels 121 and 122, a frame assembly 130, and a balancing device 140. In this embodiment, wheels 121 and 122 correspond to two front wheels. Wheels 121 and 122 are connected to the linkage assembly 110 and located on both sides of the linkage assembly 110. The linkage assembly 110 is, for example, a four-bar linkage, which can drive wheels 121 and 122 to the left or right to tilt relative to the travel reference plane F (such as a ground). The frame assembly 130 is movably connected to the linkage assembly 110. In this embodiment, when the user travels (e.g., along the direction of the paper in Figures 1A-1B) and tilts the bicycle, the frame assembly 130 can swing about the Y-axis relative to the linkage assembly 110 on the XZ coordinate plane. The bicycle balancing mechanism 100 may further include a wheel 170. In this embodiment, wheel 170 corresponds to a single rear wheel. Wheel 170 is located between wheels 121 and 122 and connected to frame assembly 130, meaning wheel 170 can swing together with frame assembly 130. Balancing device 140 can be disposed between wheels 121 and 122 and located at the center of frame assembly 130. It provides support when the bicycle is tilted, enabling the bicycle to maintain good balance while riding. It should be understood that when the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 is applied to a dual rear-wheel tricycle, as shown in Figure 1C, balancing device 140 can be disposed between the two rear wheels 170. The structural configuration and operating principle of balancing device 140 will be explained below. Please refer to Figures 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B. Figure 2A shows a schematic diagram of the balancing device 140 when it is not in operation. Figure 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the balancing device 140 in Figure 2A along the 2B-2B section line. Figure 3A shows a schematic diagram of the balancing device 140 in the situation shown in Figure 1A. Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the balancing device 140 in Figure 3A along the 3B-3B section line. Figure 4A shows a schematic diagram of the balancing device 140 in the situation shown in Figure 1B. Figure 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the balancing device 140 in Figure 4A along the 4B-4B section line.

[0012] The balancing device 140 may include a cylinder 141, a shaft 142, and a piston 143. The cylinder 141 is, for example, an air cylinder, connected to the frame assembly 130. Specifically, the cylinder 141 is rotatably connected to the frame assembly 130 via a pivot P and a support S1, meaning the connection between the cylinder 141 and the support S1 is located in the middle of the cylinder 141. The support S1 is fixed relative to the frame assembly 130, and the pivot P can rotate within the support S1. When the frame assembly 130 tilts, the cylinder 141 rotates via the pivot P to change its relative position to the frame assembly 130. The shaft 142 is connected to the connecting rod assembly 110 and passes through the cylinder 141. In detail, the shaft 142 can be connected to the connecting rod assembly 110 via the fixing member A and the support seat S2, wherein the support seat S2 is relatively fixed to the connecting rod assembly 110, and the shaft 142 is relatively fixed to the support seat S2 via the fixing member A. That is, the shaft 142 is fixedly connected to the connecting rod assembly 110 and can be driven by the connecting rod assembly 110. Because the cylinder 141 and the shaft 142 move relative to each other, in another case, the cylinder 141 is fixed to the connecting rod assembly 110, and the shaft 142 is fixed to the frame assembly 130. The piston 143 is disposed in the cylinder 141 and fixed to the shaft 142, and the piston 143 divides the interior of the cylinder 141 into a first chamber C1 and a second chamber C2. The piston 143 can be positioned on the shaft 142 via two fasteners 144 arranged on the front and rear sides. The fastener 144 is, for example, a retaining ring. Alternatively, without fastener 144, the piston 143 and shaft 142 can be fixed by an interference fit or glue to position the piston 143 on the shaft 142. Furthermore, a seal 145 can be disposed around the piston 143. The seal 145 is, for example, a sealing ring. It should be understood that when the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 is applied to a dual-rear-wheel tricycle, as shown in Figure 1C, the cylinder 141 of the balancing device 140 can be connected to the linkage assembly 110 between the two wheels 170, and the shaft 142 can be connected to the frame assembly 130 in front of the two wheels 170. The linkage assembly 110 between the two wheels 170 and the frame assembly 130 in front are pivotable relative to each other, meaning the frame assembly 130 is movably connected to the linkage assembly 110.

[0013] The cylinder body 141 may have two through holes (such as through holes 141h1 and 141h2 in this embodiment), with through holes 141h1 and 141h2 corresponding to the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 inside the cylinder body 141, respectively. The bicycle balancing mechanism 100 may further include a valve 150. The first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 can be connected to the valve 150 through through holes 141h1 and 141h2. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, in the initial state of the bicycle balancing mechanism 100, i.e., before it is activated / before it begins to activate, the piston 143 is positioned at the middle of the cylinder body 141 corresponding to through holes 141h1, 141h2, and the valve 150, while the seal 145 does not block through holes 141h1 and 141h2. Thus, the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 are connected to the valve 150 through through holes 141h1 and 141h2 respectively, meaning that the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 have the same air pressure through the through holes. The valve 150 is adapted to be connected to an inflation device (not shown). In the initial state of the bicycle balancing mechanism 100, compressed air can be injected into the valve 150 through this inflation device. The compressed air can flow to both the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 simultaneously (see the airflow path shown by the dashed line in Figure 2B), so that the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 have the same air pressure.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1A, 3A, and 3B, when the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 tilts to the left during riding, the linkage assembly 110 actuates accordingly to allow wheels 121 and 122 to also tilt to the left. When the linkage assembly 110 actuates, the shaft 142, driven by the linkage assembly 110, moves relative to the cylinder 141, causing the piston 143 fixed thereon to move towards the second chamber C2. At this point, the volume of the first chamber C1 is greater than the volume of the second chamber C2. Simultaneously, the displacement of the piston 143 deviates from the through holes 141h1 and 141h2, preventing air communication between the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2. The piston 143 compresses the air in the second chamber C2, effectively forming an elastic body. Therefore, the balancing device 140 provides support for the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 when it tilts to the left during riding. When returning to center, the pressure difference between the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 provides the force for rebound.

[0015] Alternatively, as shown in Figures 1B, 4A, and 4B, when the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 tilts to the right during operation, the linkage assembly 110 actuates accordingly to cause wheels 121 and 122 to also tilt to the right. When the linkage assembly 110 actuates, the shaft 142, being driven by the linkage assembly 110, can move relative to the cylinder 141, thereby driving the piston 143 fixed thereon to move towards the first chamber C1, i.e., at this time the volume of the second chamber C2 is greater than the volume of the first chamber C1. Simultaneously, because the displacement of the piston 143 stops and deviates from the through holes 141h1 and 141h2, the air in the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 are not interconnected. The piston 143 compresses the air in the first chamber C1, and the compressed air in the first chamber C1 effectively forms an elastic body. Therefore, the balancing device 140 can also provide support for the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 when it leans to the right during riding. When returning to the center, the pressure difference between the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2 provides the rebound force.

[0016] In short, when the connecting rod assembly 110 is actuated, the shaft 142 can move responsively relative to the cylinder 141 to drive the piston 143 toward the first chamber C1 or the second chamber C2. When the wheels 121 and 122 are not tilted relative to the travel reference plane F, the piston 143 can be positioned between the through holes 141h1 and 141h2, allowing air to communicate between the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2. When the wheels 121 and 122 are tilted relative to the travel reference plane F, the connecting rod assembly 110 actuates responsively to drive the piston 143 to stop the through holes 141h1 or 141h2 (or even deviate from them, i.e., drive the piston 143 to move to one side of the through holes 141h1 and 141h2), preventing air communication between the first chamber C1 and the second chamber C2.

[0017] Furthermore, the bicycle balancing mechanism 100 may further include a limiting member 160, which is used to limit the travel of the axle 142. In this embodiment, the limiting member 160 is formed circumferentially on the axle 142. Also in this embodiment, the limiting member 160 is disposed on a portion of the axle 142 exposed in the cylinder 141, and located on a side opposite to the fixed end of the connecting rod assembly 110. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the limiting member 160 may also be disposed on a portion of the axle 142 exposed in the cylinder 141, and located on a side adjacent to the fixed end of the connecting rod assembly 110. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the limiting member 160 may also be disposed on a portion of the axle 142 concealed within the cylinder 141, i.e., disposed in a first chamber C1 or a second chamber C2 inside the cylinder 141.

[0018] Please refer further to Figures 5, 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, which show partial cross-sectional views of a balancing device 240 according to another embodiment. Figure 6A shows a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device 140A according to another embodiment. Figure 6B shows a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device 140B according to another embodiment. Figure 6C shows a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device 140C according to another embodiment. And Figure 6D shows a partial cross-sectional view of a balancing device 140D according to another embodiment.

[0019] The configuration of the balancing device 240 is largely the same as that of the balancing device 140; only the differences will be emphasized here. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the cross-sectional shape of the seal 145A in the balancing device 240 differs from that of the seal 145 in the aforementioned balancing device 140. More specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the seal 145A is X-shaped, while the cross-sectional shape of the aforementioned seal 145 is circular. Of course, the cross-sectional shape of the seal in other embodiments can also be other shapes, such as square or elliptical, and is not limited thereto.

[0020] Figures 6A to 6D are mainly used to list the different forms of the through holes of the balancing device. The upper half of Figures 6A to 6D shows the top view of the through holes.

[0021] In Figure 6A, the configuration of balancing device 140A is largely the same as that of balancing device 240, both having a sealing element 145A, while other configurations are similar to those of balancing device 140. In this embodiment, the through-hole pattern is a combination of two small circular holes, through-hole 141h1 and through-hole 141h2. In Figure 6B, the configuration of balancing device 140B is largely the same as that of balancing device 240, both having a sealing element 145A, while other configurations are similar to those of balancing device 140. However, in this embodiment, the through-hole pattern is a combination of through-hole 141hb and groove 141r, with through-hole 141hb located within the elongated groove 141r. In Figure 6C, the configuration of balancing device 140C is largely the same as that of balancing device 240, both having a sealing element 145A, while other configurations are similar to those of balancing device 140. However, in this embodiment, the through-hole pattern is a single elongated through-hole 141hc. In Figure 6D, the configuration of the balancing device 140D is roughly the same as that of the balancing device 240, that is, both are provided with a seal 145A, and other configurations are similar to those of the aforementioned balancing device 140; however, the through-hole pattern of this embodiment is a single circular through-hole 141hd.

[0022] Based on the above, this disclosure provides a bicycle balancing mechanism that utilizes the fact that when the linkage assembly is actuated, the shaft can responsively move relative to the cylinder, thereby driving the piston to move towards a first chamber or a second chamber, providing elastic-like support for the bicycle's tilted state during riding. Furthermore, the bicycle balancing mechanism disclosed herein may include a valve suitable for connecting to an external inflation device, through which the preload can be adjusted to achieve the desired pressure according to different user weights, loads, or riding speeds. This allows the bicycle to achieve good balance performance during riding.

[0023] Although this disclosure has been presented above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0024] 100: Bicycle balancing mechanism 110: Linkage assembly 121, 122, 170: Wheels 130: Chassis components 140, 140A, 140B, 140C, 140D, 240: Balancing device 141: Cylinder block 141h1, 141h2, 141hb, 141hc, 141hd: Through holes 141r: Groove 142: Shaft 143: Piston 144: Fasteners 145, 145A: Seals 150: Valve 160: Limiting component A: Fasteners C1: First Chamber C2: Second Chamber F: Driving reference plane P: Pivot S1: Support base S2: Support base

Claims

1. A bicycle balancing mechanism, comprising: One-link assembly; Two wheels, connected to the linkage assembly and located on both sides of the linkage assembly; a frame assembly, movably connected to the linkage assembly; and a balancing device, comprising: a cylinder, connected to the frame assembly or the linkage assembly, wherein the connection between the cylinder and the frame assembly or the linkage assembly is located in the middle of the cylinder, and the cylinder has two through holes; a shaft, connected to the linkage assembly or the frame assembly and passing through the cylinder; and a piston, disposed in the cylinder and fixed to the shaft, the piston dividing the interior of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, the two through holes corresponding to the first chamber and the second chamber respectively; When the connecting rod assembly is actuated, the shaft moves relative to the cylinder to drive the piston toward the first chamber or the second chamber. When the two wheels are not tilted relative to a driving reference plane, the air in the first chamber and the second chamber communicates with each other through the two through holes. When the two wheels are tilted relative to the driving reference plane, the connecting rod assembly actuates to drive the piston to stop one of the two through holes or move to one side of the two through holes, so that the air in the first chamber and the second chamber do not communicate with each other.

2. The bicycle balancing mechanism as described in claim 1, further comprising: A valve, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are connected to the valve through the two through holes.

3. The bicycle balancing mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the balancing device is located at the center of the frame assembly.

4. The bicycle balancing mechanism as described in claim 2, wherein the piston pair is located between the two through holes when the two wheels are not tilted relative to the travel reference plane.

5. The bicycle balancing mechanism as described in claim 1, further comprising: A limiting member is provided on a shaft portion of the shaft that is exposed in the cylinder body.

6. The bicycle balancing mechanism as described in claim 1, further comprising: A limiting component is provided on a shaft portion concealed within the cylinder body of the shaft component.

7. The bicycle balancing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylinder system is rotatably connected to the frame assembly.

8. The bicycle balancing mechanism as described in claim 1, wherein the axle is fixedly connected to the linkage assembly.

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