Stationary Wind Trainer

Abstract

A stationary trainer for use with a bicycle with the rear wheel removed. The stationary trainer has a fan assembly including a fan attached to a fan hub configured to rotate about a fan hub axle. The trainer has a drive assembly including a drive hub having at least one gear cog configured to connect with a chain of the bicycle for providing power to the stationary trainer, and a chain ring, the drive hub configured to rotate about a drive hub axle. The drive hub axle is configured to engage with the rear dropouts of the bicycle. The trainer has a chain drive including a chain connecting the chain ring on the drive hub to a cog on the fan hub. There is a first side panel located on a first side of the fan and a second side panel located on a second side of the fan opposite the first side of the fan. One or more bracing elements connect the first side panel to the second side panel. The fan assembly and the drive assembly are supported by the first side panel and the second side panel, and a distance between an edge of the fan blade and either the first side panel or the second side panel is in the range from 4 mm to 70 mm.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a stationary trainer for use as a training or an exercising machine when the stationary trainer replaces the rear wheel of a bicycle, and in particular to a stationary trainer including a fan, commonly referred to as a wind trainer.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Stationary trainers are devices that are used to convert a bicycle so that it can be ridden without movement of the bicycle / trainer. Stationary trainers are commonly used with a bicycle to provide a convenient form of training / exercise for a user, usually indoors.[0003]A trainer typically consists of a frame configured to engage the rear axle of the bicycle and to lift the rear wheel of the bicycle off the ground. A roller is commonly pressed against the tyre of the rear wheel, so that the roller rotates as the user operates the pedals of the bicycle. The roller is further coupled to some form of resistance device, often adjustable, that can enable a user to vary the amount of resis...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]It is an object of the present invention to provide a high efficiency, compact stationary wind trainer which is both quieter and less limited in performance than prior art machines. Noise reduction may be achieved by ensuring there is adequate space around the fan blades for the air that has been rapidly accelerated to dissipate some of its speed/energy before hitting any obstacle, such as a side panel of the frame of the trainer. T

Problems solved by technology

While such trainers are typically satisfactory for use as exercise machines, problems can arise when used by high performance athletes who can produce large forces and accelerations on the rollers.

This can lead to slippage of the tyre against the roller, thus reducing the effectiveness of the trainer as a training device, as well as general wear and tear which can increase maintenance costs.

Problems can also arise when such trainers are used for rehabilitative exercise as a relatively high force may be required initially to spin the roller.

Exerting such a high initial force can be detrimental to rehabilitation of the user.

Furthermore, some forms of resistance mechanisms may be limited under these low pedal speed conditions—for example, magnetic resistance devices can tend to “grip” the tyre at the top and bottom of each pedal stroke making it difficult for the user to keep up an even pedalling motion—as well as failing to recreate the sense of cycling on a road/track, which is very important to high performance cyclists using the devices.

However, this can lead to a similar problem to that discussed above for mag trainers, namely the resistive force due to the roller can become so great that it slows the tyre significantly (and in extreme cases may stop the tyre) at the top and bottom of each pedal stroke.

While the chain drive

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