Pedal-driven bicycle with side-mounted wheels

Abstract

A pedal-driven bicycle comprising: a cantilever frame member coupled to a power input sprocket and a driven sprocket; a belt drive connecting the power input sprocket to the driven sprocket; and a side-mounted rear wheel releasably coupled to a multi-speed gear hub coaxial with the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the multi-speed gear hub is coupled to the driven sprocket, and a tension adjustment mechanism coupling the driven sprocket to the cantilever frame member, the tension adjustment mechanism being slidably movable along at least a portion of the cantilever frame member to adjust tension in the belt drive and comprising a first member and a second member, wherein the first member and the second member are arranged on opposite sides of the cantilever frame member and clamped to the cantilever frame member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a pedal-driven bicycle with side-mounted wheels. Background Art

[0002] The vast majority of pedal-driven bicycles, such as two-wheeled bicycles, use a metal chain roller type chain to transmit power input by the rider through the pedal cranks to the rear wheel. The advantages of roller chains are well known, including high efficiency, durability, compactness and relatively low cost. Other advantages of chain roller type chains are their ability to operate effectively over a wide range of tensions between the sprockets and their high lateral flexibility, allowing them to be used in conjunction with well-known multi-speed derailleur gear systems. However, bicycle roller chains have certain disadvantages, such as the need for oil lubrication for effective operation and to prevent corrosion and rust. Over time, lubrication decreases due to use and weather conditions such as rain, and unless the chain is re-lubricated, the chain will rust or corrode and will make more noise and even squeak. Oil lubrication can collect dirt, which can damage the rider's clothing, living space and skin. Another problem with chain roller type chains is that the rider's clothing can easily get caught or dragged into the interface between the teeth of the driven and driving sprockets and the chain. To address the drawbacks of oily chains damaging the rider's clothing, living space and skin, and to prevent rain or dirt from collecting on the chain and the rider's clothing from getting stuck between the chain and sprocket, designers have adopted so-called chain guards to cover and enclose the entire chain drive. These protective chain guards have been in use for nearly 100 years and are well known. The key attribute that the designer of the protective chain guard must consider is to provide sufficient clearance between the inside of the protective guard and the chain so that the chain does not contact the protective chain guard during normal operation, which contact will produce unacceptable noise, such as clanking or rattling. The width and height of the chain are critical because it determines the minimum size and shape of the protective chain guard. It is most generally considered to be a key practical and commercial benefit and expectation that the protective chain guard is designed to be as small and compact as possible so that it does not protrude beyond the outer chain periphery when viewed from the side. The protective chain guard must also allow access to the chain for replacement or repair, so they are usually composed of an inner half and an outer half, which are usually joined together at the center line of the chain when viewed from the top of the bicycle. There is also usually an overlap at the joint between the two halves of the chain guard to keep out water and oil. The disadvantage of this overlap is that the thickness of the chain guard wall portion is roughly doubled, so the chain guard needs to be larger than the outer circumference of the chain drive when viewed from the side. Some chain guards focus only on preventing the rider's clothing from becoming trapped in the chain and sprockets, and therefore only cover the area of ​​the chain facing the drive sprocket and pedal crank assembly. These guards also usually consist of only a single outer chain guard.

[0003] Over the past 50 years, there have been many attempts to address the shortcomings of bicycle roller chains by adopting non-metallic toothed belt drives instead of conventional metal chain roller chains. Toothed belt drives have been successfully used in automotive engine timing applications, medical fields and food processing industries. A key advantage of toothed belt drives is that they do not require any lubrication, so they will not damage the rider's clothing, skin or living space. Another advantage of toothed belt drives is that they produce less noise than metal roller chains. Toothed belt drives are made as a continuous endless loop without chain links and are made of various types of materials such as rubber embedded with high-strength fibers (such as nylon, carbon fiber or aramid) to transmit power. This means that toothed belt drives are manufactured to specific lengths and require a mechanism for adjusting the belt tension when fitted to the attached driven belt sprocket. The flexibility, weight and power transmission capabilities of belt drives have improved significantly in the past decade, and toothed belt drives are now able to approach the efficiency of bicycle chain roller chains, and more and more pedal-operated bicycles are equipped with belt drives. However, for the field of pedal-operated bicycles, such as bicycles, belt drives have certain disadvantages compared to chain roller chains. To operate effectively, belt drives must operate within narrow tolerances of tension and alignment, and therefore, all bicycle frames require a mechanism to adjust the belt tension because the belt will wear during its life, and the bicycle frame must be strong enough to resist twisting, which can cause the belt to operate unreliably or shorten its service life. Adjustment mechanisms are well known and understood, and are generally of the so-called eccentric bottom bracket type or the so-called horizontal slotted rear dropout type. A significant disadvantage of the eccentric bottom bracket type adjustment is that the position of the axis of the front drive sprocket varies vertically and front-to-back. This can cause alignment problems along the upper and lower belt lines where there are vertical space constraints. These two methods of adjusting belt tension are the most widely used, and the tension can be changed by simply lengthening or shortening the distance between the pedal input drive sprocket axis and the rear wheel driven sprocket axis. Another less common type of belt drive tension adjustment is the well-known so-called idler system, such as found in automotive timing belt applications. Typically, the belt tension is occasionally adjusted during hundreds of miles of use.

[0004] Another disadvantage of belt drives is that they are wider than chain roller type chains. This can be problematic for designers because the critical so-called "chain line" of a bicycle needs to be carefully considered so that there is adequate spacing between the belt and the rear tire, frame, pedal cranks and gear components, and also positioned for ergonomic and efficient, comfortable pedal crank operation.

[0005] Belt drives do not work well with multi-speed derailleur gear systems because they are not laterally compliant, they are fixed length, and require precise tension to operate effectively. Therefore, all belt-driven pedal bikes are limited to single-speed systems or employ the well-known multi-speed rear internal hub gear systems or internal gear systems located on the front pedal cranks, such as the German-made Pinion TM Brand bicycle gearbox. These internal gear systems operate with a constant and fixed so-called "chain line".

[0006] Bicycles equipped with belt drives have the additional complexity and disadvantages associated with securing a flat tire to the rear drive wheel, as removing the rear wheel requires releasing and re-adjusting the belt tension as part of the process. While well understood, the process of re-adjusting the belt tension and wheel alignment is complex and time consuming.

[0007] Belt drives also suffer from the same problem as chain roller chains, namely that the rider's clothing can become trapped between the belt and sprockets. While belt drives are becoming increasingly popular, designers have not widely addressed this major drawback by adding a protective belt cover. The primary reason for this is that the conventional design of protective belt drive covers used on chain roller chain bicycles becomes too large and bulky to be commercially attractive due to the greater width of the belt compared to chain roller chain. The need to join the covers with overlapping joints also increases the size of the covers and has the disadvantage of water being trapped inside the covers. In addition, joined enclosed covers can generate more noise than open covers. Furthermore, because the recognized best practice for maintaining and adjusting critical belt tension is to change the distance between the front drive pedal crank sprocket axis and the rear driven wheel sprocket axis through the well-known eccentric bottom bracket adjustment or horizontal slotted rear dropout adjustment, more clearance must be designed into the protective belt cover to account for the maximum possible center distance of the sprockets and provide sufficient clearance between the interior of the protective belt cover and the belt. This results in a protective belt cover that is larger than conventional protective chain guards and is generally considered to be undesirable to the rider, visually bulky and unattractive, adds undesirable cost, and adds undesirable weight.

[0008] Within the realm of belt-driven bicycles, the vast majority of these bicycles employ a frame design that facilitates rotatable mounting of the front and rear wheels, such that the wheels are typically attached to the bicycle frame at two fixed points, one on each side of a non-rotating hub axle, via a fork-shaped frame member. The primary reason why designers choose to double-mount the rear wheel on belt-driven bicycles is that this arrangement provides for the well-known mounting of conventional bicycle planetary hub gear systems, and also provides sufficient rigidity to resist twisting of the rear wheel axle for reliable operation of the belt drive. For example, the well-known Gates TM The brand of bicycle belt drive allows a recommended maximum rear axle twist of 0.3 degrees.

[0009] A disadvantage of conventional dual-mounted wheel bicycle frames is that they do not allow for the fixing of a flat tire while the wheel remains mounted on the bicycle. In order to effectively access the tire and inner tube, or to replace the tire and inner tube, the wheel must be removed from the bicycle frame. Removing the front wheel on a conventional dual-mounted wheel bicycle frame using the so-called quick release skewers that are well known and understood is relatively straightforward and does not typically involve getting grease on the user's hands. However, removing the rear wheel of a dual-mounted wheel bicycle is typically a more complex, messy and cumbersome operation, resulting in the user's hands or clothing becoming soiled with oil or dirt from the rear derailleur gear and chain system. There is an added complication of ensuring that the brake system is released to remove the wheel and then safely readjusted after the wheel is reinstalled on the frame. On conventional dual-mounted wheel bicycle frames that employ a rear wheel bicycle planetary multi-speed gear hub, the user is typically required to use a so-called "horizontal rear dropout" or eccentric bottom bracket adjustment arrangement to adjust the chain or belt tension, which adds to the complication.

[0010] For a double-sided mounted wheel frame design, which has a rear wheel frame triangle having a conventional diamond frame arrangement and is designed to operate using a belt drive system rather than a roller chain, the rear wheel frame needs to be able to be separated or split in the area of ​​the rear triangle so that the belt removed from and installed to the front pedal crank assembly and rear wheel sprocket cannot be separated like a roller chain.

[0011] Another disadvantage of the double-sided mounted wheel frame design is apparent when fitted to a folding bicycle having a folding hinge mechanism that positions the front and rear wheels in a coaxial configuration when folded. The double-sided mounted wheel frame increases the width of the folding bicycle at the folding wheel axle, making the outer shell of the folding bicycle packaging larger and more cumbersome, which is undesirable.

[0012] There have been some attempts to combine the advantages of belt-driven bicycles and single-sided mounted wheels. A well-known example is the Strida TM Folding bikes. Although some Strida TM Bicycle models have multi-speed planetary gear systems mounted coaxially with the pedal crank assembly axis, but most of them are single-speed configurations, and none have a multi-speed planetary gear system mounted coaxially with the rear wheel. The disadvantages of a multi-speed planetary gear system mounted coaxially with the pedal crank assembly axis are high cost, high weight, and, except for the Pinion TM Gear systems with two or three gears are limited to a total gear ratio of usually less than 200%. TM The bike uses the well-known and well-understood eccentric bottom bracket arrangement to adjust belt tension.TM The rear frame configuration uses a non-cantilevered triangle arrangement - essentially one side of a traditional rear triangle of a conventional diamond-tube bicycle frame. While this configuration provides efficient positioning of the rear wheel assembly vertically and longitudinally, the Strida TM The disadvantage of a non-cantilever rear frame configuration is that it has very low torsional and lateral stiffness. TM The cross-sectional area of ​​the rear triangle frame structure pipes is relatively small. Summary of the invention

[0013] According to one aspect, there is a pedal-driven bicycle comprising: a cantilever frame member coupled to a power input sprocket and a driven sprocket; a belt drive connecting the power input sprocket to the driven sprocket; a side-mounted rear wheel releasably coupled to a multi-speed gear hub coaxial with the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the multi-speed gear hub is coupled to the driven sprocket; and

[0014] a tension adjustment mechanism coupling the driven sprocket to the cantilever frame member, the tension adjustment mechanism being slidably movable along at least a portion of the cantilever frame member to adjust tension in the belt drive, and comprising a first member and a second member disposed on opposite sides of the cantilever frame member and clamped to the cantilever frame member.

[0015] The novel and inventive solution to this problem combining the advantages of a belt drive system, a multi-speed planetary hub gear mounted coaxially with the rear wheel axis, and a single-sided mounted wheel is a unique bicycle design utilizing a rear single-sided cantilevered frame member having a new and novel means for adjusting belt tension, having a structurally optimized shape to maximize torsional and lateral stiffness, and means for mounting a multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear coaxially with the rear wheel axis, and a single-sided mounted rear wheel.

[0016] By the phrase "side mounted" we mean mounted on a single side, eg on a single side only.

[0017] The innovative new design of the rear single-sided cantilever frame member adopts a shape that generally closely follows the upper and lower belt lines to prevent the rider from pinching his clothing or body parts between the belt and sprocket. A unique feature of the present invention is that the cross-sectional shape of the rear single-sided cantilever frame member is maximized (i.e., largest) as it passes through the vertical plane intersecting the pedal crank assembly, the upper and lower belt lines, and the rear wheel assembly to produce optimal stiffness and strength characteristics while still maintaining minimum clearance spacing between the components.

[0018] The present invention allows free access to the wheel and tire, thereby providing convenient access for fixing a flat tire without removing the wheel from the bicycle frame, eliminating the need to release and readjust the belt tension and realign the rear drive wheel. The present invention also allows the rear wheel to be removed without the need to affect or readjust the belt tension. The present invention also allows the belt to be installed or replaced without requiring the frame to have a detachable link or joint feature.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a rear single-sided cantilever frame member that is uniformly a part of the front frame member, which has an integral structure of similar material type, preferably constructed using a well-known and understood composite fiber resin molding process. Similarly, the present invention can have an integral structure of similar material type, which is constructed using methods such as well-known and understood aluminum hydroforming and welding processes, or is generally constructed into two vertical halves and connected together using bolts or other fasteners or seam welds. The construction method can be a well-known and understood metal injection or die casting process or a metal forming or pressing process. The invention shown includes a single-sided mounted wheel with a unique integral cantilever spoke design to accommodate a rear disc brake system with sufficient clearance and a means for rotatably mounting a multi-speed planetary hub gear mounted coaxially with the rear wheel axis.

[0020] The present invention utilizes a novel arrangement for adjusting belt tension which desirably includes an arrangement of adjustment screws for setting belt tension and a clamping arrangement of a torque arm and a rear hub gear main bearing housing secured to the rear single-sided cantilever frame member by torque arm housing retaining bolts.

[0021] An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member having a shape that substantially follows the upper and lower belt lines and extends front to back to the front and rear sprockets while providing sufficient clearance to protect the user's clothing or body parts from being caught between the belt and the sprockets. The slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member may include a variation in cross-sectional shape when passing through a vertical plane intersecting the pedal crank assembly, the upper and lower belt lines, and the rear wheel assembly to further enhance the overlap of the belt to increase the level of protection against clothing or body parts being caught between the belt and the sprockets.

[0022] Another alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a rear single-sided cantilever rear frame member pivotally mounted to the front frame member and controlled by a spring member to provide suspension of the rear wheel and provide a higher level of comfort for the rider.

[0023] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a rear single-sided cantilevered rear frame member connected to the front frame member by a well-known and understood folding hinge assembly to allow the present invention to be folded into a more compact size for storage or transportation, wherein the folding hinge assembly is positioned so that after the present invention is folded, the front wheel assembly axis and the rear wheel assembly axis are substantially coaxially positioned.

[0024] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a rear single-sided cantilever rear frame member having a pedal crank motor assembly of the type of motors well known and understood capable of transmitting torque and power from the rear single-sided cantilever rear frame member to the pedal crank assembly.

[0025] Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a front motor assembly mounted coaxially with the front wheel assembly. The front motor assembly is a well known and understood type of electric motor that utilizes a planetary reduction gear system having a unique and novel mounting arrangement suitable for a single-sided mounted front wheel assembly.

[0026] At least a portion of the cantilevered frame member may be offset from the front-rear centerline of the pedal-powered bicycle.

[0027] The pedal-driven bicycle may also include a gear hub housing coupled to the cantilever frame member, retaining the multi-speed gear hub between the rear wheel and the belt drive, such that the belt drive is removable without removing the side-mounted rear wheel, and the side-mounted rear wheel is removable without removing or adjusting the belt drive.

[0028] The multi-speed gear hub may be retained in the gear hub housing by one or more bearings.

[0029] The multi-speed gear hub may be a planetary gear hub.

[0030] The pedal-driven bicycle may also include a torque arm for transmitting torque from the multi-speed gear hub to the cantilever frame member. The tension adjustment mechanism may be adjustable by one or more adjustment screws.

[0031] The first member may include an adjustment screw.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, the second member may include an adjustment screw.

[0033] The second member may be a torque arm.

[0034] The cantilever frame member may include a slot to receive the tension adjustment mechanism.

[0035] The pedal bicycle may also include an eccentric bottom bracket tension adjustment system.

[0036] The cantilever frame member may be shaped to curve around the tire of the side-mounted rear wheel.

[0037] The primary structural load path for the cantilever frame member may be in the plane that intersects the belt drive.

[0038] The cross-sectional area of ​​the cantilever frame member may be maximized (ie, largest) in the plane that intersects the belt drive.

[0039] The cross-sectional area of ​​the cantilever frame member in a plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear centerline of the pedal-driven bicycle can be maximized (ie, largest) at the point of minimum clearance with the side-mounted rear wheel.

[0040] The clearance between the tire of the side-mounted rear wheel and the cantilever frame member may be between 2 mm and 15 mm.

[0041] The clearance between the cantilever frame member and the pedal crank assembly of a pedal-driven bicycle may be between 2 mm and 15 mm.

[0042] The cantilever frame member may have a side profile that substantially conforms to a side profile of the belt drive along at least a portion of its length of travel.

[0043] The clearance between the cantilevered frame member and the belt drive may be between 0.5 mm and 12 mm along at least a major part of the stroke length of the belt drive.

[0044] The cantilever frame member may include a lip projecting in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the lip is adjacent to the first side edge of the belt drive.

[0045] The pedal-driven bicycle may further include a second lip protruding in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the second lip may be adjacent to a second side edge of the belt drive.

[0046] A cantilever frame member is pivotally coupled to a front frame member of the pedal-driven bicycle.

[0047] The pedal-driven bicycle may also include a spring member connected to the cantilever frame member and the front frame member to provide rear wheel suspension.

[0048] The gear hub may be arranged to receive a brake rotor.

[0049] The side-mounted rear wheel may include cantilevered spokes. The cantilevered spokes may be formed from a single piece of material. Additionally or alternatively, the spokes may be curved so that the rim of the side-mounted rear wheel is aligned with the centerline of the pedal-driven bicycle and the hub of the side-mounted rear wheel is offset from the centerline of the pedal-driven bicycle. The spokes may be non-triangular spokes.

[0050] A pedal-driven bicycle may also include a motor capable of transmitting torque to the pedal crank assembly.

[0051] The pedal-driven bicycle may also include a motor mounted coaxially with the wheel. The motor may be mounted coaxially with the front wheel.

[0052] The pedal-driven bicycle may also include a hinge for folding the pedal-driven bicycle.

[0053] The belt drive may be a non-metallic belt drive.

[0054] There may be only one drive sprocket, and / or there may be only one driven sprocket. The belt drive may go around only the drive and driven sprockets. This means there may be no rollers or roller / rotatable tensioners. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Examples of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0056] Figure 1 A side view of a belt-driven bicycle with a side-mounted wheel is shown;

[0057] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A perspective view of a side mounted belt driven rear wheel frame system of a belt driven bicycle;

[0058] Figure 3 A top cross-sectional view of the side-mounted belt-driven rear wheel frame system is shown;

[0059] Figure 4 A side view of the side-mounted belt-driven rear wheel frame system is shown;

[0060] Figure 5 A perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a side mounted belt driven rear wheel frame system having a slotted rear single sided cantilever frame member is shown;

[0061] Figure 6 shows a top cross-section of an alternative embodiment of a side-mounted belt-driven rear wheel frame system having a slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member;

[0062] Figure 7 A side view of an alternative embodiment of a side mounted belt driven rear wheel frame system having a slotted rear single sided cantilever frame member is shown;

[0063] Figure 8 shows a vertical front section view taken through the point of minimum clearance between the rear tire and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member;

[0064] Fig. 9 shows a vertical front section view of another alternative embodiment taken through the point of minimum clearance between the rear tire and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member;

[0065] Fig.10 A perspective view showing a further alternative embodiment of a side mounted belt driven rear wheel frame system having a pivoting rear single sided cantilever frame member;

[0066] Fig.11 A perspective view of an embodiment of a folding bicycle having a rear single-sided cantilever frame member is shown;

[0067] Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A side view of an embodiment;

[0068] Fig.13 Shows Fig.11 A perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in a folded state;

[0069] Fig.14 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a bicycle having a side mounted belt driven rear wheel frame system with a pedal crank motor assembly mounted thereto;

[0070] Fig.15 Shows Fig.14 A perspective view of the pedal crank assembly and pedal crank motor of the illustrated embodiment;

[0071] Fig.16 Shown along Fig.14 A vertical front cross-sectional view of a pedal crank motor assembly taken along the axis of the pedal crank assembly and the axis of the pedal crank motor;

[0072] Fig.17 is a right side perspective view of another embodiment of a belt driven bicycle with a side mounted wheel, the wheel being equipped with a front fork assembly and a front motor assembly; and,

[0073] Fig.18 Shows Fig.17 A vertical cross-sectional view of the front motor assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Figure 1 A first embodiment is shown which includes a belt driven bicycle 1 with a side mounted wheel with a side mounted belt driven rear wheel frame system 96 .

[0075] like Figure 2, the illustrated embodiment includes a pedal crank assembly 4 having a front sprocket 5 to engage with a belt 3 and rotatably mounted to a rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2. The rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 is formed to receive a torque arm 9 and a rear hub gear main bearing housing 10, which are rigidly clamped by a torque arm housing fixing bolt 12. The torque arm 9 is formed to receive a multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15, which is fastened to the torque arm 9 by a hub gear torque fastener 16, so that the torque generated by the rotational input of the rear sprocket 6 and reacted through the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 and the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 is transferred from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to the torque arm 9. The rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 is formed to allow rotatable mounting of the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. Connected to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 on one side is the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7. The multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 is formed to receive the rear disc rotor 13 to engage with the rear disc brake caliper 14 to provide braking for the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 .

[0076] like Figure 3As shown, the torque arm 9 has a fixing for a belt tension adjustment bolt 11 to tension the belt 3 during adjustment. When the belt tension adjustment bolt 11 is turned, the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 and the torque arm 9 will move relative to the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and will change the distance between the rear wheel rotation axis 19 and the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20, thereby affecting the tension in the belt 3. After adjusting the tension of the belt 3, the torque arm 9 and the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 can be rigidly clamped on the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 by the torque arm housing fixing bolt 12. The rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 is formed to receive a multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly main bearing 18, which engages with the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to allow the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to rotate about the rear wheel rotation axis 19 and relative to the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10. The arrangement of the main bearing 18 of the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly may include only one bearing or multiple bearings and may be of deep groove ball, needle or angular contact type. The multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 forms a rigid mount for the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 with the rear wheel assembly fastener 17 so that torque transmitted from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 through the rear disc rotor 13 or the hub gear torque fastener 16 does not cause the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 to loosen from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. The arrangement of the attachment of the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 may also be of the threaded or splined variety, or may be pinned or formed as a uniform continuous component, such as by plastic injection overmolding, or the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 may be fused or bonded to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. The rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 has a cantilevered spoke 91, which is shaped in a generally cantilevered arrangement to provide space for the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 and the rear disc rotor 13. The structural nature of the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 and the torque arm 9 can be metal or composite molded or investment cast or cast or CNC machined. The rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 is formed to extend rearward from the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20 and reach one side of the bicycle centerline 97 between the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the pedal crank assembly 4 so that a minimum clearance is observed between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and between the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and the pedal crank assembly 4 to maximize the structural rigidity of the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2. The minimum clearance between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and between the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and the pedal crank assembly 4 is between 2 and 15 mm.The rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 may also be formed so that the torque arm 9 and rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 are integrally and rigidly bonded or uniformly connected as a unit and are capable of receiving a well-known and understood eccentric bottom bracket for mounting a pedal crank assembly 4 to adjust the tension of the belt 3.

[0077] Figure 4 A right side view of the illustrated embodiment is shown, which includes a pedal crank assembly 4 having a front sprocket 5 to engage with the belt 3 and rotatably mounted to the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2. It can be seen that the shape of the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 is contained within the perimeter of the belt 3, with the primary structural load path running between the upper and lower belt runs. The cantilever frame member 2 is shaped to have a profile that substantially matches the profile of the belt 3 for a portion of the belt 3 so as to maximize the cross-sectional area of ​​the cantilever frame member 2 in a plane intersecting the upper and lower runs of the belt 3. The shape nature of the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 when mated with the torque arm 9 can be seen to be generally parallel to the torque arm 9 and parallel to the bicycle centerline 97, so that if the torque arm housing fixing bolt 12 is loosened, the torque arm 9 can slide relative to the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2, thereby changing the distance between the rear sprocket 6 and the front sprocket 5 to change the tension of the belt 3. The rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 is shown having features for rigidly mounting a rear disc brake caliper 14 to the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 .

[0078] Figure 5 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment. The alternative embodiment has a pedal crank assembly 4 having a front sprocket 5 to engage with the belt 3 and rotatably mounted to a slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24. The slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is formed to receive a slotted torque arm 22 and a slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23, which are rigidly clamped to the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 by slotted belt tension fasteners 25. The slotted torque arm 22 is formed to receive a multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15, which is fastened to the slotted torque arm 22 by a hub gear torque fastener 16, so that torque generated by the rotational input of the rear sprocket 6 and reacted through the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 and the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 is transferred from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to the slotted torque arm 22. The slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23 is formed to allow for rotatable mounting of the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. Connected to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 on one side is the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7. The multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 is formed to receive the rear disc rotor 13 to engage with the rear disc brake caliper 14, thereby providing braking for the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7.

[0079] like Figure 6As shown, the slotted torque arm 22 has a fixing for the belt tension adjustment bolt 11 to tension the belt 3 during adjustment. After the slotted belt tension fastener 25 is loosened, the belt tension adjustment bolt 11 can be rotated to move the slotted torque arm 22 and the slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23 relative to the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 through the belt tension adjustment slot 26 to change the distance between the rear wheel rotation axis 19 and the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20, thereby affecting the tension in the belt 3. After adjusting the tension of the belt 3, the slotted torque arm 22 and the slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23 can be rigidly clamped on the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 by tightening the slotted belt tension fastener 25. The slotted rear wheel hub gear main bearing housing 23 is formed to receive the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly main bearing 18, which engages with the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to allow the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to rotate about the rear wheel rotation axis 19 and relative to the slotted rear wheel hub gear main bearing housing 23. The arrangement of the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly main bearing 18 can include only one bearing 18 or multiple bearings 18, and can be deep groove ball, needle or angular contact type. The multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 is formed for rigidly mounting the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 with the rear wheel assembly fastener 17, so that the torque from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 transmitted to the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 through the rear disc rotor 13 or the hub gear torque fastener 16 will not cause the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 to loosen from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. The arrangement of the attachment of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 may also be of the threaded or splined variety, or pinned or formed as a uniform continuous component, such as by plastic injection overmolding, or fusing or bonding the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. The rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 has a cantilevered spoke 91 shaped in a generally cantilevered arrangement to provide space for the slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23 and the rear disc rotor 13. The structural nature of the slotted torque arm 22 and the slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23 may be metal or composite molded or investment cast or cast or CNC machined. The slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is formed to extend rearwardly from the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20 and reach one side of the bicycle centerline 97 between the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the pedal crank assembly 4, so that a minimum gap is observed between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 and between the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 and the pedal crank assembly 4 to maximize the structural rigidity of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24.The minimum clearance between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and between the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 2 and the pedal crank assembly 4 is between 2 and 15 mm.

[0080] Figure 7 A right side view of an alternative embodiment is shown. It can be seen that the shape of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is contained within the perimeter of the belt 3, with the primary structural load path running between the upper and lower belt runs. The rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 has a shape that closely follows the belt 3, with a minimum belt gap 29 to reduce the risk of a rider's clothing or body parts being caught between the belt 3 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 and between the belt 3 and the front sprocket 5 and between the belt 3 and the rear sprocket 6. This shape also maximizes the cross-sectional area of ​​the rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 in a plane intersecting the upper and lower runs of the belt 3. The size of the belt gap 29 may range from 0.5 to 12 mm. The shape of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 can also closely follow the shape of the front sprocket 5 and the shape of the rear sprocket 6 to prevent the rider's clothing or body parts from being caught between the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 and the front sprocket 5 and between the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 and the rear sprocket 6. The interface properties of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 when mated with the slotted torque arm 22 are generally parallel to the bicycle centerline 97, so if the slotted belt tension fastener 25 is loosened, the slotted torque arm 22 can slide relative to the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24, thereby changing the distance between the rear sprocket 6 and the front sprocket 5 to change the tension in the belt 3. The rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 is shown with features for rigidly mounting the rear disc brake caliper 14 to the rear hub gear main bearing housing 10.

[0081] Figure 8 A vertical front section view taken through the minimum clearance point between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is shown. The shape of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is maximized to minimize the clearance between the pedal crank assembly 4 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24, between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24, between the upper belt 30 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24, and between the lower belt 31 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24. The belt clearance 29 can be 0.5 to 12 mm. The shape of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is optimized to provide a high degree of rotational stiffness within the constraints of the upper belt 30, the lower belt 31, the pedal crank assembly 4 and the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7.

[0082] Fig. 9A vertical front cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is shown, the cross-sectional view being taken through the point of minimum clearance between the tire of the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24. The slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 is shaped to partially overlap the upper belt 30 and the lower belt 31 to provide protection for the rider's clothing or body parts from being pinched between the upper belt 30 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24 and between the lower belt 31 and the slotted rear single-sided cantilever frame member 24. The slotted shape in the cantilever frame member is provided by a lip protruding in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the side-mounted rear wheel, which is adjacent to a first side edge of the belt drive, and a second lip protruding in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the side-mounted rear wheel, which is adjacent to a second side edge of the belt drive.

[0083] Fig.10 is another alternative embodiment, comprising a pedal crank assembly 4 having a front sprocket 5 engaged with a belt 3 and rotatably mounted to a pivoting rear single-sided cantilever frame member 32. The pivoting rear single-sided cantilever frame member 32 is formed to receive a slotted rear hub gear main bearing housing 23 formed to allow rotatable mounting of a multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. Connected to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 on one side is a rear single-sided wheel assembly 7. The multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 is formed to receive a rear disc rotor 13 to engage with a rear disc brake caliper 14 to provide braking for the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7. The pivoting rear single-sided cantilever frame member 32 is pivotally mounted to a suspension front frame 34 through bushings or bearings and utilizing a shock absorber 33 to control movement of the pivoting rear single-sided cantilever frame member 32 relative to the suspension front frame 34. The purpose of this alternative embodiment is to provide a higher degree of comfort for the suspension and rider.

[0084] Fig.11is a further alternative embodiment, comprising a pedal crank assembly 4 having a front sprocket 5 engaged with a belt 3 and rotatably mounted to a folded rear single-sided cantilever frame member 35. The folded rear single-sided cantilever frame member 35 is formed to receive a torque arm 9 and a rear hub gear main bearing housing 10, which are rigidly clamped by a torque arm housing fixing bolt 12. The torque arm 9 is formed to receive a multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15, which is fastened to the torque arm 9 by a hub gear torque fastener 16, so that torque generated by the rotational input of the rear sprocket 6 and reacted through the gearing of the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 and the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7 is transferred from the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 to the torque arm 9. The rear hub gear main bearing housing 10 is formed to allow rotatable mounting of the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15. Connected to the multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 on one side is the rear single-sided mounted wheel assembly 7. The multi-speed bicycle planetary hub gear assembly 15 is formed to receive the rear disc rotor 13 to engage with the rear disc brake caliper 14 to provide braking for the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7. The folding rear single-sided cantilever frame member 35 is formed to receive the folding front frame 36 having a folding latch assembly 37. The folding rear single-sided cantilever frame member 35 is formed to receive the seat post 8.

[0085] Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A side view of yet another alternative embodiment is shown, illustrating the approximate location of the fold latch assembly 37 centered between the rear wheel location 92 and the front wheel location 93 and having a vertical fold hinge axis 94 .

[0086] Fig.13 yes Fig.11 A perspective side view of yet another alternative embodiment is shown, showing the embodiment in a folded configuration. The fold latch assembly 37 is shown in an open configuration, allowing the folding front frame 36 to pivot relative to the folding rear single-sided cantilever frame member 35 about the vertical fold hinge axis 94, resulting in the rear single-sided wheel assembly 7 and the front single-sided wheel assembly 64 being positioned side by side and coaxial with the rear wheel rotation axis 19.

[0087] Fig.14 1 is a left perspective view of a further alternative embodiment including a motor rear single side cantilever frame member 39 mounting a pedal crank motor assembly 40 which may be of the well known and understood motor and planetary gear and belt reduction ratio variety. The preferred embodiment of the pedal crank motor assembly 40 is shown in FIG. Fig.15 and 16 , however, the nature of the pedal crank motor assembly 40 and the nature of the cooperation of the pedal crank motor assembly 40 with the motor rear single-sided cantilever frame member 39 can be various well-known and understood bicycle pedal crank motor drive systems.

[0088] Fig.15 is a right side perspective view of a pedal crank motor assembly 40, including a pedal crank motor housing 48 connected to a pedal crank motor planetary gearbox ring gear housing 49, wherein a pedal crank motor planet carrier 53 is rotatably supported by a pedal crank motor planet carrier shaft output bearing 50 and a pedal crank motor planet carrier shaft end bearing 51. A motor belt 45 is rotatable about the pedal crank motor axis 41 and is connected to a motor belt output sprocket 47, wherein proper tension is controlled by a motor belt idler assembly 46. The motor belt output sprocket 47 is connected to the bottom bracket spindle 42 through a bottom bracket one-way clutch 44, which may be of the well-known and understood one-way sprag clutch bearing variety, such that the bottom bracket spindle 42 may freely and independently rotate in only one direction relative to the motor belt output sprocket 47. The bottom bracket spindle 42 is rotatable about the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20, and is supported by bottom bracket bearings 43 on either side of the motor belt output sprocket 47.

[0089] Fig.164 is a vertical cross-sectional elevation view of the pedal crank motor assembly 40 taken through the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20 and the pedal crank motor axis 41. The motor rear single-sided cantilever frame member 39 is formed to receive the pedal crank motor housing 48, which contains the pedal crank motor stator 59 and the pedal crank motor pinion outer bearing 62. The pedal crank motor magnet rotor 60 is assembled to the pedal crank motor pinion 58 and is rotatably supported by the front motor assembly 63 and the pedal crank motor pinion inner bearing 61 to engage with the pedal crank motor planetary gears 54. The pedal crank motor planetary gears 54 are connected to the pedal crank motor planetary carrier 53 by the pedal crank motor planetary shafts 55 and engage with the pedal crank motor planetary gearbox ring gear housing 49. The engagement arrangement of the components is a well-known and understood planetary gear reduction type. The pedal crank motor planet carrier 53 is rotatably supported by the pedal crank motor pinion inner bearing 61 through the pedal crank motor planet carrier shaft input bearing 57 fixed to the pedal crank motor planetary gearbox ring gear housing 49 and through the pedal crank motor planet carrier shaft output bearing 50 and the pedal crank motor planet carrier shaft end bearing 51. The rotational input from the pedal crank motor pinion 58 about the pedal crank motor axis 41 will cause the rotational speed of the pedal crank motor planet carrier 53 to be reduced from between two and ten to one. The pedal crank motor planet carrier 53 is mounted with a pedal crank motor belt input sprocket 52, which is engaged with the motor belt 45, which in turn is connected to the motor belt output sprocket 47, which provides a further so-called second-stage gear reduction from between two and ten to one. The so-called second-stage gear reduction can also be a planetary gear reduction type. The motor belt output sprocket 47 is connected to the bottom bracket spindle 42 through a bottom bracket one-way clutch 44, which may be of the well-known and understood one-way sprag clutch bearing variety, so that the bottom bracket spindle 42 can freely and independently rotate in only one direction relative to the motor belt output sprocket 47. The bottom bracket spindle 42 is rotatable about the pedal crank assembly rotation axis 20 and is supported by bottom bracket bearings 43 on either side of the motor belt output sprocket 47. The motor rear single-sided cantilever frame member 39 is formed to receive the bottom bracket bearings 43.

[0090] Fig.17 is a right side perspective view of another alternative embodiment of a belt driven bicycle including a side mounted wheel 1, the wheel being equipped with a front fork assembly 67 and a front motor assembly 63. The front motor assembly 63 can be a well known and understood type of electric motor that utilizes a planetary reduction gear system having a unique and novel mounting arrangement suitable for supporting a single side mounted front wheel assembly.

[0091] Fig.186 is a vertical cross-sectional front view of the front motor assembly 63, which includes a front motor planetary gearbox input flange 82 mounted to the front fork assembly 67 by glue, press fit, screw or bolt type fasteners, which is capable of receiving the front motor housing 68. The front motor housing 68 is formed to accommodate the front motor stator 69 and the front motor pinion inner bearing 72, which rotatably supports the front motor pinion 71, which is rigidly attached to the front motor magnet rotor 70. The front motor pinion 71 is rotatably supported by the front motor pinion outer bearing 73, which is connected to the front motor planet carrier 84, which is rotatably mounted to the front motor planet carrier inner bearing 86, which is received within the front motor planetary gearbox input flange 82. The front motor planetary carrier 84 supports the front motor planetary gear shaft 88 and the front motor planetary gear 85 in a well-known and understood planetary gear arrangement to mesh with the front motor pinion 71 and the front motor planetary gearbox ring gear 83, so that the output speed of the front motor planetary carrier 84 is reduced by between two and ten times relative to the input speed of the front motor pinion 71. The front motor planetary carrier 84 is further rotatably supported by the front motor planetary carrier outer bearing 87, which is received in the front motor planetary gearbox ring gear 83. The front motor planetary carrier 84 is rotatably connected to the front wheel hub outer 77 by a front motor one-way clutch 89, which can be a well-known and understood one-way sprag clutch, so that rotation of the front wheel hub outer 77 about the front wheel rotating assembly rotation axis 65 relative to the front motor planetary carrier 84 is only possible in one direction. The front single-sided wheel assembly 64 is rigidly mounted to the front wheel hub outer 77 on one side with the front wheel assembly fastener 66. The front wheel hub outer 77 is rotatably mounted to the front motor planetary gearbox ring gear 83 via the front wheel hub outer bearing 81, and is rigidly connected to the front wheel hub inner 76 via the front disc rotor fastener 79 that passes through the front disc rotor 78. The front wheel hub inner 76 is rotatably mounted to the front motor planetary gearbox input flange 82 via the front motor large wheel hub inner bearing 90. The front wheel brake caliper 98 is arranged around the front disc rotor 78 in a well-known manner to provide braking force for the front single-sided wheel assembly 64.

Claims

1. A pedal-driven bicycle, include: a cantilever frame member coupled to the power input sprocket and the driven sprocket; a belt drive connecting the power input sprocket to the driven sprocket; a single side-mounted rear wheel releasably coupled to a multi-speed gear hub coaxial with the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the multi-speed gear hub is coupled to the driven sprocket; and a tension adjustment mechanism coupling the driven sprocket to the cantilever frame member, the tension adjustment mechanism being slidably movable along at least a portion of the cantilever frame member to adjust tension in the belt drive, and comprising a gear hub housing and a torque arm, wherein the gear hub housing and the torque arm are disposed on opposite sides of the cantilever frame member and clamped to the cantilever frame member.

2. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cantilever frame member is offset from a front-to-rear centerline of the pedal-driven bicycle.

3. A pedal-driven bicycle according to claim 1 or claim 2, in, The gear hub housing holds the multi-speed gear hub between the rear wheel and the belt drive so that the belt drive is removable without removing the side-mounted rear wheel, and the side-mounted rear wheel is removable without removing or adjusting the belt drive.

4. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 3, wherein the multi-speed gear hub is retained in the gear hub housing by one or more bearings.

5. A pedal driven bicycle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the multi-speed gear hub is a planetary gear hub.

6. A pedal-driven bicycle according to claim 1 or claim 2, in, The torque arm is used to transfer torque from the multi-speed gear hub to the cantilevered frame member.

7. A pedal-driven bicycle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tension adjustment mechanism is adjustable by one or more adjustment screws.

8. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 7, wherein the gear hub housing includes an adjustment screw.

9. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 7, wherein the torque arm includes an adjustment screw.

10. A pedal-driven bicycle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cantilever frame member includes a slot to receive the tension adjustment mechanism.

11. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an eccentric bottom bracket tension adjustment system.

12. A pedal-driven bicycle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cantilever frame member is shaped to curve around the tire of the side-mounted rear wheel.

13. A pedal driven bicycle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the primary structural load path of the cantilevered frame member is in a plane that intersects the belt drive.

14. A pedal-driven bicycle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the cantilever frame member is greatest in a plane intersecting the belt drive.

15. A pedal-driven bicycle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the cantilever frame member in a plane perpendicular to the front-rear centerline of the pedal-driven bicycle is greatest at the point of minimum clearance with the side-mounted rear wheel.

16. A pedal-driven bicycle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lateral profile of the cantilevered frame member substantially conforms to the lateral profile of the belt drive along at least a portion of its travel length.

17. A pedal driven bicycle according to claim 16, wherein the clearance between the cantilever frame member and the belt drive is between 0.5 mm and 12 mm along at least part of the stroke length of the belt drive.

18. A pedal-driven bicycle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cantilever frame member includes a lip projecting in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the lip is adjacent to a first side edge of the belt drive.

19. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 18, further comprising a second lip protruding in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the side-mounted rear wheel, wherein the second lip is adjacent to a second side edge of the belt drive.

20. The pedal-driven bicycle of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a hinge for folding the pedal-driven bicycle.

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