Pedal rotary force enhancing device

Abstract

To inexpensively provide a pedal rotary force enhancing device for efficiently transmitting strength of legs.SOLUTION: A pinion gear is fitted to a pedal shaft, a movable footboard energized so that a rear opens by providing a pedal front end with a first shaft is pivoted, and a rack gear energized to engage a pinion gear via a second shaft is hung in the front of a lower part of the movable footboard, so that a ratchet action by a ratchet mechanism in which opening / closing operation of the movable footboard during pedaling is composed between the rack gear and the pinion gear is generated, shaft rotation of the pedal is locked while the rack gear and the pinion gear engage each other, and a power point of the pedal moves from the shaft center to the front end, so that a rotary force can be enhanced. Using the same for a bicycle makes it possible to perform sprightly but powerful traveling simply by exchanging pedals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to pedals for objects that use leg power as a power source, and more particularly to the technology of a device for enhancing the rotational force of the pedals on bicycles. [Background technology]

[0002] Bicycles are a convenient means of transportation that move by pedaling with the legs and turning the wheels. In every respect they can be said to be the most environmentally friendly form of transportation. However, because they require physical strength, they are easily affected by uphill slopes and headwinds when riding, so technology that allows them to run more efficiently is desired. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In the past, bicycles have been equipped with internal and external gears, allowing riders to adjust the gear ratio to suit their muscle strength and ride comfortably. However, while lowering the gear ratio can reduce strain on the legs when going uphill or facing a headwind, it means that the rider must pedal faster to maintain speed. In the end, this means sacrificing a significant amount of speed in order to ride at a constant momentum.

[0004] Another method is to use an oval-shaped chainring to efficiently transmit pedaling force to the chain, but this has drawbacks such as an uncomfortable feeling when riding at a constant speed due to the angular velocity changing depending on the position of the pedal, and difficulty in shifting gears on the crank side.

[0005] The present invention aims to address these problems from a different perspective by focusing on the pedals, which are the first to transmit leg power, and making it possible to increase rotational force simply by replacing the pedals.The object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive pedal rotational force strengthening device that is simple in mechanism yet efficient and durable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention As one aspect of thisIn pedals that use leg power as a power source, the pedal shaft (2) Pinion Gear (3) Attach the pedal of At the front end 1. shaft (5) A movable step is provided so that the rear side opens. (4) The shaft is attached to the Movable tread (4) At the bottom front of Second shaft (9) Pinion Gear Through (3) A rack gear biased to mesh with (7) By suspending the pedal, the movable footrest can be (4) The opening and closing action of 、 Rack Gear (7) and pinion gear (3) Between Configured Ratchet Mechanism Ratchet action by Creating Rack gear (7) and pinion gear (3) When engaged, the pedal's axial rotation in the forward direction is locked and the pedal's force point moves from the axial center to the front end, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

[0007] This combines a ratchet mechanism with a rotation following function. With a normal ratchet mechanism alone, the pedal axle rotates and displaces as the crank moves in circles, and unless the pedaler forces his or her ankle to keep up with the rotation, the gears will instantly come loose and the mechanism will lose its function. However, with this invention, the linked rack gear follows the rotation of the pinion gear and pushes it back, maintaining an engaged state while pedaling moves the movable foot from its open state to its fully closed state, allowing the ratchet mechanism to function within approximately half a rotation range of the crank where the pedaling force is applied.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, in a pedal that uses leg power as a power source, a pinion gear (3) is attached to the pedal shaft (2), a first shaft (5) is provided at the rear end of the pedal to which a movable foot (4) is attached that is biased so that the front side opens, and a rack gear (8) is suspended from the front of the lower part of the movable foot (4) via a second shaft (9) that is biased so that it engages with the pinion gear (3). In this way, the opening and closing movement of the movable foot (4) when pedaling produces a ratchet action by the ratchet mechanism formed between the rack gear (8) and the pinion gear (3). When the rack gear (8) and the pinion gear (3) are engaged, the axial rotation of the pedal in the forward direction is locked and the force point of the pedal moves from the axial center to the front end, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

[0009] This pedal action is the opposite of the previous pedal, but the ratchet mechanism works in the same way and produces almost the same effect. Also, in this case, the front end of the movable footplate is released, so by extending this part, it is possible to easily increase the rotational force. The reference numerals in parentheses above are shown as an example of the present invention, and are the reference numerals of corresponding components in the embodiment described below. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The present invention pursues efficient pedaling by focusing on the crank axial force, torque = pedal force × crank length. If the pedal force is 200 N, the crank length is 0.17 m, and the distance from the pedal axle to the movable footplate axis is 0.04 m, then the normal torque is 200 N × 0.17 m = 34 N m, whereas the torque of the present invention is 200 N × (0.17 m + 0.04 m) = 42 N m, which is mathematically equivalent to a torque increase of approximately 24%.

[0011] This is a calculation based on the position where pedal force is most easily transmitted when the pedal is depressed 90 degrees forward from the top dead center, and the effectiveness cannot be judged from this alone, but by making the ratchet mechanism follow the rotation of the pedal shaft, this action continues for about half a revolution, and it is this continued torque increase that is the source of the reduction in pedal rotation. For this reason, the crank is weaker than normal riding when using a conventional low-speed gear. One rotate So bicycles etc. Although the distance traveled is shorter, this device uses a crank One rotate So bicycles etc. The reduction effect can be achieved without changing the distance traveled, so you can ride with reduced physical fatigue while maintaining a constant cadence.

[0012] Another advantage and purpose is that its effects can be easily obtained for anything that uses leg power, simply by changing the pedals; if used on a bicycle, it will of course make for a lighter and more powerful ride, but if used on a geared bicycle, it will reduce the frequency of gear changes, if used on an electric bicycle, the driving distance per charge can be extended depending on the adjustment of the assist ratio, and if used on a human-powered aircraft, it may even be possible to extend the flying distance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a shaft portion of the pedal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a movable step portion in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main body portion of the pedal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA showing the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing a pedal trajectory in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a left side view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Since the present invention relates to a pair of pedals that are symmetrical, one for each side, the following describes an embodiment of the right pedal with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0015] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and the device generally consists of a pedal body 1 and a step-like movable treadle 4. The pedal body 1 has a pinion gear 3 attached to the centre of a pedal shaft 2, and a weight 12 attached to the rear of that. Meanwhile, a rack gear 7 is suspended from the lower front of the movable treadle 4 via a rack shaft 9, and is biased rearward by a rack spring 10. The front ends of these gears are connected to each other by the treadle shaft. (First axis) By biasing the gears in the open direction with 5 and a step spring 6 and pivoting them, the gears mesh with each other so that the movable step 4 can be opened and closed in the direction of the dotted arrow.

[0016] This biasing means is for resetting the gear when the pedal force is released, and may be a method of placing an elastic body such as rubber or a leaf spring in the narrow space where the movable treadle 4 and the pedal body 1 intersect. Furthermore, it may be a method of resetting the gear with the pulling foot by making the sole and the movable treadle 4 detachable like a binding pedal, or by attaching a magnet to the movable treadle 4 and magnetically attracting a shoe sole with an iron piece attached.

[0017] The key to this device is that the ratchet mechanism follows the rotation of the pedal shaft, and the opening and closing action of the movable pedal 4 is linked to the rotation of the crank 16 that rotates in response to the pedaling force, and while the pedal moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rack gear 7 is pushed down, chasing and pushing the rotation caused by the shifting of the pinion gear 3, and the shaft rotation of the pedal in the forward direction is locked with the ankle angle maintained at normal pedaling. Then, while moving from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the rack gear 7, which has lost the pedaling force, is repelled by the rotation of the pinion gear 3 and pulled up while spinning freely, returning to its original state. This series of actions is repeated to obtain a continuous reduction effect.

[0018] In order to maintain this effect, the period from the reset state until the movable pedal 4 is completely closed must be made to coincide with the range in which the pedal force is effective. Since this range can be set to a maximum of approximately half a rotation of the crank 16, it is possible to arbitrarily set the number of teeth on the rack gear 7 to less than half the number of teeth on the pinion gear 3.

[0019] In addition, the rack gear 7 is designed to bite into the pinion gear 3 when it receives a pedaling force and to instantly disengage when the pedaling force is released. This mechanism is achieved by shifting the fulcrum of the rack gear 7 suspended from the movable pedal 4 away from the tooth row side. For this reason, the rack gear 7 is L-shaped with an arm portion 7a. However, if it were made straight without being shifted, the rack spring 10 would need to be strengthened to prevent the meshing portion from disengaging, but this would have the disadvantage that it would be more difficult to disengage when resetting. The tooth row of the rack gear 7 may be straight or gently curved in a circular arc shape.

[0020] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the shaft of the pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the pedal shaft 2 is tapered in stages from the pedal mounting screw portion 2a to the end for strength and assembly reasons. The assembly procedure is as follows: in the process of inserting the large bearing 1b and small bearing 1c, which are arranged on the pedal body 1 side and shown by dotted lines, the spline recess 3a of the pinion gear 3 is first fitted into the spline protrusion 2b at the center of the shaft at the meshing opening 1h, and a retaining ring 3b is fitted and fixed in the retaining ring groove 2c. After that, the shaft fixing screw portion 2d is passed through the small bearing 1c, and then the shaft is fixed using two shaft fixing nuts 2e.

[0021] Incidentally, alloy steel materials having strength and corrosion resistance, such as chrome molybdenum steel and stainless steel, are suitable for the materials of the pedal shaft 2 and the pinion gear 3. If the outer diameter of the pinion gear 3 were to be equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the large bearing 1b and the pinion gear 3 were to be integrally formed on the pedal shaft 2 itself, the shaft could be easily attached from one side, the meshing opening 1h would be smaller and the strength of the main body would increase, the rack gear 7 would be smaller and the opening angle of the movable treadle 4 would be smaller, and the balance of all these would be improved, making it possible to make the product, including the weight 12, light and compact.

[0022] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the movable step portion in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which a row of reinforcing plate shaft holes 4a and reinforcing plate rack shaft holes 4b and a pair of step springs 6 are lined up at the front of the lower part of the movable step 4, which are loosely fitted into the row of step sliding grooves 1g provided at the front of the pedal body 1, and assembled so as to open and close by passing the step shaft 5 shown by the dotted line through it and fitting a retaining ring 5b into the retaining ring groove 5a to pivotally fasten it. The rack gear 7 has an inclination at its tip so that it can spin freely when the pedal is rotating in the reverse direction, and is assembled by inserting the rack shaft into the arm shaft hole 7b, in which the rack spring 10 is set, between the pair of reinforcing plate rack shaft holes 4b. (Second axis) By inserting the retaining ring 9b into the retaining ring groove 9a and attaching it to the shaft, it can be suspended in a state where it is biased backward. Also, although the bearings for each small diameter shaft hole are omitted in the drawing, sliding bearings etc. may be attached if necessary.

[0023] The movable treadle 4 is preferably made of a lightweight, highly rigid material such as aluminum alloy or fiber-reinforced resin, but it can also be made of iron or stainless steel if the shape is to be made slimmer. The rack gear 7, rack shaft 9, and treadle shaft 5 are preferably made of alloy steel materials with strength and corrosion resistance such as chrome molybdenum steel or stainless steel, and the torsion coil springs of the treadle spring 6 and rack spring 10 are preferably made of stainless steel springs or spring materials with anti-rust treatment. The stopper 11 is a rack stopper and damper that is fixed above the rack gear 7, and is preferably made of an elastic material such as hard rubber or metal sandwiched between rubber, but may also be made of a spring or resin.

[0024] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the main body of the pedal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. At the front end of the pedal body 1, a step sliding groove 1g is formed, which is intertwined with the step shaft hole 1d and aligned with the row of the reinforcing plate shaft hole 4a, etc., to counter the lateral torsional buckling of the movable step 4. At both ends of the pedal shaft insertion hole 1a, a large bearing 1b and a small bearing 1c made of a bearing or a sliding bearing are arranged, and an adjustment screw 6a is attached to an adjustment screw hole 1f provided in front of them, and a step spring 6 is hung in the hole and recess at the tip of the screw to prevent the screw from loosening. A reflector position 15 is attached behind the central engagement opening 1h, and a weight 12 is attached to the end of the reflector position 15. The material of the pedal body 1 is suitable to be lightweight and rigid, such as aluminum alloy or fiber-reinforced resin.

[0025] The weight 12 is a piece of equipment that makes it easier to place the foot on the pedal when starting to pedal, allowing for safe stepping, and it also functions as a balancer that keeps the movable footboard 4 horizontal. Furthermore, the weight 12 has an eccentrically-located fixing screw hole 13 with small radial projections around it, and when attaching the weight 12 through the weight fixing hole 1e, the weight can be attached by slightly turning the screw 14 to change the center of gravity, allowing for adjustment of the balance.

[0026] In the illustration, it is shown as an independent cylinder, but the shape can be anything as long as the weight is balanced. The material can be common metals such as stainless steel, iron, or copper, but if it is a heavy, soft metal like lead, it needs to be protected with a cylindrical cover. Incidentally, this equipment is only necessary when you start riding, and it does not affect the lightening effect even if it is not there while pedaling, and it may not be necessary once you get used to it.

[0027] 5 is a front view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the reset is complete, the movable tread 4 is fully open, and the horizontal balance is maintained in a free state. The attachment part of the weight 12 at the rear end is tapered at an angle as a safety measure for the pedal to contact the ground when the bicycle is tilted.

[0028] Fig. 6 is a left side view of the first embodiment of the present invention, and like Fig. 5, shows the free state after resetting is complete. When a pedaling force is applied from this state, the pedal moves in the direction of the arrow, and the rack gear 7 moves down in conjunction with the movement of the movable pedal 4, pushing the pinion gear 3 which rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow, and the ratchet mechanism works. Until the movable pedal 4 is completely closed, the pedal rotation force is strengthened, and the reduction effect due to the increased pedal rotation force can be continuously obtained with natural movements without putting strain on the ankle.

[0029] Normally, in this device, the movable step 4 is constantly biased in the open direction by the repulsive force of the step spring 6, allowing riding with a constantly strengthened pedal rotation force. However, by replacing the step spring 6 or adjusting the repulsive force with the adjustment screw 6a, the weight of one leg when sitting on the saddle can be balanced with the repulsive force of the spring, so that during normal riding the movable step 4 is in the closed pedal state due to the weight of the leg, but this function can also be set to be used as necessary only when going uphill or when there is a headwind or other loads that are placed on the rider.

[0030] This is because when the pedaling foot feels a load while pedaling, the pulling foot reflexively lifts, and this reflex action causes the load on the movable pedal 4 to disappear as the pedal returns from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, causing the spring's repulsive force to prevail and reset the pedal, allowing the rider to ride with increased torque only when necessary. If we use an analogy with an automobile, then if a bicycle with gears is a manual car, then a bicycle with this device is equivalent to an automatic car, allowing for a light and powerful ride without the need for gear changes.

[0031] 7 is a bottom view of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the movable step 4 fully pressed down. Anti-slip holes 4c are provided in the top plate of the movable step 4 to reduce weight and to prevent friction with the sole of the shoe, but other measures such as anti-slip treatment or application of a friction sheet may also be taken.

[0032] 8 is an AA cross-sectional view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and similarly to Fig. 7, shows the state near the bottom dead center when the movable foot plate 4 is pressed down until it is completely closed. At this time, the stopper 11 forcibly presses down the arm portion 7a of the L-shaped rack gear 7, using up all the teeth of the rack gear 7 and moving it to a position where it can easily be disengaged from the pinion gear 3.

[0033] As a result, even if the tooth contact becomes slightly worse due to deterioration of the meshing portion over time, the ratchet mechanism can follow and use the maximum range of its action, so the reduction effect can be continued accordingly. Note that the rack gear 7 in the figure is shown just before being reset, but in the next moment the pinion gear 3, which continues to rotate in the direction of the dotted arrow, will repel it to the position of the rack gear 7 shown by the dotted line, and the reset will be completed by the time of the next top dead center.

[0034] 9 is a left side view showing the pedal trajectory in the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows the state of the device for each rotation angle of the crank 16 when pedaling in the direction of the arrow. The pedal shaft trajectory 17 has a radius equal to the length of the crank 16, and corresponds to the trajectory of the force point of a conventional pedal, while the pedal force point trajectory 18 shows the passing points of the tread shaft 5 within the range where the ratchet mechanism acts as a solid line, and corresponds to the extension of the crank from the top dead center to the bottom dead center. Incidentally, if the crank is made longer in order to obtain substantially the same effect with a conventional pedal, the rotation range becomes too large, which puts a strain on the leg strength, and there are problems with the pedal touching the ground when the bicycle is tilted. EXAMPLES

[0035] 10 is a left side view of the second embodiment of the present invention, showing a position where the pedal is depressed about 90 degrees forward from the top dead center when pedaling in the direction of the arrow. This is a reverse type of the first embodiment, in which a pinion gear 3 is attached to the pedal shaft 2 of the pedal body 1, a step shaft 5 is provided at the rear end of which a movable step 4 is pivoted and biased to open forward by a step spring 6, and an arc-shaped rack gear 8 biased by a rack spring 10 is suspended below and in front of the pinion gear 4 via a rack shaft 9, so that the ratchet mechanism operates following the rotation of the pedal shaft 2 in the same way as in the first embodiment, and approximately the same effect can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Pedal body 1a Pedal shaft insertion hole 1b Large bearing 1c Small bearing 1d Tread shaft hole 1e Weight fixing hole 1f Adjustment screw hole 1g Tread sliding groove 1h meshing opening 1i Axis cap 2 Pedal shaft 2a Pedal mounting screw 2b Spline convex part 2c Retaining ring groove 2d Shaft fixing screw part 2e Shaft fixing nut 3 Pinion gear 3a Spline recess 3b Retaining ring 4 Movable treadle 4a Reinforcement plate shaft hole 4b Reinforcement plate rack shaft hole 4c Anti-slip holes 5 Tread shaft (First axis) 5a Retaining ring groove 5b Retaining ring 6. Treadle spring 6a Adjustment screw 7 Rack Gear 7a Arm section 7b Arm shaft hole 8 Arc-shaped rack gear 9 Rack Axis (Second axis) 9a Retaining ring groove 9b Retaining ring 10 Rack spring 11 Stopper 12 Weight 13 Fixing screw hole 14 Fixing screw 15 Reflector position 16 Crank 17 Pedal shaft path 18 Pedal force locus

Claims

1. A pedal rotational force strengthening device in which leg force is used as a power source for a pedal, a pinion gear is attached to the pedal shaft, a movable foot plate is attached to the front end of the pedal via an axle and biased so that the rear side opens, and a rack gear is suspended from the front of the lower part of the pedal, biased so that it meshes with the pinion gear via an axle. When the movable foot plate is opened and closed while pedaling, a ratchet mechanism is created between the rack gear and the pinion gear, and while the gear is meshed, the axle rotation of the pedal in the forward direction is locked and the pedal's force point moves from the axle center to the front end, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

2. The pedal rotational force strengthening device according to claim 1, characterized in that a pinion gear is attached to the pedal shaft, a shaft is provided at the rear end of the pedal to which a movable step plate biased so as to open toward the front is attached, and a rack gear biased so as to mesh with the pinion gear via a shaft is suspended at the lower front of the movable step plate, thereby strengthening the rotational force.

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