Pedal rotating force strengthening device

Abstract

Provided is a pedal rotational force reinforcing device for efficiently transmitting leg force at low cost. A small gear is mounted on a pedal shaft, a shaft is arranged at the front end of the pedal, so that a movable pedal capable of being opened after being mounted on the shaft, and a rack gear capable of being meshed with the small gear through the shaft is hung in front of the lower portion of the movable pedal in advance. As a result, the opening and closing operation of the movable pedal during pedaling is generated in a ratchet mechanism between the rack gear and the pinion, and during meshing, the axial rotation of the front pedal is locked and the force point of the pedal moves from the axial center to the front end, thereby enhancing the rotational force. If the pedal rotational force reinforcing device is used in a bicycle, the bicycle can be driven lightly and forcefully only by replacing the pedal.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from a Japanese patent with an application date of August 10, 2023 and an application number of JP 2023-138437, and this application incorporates the entire text of the above Japanese patent application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a pedal for an article powered by leg strength, and particularly to a technology for a device that strengthens the rotational force of a pedal in a bicycle. Background Art

[0003] A bicycle is a simple moving unit that uses leg strength to step on pedals to rotate the wheels and move forward. It can be said to be the most environmentally friendly means of transportation in all aspects. However, because it uses physical strength, it is sometimes vulnerable to the influence of uphill slopes and headwinds during driving, and a technology that can travel more efficiently is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0004] [Technical Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] Conventionally, there has been a method of installing an internal or external gear in a bicycle and adjusting the gear according to muscle strength to travel comfortably. In the case of uphill slopes or headwinds, etc., the burden on the legs can be reduced by lowering the gear ratio. On the other hand, if you want to maintain speed, you must increase the rotation of the pedals. As a result, in order to achieve travel with a certain amount of exercise, speed must be sacrificed significantly.

[0006] In addition, there has been a method of forming a chain ring into an elliptical shape to efficiently transmit the pedaling force to the chain, but there are disadvantages such as discomfort caused by angle changes due to the position of the pedal during constant-speed travel and difficulty in shifting gears on the crank side.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to change the perspective in view of these problems, focus on the pedal that initially transmits leg strength, and provide a pedal rotational force strengthening device that is simple in structure, efficient, and durable at low cost by enhancing the rotational force only by replacing the pedal.

[0008] [Solutions for Solving Technical Problems]

[0009] To achieve the above object, in claim 1 of the present invention, in a pedal that uses leg strength as a power source, a pinion gear is installed on the pedal shaft, and a shaft is provided at the front end of the pedal to axially mount a movable pedal that is empowered to open rearward. A rack gear that is empowered to engage with the pinion gear via a shaft is suspended in front of the lower part thereof in advance. Thus, a ratchet mechanism is generated between the rack gear and the pinion gear by the opening and closing action of the movable pedal during pedaling. During the meshing process, the rotation of the shaft of the front pedal is locked, so that the force point of the pedal moves from the axis to the front end, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

[0010] This is adding a rotational tracking function to the ratchet mechanism. In the case of a normal ratchet mechanism, as the crank makes a circular motion, the shaft of the pedal rotates while shifting. Therefore, if the ankle is not forced to follow this rotation, the ratchet pawl will instantly disengage from the gear and lose its function. However, in the present invention, during the period when the movable pedal is moved from the open state to the fully closed state by pedaling, the interlocking rack gear maintains its meshing state with the pinion in a form of tracking rotation and pushing backward, and within the rotational range of the crank of approximately half a turn where the pedaling force acts, the ratchet mechanism follows and functions.

[0011] In addition, in claim 2, a pinion is installed on the pedal shaft, and a shaft is provided at the rear end of the pedal to empower the movable pedal in a manner that it is axially mounted and opens forward. A rack gear that is empowered to mesh with the pinion via the shaft is suspended in front of the lower part thereof in advance, thereby enabling the strengthening of the rotational force.

[0012] This is a pedal stepping motion in the direction opposite to the front and rear of the pedal, but the ratchet mechanism functions in the same way and can obtain almost the same effect. In addition, in this case, since the front end of the movable pedal is released, if this part is extended, the rotational force can be easily enhanced.

[0013] [Advantages of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention focuses on the axial force and torque of the crank = pedaling force × length of the crank, and pursues efficient pedaling. Assuming that the pedaling force is 200 N and the length of the crank is 0.17 m, when the distance between the pedal shaft and the movable pedal shaft is 0.04 m, the normal torque is 200 N × 0.17 m = 34 N·m. In contrast, the torque of the present invention is 200 N × (0.17 m + 0.04 m) = 42 N·m. Therefore, in terms of calculation, it is equivalent to strengthening the torque by approximately 24%.

[0015] This calculation is performed at the position where it is easiest to transmit the pedaling force in the part where the pedal is stepped forward 90 degrees from the top dead center. Based on this alone, it is not possible to determine the degree of the effect. By making the ratchet mechanism follow the rotation of the pedal shaft and continuously exerting this effect within a range of approximately half a turn, the continuous strengthening of this torque is the root cause of weakening the rotation of the pedal. Therefore, in the case of conventional low-speed gears, compared with normal driving, the forward distance for one rotation of the crank becomes shorter. However, in this device, the forward distance for one rotation of the crank remains unchanged and the weakening effect can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to achieve driving while suppressing physical fatigue while maintaining a fixed pedaling frequency.

[0016] In addition, for all mechanisms that use leg power, the effect can be easily achieved by simply replacing the pedals, which is another advantage and purpose. If used for a bicycle, of course, it can be driven lightly and powerfully. If used for a bicycle with gears, the frequency of gear changes is reduced. If used for an electric bicycle, the driving distance per charge can be extended by adjusting the assist ratio. If used for a human-powered aircraft, the flight distance can also be extended. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view showing a shaft portion of a pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is an exploded perspective view showing the movable pedal portion in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view showing the main body portion of the pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a front view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a left side view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a bottom view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 It is an AA cross-sectional view which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention.

[0025] Figure 9 It is a left side view showing the trajectory of the pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 10 It is a left side view showing the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 1 Pedal body

[0029] 1a Pedal shaft insertion hole

[0030] 1b Large bearing

[0031] 1c Small bearing

[0032] 1d Pedal axle hole

[0033] 1e Counterweight fixing hole

[0034] 1f Adjusting threaded hole

[0035] 1g Pedal sliding contact groove

[0036] 1h Meshing opening part

[0037] 1i Shaft cover

[0038] 2 Pedal shaft

[0039] 2a Pedal mounting threaded part

[0040] 2b Spline convex part

[0041] 2c Retaining ring groove

[0042] 2d Shaft fixing threaded part

[0043] 2e Shaft fixing nut

[0044] 3 Pinion

[0045] 3a Spline concave part

[0046] 3b Retaining ring

[0047] 4 Movable pedal

[0048] 4a Reinforcing plate shaft hole part

[0049] 4b Reinforcing plate rack shaft hole part

[0050] 4c Anti-slip hole

[0051] 5 Pedal shaft

[0052] 5a Retaining ring groove

[0053] 5b Retaining ring

[0054] 6 Pedal spring

[0055] 6a Adjusting screw

[0056] 7 Rack and pinion

[0057] 7a Arm part

[0058] 7b Arm shaft hole part

[0059] 8 Arc-shaped rack and pinion

[0060] 9 Rack shaft

[0061] 9a Retaining ring groove

[0062] 9b Retaining ring

[0063] 10 Rack spring

[0064] 11 Stop

[0065] 12 Counterweight

[0066] 13 Fixed threaded hole

[0067] 14 Fixed screw

[0068] 15 Reflector position

[0069] 16 Crank

[0070] 17 Locus of the pedal shaft

[0071] 18 Locus of the force point of this pedal Detailed implementation manners

[0072] In the present invention, the pedals are symmetric left and right and are in a set of left and right. Therefore, the implementation manner of the right pedal will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0073] [Embodiment 1]

[0074] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. This device is generally composed of a pedal main body 1 and a stepped movable pedal 4. A small gear 3 is installed at the center of the pedal shaft 2 of the pedal main body 1, and a counterweight 12 is installed behind the small gear. A rack gear 7 that is energized rearward via a rack shaft 9 by a rack spring 10 is suspended in front of the lower part of the movable pedal 4. And, their front ends are energized toward the open side and axially installed by a pedal shaft 5 and a pedal spring 6, whereby the gears are engaged with each other, and at the same time, the movable pedal 4 can be opened and closed in the direction of the dotted arrow.

[0075] In addition, this energizing means is a mechanism for resetting the gears when the stepping force is removed, and it can also be a method in which an elastic body such as rubber or a leaf spring exists in the narrow-angle space where the movable pedal 4 intersects with the pedal main body 1. Moreover, it can also be a method in which the sole can be detachably attached to the movable pedal 4 like a fixed pedal, or the sole with an iron piece attached is magnetically adsorbed by replacing it with a magnet installed on the movable pedal 4, and the gears are reset by lifting the foot.

[0076] The key point of this device is to make the ratchet mechanism follow the rotation of the pedal shaft, and the opening and closing movement of the movable pedal 4 is linked to the rotation of the crank 16 that rotates when a stepping force is applied. During the period when this pedal moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rack gear 7 is pressed down, and it rotates following the displacement of the small gear 3 and is pushed backward, resulting in a state where the axial rotation of the pedal in the front is locked at the ankle angle during normal pedaling. Then, during the period from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the rack gear 7 that has lost the stepping force is bounced off by the rotation of the small gear 3 and idles while lifting up, returning to its original state. Repeating this series of actions can continuously obtain a damping effect.

[0077] Also, as a method for continuously generating this effect, it is only necessary to make the period from the reset state to the fully closed state of the movable pedal 4 coincide with the range where the stepping force effectively acts. Therefore, the range where the stepping force effectively acts can be set to a maximum of approximately half of the rotation amount of the crank 16. Thus, the number of teeth of the rack gear 7 can be set to any number less than half of the number of teeth of the pinion 3.

[0078] In addition, the rack gear 7 is a mechanism that self - engages when a stepping force is applied and starts to mesh with the pinion 3, and conversely, disengages from the pinion 3 instantaneously when the stepping force is lost. This structure is achieved by offsetting the fulcrum of the rack gear 7 suspended from the movable pedal 4 from the tooth row side. Therefore, the rack gear 7 is formed in an L - shape with an arm portion 7a. However, when the fulcrum of the rack gear 7 is not offset from the tooth row side and is formed in a straight shape, it is necessary to strengthen the rack spring 10 to prevent the meshing portion from disengaging. On the contrary, there is a drawback that it is difficult to disengage during reset. In addition, the tooth row of the rack gear 7 can be formed in a straight shape or in a gently curved arc shape.

[0079] Figure 2 FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the shaft portion of the pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention. Considering strength and assembly aspects, the pedal shaft 2 tapers step - by - step from the pedal mounting thread portion 2a side towards the end. And the assembly steps are as follows: During the process of inserting it between the large bearing 1b and the small bearing 1c shown by the dotted line arranged on the pedal body 1 side, temporarily engage the spline recess 3a of the pinion 3 with the spline protrusion 2b at the center of the shaft at the meshing opening 1h. After inserting and fixing the snap ring 3b into the snap ring groove 2c, pass the shaft fixing thread portion 2d through the small bearing 1c and then perform shaft installation using two shaft fixing nuts 2e.

[0080] In addition, the material of the pedal shaft 2 or the pinion 3 is preferably an alloy steel material such as chrome - molybdenum steel or stainless steel, which has strength and corrosion resistance. Also, if the outer diameter of the pinion 3 is made less than or equal to the inner diameter of the large bearing 1b, and the pinion 3 is integrally processed on the pedal shaft 2 itself, etc., then the shaft can be simply assembled from one side. The meshing opening 1h becomes smaller, the strength of the main body is improved, the rack gear 7 is also miniaturized, the opening angle of the movable pedal 4 becomes smaller, and these balances are improved, enabling lightweight and miniaturization including the counterweight 12.

[0081] Figure 3FIG. 0 is an exploded perspective view showing the movable pedal portion in the first embodiment of the present invention. In front of the lower part of the movable pedal 4, a row of reinforcing plate shaft hole portions 4a or reinforcing plate rack shaft hole portions 4b and a pair of pedal springs 6 are arranged. They are fitted into the row clearance of the pedal sliding contact groove 1g provided in the front of the pedal main body 1. The pedal shaft 5 shown by a dotted line is passed through, and the snap ring 5b is inserted into the snap ring groove 5a and axially installed, thereby assembling it in an openable and closable manner. In addition, the rack gear 7 has an inclination at the front end so as to be able to idle during the reverse rotation of the pedal. The rack shaft 9 can be passed through the arm shaft hole portion 7b where the rack spring 10 is placed between the pair of reinforcing plate rack shaft hole portions 4b. The snap ring 9b is inserted into the snap ring groove 9a and axially installed, thereby suspending the rack gear 7 in a state of being energized backward, and thus the assembly is completed. In addition, the bearings of each small-diameter shaft hole are omitted in the figure, and sliding bearings or the like can also be installed as needed.

[0082] In addition, the material of the movable pedal 4 is preferably a lightweight and highly rigid substance such as aluminum alloy or fiber-reinforced resin. However, if the shape is elongated, iron, stainless steel, etc. can also be used. In addition, the rack gear 7, the rack shaft 9, and the pedal shaft 5 are preferably alloy steel materials with strength and corrosion resistance such as chrome molybdenum steel and stainless steel. In addition, the torsion spiral springs of the pedal spring 6 and the rack spring 10 are preferably stainless steel springs or spring materials with rust prevention treatment. In addition, the stopper 11 is a rack locking member and shock absorber fixedly provided above the rack gear 7, and is preferably an elastomer such as hard rubber or metal with rubber sandwiched, but springs or resins can also be used.

[0083] Figure 4 FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the main body portion of the pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention. A pedal sliding contact groove 1g that is connected to the pedal shaft hole 1d and matches the row of the reinforcing plate shaft hole portion 4a, etc. is formed at the front end of the pedal main body 1 to resist the lateral torsional buckling of the movable pedal 4. In addition, large bearings 1b and small bearings 1c formed by bearings or sliding bearings, etc. are arranged at both ends of the pedal shaft insertion through hole 1a. An adjustment screw 6a is installed in the adjustment threaded hole 1f provided in front of the large bearing 1b and the small bearing 1c. A structure in which the screw does not loosen is formed by hooking the pedal spring 6 on the hole and depression at the front end of the screw. And a reflector position 15 is provided behind the central engagement opening 1h, and a counterweight 12 is installed at the end of the reflector position 15. In addition, the material of the pedal main body 1 is preferably a lightweight and rigid substance such as aluminum alloy or fiber-reinforced resin.

[0084] The counterweight 12 is a device that facilitates placing the foot at the start of pedaling for safe pedaling and serves as a balance member for keeping the movable pedal 4 horizontal. Moreover, the fixed threaded hole 13 with radially arranged small protrusions is eccentrically provided on the counterweight 12, and when the fixing screw 14 passes through the counterweight fixing hole 1e and is installed, the center of gravity position can be adjusted by slightly rotating to change the center of gravity position.

[0085] In the figure, the counterweight 12 is an independent cylindrical shape, but it can be of any shape as long as it can achieve weight balance. In addition, the material can be common metals such as stainless steel, iron, copper, etc., but if a heavier and softer metal such as lead is used, it needs to be protected by a cylindrical cover or the like. Also, this device is only required at the start of driving, and its absence during pedaling does not affect or weaken the function, and it may not be needed if one is already accustomed to it.

[0086] Figure 5 It is the front view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, a view of the free state where the movable pedal 4 is fully opened after reset and maintains horizontal balance. The mounting portion of the counterweight 12 at the rearmost end is inclined and narrowed, which is a safety measure for the pedal to touch the ground when the bicycle is tilted.

[0087] Figure 6 It is the left side view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and is the same as Figure 5 a view of the free state after reset. If a pedaling force is applied from this state, it travels in the arrow direction, the rack gear 7 descends in conjunction with the movement of the movable pedal 4, and becomes a state of pushing the pinion 3 that rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow, and the ratchet mechanism operates. And the weakening effect generated by strengthening the rotational force of the pedal can be continuously obtained through a natural movement that does not burden the ankle until the movable pedal 4 is fully closed.

[0088] Normally, this device always energizes the movable pedal 4 toward the open side by the rebounding force of the pedal spring 6, and can always strengthen the rotational force of the pedal and travel. On the other hand, it can also be set as follows: by replacing the pedal spring 6 or adjusting the rebounding force of the adjusting screw 6a, the weight of a single leg when sitting on the seat is balanced with the rebounding force of the spring, thereby becoming the conventional pedal state where the movable pedal 4 is closed by the load of the leg during normal driving, and this function is only used as needed when going uphill with a load or against the wind.

[0089] This is because if the pedaling leg feels a load during the pedaling process, the leg will reflexively lift. Utilizing this reflex movement, during the return from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the load on the movable pedal 4 disappears, and the spring's resilience prevails, thus achieving reset. As a result, a traveling mode that strengthens the rotational force only when necessary can be achieved. Taking a car as an example, if a geared bicycle is a manual transmission vehicle, then a bicycle with this device is equivalent to an automatic transmission vehicle, enabling a brisk and powerful travel without gear shifting.

[0090] Figure 7 It is a bottom view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, depicting the state where the movable pedal 4 is stepped on until it is fully closed. Considering the friction with the sole and weight reduction, anti-slip holes 4c are provided in the top plate of the movable pedal 4. However, other anti-slip processes or sticking friction sheets, etc. can also be adopted.

[0091] Figure 8 It is a sectional view taken along line A-A showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and similar to Figure 7 It also shows the state near the bottom dead center when the movable pedal 4 is stepped on until it is fully closed. At this time, the stopper 11 functions as follows: it forcibly presses the arm portion 7a of the rack gear 7 in an L shape, fully utilizes all the tooth rows of the rack gear 7, and moves the rack gear 7 to a position where it is easy to disengage from the pinion 3.

[0092] Thus, even if the tooth contact deteriorates somewhat due to the aging deterioration of the meshing portion, the range in which the ratchet mechanism can follow and function can be maximally utilized, and correspondingly, the weakening effect can be continuously obtained. In addition, the rack gear 7 in the figure is in the state before reset. By the pinion 3 that continues to rotate in the direction of the dotted arrow in the next moment, the rack gear 7 is rebounded to the position of the rack gear 7 indicated by the dotted line, and the reset is completed before the next top dead center.

[0093] Figure 9 It is a left side view showing the trajectory of the pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention, depicting the state of the device at each rotation angle of the crank 16 during the pedaling process in the arrow direction. The trajectory 17 of the pedal shaft has the length of the crank 16 as the radius and is equivalent to the force point trajectory of the conventional pedal. However, the force point trajectory 18 of this pedal is represented by a solid line and is the passing point of the pedal shaft 5 within the range where the ratchet mechanism acts, and is equivalent to the trajectory extended within the range of the crank from the top dead center to the bottom dead center. Additionally, when extending the crank to obtain almost the same effect in the conventional pedal, there are problems such as the rotation area becoming too large and burdening the leg strength, and the pedal touching the ground when the bicycle is tilted.

[0094] [Embodiment 2]

[0095] Figure 10It is a left side view showing the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the position where the pedal is stepped forward 90 degrees from the top dead center during the pedaling process in the direction of the arrow. This is a type reverse to that of Embodiment 1. A pinion 3 is installed on the pedal shaft 2 of the pedal body 1, and a pedal shaft 5 is provided at the rear end of the pedal body 1 to axially mount a movable pedal 4 that is energized to open forward by a pedal spring 6. An arc-shaped rack gear 8 that is energized by a rack spring 10 and meshes with the pinion 3 via a rack shaft 9 is suspended in front of the lower part of the movable pedal 4 in advance. Thus, similar to the embodiment, the ratchet mechanism functions following the rotation of the pedal shaft 2, and almost the same effect can be obtained.

Claims

1. A pedal rotation force strengthening device, characterized in that in a pedal that uses leg force as power, a pinion is installed on the pedal shaft, and a shaft is provided at the front end of the pedal so that a movable pedal that is empowered to open rearward is axially mounted. A rack gear that is empowered to mesh with the pinion via the shaft is suspended in front of the lower part thereof in advance. Thus, the opening and closing action of the movable pedal during pedaling generates, through a ratchet mechanism between the rack gear and the pinion, the rotation of the shaft of the front pedal being locked during the meshing process, so that the force point of the pedal moves from the axis to the front end, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

2. The pedal rotation force strengthening device according to claim 1, characterized in that a pinion is installed on the pedal shaft, and a shaft is provided at the rear end of the pedal so that a movable pedal that is empowered to open forward is axially mounted. A rack gear that is empowered to mesh with the pinion via the shaft is suspended in front of the lower part thereof in advance, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

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