Improvements in children's bicycle training devices

Abstract

A children's bicycle training device 1B attaches to a bicycle 17B, raises the rear wheel slightly from the ground and provides pivoted movement enabling a child to pedal and establish their balance on

Description

The present invention relates to devices which are used to aid children in learning to ride a bicycle. Background The use of bicycles by children is a global practice and they often learn from a very early age with help from parents or carers. The child will begin on a small bicycle which is of appropriate size for them and has a basic set up for them to use. One of the main issues when learning to ride a bicycle is adjusting to the balancing on two wheels while moving, this is something that the brain of the child has to accept and adapt to and it can be extremely difficult to master. This process usually has to involve the child riding the bicycle outside for long periods and the parent or carer has to have a safe area in which they can practice this. The child will often cycle on a driveway or a piece of ground which is clear of danger, such as an area of a park. However, many children do not have access to this type of safe area as they may live in more built-up area and may not even have access to a garden or driveway. This means the parent or carer will have to spend a lot of time going to a safe spot or waiting for a time of day when a stretch of road or a pathway is not occupied, for example, early in the morning or later in the day. Therefore, a device which can enable the child to practice cycling and overcoming balance issues without having to leave the home would solve such a problem. The device may be easily attached to any bicycle due to a universal fitting and provide movement to the bicycle by way of a pivoting method which is attached to a floor stand of sufficient width to provide stability and safety when in use. The present invention aims to provide an improved children’s bicycle training device which helps then learn to ride and may be easily attached to any bicycle due to a universal fitting and provides movement to the bicycle by way of a pivoting method which is attached to a floor stand of sufficient width to provide stability and safety when in use. This is attached to the bicycle and raises the rear wheel slightly from the ground allowing the child to peddle without bicycle movement and establish their balance on the bicycle by way of experiencing the slight movement provided by a pivot fitting which simulates the natural movement experienced on a bicycle in normal conditions, when a child is trying to balance on the bicycle while learning to ride Summary of the invention According to the present invention there is provided a children’s bicycle training device which is attached to the bicycle and raises the rear wheel slightly from the ground allowing the child to peddle and establish their balance on the bicycle by way of experiencing the slight movement provided by a pivot arrangement fitting which simulates the natural movement experienced on a bicycle in normal conditions, when a child is trying to balance on the bicycle while learning to ride. This is substantially comprised of a base stand which may be of any suitable shape providing it has sufficient width and length when compared to the subject bicycle for stability in use, the base stand has a centrally disposed vertical column section which is perpendicularly fixed into the base stand. The vertical column section is provided with an internally threaded opening to its centre, the opening passing vertically down into the column providing threaded means to screw a vertically presented threaded bar into it. The threading may be of a wide thread type and enables the threaded bar to be rotated upward and downward to raise or lower the bar for height adjustment of the ball pivot and underside bracket attached to its upper extremity. The pivot arrangement may consist of a ball pivot which is located to the upper end extremity of said threaded vertical bar and is derived, in the known way, by means of a metal ball fitting on the end of the bar which is static and is encased by ball encasement which pivots around it. The ball encasement further has a fixed short column to its upper centre which is also internally threaded with an opening. The aforementioned underside bracket, which is a flat triangular metal piece with a squared front point, to allow its fitting on the bicycle, to be explained. To the middle area of the underside bracket is a hole which is located to align with the opening hole of said threaded opening of the fixed short column located on top of the ball pivot and to enable the insertion of a threaded tightening bar extending vertically down through a tightening bracket with concave frame sections. The tightening bracket has a centrally disposed hole to allow the tightening threaded bar to pass transversely through it when the tightening bar is rotated or screwed using a hand grip head located above a metal washer to the extremity of the tightening bar. On installation the user places the base stand on level ground, or if in doors on a non-slip surface without any obstructions on the ground, such as debris or small toy parts etc, for example in a living or children’s play room. The underside of the base stand is rubber attached to the planar underside surface, which may have a slight gripping texture to prevent any unnecessary movement of the stand. The aforementioned underside bracket must be adjusted to seat to the underside of the bicycles chain stay bars in the location where they connect at a juncture with the seat tube, as shown. Where the two chain stay bars connect to the lower end of the seat tube, a general triangle area is formed by way of their connecting angles together, which is therefore the shape of the underside bracket. The front of the underside bracket is flat and not pointed to enable it to seat directly to this connecting point of the lower end of the seat tube. The further widening triangular shape of the underside plate is purposeful for it to follow the angle of the two chain stay bars as they extend to connect to the rear wheel centres. The underside bracket seats underneath both cain stay bars without protruding from their outer sides and abuts closely to the lower position to the underneath of the seat tube, clear of any rotation of the peddles. To enable this fitting and to raise the rear wheel slightly from the ground, to be explained, the underside bracket must be adjusted to a height above the base stand where it meets this required position and height to seat under the bicycle frame, at the juncture of the chain stay bars and the lower end of the seat tube, as previously explained. To facilitate this the base stand is placed on said flat clear surface underneath the juncture of said seat tube and chain stay bars of the bicycle frame and the vertically presented threaded bar protruding from the vertical column, at the base stands centre may be rotated upward to raise or lower it, depending on the height of the underside of the bike frame from the floor. This in turn raises or lowers the underside bracket which is attached to the top of the ball pivot which is engaged with the fitting at the end of the threaded bar, which further screws into the vertical column in the centre of the base stand. The underside bracket is a horizontally opposed metal plate in a triangular form and thus presses up to and seats under the juncture of said seat tube and chain stay bars when at the correct height from the base stand, to the underside of this part of the bicycle frame. The correct height of the underside bracket is acknowledged by the rear wheel being lifted from its contact with the ground I floor. To secure the base stand to the bicycle and its now correctly positioned underside bracket, the tightening bracket needs to be screwed into place on the top of the two chain stay bars, to effectively clamp the chain stay bars between the top surface of the underside bracket and the underside of the two concave frame sections on each end of the tightening bracket. The tightening bracket is placed on top of the two chain stay bars with its central hole aligned with the central hole of the top of the underside bracket. The concave frame sections seat on top of the rounded chain stay bars and the aforementioned threaded tightening bar extends vertically down through the hole in the tightening bracket to allow the tightening threaded bar to pass through it and into the threaded hole of the fixed short column, located on top of the pivot ball. When the tightening bar is rotated or screwed using said hand grip head located above the metal washer the tightening bracket is clamped down onto the chain stay bars via its concave frame sections on each of its ends, as shown. This screwing of the tightening bar clamps the bicycle onto the base stand with the rear wheel slightly raised from the ground I floor. The child may now sit on the bicycle and peddle in the known way, because the device pivots using the pivot ball arrangement and the rear wheel is lifted slightly from the ground I floor they are able to become familiar over time with having to maintain balance while peddling and to try and prevent the pivot action as they progress. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the Patent Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved children’s bicycle training device which has all the advantages of the prior art bicycle training devices and none of the disadvantages. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new children’s bicycle training device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved children’s bicycle training device which is of durable and reliable construction. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved children’s bicycle training device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a product available to the buying public. Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved children’s bicycle training device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. Brief description of figures Figure 1 shows a dimensional view of the children’s bicycle training device installed on a child’s bicycle. Figure 2 shows a front view of the children’s bicycle training device, with sectional views. Figure 3 shows a front view of the children’s bicycle training device attached to the bicycles chain stay bars and pivoting. Figure 4 shows a frontal view of the coupling device in its position when it is partially installed on the two posts. Figure 5 shows a dimensional view of the children’s bicycle training device installed on a bicycle. Figure 6 shows a plan view of the children’s bicycle training device. Figure 7 shows a plan view of the children’s bicycle training device, with the base stand in a novelty dragon shape. Detailed description of figures A typical embodiment of the children’s bicycle training device is shown in Figure 1, being a children’s bicycle training device 1 which is attached to the bicycle 2 and raises the rear wheel 18 slightly from the ground allowing the child to peddle and establish their balance on the bicycle by way of experiencing the slight movement provided by a pivot arrangement fitting which simulates the natural movement experienced on a bicycle. It substantially comprises the device 1, which has a base stand 7 which may be of any suitable shape providing it has sufficient width and length when compared to the subject bicycle 2 for stability in use. The base stand has a centrally disposed vertical column section 8 which is perpendicularly fixed into the base stand itself and has a vertically disposed threaded bar 6 presented from a threaded hole in its centre, which can be rotated upward and downward to raise or lower the bar for the height adjustment of a ball pivot arrangement 15 and further attached underside bracket 5 to its upper extremity. Chain stay bars 17 of the frame of the bicycle 2 are clamped between said underside bracket 5 and a tightening bracket 4 with clamping down of the tightening bracket 4 facilitated by the tightening bracket having a centrally disposed hole to allow a tightening threaded bar 9 to pass transversely through it and further though the middle area of the underside bracket 5 via a further hole which is located to align with the opening hole of said threaded opening of a fixed short column located on top of the ball pivot arrangement 15. The vertical column section 8A located by fixture 16 into the base stand 7A is provided with the internally threaded opening 14 to its centre, the opening passing vertically down into the column 8A providing threaded means to screw the vertically presented threaded bar 6A into it. The thread 13 may be of a wide thread type for use with having to adjust easily by hand and also hold the weight of the bicycle and as said enables the threaded bar 6A to be rotated upward and downward to raise or lower the bar for height adjustment of the ball pivot 15A attached to the underside bracket 5A by means of the short fixed column 11. The short fixed column 11 has a threaded opening 12, as said, into which the threaded bar 9A is screwed using hand grip head 3A with metal washer 10 while inserted through centre holes located in the underside bracket 5A and tightening bracket 4A, the tightening bracket having concave frame sections 19 which aid their fitting onto the aforementioned rounded chain stay bars, as shown in Figure 2. The chain stay bars 17B, shown as a sectional view, are shown clamped between the tightening bracket 4B, by means of said concave frame sections 19B and the underside bracket 4B, with the ball pivot arrangement 15B tilting, as when in use, mounted on the threaded bar 6B in the vertical column section 8B, in Figure 3. The rear wheel 18C of the bicycle 2C is slightly lifted from the ground when the device 1C is correctly installed, as shown in Figure 4. Height adjustment of the device 1D is shown in Figure 5 wherein the vertically disposed threaded bar 6D is rotated upward and downward using its thread 13D within threaded opening 14D to raise or lower the bar for the height adjustment of the ball pivot arrangement 15D and further attached underside bracket 5D. The tightening bracket 4D is screwed downward, as aforementioned, by the tightening threaded bar 9D facilitated by the clockwise turning of the hand grip head 3D, passing through the hole in the underside bracket 5D and into the threaded opening 12D located in the short fixed column 11D. Figure 6 shows a plan view of the device 1E having the base stand 7E with the underside bracket 5E located under the hand grip head 3E over tightening bracket 5E with concave frame sections 19E, from this view above. Figure 7 shows a plan view of the children’s bicycle training device 1F, with the base stand in a novelty dragon shape. The animal shapes may be of any style or type which would be appropriate for children and characters from popular film or television and video / online gaming.

Claims

1) A children’s bicycle training device which is attached to the bicycle and raises the rear wheel slightly from the ground and provides pivoted movement enabling a child to peddle and establish their balance on the bicycle, substantially comprised of a non-slip base stand which has a centrally disposed vertical column section, the vertical column section having an internally threaded opening to its centre providing means to screw a vertically presented threaded bar into it and for height adjustment of a ball pivot arrangement with a fixed short column and triangular formed underside bracket attached to its upper extremity, the middle area of the underside bracket having a hole which is located to align with an opening hole a threaded opening in the fixed short column located on top of the ball pivot and to enable the insertion of a threaded tightening bar extending vertically down through a tightening bracket with concave frame sections and a centrally disposed hole to allow the tightening threaded bar to pass transversely through it when the tightening bar is rotated or screwed using a hand grip head located above a metal washer to the extremity of the tightening bar.2) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said concave sections are located at each end of the tightening bracket and are shaped to clamp down onto the bicycles rounded chain stay bars.3) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the tightening bracket clamps down onto the top of the chain stay bars by means of the tightening bar with a metal washer being tightened clockwise down onto it.4) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the underside bracket seats to the underside of the two chain stay bars, below the tightening bracket.5) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the tightening bracket and the underside bracket have their two central holes aligned and have the two chain stay bars of the bicycle clamped between them.6) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the underside bracket and ball pivot which is engaged with the fitting at the end of the threaded bar is raised to the correct height under the chain stay bars at the juncture where they connect to the bicycles seat tube by the vertically presented threaded bar protruding from the vertical column of the base stand being rotated to raise or lower it to a height which depends on the height of the underside of the bike frame with chain stay bars from the floor.7) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pivot arrangement may consist of a ball pivot which is located to the upper end extremity of said threaded vertical bar and is derived by means of a metal ball fitting on the end of the bar which is static and is encased by ball encasement which pivots around it.8) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said ball encasement further has a fixed short column to its upper centre which is also internally threaded with an opening.9) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vertical column is perpendicularly fixed into the base stand.10) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the threaded opening passes vertically down into the column.11) A children’s bicycle training device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the threading may be of a wider thread type to enable the threaded bar to be rotated upward and downward to raise or lower the bar for height adjustment and weight handling.

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