Device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into rotational movement

Abstract

A device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into rotational movement, comprising two bearing points, a left one (5G) and a right one (5D), a support mechanism for these bearing points (5) comprising two secured racks (1) each supported by a movable part (11) sliding linearly in a direction XX' along a slide (3) and each bearing a bearing point (5), said slides (3) being arranged and fixed on a support frame (14) supporting all the axles of the device, a drive chain (6) capable of rotating at least one pinion (15) secured to a drive axle (A), and at least one circular toothed transmission plate (14) around which said chain (6) passes and which is itself rotated by a drive system, associated with the support mechanism for the bearing points (5), comprising two toothed driving plate elements (2), each cooperating with a rack (1) and each driving, by means of the one same free wheel (13), the rotation axle of which is also fixed on the support frame (14), the at least one transmission plate (14).

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION: DEVICE FOR CONVERTING A RECIPROCATING RECTILINEAR MOVEMENT INTO ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement.

[0002] The technical field of the invention is that of manufacturing devices that convert the energy of a reciprocating rectilinear movement into continuous rotational movement energy distributed along a drive shaft of any mechanical assembly, as is achieved by a crankshaft in most piston engines to drive, for example, the shaft of a generator set or the wheels of a vehicle using the energy from fuel combustion that pushes and moves the pistons within the cylinders.

[0003] The primary application of the invention is the creation of linear rectilinear cranksets for cycles with at least two wheels, capable of replacing the conventional circular cranksets known to date; an example of the invention mounted on a bicycle will be described below. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In the main field of application of the invention, namely, the production of linear rectilinear cranksets for cycles with at least two wheels, such devices are already known, such as the one disclosed in the 2014 patent application CN203780727 by Mr. Yang Yu, which teaches a bicycle drive mechanism comprising a left pedal arm, a right pedal arm, a drive chain capable of rotating a pinion of a pinion assembly secured to the rear wheel drive shaft, a toothed drive transmission plate around which said drive chain passes and rotated by a drive system associated with two support mechanisms for the two pedal arms, each including a transmission chain and a structure of linear guide rails and an up-and-down reversal mechanism for the pedal arms: a cyclist can then apply a vertical linear force alternately with each of his two feet to propel the bicycle forward continuously, resulting in high efficiency, and the configuration of the drive mechanism on the bicycle conforms to the structure and usage habits of a conventional bicycle.

[0005] US Patent No. 5236211, issued to Ohannes M. Oeguerditchian in 1993, could also be cited, which teaches a drive system including a chassis on which pedals are mounted; these pedals move along rectilinear paths and are connected by a cable linkage: this cable linkage is wound multiple times around double-wound spools that rotate when the pedals are moved linearly, and a one-way clutch mechanism rotates an axle in one direction as these spools rotate, and this axle can be connected to a pinion and drive chain assembly to provide propulsive force, for example, to a bicycle wheel.

[0006] US Patent No. 6412802, issued to Marion Kugel and published on July 2, 2002, is also noted, which discloses a rectilinear propulsion device designed to propel a bicycle and comprising - a rectilinear drive section including two sets of rack-and-pinion gears coupled by a cord connecting their upper ends, and secured on both sides of the middle section of the bicycle frame, each of which includes a pedal designed to allow the cyclist to engage the rack-and-pinion gear sets, - a quadrant drive portion including quadrant pinion elements, each coupled to a main drive gear element that drives a drive wheel of the bicycle, - and the quadrant pinion elements are designed to engage alternately with the rack-and-pinion gears, thereby propelling the bicycle, - and a clutch element coupled to the main drive gear element allows, via the cord connecting them, for one of the rack-and-pinion gears to be driven upward while the opposite gear is pushed downward by the cyclist’s foot, thereby allowing the cyclist to propel the bicycle in an alternating manner.

[0007] Numerous other patent applications have thus been published to protect various embodiments of devices in which a rectilinear drive energy is converted into rotational energy, but in the field of the invention’s main application, namely, the design of linear rectilinear pedal systems for cycles with at least two wheels, all known devices, most of which are quite complex, do not, however, allow all the available power generated by the rectilinear thrust of each rider’s foot on such linear-movement pedals to be transmitted to the rear wheel.

[0008] It should certainly be noted, and prior art emphasizes this, that this force is in any case greater than that transmitted by a conventional circular crankset, in which the thrust is at its maximum only when the pedal arms are horizontal and then decreases as they rotate, whereas in a linear crankset, the thrust is at its maximum throughout the entire linear stroke of each pedal. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is not only to achieve the greatest possible power transmitted to the drive shaft for a given linear force, i.e., at least twice the power obtained with a circular crankset, but also to go even further than known devices in order to achieve the best possible efficiency and to simplify the mechanisms that provide this power transmission.

[0010] To this end, the invention, taking the previously cited patent application US 6412802 as the closest prior art, provides a device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement comprising two support points, a left one and a right one, such as the pedals of a bicycle, and a support mechanism for these support points that guides them linearly in the same direction, a drive chain capable of rotating a pinion of a pinion assembly secured to a drive axle, such as that of a rear wheel of a bicycle, and at least one circular toothed transmission plate around which said chain passes and which is itself rotated by a drive system associated with the support mechanism for the support points or pedals; the support mechanism for the support points includes two secured racks, each supported by a movable part that slides in the same direction along a slide and each bearing a support point or pedal, said slides being arranged and secured to a load-bearing frame for all the axles of the device, and the drive system associated with this support mechanism for the support points or pedals includes two toothed driving plate elements, each engaging with a rack and each driving the at least one transmission plate via a single free wheel with a rotation axle also fixed on the load-bearing frame

[0011] Additionally, according to the invention, the slides guide the movable parts, each of which is independent of the other without being connected thereto, and which are driven independently of one another with their rack and support point (or pedal), and the radius of the toothed driving plates is at least 20 cm, and preferably 24 or even 25 cm: it could even be larger to achieve a greater lever arm effect, providing higher torque and thus greater power for the same travel speed of the force applied to the support point (such as the cyclist’s foot on the pedal); however, in the case of bicycles, this diameter also depends on the length of the cyclist’s legs.

[0012] According to other features of the invention, the toothed driving plate elements are sectors of plates the wrap-around peripheral length of which is at least equal to the length of the racks, which makes it possible to reduce the weight of the device, and, in an optional embodiment, the drive chain drives an intermediate toothed pinion, the axle of which is fixed on an offset portion (i.e., not located in the alignment defined by the drive axle and the transmission plate axle) of the load-bearing frame, and which is secured to another toothed pinion fixed on the same axle, of larger diameter, around which a second drive chain for the pinion assembly, secured to the drive axle, passes: such an offset intermediate pinion makes it possible to obtain, for the same travel speed of the force acting on the support point, either a higher rotational speed of the drive axle (than in an embodiment with a single drive chain without an intermediate pinion), or a reduced diameter of the drive pinion, or both at the same time.

[0013] The device according to the invention is thus capable of driving any mechanical assembly that uses the energy of a linear reciprocating movement and requires rotational motion from a power take-off axle, which is the drive axle of that mechanical assembly, the support points being the linear thrust supports for the source reciprocating movement, and, in accordance with the primary application of the invention, the device according to the invention is mounted on a cycle having at least two wheels, the rear wheel axle of which serves as the propulsion drive axle of the cycle, the pedals, each equipped with a system capable of securing a cyclist’s foot thereto, serve as the support points, and the cycle frame serves as the load-bearing frame for all the axles, such as those of the rear wheel, referred to as the drive axle, the free wheel, and the slides.

[0014] Thus, the device according to the invention achieves its primary objective, which is to obtain the greatest possible power transmitted to the drive shaft or axle for a given continuous linear bearing force, since this force, transmitted directly, tangentially, and continuously to the driving plates, provides them with a constant maximum torque, the resulting power of which, which also depends on the speed of the linear movement of the support points, is then transmitted in its entirety, apart from friction losses, to the drive shaft; and in the main application of the invention, a cyclist using a bicycle equipped with a device according to the invention can propel the bicycle with less effort than would be required if, at the same bicycle travel speed, the bicycle were equipped with a conventional circular crankset, since the linear rectilinear thrust is always applied to the most productive portion of the driving plate, i.e., tangentially thereto, meaning it is always perpendicular to a radius, thereby always providing the maximum lever arm.

[0015] Furthermore, the distance covered by the cyclist’s feet during a linear rectilinear thrust is much shorter than that covered with a conventional circular crankset, which saves time in the foot movement and thus allows for greater speed.

[0016] Another advantage is that, since the pedals can be used independently of one another—unlike prior art devices such as those mentioned above, where both pedals move in the same direction at the same time, or alternately, or one without the other—the cyclist can, when turning a corner, position the inside pedal for that turn at a higher or lower height and stop applying force to it, while the outside pedal can independently continue its linear propulsive movement.

[0017] The device according to the invention is also made up of simple structural elements that are easy to manufacture and practical to assemble, so that the present device meets the second objective of the invention with significant effectiveness, given that its installation on a bicycle is consistent with the structure and customary use of a conventional bicycle, even though the frame of the bicycle must, of course, be adapted to the device of the invention.

[0018] In fact, according to the invention, if the crank arms of a conventional circular bicycle crankset are removed, along with the crankset itself, all other components that make up the entire transmission system, such as plates, rear pinion cassette, and derailleurs, are retained and will not be described further here.

[0019] With a device according to the invention, it is then possible to estimate, assuming equal bearing force applied to each pedal, a power gain at the drive shaft of the bicycle’s rear wheel (or any other mechanical assembly that uses energy from a linear reciprocating movement and requires the rotation of a power take-off axle, which is the drive axle or shaft of that mechanical assembly) of at least twice that obtained with a bicycle having a conventional circular crankset.

[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the detailed description which follows, for the understanding of which reference is made to the appended figures which show an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention in the main application thereof with an implementation to a bicycle, but other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] [Fig. 1] - Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of the right side of a cycle according to the invention (with its front section omitted, as it is of a known type) equipped with an example of a device according to the invention.

[0022] [Fig. 2] - Fig. 2 is a partial cross sectional view (excluding the entire rear wheel) along line II-II’ of the bicycle shown in Fig. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0023] For the purpose of describing the invention and understanding the claims, without reference to Earth’s gravity and by way of example only, the vertical, longitudinal, and transverse orientations will be defined according to the reference axes V, L, T shown in the figures, the longitudinal axis L and transverse axis T of which extend in a horizontal plane: the vertical axis V thus defines the so-called “high” and “low” reference points, the longitudinal axis L defines the “front” and “rear” reference points (with respect to the direction of travel of the cycle), and the transverse axis defines the “left” and “right” reference points (with respect to that same direction of travel of the cycle).

[0024] In the following description, identical, similar or analogous elements will be referred to by the same reference numbers.

[0025] It should be noted that this description describes an embodiment of the device of the invention mounted on a bicycle, but that this device could be adapted and mounted on any mechanical assembly that uses the energy from a linear reciprocating movement and requires the rotation of a power take-off axle or shaft, which serves as the drive axle or shaft for that mechanical assembly, the support points then being the linear thrust supports for the source reciprocating movement.

[0026] As described, for example, in the U.S. patent application cited above, US 6412802, the device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement comprises two support points (in this case, as in the prior patent, two pedals in the application to a crankset of a bicycle 18), a left support point 5g and a right support point 5d, a support mechanism for these support points or pedals 5 that guides them linearly in the same direction XX’, a drive chain 6 capable of rotating at least one pinion 15 which is secured to a drive axle A, which here is the rear wheel axle of the bicycle 18, and at least one circular toothed transmission plate 4 around which said chain 6 passes and which is itself rotated by a drive system associated with the support mechanism for the support points or pedals 5.

[0027] The support mechanism for the support points or pedals 5 includes two secured racks 1, each supported by a movable part 11 that slides in the direction XX’ along a slide 3 and each bearing a support point or pedal 5, said slides 3 being arranged and fixed on a load-bearing frame 14 (which in this case is the frame of the bicycle 18) for all the axles of the device; the drive system associated with this support mechanism for the support points 5 includes two toothed driving plate elements 2, each of which engages with a rack 1 and drives the at least one transmission plate 4 via a common free wheel 13, the rotation axle of which is also fixed on the load-bearing frame 14.

[0028] According to the invention, the slides 3 each guide, independently of one another, the moving parts 11, which are not connected to one another and are driven independently of one another with their rack 1 and their support point 5, and the radius R2 of the toothed driving plates 2 is at least 20 cm, and preferably 24 or even 25 cm, and even beyond this value (within the limits, however, for a bicycle, of what is permitted by its ergonomics and the cyclist’s comfort) so as to be as large as possible and thus provide the greatest possible lever arm, and therefore the highest possible driving torque and thus the greatest possible power for a given travel speed of the force acting on the support point 5 (such as the cyclist’s foot on the pedal 5).

[0029] In the embodiment shown in the figures, these slides 3 have a hollow cylindrical shape, within which the movable parts 11 can slide; for this purpose, the movable parts are also cylindrical in shape, resembling tubes, with an outer diameter compatible with guiding inside the slides 3; each of these cylinders includes a longitudinal slot capable of accommodating the racks 1, to which the pedals 5 can be attached.

[0030] In another embodiment, these slides 3 may be of the drawer-slide type, that is, having a U-shaped cross-section including flanges along the ends of the U-shaped profile, which flanges, by closing part of the opening thereof, hold the movable part 11 in place; this part then has a rectangular cross-section slightly smaller than that of the interior of the U and can slide within it: such slides are thus flatter than cylindrical ones, which, when applied to bicycles, allows the pedals 5 to be positioned closer together, thereby providing greater pedaling comfort.

[0031] Such slides 3 can be secured (by tabs on both sides of a vertical bar 21, preferably having a rectangular cross-section, which they sandwich therebetween: this bar 21 connects elements of the load-bearing frame of the device, to which it is itself secured; in the application to cycles, these elements are the bars 141 and 12 of the bicycle frame 14, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0032] Additionally, the drive system associated with this support mechanism for the support points or pedals 5 includes two toothed driving plate elements 2, each of which engages with a rack 1 and drives the at least one transmission plate 4 via a single free wheel 13, the rotation axle of which is also fixed on the load-bearing frame 14: thus, due to this arrangement of driving 2 and transmission 4 plates on the same free wheel 13, when each driving plate element 2g and 2d is driven to rotate in a given direction by the corresponding rack 1g and 1d, respectively (that is, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, in a clockwise direction when each rack 1g and 1d moves vertically downward under the downward pressure of the cyclist’s feet on each pedal 5), said driving plate element 2g or 2d, in turn, drives the at least one transmission plate 4 in the same direction of rotation, then, when the rack 1g or 1d is moved linearly in the opposite direction, it drives the corresponding driving plate element 2g or 2d (that is, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, in a counterclockwise direction when each rack 1g and 1d moves vertically upward under the upward pull of the cyclist’s feet on each pedal 5g and 5d, respectively) and this element, because it is mounted on the free wheel 13, no longer drives the at least one transmission plate 4.

[0033] Additionally, if the two support points or pedals 5 are then alternately actuated, either linearly in opposite directions relative to one another (that is, in the example shown in Fig. 1, when one pedal is pressed down, pushing the corresponding rack downward, the other pedal can be pressed up at the same time, driving the corresponding rack upward, and vice versa during the next cycle), the at least one transmission plate 4 is always driven by one or the other of the driving plates 2g or 2d.

[0034] Because the movable parts 3 are independent, it is also possible to apply the same force simultaneously to both support points or pedals 5 in order to temporarily and theoretically double the drive power, which can be useful for a cyclist who wants to overcome a difficult obstacle.

[0035] To achieve the greatest possible torque for a given force applied to the support points or pedals 5, the radius R2 of the toothed driving plates 2 must be as large as possible to achieve the greatest possible lever arm effect, i.e., a radius R2 of at least 20 cm, and ideally 24 or even 25 cm; and the transmission plate 4 may have this same radius of at least 20 cm in the case of an embodiment, such as that described above, with a single drive chain 6 without an intermediate pinion, but in the embodiment described below, which features two drive chains, the first of which 61 passes over an offset intermediate toothed pinion 101 (i.e., one that is not in the alignment defined by the motor shaft and that of the transmission plate of the load-bearing frame 14, which is mounted above the highest bar at the rear of the bicycle frame 14, and thus above this alignment) which it drives and which is secured to another toothed pinion 102 fixed on the same axle, of larger diameter, and around which the second drive chain 16 passes from at least one pinion 15 secured to the drive axle or shaft A, the radius of the transmission plate 4 may be smaller than the radius R2 of the toothed driving plates 1.

[0036] Furthermore, to be able to change the rotational speed of the drive shaft A while maintaining the same force and the same linear bearing speed, i.e., when going downhill, for example, to increase this rotational speed and thus go faster, or, conversely, when going uphill, to decrease this rotational speed and thus avoid having to increase the effort required on the pedals (in addition to the possibility of shifting the drive chain 6 from one pinion 15 to another of a different diameter within a set of multiple pinions, forming what is known as a cassette, which drives the rear wheel shaft A, as found on current conventional bicycles, using a derailleur (not shown)), the transmission plate 4 may be at least a double transmission plate, i.e., two transmission plates 4a and 4b, with one plate 4b having a smaller diameter than the other plate 4a, as shown in Fig. 2; and this large plate 4a then has the same radius as that R2 of the toothed driving plates 2, namely a minimum of 24 cm in the case of an embodiment, such as that described above, with a single drive chain 6 without an intermediate offset pinion.

[0037] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and 2, which therefore show a cycle 18 with at least two wheels (in this case, two wheels, but it could be a three- or even four-wheeled cycle), this cycle 18 thus includes a device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement in accordance with the invention as described above: the rear wheel axle 17 of the cycle 18 is the drive axle A for propulsion of the cycle 18, the pedals are the support points 5, and the frame 14 of the cycle 18 is the load-bearing frame for all the axles, such as the drive axle A of the rear wheel 17, the axle of the free wheel 13, and the slides 3.

[0038] Preferably, to make the device lighter, the toothed driving plate elements are plate sectors 2d and 2g of the same diameter, the wraparound length of the toothed periphery of which is at least equal to the lengths Ld and Lg of the racks 1d and 1g, respectively, which, for bicycle applications, depend on the possible range of motion of the cyclist’s legs: it is certain, for example, that a child, having a smaller range of motion than an adult, will have a rack 1 length L on their bicycle (and thus the minimum wrap-around length of the toothed periphery of the driving plate sectors, this length determining the angle at the center of these sectors based on their diameter) that is shorter than that of an adult, and bicycle manufacturers can thus define multiple sizes and types of bicycles based on a few reference rider sizes.

[0039] The slides 3, which can be cylindrical and hollow or of the drawerslide type, with a flat, U-shaped cross-section, each independently guide the movable parts 11, which thus slide inside these hollow slides in the manner of the pistons in an internal combustion engine: thus, these movable parts 11, with their rack 1 and their support point or pedal 5, can be driven independently of one another, such that one moves alternately in one direction along the direction XX’ and the other in the opposite direction, as is done in particular by the feet of a cyclist riding the bicycle 18.

[0040] In the example shown in the figures, the slides 3 are arranged vertically along the direction XX’, which here is the vertical axis V, and the pedals 5 thus have a linear reciprocating movement, up and down, driven by the cyclist’s feet.

[0041] In another embodiment which is not shown, the slides may be arranged along a substantially horizontal direction XX’, that is, in the LT plane, and the pedals 5 then follow a linear movement, which may be reciprocating, forward L and backward with respect to the direction of travel of the cycle 18 propelled by said device.

[0042] To allow the cyclist’s feet to move the pedals in the opposite direction from which each foot has pushed, each pedal is equipped with any known system capable of securing the cyclist’s foot, such as a toe clip or a so-called “clipless” pedal system, and in order to allow flexibility in the cyclist’s ankles, each pedal 5 can pivot, or if not, they are fixed, up to 30° about their axle (either vertically, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2, or horizontally when the slides are arranged along a nearly horizontal direction XX’, or in the LT plane, and the cyclist is then lying nearly flat on their back).

[0043] As shown in Fig. 2, the slides 3, as well as the pedals 5, the racks 1, and the associated movable parts 11, are arranged and secured by any attachment system (such as tabs 19G,19D secured to the slides 3, which are screwed or bolted through holes) on both sides of an inclined central portion 12 of the load-bearing frame 14 of the cycle 18, which may advantageously be thinned in this area to reduce the total width (in the transverse direction T) of the cycle 18, and the connection between these tabs 19G, 19D and the central portion 12 of the frame 14 may include openings 20 for weight reduction and cooling.

[0044] To ensure secure fastening and maintain a constant distance along their entire length, the slides 3 can also be attached, by welding and / or screwing, on both sides of a vertical bar 21 with a rectangular cross-section (preferably hollow), which is itself attached (with notches cut at its ends to ensure continuous contact with the bars of the frame 14 to which it is welded) to the central inclined bar 12 and upper bar 141 of the frame 14 of the cycle 18 (as shown in Fig. 1 and 2), and this vertical bar 21 extends beneath the central inclined bar 12 to ensure that the two slides 3 are maintained at a constant distance from one another.

[0045] Similarly, the two toothed driving plate elements or sectors 2 are arranged on both sides of this central portion 12 of the load-bearing frame 14, and behind the slides 3.

[0046] To limit the range of reciprocating movement of the support points or pedals 5 and the racks 1, each slide 3 includes, at each of its two ends, a stop 7, 8 capable of halting the linear movement, in both directions, of the movable parts 11 that support the racks 1 and the support points or pedals 5; and preferably, these stops 7, 8 are made of an elastic material capable of cushioning the end-of-travel positions of the movable parts 11.

[0047] In a particular embodiment, if it is desired to achieve a higher rotational speed of the drive shaft A, as explained earlier, and thus a higher forward speed for the bicycle than in the embodiment with a single drive chain 6 without an intermediate pinion, this drive chain 61 is doubled with a second chain 16, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 1: The first chain 61 then passes over an intermediate toothed pinion 101, which it drives and the axle of which is fixed on an offset portion (i.e., one that is not located in the alignment defined by the drive axle and the axle of the transmission plate on the load-bearing frame 14); this intermediate pinion 101 is secured to another toothed pinion 102 fixed on the same axle, which has a larger diameter and around which the second drive chain 16 of the at least one pinion 15 secured to the drive shaft A passes.

[0048] To supplement the few dimensional specifications already provided above, even though the radii of the various plates may vary depending on the type of bicycle and user preference, it is nevertheless possible to provide, by way of example, an order of magnitude for the sizes of the various plates and pinions; thus, in the example shown in the figures with a single drive chain 6, driving plate sectors 2 with radii of 24 cm or even 25 cm (i.e., more than the minimum of 20 cm indicated previously) may be used, the number of teeth on which depends on the pitch between the teeth of the racks 1, with transmission plates 4, the largest of which (44) has the same radius as the driving plates, i.e., 25 cm or 24 cm, and in this case has 123 teeth, while the smallest (4b) can have a radius of 22 cm and has 106 teeth, whereas the smallest rear pinion 15 may have only 9 or 12 teeth (in a 9-speed cassette), as is the case with current conventional bicycles equipped with circular cranksets.

[0049] Additionally, in the case of two drive chains, with a second chain 16 connected in series with the first chain 6, it is possible to use driving plate sectors 2 of the same size as for a single drive chain, i.e., with a radius of 25 cm (which is more than the specified minimum of 20 cm); however, as noted previously, smaller transmission plates 4 can be used; for example, the larger one 4a can have a radius of 12.94 cm with 64 teeth, and the smaller one 4b can have a radius of 10.92 cm with 54 teeth; and the offset pinion 101 can have a radius of 2.43 cm with 12 teeth, driving a second offset pinion 102 with a radius of 8.9 cm and 44 teeth.

Claims

1. A device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement comprising two left (5g) and right (5d) support points, a support mechanism for these support points (5) that guides them linearly in the same direction XX’, a drive chain (6) capable of rotating at least one pinion (15) which is secured to a drive axle (A), and at least one circular toothed transmission plate (14) around which said chain (6) passes and which is itself rotated by a drive system associated with the support mechanism for the support points (5), such that:- the support mechanism for the support points (5) includes two secured racks (1), each supported by a movable part (11) that slides in the direction XX’ along a slide (3) and each bearing a support point (5), these slides (3) being arranged and secured to a load-bearing frame (14) for all the axles of the device,- the drive system associated with this support mechanism (5) includes two toothed driving plate elements (2), each of which engages with a rack (1) and drives the at least one transmission plate (4) via a single free wheel (13), the rotation axle of which is also fixed on the load-bearing frame (14),characterized in that- the slides (3) guide the movable parts (11), each of which is independent of the other, and which are driven independently of one another with their rack (1) and support point (5),- the radius R2 of the toothed driving plates (2) is at least 20 cm.

2. The device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement according to claim 1, characterized in that the toothed driving plate elements (2) are sectors of plates the wrap-around peripheral length of which is at least equal to the length of the racks (1).

3. The device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that each slide (3) includes, at each of its ends, a stop (7, 8) capable of halting the linear movement, in both directions, of the movable parts (11) that support the racks (1) and the support points (5).

4. The device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement according to claim 3, characterized in that the stops (7, 8) are elastic and capable of cushioning the end-of-travel positions of the movable parts (11).

5. The device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the drive chain (6) drives an intermediate toothed pinion (101), the axle of which is fixed on an offset portion of the load-bearing frame (14), and which is secured to another toothed pinion (102) fixed on the same axle, of larger diameter, around which a second drive chain (16) of the at least one pinion (15) secured to the drive axle (A) passes.

6. The device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it drives any mechanical assembly that uses the energy of a linear reciprocating movement and requires rotational motion from a power take-off axle, which is the drive axle (A) of that mechanical assembly, the support points (5) being the linear thrust supports for the source reciprocating movement.

7. A cycle (18) having at least two wheels, characterized in that it comprises a device for converting a reciprocating rectilinear movement into a rotational movement according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the rear wheel axle (17) of the cycle (18) is the drive axle (A) for propelling the cycle (18), the pedals, each equipped with a system capable of securing a cyclist’sfoot thereto, serve as the support points (5), and the frame (14) of the cycle (18) is the load-bearing frame for all the axles, such as the drive axle (A) and the free wheel axle (13), and the slides (3).

8. The cycle (18) having at least two wheels according to claim 7, characterized in that the slides (3), as well as the pedals (5), the racks (1), and the associated movable parts (11), are each arranged and secured on both sides of a central portion (12) of the load-bearing frame (14) of the cycle (18), and the two toothed driving plate elements (2) are also arranged on both sides of this central portion (12) of the load-bearing frame (14).

9. The cycle (18) with at least two wheels according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the slides (3) are arranged vertically along a vertical direction XX’, and the pedals (5) move in a linear reciprocating movement, up and down.

10. The cycle (18) with at least two wheels according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the slides (3) are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction XX’ and the pedals (5) follow a linear reciprocating movement, forward and backward with respect to the direction of travel of the cycle (18) propelled by said device.

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