Effective hand-operated auxiliary drive system for muscle-powered vehicles

Abstract

A muscle-powered vehicle with three or four wheels (3, 4), driven by the driver (1) with his legs via a pedal drive (6), and two hand-operated levers (7) arranged to the right and left of the driver (1), pivotable in the direction of travel and transversely to the direction of travel, which the driver (1) moves with his arms to steer the vehicle by pivoting both hand-operated levers (7) in the same direction transversely to the direction of travel, and to generate a drive independent of the steering movement by moving his arms in the opposite direction on the hand-operated levers (7) in the direction of travel, which is additionally coupled to the pedal drive (6), characterized in that a mechanical transmission system is used in which the right and left hand-operated levers (7) are connected by a circulating rope (19) which is stretched in the form of a rectangle over four pulleys (20) attached to a frame part (10),and is guided with multiple wraps over two free-running rope pulleys (18), each arranged on a free-running rope pulley shaft (15), so that the hand drive levers (7) always perform a movement opposite to the direction of travel and the rope (19) always acts on a coupled free-running rope pulley (18) with the force of both hand drive levers (7), depending on the direction of movement.

Description

[0001] The invention includes an additional hand drive system for muscle-powered vehicles, preferably for recumbent bicycles with three or four wheels, which are primarily driven by a known foot pedal drive of a bicycle. State of the art

[0002] The history of the bicycle begins with simple balance bikes made of wood and steel, where the rider sat on the saddle and propelled themselves by pushing off the ground with their feet. These balance bikes remain popular today as learning bikes for young children (often again made of wood, as in the early days). In the mid-19th century, high-wheel bicycles emerged, featuring direct foot propulsion of the front wheel via pedals attached to the front axle and a steerable rear wheel. Due to the 1:1 gear ratio between pedals and front wheel, the front wheels could be over two meters in diameter to achieve acceptable speeds. Between 1850 and 1900, three- and four-wheeled high-wheel bicycles were also invented and built based on these designs. It is likely that various alternative drive systems based on levers and cranks were also experimented with during this period.

[0003] Around the beginning of the 20th century, the modern bicycle crystallized into its current form with two equally sized wheels with pneumatic tires. The front wheel is steered, while the rear wheel is driven by foot pedals on the frame and a toothed chain running over two sprockets with different numbers of teeth. With wheel diameters of 1 meter or less and chain drive ratios of 1:4 to 1:3, speeds exceeding 25 km / h became possible for every cyclist. This classic bicycle design has proven its worth and endured to this day. Later innovations included derailleur gears that shifted the chain at both the pedal axle and the rear wheel (e.g., the typical modern 3x9 mountain bike drivetrain) or by changing the gear ratio using planetary gears in the rear hub (e.g., the top-of-the-line 14-speed internal gear hub from Rohloff).

[0004] The optimal form of human muscle propulsion has evolved over the last 100 years or so, involving the alternating downward and downward movement of the legs onto the pedals. This means that, in addition to the force exerted by the downward-moving leg, its weight also contributes to propulsion as the rider pulls the upward-moving leg upwards. In competitive cycling, clipless pedals and shoes are used, creating a secure connection between the shoe (and thus the foot) and the pedal. This allows the rider to apply additional force with the upward-moving leg, further increasing propulsion. The leg movements of athletically trained cyclists go far beyond simple up-and-down pedaling, as they also generate additional torque at the top and bottom of the pedal rotation through skillful movement of the foot and lower leg.Today's pedal drive is characterized by its ability to convert almost all leg movements into mechanical power, with only a small percentage of leg movement not contributing to propulsion. All world records in cycling have been achieved using this drive method, and even the first flight of a human-powered vehicle across the English Channel (https: / / www.hpv.org / luft.html) was accomplished with a rider in a seated position and pedal power (continuous output 600 to 800 W).

[0005] Nevertheless, over the last hundred years there has been no shortage of attempts to further improve bicycle propulsion by seeking solutions in which the arms contribute to the drive in addition to the pedals. Recent patent applications include, for example, DE 10 2017 000 144 B3, AT 506 916 A2, and DE 20 2004 012 001 U1. These are essentially characterized by the attempt to transmit a reciprocating movement of the arms to the pedal shaft via levers and crank mechanisms, while simultaneously retaining an additional degree of freedom for steering. The transmission of the predominantly linear hand movement into a rotary movement of the pedal shaft via crank mechanisms has the general disadvantage that the applied arm force is not effective as a drive force at the two dead centers of the crank mechanism and is only fully converted into torque in the interval between them.Only during approximately half of the arm movement can the rider effectively generate additional propulsion power, even though they have to move their arms and the associated mechanisms a significantly greater distance each time, resulting in additional energy loss. Furthermore, such hand-driven solutions on bicycles, as balancing vehicles, have the disadvantage that they can overwhelm the rider by requiring them to perform the propulsion, steering, and balancing functions with their hands. These bicycles are particularly unstable on difficult terrain. For an excellent overview of hand- and foot-powered bicycles, see, for example, Carsten Hofmann's "Fahrrad Zukunft" (Bicycle Future), issue 17, 2014, or https: / / fahrradzukunft.de / 17 / hand-and-foot-bikes.

[0006] Both of the aforementioned disadvantages of hand drives with lever and crank mechanisms are circumvented, for example, by DE 101 06 283 B4, which describes a hand drive for a scooter (i.e., a bicycle without pedal drive). The scooter's handlebars consist of two levers that can be moved up and down, directly transmitting the applied arm force to the scooter's front wheel hub via a chain-roller system. Both levers are moved up and down synchronously by a circulating chain. In each of the two movements, the right or left sprocket on the front axle drives the front wheel via a freewheel. In this way, the driving force is converted into torque at the front wheel without significant losses throughout the entire pivoting motion of the hand levers. The scooter is steered by rotating the hand levers around the steering axis of the front wheel – a movement similar to bicycle handlebars. However, the steering angle is made more difficult by the necessary tension of the circulating chain.The rider achieves better balance on the scooter than on hand-powered bicycles by maintaining a low foot position on the footboard without additional movements (such as pedaling). Simultaneously using hand propulsion and pedaling the scooter, however, appears very unstable. Presumably, other solutions exist in the literature where cyclical arm movements, facilitated by a system of two freewheel clutches on a drive shaft, very effectively convert arm power into torque.

[0007] Another interesting solution for a bicycle drive with two freewheel gears on a single shaft is the Street Stepper, which has been around for about 20 years. In this design, the rider's legs rest on two pedal levers, with the downward movement of each lever being converted into a rotary motion on a common shaft via a chain and freewheel system. From this common shaft, the drive power is transmitted to the rear wheel, for example, via a conventional derailleur system (e.g., 3 x 9 gears). The pedal levers are not synchronized; no power is generated during the upward phase of the pedal stroke.

[0008] Three-wheeled bicycles, and occasionally four-wheeled ones, have evolved over the last 50 years from the homemade test bikes of individual enthusiasts into a small industry. The advantages of two-wheeled recumbent bicycles (low air resistance due to the lower seating position and forward leg propulsion) have been transferred to three-wheeled bicycles. Virtually all three-wheeled bicycle designs feature pedal drive, with the bottom bracket positioned slightly below to slightly above the rider's seat height. Power is typically transmitted to the rear wheel(s) via a significantly longer chain and either a derailleur or hub gear system. In the case of a rear axle consisting of two wheels, either only one wheel is driven or a differential is used.

[0009] A comparatively much more favorable situation regarding the use of additional hand drives exists with three- or four-wheeled bicycles. The rider does not need to perform a balancing function, which allows for more freedom of arm movement for hand propulsion. Hand drives for three- and four-wheeled bicycles are described far less frequently in the literature than those for two-wheeled bicycles.

[0010] Three-wheeled bicycles with sole hand propulsion were manufactured in large numbers after both World War I and World War II for the numerous war wounded as "self-propelled" vehicles. They were suitable for riders with leg injuries who could use their hands to both propel and steer the bicycle. (See https: / / www.schule-bw.de / faecher-undschularten / gesellschaftswissenschaftliche-und-philosophische-faecher / landeskundelandesgeschichte / module / bp_2016 / imperialismus_und_erster_weltkrieg / im_feld_und _an_der_Heimatfront / im-grossen-krieg-hardheimer-buerger-im-erstenweltkrieg / ab3m.pdf)

[0011] The vehicle was propelled by two pivoting hand levers to the right and left of the seat, each connected to the rear wheels of the self-propelled vehicle via a crank mechanism. Steering of the usually smaller front wheel was accomplished with a twist grip on either the right or left hand lever. This simple design could be mass-produced quickly using many bicycle parts. Due to the inherent limitations of the crank drive, the rider could only generate power during the middle part of the back-and-forth arm movement. Nevertheless, these vehicles proved their practicality for a large number of wounded soldiers.

[0012] Another example of a hand-driven solution for a four-wheeled bicycle without foot propulsion is given by V. Davydonas, "Velomobile," Verlag Technik Berlin, 1999, pp. 58 ff., which transfers the rowing motion to a four-wheeled velomobile. By pulling both arms backward, the rider generates a consistent torque on the rear axle for propulsion via a rope-freewheel pulley system. The vehicle is steered with the legs. As in rowing, the rider sits on a sliding seat and can support the arm pull with additional leg extension, so that, as in rowing, as many muscle groups as possible are used to propel the vehicle. No propulsion is generated during the forward push phase.

[0013] US patent 2002 / 0113402A1 describes a hand-driven, three-wheeled bicycle with two steered front wheels and a driven rear wheel. The primary drive is provided by the rider's legs using foot pedals on a pedal shaft, similar to a bicycle. However, the rotational motion of the pedals is transmitted via bevel gears to a driveshaft, which in turn drives an intermediate shaft located under the seat via a bevel gear transmission. This intermediate shaft then drives the rear wheel, which uses a conventional derailleur system, via a chainring and chain (secondary chain). The hand-driven motion is additionally coupled to this intermediate shaft via freewheel sprockets and two primary chains.

[0014] The driver sits on a seat attached to the frame and has two hand levers positioned for easy access. These levers steer the vehicle when moved perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, and propel the vehicle forward or backward in addition to the pedal drive when moved in the direction of travel. The forward and backward movements of the hand levers do not affect each other, allowing the driver to perform both parallel and opposing hand movements.

[0015] The hand levers are pivotally mounted on the front frame section in the direction of travel and transmit the pivoting motion via a chainring with two freewheel gears, a deflection sprocket, and a circulating chain to the intermediate shaft. This ensures that the hand forces for both the forward and reverse movement of each individual lever are effectively transferred to the intermediate shaft in the forward direction of rotation.

[0016] The frame, consisting of the rear wheel, the frame itself, the seat mounted on it, the intermediate shaft with the hand levers, and the pedal drive, can be rotated around the frame's central axis in the direction of travel by a specific angle to the right and left. The rider must initiate this tilting movement by shifting their weight. The frame rotation is transferred to the tie rods of the two-wheeled front axle, thus steering the vehicle.

[0017] Although the transmission of the hand drive movement to the secondary chain is in principle very effectively solved, the vehicle as a whole has several disadvantages: • Complex conversion of hand movements across a total of two chainrings, four freewheel sprockets and two auxiliary sprockets using an inclined chain run, • No use of hand levers for vehicle steering; instead, steering is achieved through weight shifting, which may be too slow and unstable, especially in dangerous situations. • Less efficient transmission of pedal drive via two gear drives and cardan shaft.

[0018] German patent application DE 10 2012 109 136 A1 describes a preferably two-wheeled bicycle with combined hand and foot propulsion. Leg movement is transmitted to pedals that can be moved horizontally back and forth in the direction of travel, while hand movement is transmitted via long hand levers that can be pivoted in the direction of travel. The front wheel is steered by an additional mechanism attached to the hand levers. Both drive movements are captured and combined by a conversion unit consisting of two or more circulating primary chains and two freewheel sprockets on a common intermediate shaft. From the intermediate shaft, the rear wheel is driven via a secondary chain, optionally using a typical hub or derailleur gear system. Several variations are described, including some that use additional pawls between the hand levers and primary chains.Although the linear conversion unit shown in DE 10 2012 109 136 A1 is very compact and allows a large number of conversion possibilities, it has crucial disadvantages:. • The leg movement, which provides the main part of the propulsion, is ineffective because, due to the rider's elevated seating position, an angle of more than 45° occurs between the direction of movement of the pedals on the conversion unit and the main direction of force from the legs, especially when the leg is not fully extended. Only the force component in the horizontal direction of the pedal movement is effective for propulsion. • A similar angular mismatch exists in the transmission of the hand lever pivoting movement to the linear conversion unit, so that the hand forces cannot be fully effective as a drive. • Because the hand levers themselves are not used for vehicle steering, an additional complicated steering mechanism is required.

[0019] FR 2 843 938 A1 describes a three-wheeled bicycle that can be used particularly for the rehabilitation of disabled people and can therefore be propelled by all foot and hand movements, or, for example, by only one leg and the arms. The drive is provided by an unsteerable front wheel in a fork that is rigidly connected to the bicycle frame. To the right and left of the front wheel, directly on the fork, are the foot drives, which transmit forward and backward movement via a circulating chain or toothed belt to an intermediate gearbox located between the seat and the front wheel. Both leg drives can be operated independently. The forward and backward leg movements are combined in the intermediate gearbox with several freewheel wheels onto a common output shaft, from which the front wheel is driven via a secondary chain.The hand drive is achieved by pivoting the hand levers back and forth in the direction of travel. These levers are mounted on a rotating axle at the bottom, which in turn transmits the hand movement to the intermediate gearbox in the center of the frame via freewheel and auxiliary gears, ultimately transferring the movement to the secondary chain. Steering is accomplished with the two rear wheels, with the steering input being additionally generated by the hand grips and transmitted to the rear wheels via a complex transmission system. An optional electric motor can be installed on the intermediate gearbox, providing both additional power to the driver and compensating for mechanical losses in the extensive drive system.

[0020] From the perspective of an effective hand and foot drive system, the FR 2 843 938 A1, however, has similar disadvantages to the already cited DE 10 2012 109 136 A1: • Ineffective linear leg drive due to only partial use of the leg power components (angle mismatch), • Various transmission losses in the complex intermediate gearbox, • Comparatively high weight of the intermediate gearbox.

[0021] US Patent 5,242,181 A describes a two-wheeled, fully faired recumbent bicycle that, in order to minimize air resistance, avoids the conventional circular rotation of the pedals in the front-mounted pedal drive area, thus achieving a lower overall height of the body. Additionally, the rider's upper body is positioned diagonally backward, resulting in a vehicle with a small cross-sectional area and a low drag coefficient. Several mechanisms are described, in the simplest case of which the rider uses their legs for propulsion by means of an alternating forward and backward leg movement. Guided pedals by a multi-part linkage along tracks such as flattened ellipses are also described. All of these mechanisms have the advantage of requiring less height in the pedal area than a conventional pedal drive with, for example, a 175 mm pedal arm length.

[0022] In each of these cases, pivoting the foot pedals causes a first intermediate shaft to rotate back and forth through a specific angular range. This cyclical rotation is transmitted via a primary cable or chain drive to a second intermediate shaft located in front of the rear wheel. From there, a secondary chain, possibly using a derailleur system, drives the rear wheel. To ensure that the full torque is always transmitted from the first intermediate shaft to the primary chain as traction, a circular sector disc with the same chain radius is used instead of a sprocket. Since the maximum angular range of the pivot is approximately ±90°, the sector disc is only about half the size of a comparable sprocket, which in turn allows for a low-profile frame in the front pedaling area.

[0023] A general problem with pedal drive in both two-wheeled and three- or four-wheeled recumbent bicycles is due to the near-horizontal orientation of the driving legs. Useful work is generated primarily by extending the legs forward. The weight support provided by the entire leg weight in an upright riding position is significantly reduced in the recumbent position. Only the feet and perhaps some of the lower leg weight contribute to this. In contrast, the rider must expend additional energy for the cyclical lifting and lowering of the knees and thighs, which does not contribute to propulsion. Simple estimates show that this energy loss is proportional to the cadence and can reach 10 to 20% of the leg power output at 90 rpm.This is an inherent disadvantage of all recumbent bicycles, but it is compensated for at speeds above approximately 25 km / h by the significantly lower air resistance of partially or fully faired recumbent bicycles.

[0024] Beginners, especially those without clipless pedals, often overstrain their leg muscles during the push-off phase of recumbent bike pedaling, even after short distances. Riding with clipless pedals is preferable because it also generates useful work during the leg pull-back phase, meaning almost twice as many muscles contribute to propulsion compared to riding without clipless pedals. However, engaging additional muscle groups for fatigue-free riding on day trips and longer journeys would still be desirable.

[0025] Three- and four-wheeled bicycles, by design, typically weigh between 25 and 50 kg, meaning they are two or three times heavier than standard bicycles. This necessitates more power on inclines. Riding uphill while standing (and propelling oneself with one's entire body weight), as is possible with standard bicycles, is not feasible on recumbent bicycles. Consequently, three- and four-wheeled bicycles require significantly more gear shifting, even on short inclines, to overcome the gradient. A brief burst of additional power generated by using other muscles would be advantageous here, as it would allow for smooth riding without gear changes.

[0026] In summary, the disadvantages of muscle propulsion for three- and four-wheeled bicycles are: • Although sophisticated pedal drives with high-performance chain or hub gears are used, the foot drive, due to the approximately horizontal direction of the legs, inherently generates up to 20% less drive power. • A short-term increase in drive power (such as riding a bicycle while standing) is not possible with the horizontal pedal drive.

[0027] Although a variety of technical solutions for additional hand drives of three- and four-wheeled bicycles are known, these have several disadvantages: • The manual driving forces are converted into a rotary motion of the wheel to be driven via comparatively complicated transmissions consisting of levers, gears and chains. • The resulting manual drive solutions are comparatively heavy and achieve lower mechanical efficiency than a chain or rope drive alone.

[0028] The object of the invention is to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of muscle propulsion in three- and four-wheeled bicycles by introducing an optionally usable, effective hand drive in addition to the pedal drive, which allows the use of other muscle groups for propulsion and which can be well integrated with the steering function of the vehicle. This object is achieved by a muscle-powered vehicle with an additional hand drive according to the features of claim 1, with further advantageous embodiments and developments arising from dependent claims 2 to 4. Description of the manual drive according to the invention

[0029] Three-wheeled bicycles essentially exist in two forms of wheel arrangement: • Two-wheeled steered front axle and one driven rear wheel, • One steered front wheel and two driven rear wheels. Four-wheeled bicycles have two steered front wheels and two driven rear wheels.

[0030] All these designs have in common that they feature a frame (chassis) to which the axles are attached, either sprung or unsprung, and a driver's seat mounted on the frame. A pedal drive for the driver's feet with a gearbox can be integrated into all of these designs.

[0031] All three designs can be equipped with the hand drive according to the invention. For this purpose, two hand drive levers are mounted on the frame to the right and left of the driver's legs, such that their handles can be moved by the driver's hands both forwards and backwards in the direction of travel, as well as laterally. The resulting range of motion for the driver's hands, assuming a seating position favorable for pedal drive, should extend from arms bent at approximately a right angle to fully extended. A swivel range of approximately ±15 cm is achievable and sufficient in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

[0032] The resulting forward and backward movement of the hand drive levers is transmitted to the pedal drive via a mechanical freewheel-based transmission system. Riding without hand drive (e.g., in tight curves, etc.) is therefore easily possible. The hand drive levers have a mechanical connection in the direction of travel, ensuring that one lever is moving forward and the other backward.

[0033] The pivoting of the hand drive levers perpendicular to the direction of travel is achieved by a mechanical connection (similar to a tie rod in a car) so that both levers move synchronously to the right or vice versa in every drive position.

[0034] There are several sports with combined arm and leg movements, two of which can serve as a methodological model for the movement sequence: • Cross-country skiing, and there more the diagonal stride than skating with pole use, in which arm and associated leg movements form a tension arc diagonally across the back and forces in the human body can be well compensated with counterforces. • Nordic walking, in which the poles are used in reverse to the steps, resulting in a balancing pendulum movement of the pelvis and shoulder area.

[0035] While beginners in recumbent cycling often overload the knee area by fully pressing one leg against the pedals, with the rider's seat back absorbing the counterforce, the solution according to the invention, based on the diagonal principle of, for example, cross-country skiing, is intended to allow little counterforce to reach the seat, and the arm and leg forces to be largely compensated via the back area.

[0036] In the hand drive according to the invention, the driver determines the relationship between hand movement and pedal movement. All relationships are possible (from right leg and right arm forward to the reverse).

[0037] In the solution according to the invention, the maximum range of motion of the hand drive handles is dimensioned by the coupling mechanism to the pedal drive such that the maximum range of motion of one arm covers slightly more than half a pedal revolution (typically approximately 210° - 240°). The rider thus decides at which foot position to reverse the direction of hand movement and therefore constantly synchronizes the drive movements. Shorter partial strokes of the hand drive (e.g., two or three short, strong partial strokes during one pedal stroke for starting off) are also possible.

[0038] The conversion of the approximately linear hand movement from the hand drive into a rotary movement of the rear wheels is achieved through several partial solutions: a) Two hand levers that can pivot in independent directions: The hand-operated levers have an upper tubular section of length l extending to the handle, where the driver moves the lever with a force F1. Below, the levers continue through a circular sector-shaped pulley with radius r and a typical swivel angle of ±45° for cable retention. Between these two sections, the levers incorporate a universal joint bearing, allowing for the independent separation of lateral movements, in addition to the forward and backward motion used for propulsion, and their application to the vehicle's steering. The sector-shaped pulleys enable the cable to move in the direction of rotation at any point with a force F2 = F1 * r / l. b) Rope circulating on four pulleys and two free-running pulleys: A continuous, closed-loop cable is arranged over four pulleys. Preferably, the pulleys are attached to a frame component of the bicycle and form the corners of a rectangle. The cable also loops around a freewheel pulley on both the right and left sides. The freewheel pulleys are arranged on a common shaft, and the freewheels engage in the same direction of rotation. The cable is connected to the sector discs of the hand levers described in a) at both outer edges of the rectangle. The circulating cable creates a counter-rotating pivoting motion of both hand levers, whereby the pulling force of one hand lever and the pushing force of the other add up, taking into account the leverage ratios on the cable. c) Arrangement of the freewheel rollers on a common shaft with the foot drive pedals: Advantageously, the two freewheel pulleys according to b) are arranged such that they, together with the bottom bracket and the pedals including pedal arms, share a common axis. By attaching two further pedal arms, each on the outside of the foot pedals, which in turn lead to two further shaft sections lying in the axial direction of the bottom bracket axis and accommodating the freewheel pulleys, a crankshaft-like drive axis is created on which foot-driven movements of the pedals and hand-driven movements are added via the freewheel pulleys. d) Arrangement of the freewheel rollers on an intermediate shaft with coupling to the chain drive of the pedals: If integrating the freewheel pulleys with the pedal axle according to c) encounters difficulties, e.g., if there is insufficient frame width in the pedal area, or if an electric drive in the bottom bracket area complicates this, a separate intermediate shaft with the two freewheel pulleys and a sprocket can also transmit the hand drive forces to the chain. This intermediate shaft is positioned between the bottom bracket and the rear axle, preferably under the seat, so that the freewheel pulleys according to b) are located in the area of ​​the rectangularly circulating cable.

[0039] As the following application examples show, there are several ways to convert the almost linear forward and backward movements of the driver's hands into a constant driving torque using the above design principles.

[0040] Preferred embodiments of the present invention, their structure, function and advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. These show: Fig. 1 A three-wheeled bicycle schematically with a rider who operates a conventional pedal drive with his legs and moves two hand drive levers with his arms in the directions of movement shown for auxiliary drive and steering. Fig. 2 the principle of a hand drive solution with direct conversion of the linear hand movement into a rotary movement of the pedal shaft by means of a circulating rope in the top view for both drive strokes with the directions of movement shown as arrows. Fig. 3 the manual drive solution from Fig. 2 in side view, showing only the right hand drive unit. Fig. 4 the principle of a hand drive solution with direct conversion of the linear hand movement into a rotary movement of an intermediate shaft by means of a circulating rope in the top view for both drive strokes with the directions of movement shown as arrows. Fig. 5 the manual drive solution from Fig. 4 in side view, showing only the right hand drive unit and the course of the drive chain. Fig. 6 the principle of a hand drive solution with direct conversion of the linear hand movement into a rotary movement of the pedal shaft by means of four circulating chain pieces in the top view for both drive strokes with the directions of movement shown as arrows. Fig. 7 the manual drive solution from Fig. 6 in side view, showing only the right hand drive unit. Fig. 8 the principle of a hand drive solution with direct conversion of the linear hand movement and the pedal movement into a rotary movement of a propeller shaft by means of a circulating rope in the top view for both drive strokes with the directions of movement shown as arrows Examples of implementation

[0041] All the embodiments shown below are operated by the driver 1 in the same way. They differ in the solution for power transmission, from arm movement to rear-wheel drive. Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary three-wheeled bicycle with one front wheel 4 and two rear wheels 3, and with a rider 1 seated on a seat 2. The solution according to the invention can be integrated equally well into three-wheeled bicycles with two front wheels 4 and one rear wheel 3 or into four-wheeled bicycles. The rider 1 drives the pedal drive 6, which is located horizontally in front of him, with his feet. With both hands, he grasps two hand drive levers 7, which are arranged to the right and left of his legs. The vehicle has a frame 5 to which the front and rear axles (sprung or unsprung), the seat 2, the pedal drive 6, and the hand drive levers 7 are attached. The seat 2 can be moved forward in the direction of travel to adapt to the rider's height. An optimal seating position for the rider 1 is achieved when he can still reach the forwardmost pedal position with his leg almost fully extended.

[0042] The hand drive levers 7 can be alternately pivoted forwards and backwards in the direction of travel for the purpose of auxiliary propulsion (see hand drive direction 8). This means that when one hand drive lever 7 is moved forwards, a mechanical connection between both hand drive levers 7 causes the other to move backwards. The resulting pivoting range of the hands should be between 200 and 350 mm, depending on the driver's height. For a given driver's seating position 1, the pivoting range is adjusted so that the driver's almost fully extended arm reaches the forwardmost hand drive lever position.

[0043] The vehicle is steered via the hand-operated control levers 7, independently of the forward and backward movement of the hand drive, by pivoting both levers 7 in the same direction to the right (for clockwise travel) or left (for steering direction 9 when counterclockwise travel). The type of mechanical connection between the hand-operated control levers 7 (e.g., a connecting rod with two ball joints) ensures backlash-free parallel pivoting of the levers. The steering linkage, which steers the front axle, is connected to this linkage. The maximum stroke of the steering handles 31 is approximately ±15 cm.

[0044] The pivoting of the hand drive levers 7 is transmitted to the pedal drive 6 via a mechanical linkage unit in such a way that a complete forward or backward movement of the arms occurs during half a pedal revolution. Once the torques of the pedal and hand drives are added to, for example, a common shaft, any bicycle gear system (derailleur gears, hub gears, automatic transmission) can be connected, enabling optimal adaptation of the rider's 1 drive movements to the riding situation (incline, headwind, etc.). Between the hand drive mechanism and the pedal drive 6 are one or two freewheel clutches that engage the moment the rider 1 activates the hand drive. This allows the rider 1 to select any desired relationship between the position of the foot and the position of the hand drive. Likewise, the rider 1 can (e.g.,(on easily navigable roads) leave the hand drive alone and only perform the lateral movements for steering with your hands.

[0045] The following exemplary embodiments show details of various mechanical connection units that solve the inventive problem of the most effective possible transmission of force and torque between the hand drive levers 7 and the pedal drive 6. Further combinations of the following features in the exemplary embodiments may also be effective in the invention. Example I

[0046] Fig. Figure 2 shows a solution-oriented mechanical connection unit between the pedal drive 6, consisting of the bottom bracket 11, the pedals 14, the pedal arms 16, and the force application points 21 and 26 of the two hand drive levers 7, in a top view. All components are arranged on a partially shown frame section 10, which extends forward in the direction of travel by a connection 23 on the frame 5 and rearward by a connection 24 on the frame 5. The torques of the pedal drive 6 and the hand drive are added on the pedal shaft 6, hereinafter referred to as the crankshaft 25, which is extended by the freewheel roller shafts 15, and transmitted to the rear axle via a sprocket 12 and a chain 13, optionally with the aid of a gear shift.The crankshaft 25 thus consists of the following rigidly connected components: bottom bracket 11 including bottom bracket axle, two pedal arms 16, two pedal axles with pedals 14 mounted on them, two further pedal arms 16 leading to the freewheel roller shafts 15 with freewheel cable pulleys 18 mounted on them. Two freewheel shaft bearings 17 arranged on the frame part 10 in line with the bottom bracket 11 guide the crankshaft 25.

[0047] The forces generated by pivoting the hand drive levers 7 (see also Fig. 3) The force application points 21 and 26 engage a circulating rope 19, which is guided over the pulleys 20 attached to the frame part 10 and over the free-running rope pulleys 18. The rope tension of this rectangular rope path is adjusted with the tensioning device 22.

[0048] Fig. Figure 3 shows the arrangement of Fig. Figure 2 shows a side view from the right with respect to the direction of travel. Only the right hand drive lever 7, together with the rope 19 and the right freewheel pulley 18, is shown. The driver's hand 1 grasps the handle 31 and executes a backward (solid arrow) or forward (dashed arrow) movement. The hand drive movement is transmitted via the tubular part 30 of the hand drive lever 7, which pivots about its axis of rotation 37, to the force application point 21 on the circulating rope 19. The hand drive lever 7 with its axis of rotation 37 is mounted in a steering shaft 32 with an associated axis of rotation 38, so that the steering shaft 32, which is attached to the frame 5 by the steering shaft bearings 33, detects lateral movements and transmits them, for example, via the connection points 35, 36 from the steering linkage to the steering of the front axle.A connecting rod with a ball joint could be arranged at the upper connection point 35 of the steering linkage, leading to the left steering shaft 32 and screwed to the same upper connection point 35 of the steering linkage with a ball joint. This synchronizes the lateral movements of the two hand drive levers 7 for steering the bicycle independently of the hand drive movement. In this case, the connection to the steering linkage of the front axle can be made, for example, at the lower connection point 36 of the steering linkage.

[0049] The lower part of the hand drive lever 7 has a circular cable sector pulley 34 (radius equal to the distance between the axis of rotation of the hand drive lever 37 and the point of force application 21) with a sector angle that is greater than or equal to the maximum swivel angle of the hand drive lever 7 in the direction of travel. Preferably, the cable 19 is attached to the cable sector pulley 34, for example by means of a clamp, at its center. This ensures that the arm force exerted by the driver 1 is transmitted into the force acting at the point of force application 21 without any loss of angle, regardless of the swivel angle.

[0050] The rope 19, coming from the point of force application 21, runs over the freewheel pulley 18, typically wraps around it twice, and is guided via the front deflection pulley 20 to the other hand drive side. In the rear section, two further deflection pulleys 20 perform the same function, so that both hand drive levers 7 can pivot alternately, coupled with a forward and backward movement of the circulating rope 19. The freewheel integrated into the freewheel pulley 18 (preferably a sleeve freewheel with minimal engagement play) engages when rotated clockwise (view from the right in Fig. 3) engages and converts the rope force into a torque on the crankshaft 25, which is added to the torque generated by the pedal drive 6 via the feet and pedals 14. If the freewheel pulley 18 is turned counterclockwise by the rope 19, the freewheel disengages and no torque is transmitted. If, for example, the right freewheel pulley 18 disengages in this way, the left freewheel pulley 18 engages and now transmits a torque to the crankshaft 25. This reciprocal function of the freewheel pulleys 18 ensures that every rope movement is converted into a forward-driving torque on the crankshaft 25. If the rider 1 releases the hand drive, the pedal drive 6 can continue to propel the bicycle on its own. The pedals 14 continue to rotate clockwise, and both freewheel pulleys 18 are disengaged.However, the arrangement of freewheels and cable 19 prevents the pedals 14 from rotating backwards (counterclockwise). Bicycle rear hubs of derailleur or hub gears also have an integrated freewheel, which allows coasting in the direction of travel without power. However, since the chain 13 and thus the pedals 14 rotate backwards when pushing the bicycle backwards, this is not possible when combining these hubs with the hand drive. Fig. 2. and Fig. 3. Reversing is not possible. This can be remedied by an automatic or manually operated clutch integrated into the chain (chain 13) to completely disengage the power transmission to the rear axle.

[0051] In the Fig. 2 and Fig. Figure 3 illustrates the expected forces on the rope 19 and the corresponding rotations of the crankshaft 25. Dashed arrows (right hand forward) and solid arrows (right hand backward) show the expected forces on the rope 19 and the corresponding rotations of the crankshaft 25. When a free-running pulley 18 is engaged, the rope section up to the force application point 21 of the right hand drive lever 7 is subjected to a tensile force originating from both hand drive levers 7. Between force application point 21 and force application point 26, the rope 19 is only subjected to the force originating from the left hand drive lever 7. The front section of the rope (from the free-running pulleys 18, deflection pulleys 20, and tensioning device 22) is tensioned with significantly smaller forces. Therefore, the tensioning device 22 is preferably located there to tension the circulating rope 19. Example II

[0052] The Fig. 4 and Fig. Figure 5 shows a further embodiment in which the forces from the hand drive are supplied to the chain 13 via a separate intermediate shaft 54. This has the advantage that a conventional pedal drive (consisting of bottom bracket 11, pedals 14 and pedal arms 16) can be used for the pedal drive 6 and the space in the front area of ​​the frame part 10 is not overloaded.

[0053] Fig. Figure 4 shows a top view of the manual drive area. The frame section 10 now has several cross braces on which the bearings 53 of the intermediate shaft 54 ​​are mounted. They support the intermediate shaft 54 ​​with its pivot axis 55 on which two free-running cable pulleys 18 are mounted.

[0054] As in embodiment I, the manual drive force is transmitted from the hand drive levers 7 to a circulating rope 19, which is guided over four deflection pulleys 20 attached to the frame part 10. The free-running rope pulleys 18 on the intermediate shaft 54 ​​are arranged so that they can be wrapped once or several times by the circulating rope 19. The rope 19 is held taut by a tensioning device 22, which, unlike in embodiment I, is now advantageously located between the rear deflection pulleys 20.

[0055] Fig. Figure 5 shows the right hand drive lever 7 in side view, which, as in embodiment I, transfers the hand forces to the rope 19 via a rope sector pulley 34.

[0056] Fig. Figure 5 further shows that the freewheels engage in the freewheel cable pulleys 18 in a clockwise direction. The rotational movement of the intermediate shaft 54 ​​is coupled to the chain 13 via a sprocket 56, corresponding to the clockwise rotation of the pedals 14. To ensure that enough teeth of the sprocket 56 of the intermediate shaft 54 ​​are engaged, the chain 13 coming from the bottom bracket 11 is lifted by a deflection sprocket 60.

[0057] As in embodiment I, the arrangement of two freewheel pulleys 18 with a common circulating rope 19 on the intermediate shaft 54 ​​does not allow reverse rotation. To nevertheless enable the bicycle to be pushed backwards, the sprocket 56 can be disengaged from the intermediate shaft 54 ​​manually or automatically via a switchable clutch 57 (e.g., a jaw clutch) in the center of the intermediate shaft 54.

[0058] The hand lever travel at the handles 31 should again be between 200 and 350 mm, depending on the rider's height, and correspond to half a pedal revolution. To achieve this, the overall gear ratio of the mechanical transmission system, starting at the hand drive levers 7 and ending at the sprocket 56 of the intermediate shaft 54, must be dimensioned accordingly.

[0059] In the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Dashed (right hand forward) and undashed arrows (right hand backward) illustrate the expected forces on the rope 19 and the corresponding rotations on the intermediate shaft 54. Example III

[0060] Although in test bicycles with the in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Since the hand drive shown according to embodiment I, based on a circulating rope, has achieved driving distances of over 5,000 km without rope replacement, embodiments based, for example, on a circulating chain may be advantageous with regard to maximum mileage. Fig. 6 and Fig. Figure 7 shows a solution according to the invention that functions in principle identically, based on a circulating chain. Instead of the circulating cable 19, four individual chain segments are used, which are connected to each other by 90° chain connectors 40. The two chain segments in the drive section 42 are oriented so that they can run over a chain sprocket with a freewheel 39 and two guide sprockets 45. Due to the axial position of the deflection sprockets 41 being offset by 90°, the chain segments in the deflection section 43 must also be rotated by 90°, which is achieved by the 90° chain connectors 40. The lower part of the hand drive lever 7 is designed as a chain sector disc 46, with the teeth of the chain sector disc 46 engaging the chain segment in the drive section 42. A separate fastening of the chain segment in the drive section 42 at the force application points 21 or 26 is therefore not absolutely necessary.

[0061] The power transmission from the handle 31 to the crankshaft 25 takes place in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 in the same manner as already described in embodiment I. Since the transmission of forces to and from the chain occurs via engaging teeth, the chain must be under considerably less tension than the cable 19 in embodiment I. However, the guide sprockets 45 must ensure that even under high chain forces, the chain does not jump over the sprocket with freewheel 39. For this purpose, the guide sprockets 45 can be attached directly to the frame part 10, or advantageously, their shafts can be mounted on two mounting plates 44 for the guide sprockets 45, the mounting plates 44 being rotatably arranged around the crankshaft 25.

[0062] A manual drive solution using a combination of chain and rope sections is also possible. For example, rope sections can be attached to the 90° chain connectors 40 instead of chains in the deflection area 43.

[0063] For the dimensioning of the power transmission from the handle 31 to the rotation of the crankshaft 25, in embodiments I, II and III, the lengths of the upper and lower parts of the hand drive lever 7, as well as the diameter of the freewheel pulleys 18 and the chain sprocket with freewheel 39, should be dimensioned such that for a certain lever travel of the handle 31, which should be in the range of 200 to 350 mm, slightly more than half a revolution of the pedal shaft is achieved.

[0064] In the Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 Dashed (right hand forward) and undashed arrows (right hand backward) illustrate the expected forces on the chains and the corresponding rotations on the crankshaft 25. Example IV

[0065] The inventive solution for using an effective hand drive has been described in its function in embodiments I to III for three- or four-wheeled bicycles, but it is also suitable for muscle-powered watercraft or aircraft. The objective here is to transmit the drive generated by both arms and feet to a ship's propeller 83 or a propeller 84. The rotational speed of such propellers is usually higher than the rotational speed of a bicycle's rear wheel. A gear ratio is not required. In the case of a muscle-powered aircraft, the entire drive train should also be as lightweight as possible.

[0066] Fig. Figure 8 shows such a solution, in which both the foot movement originating from pedals 14 of a pedal drive 6 and a hand drive based on a circulating rope 19, similar to embodiment I, contribute to the rotation of a propeller shaft 82. Hand drive lever 7, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the force application points 21 and 26 engage the circulating rope 19, which is guided over four pulleys 20. Both the bottom bracket 11 of the pedal drive 6 and the propeller shaft bearings 90 are mounted on a frame section 10, on which the driver 1 also sits by means of a seat 2. In the case of an aircraft, the propeller shaft 85 extends forward to the propeller 84. In the case of a watercraft, the propeller shaft 85 extends rearward to form a propeller 83 in the water. The freewheel pulleys 18 are now arranged at the front and rear of the propeller shaft 85. Their diameter is smaller in order to generate several revolutions of the propeller shaft 82 in one hand-operated drive stroke. The engagement directions of the two freewheels in the freewheel pulleys 18 are the same (e.g., clockwise). Fig. 8 (view from the rear). The rope 19 is held taut again by a tensioning device 22.

[0067] The rotational movement of the pedal axle is transmitted, for example, via a deflection gear 86 consisting of bevel and spur gears to the propeller shaft 82. The pedal drive 6 is thus always connected to the propeller drive. As in all previous embodiments, the hand drive can be engaged or disengaged. The propeller shaft 82 then rotates in the disengaged freewheels of the freewheel pulleys 18.

[0068] The lever ratios of the hand drive levers 7 (ratio of the lengths of the upper tubular part 30 of the hand drive lever 7 to the lower sector disc 34 of the hand drive lever 7) and the freewheel pulley diameters as well as the overall transmission ratio of the deflection gear 86 are to be dimensioned such that a maximum hand pivoting movement of 250 to 350 mm corresponds to slightly more than half a revolution of the pedals 14. Reference symbol list 1 driver 2 seats 3 rear wheel(s) 4 front wheel(s) 5 frames 6 pedal drive 7 hand drive levers 8 Manual drive direction 9 Steering direction when driving on the left 10 frame parts 11 Bottom bracket 12 Sprocket 13 chain 14 pedals 15 Freewheel roller shaft 16 pedal arms 17 freewheel shaft bearings 18 Freewheel pulley 19 rope 20 pulleys 21 Point of force application 22 Clamping device 23 Connection to frame 5 24 Connection on frame 5 25 Crankshaft 26 Force application point 30 tubular part of the hand drive lever 7 31 Handle 32 Steering shaft 33 Steering shaft bearings 34 Rope sector pulley 35 Upper connection point of the steering linkage 36 Lower connection point of the steering linkage 37 Rotary axis hand drive lever 38 Steering shaft pivot 39 sprockets with freewheel 40 90° chain connectors 41 deflection sprockets 42 Drive area 43 Deflection area 44 Mounting plate 45 guide pinions 46 chain sector disc 53 intermediate shaft bearings 54 Intermediate shaft 55 Rotary axis intermediate shaft 56 Intermediate shaft sprocket 57 Clutch 60 deflection sprockets 82 Propeller shaft 83 Ship's propeller 84 propellers 85 Propeller shaft 86 Deflection gear 90 propeller shaft bearings

Claims

[1] A muscle-powered vehicle with three or four wheels (3, 4), which is driven by the driver (1) with his legs via a pedal drive (6), as well as two hand drive levers (7) arranged to the right and left of the driver (1), which can be pivoted in the direction of travel as well as transversely to the direction of travel, which the driver (1) moves with his arms in order to steer the vehicle with a similar pivoting of both hand drive levers (7) transversely to the direction of travel, and in order to generate a drive with an opposite movement of the arms on the hand drive levers (7) in the direction of travel, independently of the steering movement, which drive is additionally coupled to the pedal drive (6), characterized bythat a mechanical transmission system is used in which the right and left hand drive levers (7) are connected to a revolving cable (19) which is stretched over four deflection pulleys (20) fastened to a frame part (10) in the form of a rectangle and is guided with multiple wraps over two free-running cable pulleys (18), each arranged on a free-running pulley shaft (15), so that the hand drive levers (7) always carry out a movement in the opposite direction in the direction of travel and the cable (19) with the force of both hand drive levers (7) always acts on a coupled free-running cable pulley (18) depending on the direction of movement. [2] Muscle-powered vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by that each freewheel roller shaft (15) with the two freewheel cable pulleys (18) together with the pedal shaft of the pedal drive (6) forms a common crankshaft (25), from which the thus added drive forces are transferred to a rear axle via a chain (13). [3] Muscle-powered vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by that each freewheel roller shaft (15) with the two freewheel cable pulleys (18) forms a separate intermediate shaft (54) which, via a chain wheel (56), additionally supplies the manual drive forces to the chain (13) coming from the pedal drive (6). [4] Muscle-powered vehicle according to claims 1 to 3, characterized by that instead of the rope (19) chains can also be used in whole or in part, whereby all rollers in the area of ​​the chains are then designed as chain pinions.

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