Stepping on pedal type bicycle

Abstract

To provide a stepping on pedal type bicycle 1 that enables easiness of a stepping on load transmission and stability in traveling to be easily secured.SOLUTION: A stepping on pedal type bicycle includes: a steering wheel R1 that defines a travel direction in conjunction with operation of a handle 11 supported by one end portion of a vehicle body frame 10; a pair of driven wheels R2 supported by the other end portion of the vehicle body frame 10 and arranged so as to be separated from each other in a right and left direction of a driver P; a seat part 12 supported by a center portion of the vehicle body frame 10; a drive wheel R3 supported in a portion being a middle portion of the vehicle body frame 10 and being closer to the front than the seat part 12; a pair of stepping on type pedal part 20 located in a portion being a middle portion of the vehicle body frame 10 and being below the seat part 12 and above the drive wheel R3, and arranged in right and left so as to sandwich the vehicle body frame 10; and a transmission part 30 that coordinates the stepping on type pedal part 20 and a rotation shaft of the drive wheel R3 and rotates the drive wheel R3 in conjunction with vertical relative operation of the pair of stepping on type pedal part 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pedal-type bicycle, and more particularly to a pedal-type bicycle that can easily transmit pedal load and easily ensure stability when riding. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, bicycles that are self-propelled by pedaling pedals that rotate 360 ​​degrees (hereinafter simply referred to as "rotary pedal bicycles") have been known, as well as bicycles that are self-propelled by stepping on pedals that move back and forth in an up-down or back-and-forth direction (hereinafter simply referred to as "pressure pedal bicycles").

[0003] This pedal-operated bicycle, while having difficulty propelling itself at high speeds (e.g., 15 to 20 km), can reduce the load placed on the rider when pedaling compared to a rotary pedal bicycle, and can also reduce the range of motion.

[0004] This will improve living conditions, for example by allowing even elderly people to go shopping by bicycle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-179711 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the pedal-operated bicycle described above uses a system in which the pedal force is transmitted to the rear wheel, which is behind the rider, so the problem of the heavy load required when pedaling has not yet been completely solved.

[0007] In addition, because power is transmitted through one rear wheel as a drive wheel, conventional pedal-operated bicycles cannot be ridden at high speeds, and when used at low speeds by elderly people and others, there is the problem that it is difficult to maintain balance.

[0008] One possible solution would be to arrange the rear drive wheels in a pair on the left and right to make it easier to ensure balance, but driving two drive wheels that have a large installation area would create a new problem in that the load increases when pressing on the pedal.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a pedal-type bicycle that can easily transmit pedal load and easily ensure stability when riding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a body frame extending in a longitudinal direction based on the driver's driving posture, a steering wheel that determines the driving direction in conjunction with the operation of a handlebar supported at one end of the body frame, a pair of driven wheels supported at the other end of the body frame and arranged spaced apart in the left and right direction of the driver, a seat portion supported in a central portion of the body frame, a drive wheel supported in a mid-portion of the body frame and closer to the front than the seat portion, a pair of step-on pedal portions located in the mid-portion of the body frame below the seat portion and above the drive wheels and arranged on the left and right sides so as to sandwich the body frame, and a transmission portion that links the step-on pedal portions and the rotation shaft of the drive wheels to rotate the drive wheels in conjunction with the relative up and down operation of the pair of step-on pedal portions.

[0011] In a pedal-operated bicycle, the rider sits on the seat and depresses one of a pair of pedal sections located at the top, which rotates the drive wheel, and the rider can then travel by depressing the pair of pedal sections alternately. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, ease of transmission of pedaling load and stability during running can be easily ensured. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show a pedal-operated bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a side view of the pedal-operated bicycle, and FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion of a pedal-type bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1A shows a pedal-type bicycle according to the present embodiment, where (A) is an explanatory diagram of the power transmission system when the pedal body is at the top dead center, and (B) is an explanatory diagram of the power transmission system when the pedal body is at the bottom dead center. [Figure 4] 1 shows a pedal-operated bicycle according to the present embodiment, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view of an example of a transmission section, (B) is a cross-sectional view of another example of a transmission section, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of yet another example of a transmission section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Next, a pedal-operated bicycle according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In Figure 1, the pedal-operated bicycle 1 comprises a body frame 10 extending in the front-to-rear direction based on the driving posture of a rider P, a steering wheel R1 that determines the direction of travel in conjunction with the operation of a handlebar 11 supported at one end of the body frame 10, a pair of driven wheels R2 supported at the other end of the body frame 10 and arranged spaced apart in the left-to-right direction of the rider P, a seat section 12 supported in the center of the body frame 10, a drive wheel R3 supported in the middle of the body frame 10 and closer to the front than the seat section 12, a pair of pedal units 20 located in the middle of the body frame 10, below the seat section 12 and above the drive wheel R3, and arranged on the left and right sides of the body frame 10 in between, and a transmission unit 30 that links the pedal unit 20 and the rotation axis of the drive wheel R3 to rotate the drive wheel R3 in conjunction with the relative up and down operation of the pair of pedal units 20.

[0016] The vehicle body frame 10 includes a shaft-shaped main frame 13 and a plate-shaped sub-frame 14 provided at the rear end of the main frame 13.

[0017] In the claims, "one end" generally refers to one end side of the body frame 10 as a whole, and also refers to the tip side of the main frame 13. Additionally, "the other end" generally refers to the other end side of the body frame 10 as a whole, and also refers to the area near the rear end of the subframe 14. Furthermore, "middle portion" generally refers to the vicinity of the center of the body frame 10, without any particular limitation, and refers to the area from near the center of the main frame 13 in the fore-aft direction to near the tip of the subframe 14.

[0018] Therefore, each of the above-mentioned parts indicates a part in the sense that it takes into consideration various possible structures in terms of design and strength of the body frame 10, and the configuration, etc., is not to be interpreted in a particularly restrictive manner.

[0019] In this embodiment, a handle shaft 16 is supported rotatably around its axis at the tip of the main frame 13 via a support cylinder 15. The handle 11 is fixed to the upper end of this handle shaft 16. In addition, a bifurcated bearing portion 16a is integrally provided at the lower end of the handle shaft 16, and the steering wheel R1 is rotatably supported between the bifurcated bearing portions 16a.

[0020] The subframe 14 is fixed to the lower ends of bifurcated reinforcing parts 17 provided at the rear end of the main frame 13 at left and right sides of a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction. A driven wheel R2 is rotatably supported via brackets 18 on the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the subframe 14 near the rear end.

[0021] The seat portion 12 is attached to a support pillar 19 that rises from the rear end of the main frame 13, and can be configured as needed to allow for vertical height adjustment, rotation for ascending and descending, and the like.

[0022] The seat portion 12 has a backrest 12c attached to a seat portion 12a via a leaf spring-like connector 12b, ensuring a stable and comfortable seating experience even for elderly people, etc. The seat portion 12 may be of the well-known approximately triangular saddle type, in addition to the above-mentioned rotating type.

[0023] Meanwhile, a bifurcated bearing portion 13a is integrally provided toward the lower end at the middle portion of the main frame 13, and the drive wheel R3 is rotatably supported between the bifurcated bearing portion 13a.

[0024] Next, the specific configurations of the step-on pedal unit 20 and the transmission unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0025] The step-on pedal section 20 is arranged as a set on the left and right sides of the main frame 13, and comprises a pedal body 22 with a rotating shaft 21 on one end side, and a support bracket 23 that is fixed to the tip surface of the subframe 14, supports the pedal body 22 via the rotating shaft 21, and prevents the pedal body 22 from moving downward.

[0026] The support bracket 23 is formed with an opening 24 to avoid interference with the end of the pedal body 22 on the pivot point side (rotation shaft 21 side), and a long hole 25 to allow connection with the transmission part 30 described later.

[0027] The transmission unit 30 includes a link connection part 31 protruding from the bottom surface near the free end of the pedal body 22, a rotation plate 33 provided on each end of an axle 32 of the driving wheel R3, one end of which is fixed to the axle 32 so as not to rotate relative to the axle 32 with a phase shift of 180 degrees, and a link plate 34 having one end connected to the link connection part 31 and the other end connected to the free end of the rotation plate 33. The link plate 34 may be a plate-shaped member, or may be made of a steel material having a diameter of about 5 mm and having an appropriate shape (for example, both ends may be looped). Therefore, for convenience of explanation, the link plate 34 is not shown in FIG. 2 and is simply shown by a thick line in FIG. 3.

[0028] In this embodiment, the rotating plate 33 faces upward (straight up) when the free end of the pedal body 22 is at the top (hereinafter, this state is also referred to as "top dead center"), and faces downward (straight down) when the free end of the pedal body 22 is at the bottom (hereinafter, this state is also referred to as "bottom dead center").

[0029] In this case, when the free end of the pedal body 22 is at the top dead center, if the tip of the link connection part 31 is located behind the edge straight line and the rotating plate 33 is located within a range of any angle T from the vertical line to the horizontal line, when the pedal body 22 is depressed, the rotating plate 33 naturally rotates in the forward direction, and the drive wheel R3 can be rotated in the forward direction with a gentle and light depression load. In this embodiment, in order to ensure startability when depression begins, an inclination of angle T1 (approximately 10° to 30°) is provided as shown in FIG. 3.

[0030] A long hole 33a is provided near the free end of the rotating plate 33 to allow smooth power transmission at the connection portion with the link plate 34. As shown in Fig. 4(A), the link connection portion 31 and one end of the link plate 34, and the free end of the rotating plate 33 and the other end of the link plate 34 are connected via screws 35 and 36, for example.

[0031] In this basic configuration, the pedal-operated bicycle 1 of this embodiment has a rider sitting on the seat 12 and depressing one of the pair of pedal-operated units 20 located at the top, which causes the drive wheel R3 to rotate, and the rider can then travel by depressing the pair of pedal-operated units 20 alternately.

[0032] Here, the driving wheel R3 has a larger diameter than the steering wheel R1 and the driven wheel R2, and since the steering wheel R1 has a larger diameter than the driving wheel R3, the ease of transmitting the pedaling load when driving the driving wheel R3 (load reduction) is further improved.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the present invention. Such modifications will be described below in order.

[0034] (1) First Modification In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4(A), the link connecting portion 31 and one end of the link plate 34, and the long hole 33a at the free end of the rotating plate 33 and the other end of the link plate 34 are connected via screws 35, 36. However, in order to ensure smooth power transmission, for example, as shown in Fig. 4(B), a long hole 31a may be provided in the link connecting portion 31, and the long hole 31a may be connected to one end of the link plate 34, and the free end of the rotating plate 33 to the other end of the link plate 34 may be connected via screws 35, 36.

[0035] (2) Second Modification Similarly, as shown in Fig. 4(C), the link connecting portion 31 and an elongated hole 34a provided at one end of the link plate 34, and the free end of the rotating plate 33 and an elongated hole 34b provided at the other end of the link plate 34 may be connected via screws 35, 36. It is of course possible to use both the structure shown in Fig. 4(A) and the structure shown in Fig. 4(B) together, or to use all the structures shown in Fig. 4 together.

[0036] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described here. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can think of various changes, modifications, combinations, etc. within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention described in the claims. Therefore, the technologies subsequent to these changes, modifications, combinations, etc. naturally belong to the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0037] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. Pedal-operated bicycle 10 Body frame 11 Handle 12 Seat section 12a Seat 12b Connector 13. Mainframe 13a Bearing section 14 Subframe 15 Support cylinder 16 Handle shaft 16a Bearing section 17 Reinforcement 18 Bracket 19 Posts 20. Pedal section 21 Rotation axis 22 Pedal body 23 Support bracket 24 Opening 25 Slot 30 Transmission section 31 Link connection part 31a long hole 32 Axles 33 Rotating Plate 33a long hole 34 Link plate 34a long hole 34b long hole 35 bis P. Driver R1 Steering wheel R2 Driven wheel R3 Drive wheel

Claims

1. A vehicle body frame extending in a front-rear direction based on a driver's driving posture; A steering wheel that determines a traveling direction in conjunction with an operation of a handle supported on one end of the vehicle body frame; A pair of driven wheels supported on the other end of the vehicle body frame and disposed apart from each other in the left and right direction of the driver; A seat portion supported at a center portion of a body frame; A drive wheel is supported in a middle portion of the body frame and forward of the seat portion; a pair of step-on pedal units located in a middle portion of the vehicle body frame, below the seat unit and above the drive wheels, and disposed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body frame so as to sandwich the vehicle body frame therebetween; a transmission unit that links the step-on pedal units with the rotation shafts of the drive wheels to rotate the drive wheels in response to the relative up and down operation of the pair of step-on pedal units; A pedal-operated bicycle comprising:

2. 2. The pedal-operated bicycle according to claim 1, The pedal unit includes a pedal body having a rotating shaft at one end, a support bracket that is fixed to the vehicle body frame, supports the pedal body via a rotation shaft, and prevents the pedal body from moving downward; A pedal-operated bicycle comprising:

3. 3. A pedal-operated bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, The drive wheels are larger in diameter than the steering wheels and the driven wheels; The steering wheels are larger in diameter than the drive wheels, A pedal-operated bicycle characterized by:

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