Device for transmitting effective drive torque from reciprocating motion to circular motion

Abstract

A mechanical system designed to convert the reciprocating motion of a crank into circular motion by using a crank or lever, thereby converting the force exerted by a user into the driving torque applied to a drive shaft. The mechanical system of the present invention enables the generation of an effective torque on the crank used either by a force applied simultaneously to the crank or by a force applied alternately to the crank, where the applied force may be a pulling force or a pushing force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to an alternative lever transmission device for pedal-driven vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional mechanical systems including cranks or levers are known to be used to convert the energy supplied by the user into mechanical energy, and this mechanical energy can be used, for example, to provide torque adapted to rotate a drive shaft. In those cases, the driving torque is generated by the user together with the pushing or pulling force by the crank.

[0003] The length of the aforementioned crank generally depends on the width and mobility of the limb used to apply the force, or the field of use (e.g., racing bike, MTB, fitness bike, touring bike, hand bike, etc.).

[0004] In a conventional crank system involving circular motion, it seems necessary to limit the length of the crank because an excessive crank length would not allow for an efficient biomechanical movement by the user.

[0005] In fact, an excessive crank length may cause an incorrect posture or diseases resulting from inappropriate limb movement.

[0006] Conversely, a short crank length results in an overall inefficient biomechanical performance.

[0007] The muscle strength of the user applied when the crank is at the dead center generates a torque with a resultant force of zero.

[0008] In fact, in a conventional bicycle with circular crank movement, when it is necessary to produce high torque at low RPM, there is an objective difficulty in being able to apply force when crossing the (upper and lower) dead points.

[0009] In addition, in a conventional system with circular motion, the cranks that are synchronized at 180°, that is, in parallel (for example, in the case of a hand bike), transmit force in a fixed cycle (180° + 180°).

[0010] The most direct way to alleviate the above problem is to limit the length of the crank.

[0011] Therefore, in order to improve biomechanical performance, shorter-length cranks that allow an increase in pedaling cadence are commonly used.

[0012] This system is effective and generally easy to implement, but since the length of the crank itself is directly proportional to the generated driving torque, this system reduces the maximum applicable torque.

[0013] The following describes some prior art methods aimed at improving biomechanical performance in a mechanism driven by the user's energy.

[0014] A bicycle is a vehicle propelled by the muscle power of the user's limbs. A bicycle is usually composed of a frame to which two aligned wheels are connected, and a bicycle also includes a mechanical system for transmitting power to the drive wheels.

[0015] TO2010A000499 discloses a device in which a crank moving in a circular motion can transmit effective torque to a drive shaft in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions of crank rotation by means of a unidirectional freewheel.

[0016] Two freewheels are installed on the drive shaft. The inner diameter part of the wheel directly engages with the shaft, and the outer diameter part engages with two bevel gears instead.

[0017] The two bevel gears are interconnected by a pinion to reverse the direction of rotation.

[0018] The above type of pedaling direction reversal device suffers from several disadvantages.

[0019] Specifically, this device realizes the circular motion of the crank but does not allow the possibility of attaching a crank longer than the conventional length. Furthermore, the cranks synchronized at 180° maintain an effective dead point limit.

[0020] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0205928 discloses a transmission device for means including a crank or lever with a reciprocating motion of the crank itself.

[0021] Two cranks are connected to the drive shaft by freewheels.

[0022] The two cranks move in opposite directions in the reciprocating motion by a mechanical rotation reverser made by a bevel gear and bevel pinion system.

[0023] The crank is connected to the freewheel by a gear. The freewheel meshes with the drive shaft and is properly attached to transmit torque to the drive shaft in the desired direction. If desired, a non-pushing crank can also be used to generate an input torque (by pulling force).

[0024] The device described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0205928 has several drawbacks, such as not being able to synchronously adjust the crank at any position relative to the position of transmission members such as chains, belts, and cardan shafts. In fact, the crank is attached on the same side as the drive crown wheel and must act in an arc so as not to interfere with the transmission device, which is necessary to transmit the movement to the driving wheels of the vehicle.

[0025] A device including a variant of the system described above is known from European Patent Application Publication No. 2679480. The device is made by separating two cranks from each other and returning the crank itself to the operating position by a spring.

[0026] The criticality of this system lies mainly in the fact that only one of the phases is used only to return the lever to the pushing position by the spring, so that it is impossible to transmit the pushing torque and the pulling torque simultaneously.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0027]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0028] Considering the above prior art, it is still desirable to provide a system capable of transmitting effective torque to the drive shaft by a crank or a lever so as to overcome problems related to the crank position and the crank length.

[0029] It should also be desirable for the system to be energy efficient by being able to provide improved biomechanical performance.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0030] The present invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to an alternative lever transmission device for pedal-driven vehicles. A lever made from a crank is selectively connected to a drive shaft by a unidirectional coupling (freewheel or amplified drive coupling). A reversing mechanism enables the freewheel to alternately engage with the drive shaft so that torque, such as the pushing torque or pulling torque generated by the crank, can be transmitted in a desired direction.

[0031] Furthermore, the non-pushing crank can also be used to apply a pulling force. The user can reverse the crank stroke at any time using only the force applied by the foot, and the arcuate range of motion is infinitely variable.

[0032] The present invention relates to a mechanical transmission device capable of converting the force exerted by a user's limb into effective drive torque at a drive shaft by means of a crank or lever. Due to the action of a freewheel (a unidirectional mechanical system), the aforementioned reciprocating crank transmits torque to the drive shaft in a desired direction.

[0033] Furthermore, the mechanical device according to the present invention enables a torque value to be generated at the drive shaft by the crank by applying both a pulling force and a pushing force. The force applied to the crank enables effective torque to be present at the drive shaft over the entire range of use without moving the crank itself in a complete 360° circular orbit.

[0034] The mechanical device described above enables drive torque to be provided to the drive shaft even when using minimal vibration.

[0035] By restricting the movement of the crank to an arc, it is possible to use a crank with an extreme length that enables a higher torque value than a conventional circular motion mechanical system.

[0036] In the proposed device, the crank moves in a reciprocating motion, transmitting torque to the drive shaft, which results in circular motion. The possibilities of movement are infinitely variable. The user can reverse the pedal stroke at any time using only the force applied to the crank. The device enables the crank to be synchronously adjusted in any desired arc.

[0037] The present invention applies to any pedal-driven vehicle and any other machine in which a movable lever is used as a power input where the force of the user's limb is utilized. The figures attached to this application show, as a non-limiting example, the use of the present invention in relation to a bicycle frame.

[0038] Specifically, the present invention provides a device that can increase the torque transmitted by increasing the length of the crank.

[0039] The mechanical device according to the present invention also enables the torque generated by the crank to be converted through minimal vibrations.

[0040] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a mechanical device in which the thrust applied by the user is independent of the length of the crank so that a greater torque can be generated even if the vibrations of the lever or the crank itself are reduced for the same applied force.

[0041] A further particular aspect of the present invention, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is that the cranks can be synchronously adjusted such that the cranks are parallel to each other.

[0042] The aforementioned solution enables the propulsive forces generated by both cranks to be applied simultaneously and then reverses the force in the traction at the end of the desired vibration.

[0043] This embodiment is strongly indicated when the force applied by the user is provided by the upper limb of the body. This system allows for exercise with a more linear body and arm movement than conventional circular systems.

[0044] A preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention is clearly used in connection with bicycles and pedal-driven vehicles.

[0045] In this and other embodiments, the user can position the cranks and select their synchronization adjustment to enable biomechanically efficient use.

[0046] The flexibility of the synchronization adjustment of the cranks allows for changing the direction of the applied force, and thus for changing the overall center of gravity caused by the weight of the user and the mechanical means, in contrast to conventional bikes where the direction of the thrust (direction of the driving torque) cannot be changed and thus the center of gravity cannot be changed.

[0047] The fact that the present invention enables the cranks to be synchronously adjusted relative to a desired position allows for many advantages, such as in the case of application to a mountain bike (MTB) where more grip is required from the drive wheel for paths where the terrain is constantly changing and the grip is sometimes unstable. The cranks can be appropriately synchronously adjusted to achieve pushing closer to the rear wheel (as shown in the attached FIG. 10). The posture adopted by the user in this configuration allows for a more effective thrust, along with an obvious benefit to the user's balance, not only the thrust.

[0048] The mechanical device of the present invention allows the user to work the legs in parallel to promote a posture that ensures greater safety and stability when controlling the vehicle when the force applied by the lower limbs is used, and also greater and more natural foot flexibility compared to conventional systems where the cranks are synchronously adjusted with each other at 180 degrees.

[0049] In order to position the crank rearward (opposite to the direction of movement) so that one of the cranks will interfere with the torque transmission system (such as a chain), the present invention is realized by having a special lever (torque transmitter) that bypasses the crown gear and eliminates interference, as shown in FIG. 1 including a conventional crank (left) and a torque transmitter (right). The present invention also enables applying a minimum torque with a minimum crank vibration.

[0050] Therefore, this device is particularly suitable when the mobility of the user's limb is not complete, and it is useful to have a device that enables obtaining a desired function to reduce the arc of use according to the user's requirements.

[0051] The width is independently adjustable by the user, and the device conforms to a desired thrust arc that enables thrust to be transmitted from one crank to the other at any time with the same gear ratio.

[0052] A variant of the device according to this description enables the rotation of the drive wheel by the driven wheel to be fixed, eliminating the freewheel normally attached to the rear wheel of a bicycle. This configuration receives inertia from the flywheel or the driven wheel so that the transmission member can continue to move when the crank is not transmitting torque. The above-described configuration is intended to make the rotational speed of the drive shaft more stable and more uniform, and as a result, improve the performance constant brought about by the force applied by the user.

[0053] Furthermore, the above-described configuration enables the chain to move in a constant motion even at low speeds, so that a vehicle equipped with a transmission can change the ratio without the need to move the crank.

[0054] Finally, the drive shaft associated with the drive crown gear, which is not directly connected to the crank, can be connected to the electric motor by a suitable transmission system, thus enabling electric assisted pedaling.

[0055] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be described and will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention and can be inferred from the dependent claims.

[0056] To meet the attendant requirements, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments of the mechanical system or replace elements with other functionally equivalent elements without departing from the scope recited in the following claims. Each of the features described above as belonging to a possible embodiment can be implemented independently of the other embodiments described.

[0057] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be described and will become apparent from the embodiments for carrying out the invention and the following drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0058]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0059] The following description of exemplary embodiments is related to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in the various drawings identify the same or similar elements. The following detailed description does not limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0060] The examples described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention. Other embodiments capable of reproducing the present invention are conceivable and are intended to be part of the present invention. The present invention will be described mainly with reference to the use of the present invention related to bicycles, but this relevance is intended to be merely illustrative and not to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is understood to be applicable to other fields where the use of circular motion resulting from an action using a movable lever or crank that operates in a reciprocating motion by the force applied by the user is required.

[0061] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a device for transmitting a continuous driving torque starting from the operation of a lever, wherein the lever moves back and forth not continuously but simultaneously or alternately.

[0062] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the device according to the present invention is shown in a preferred embodiment for attachment to a lever vehicle, such as a bicycle.

[0063] In this preferred embodiment, the device according to the present invention comprises a support box 100, which in this case is adapted to be fixed, for example, to a bicycle frame and is rotatably connected to a central axis 8. At the end of the central axis 8, a first crank 6 and a second crank 1 are connected in a manner to be clarified later. The aforementioned support box 100 can also generally be incorporated into the structure of the vehicle. Each crank preferably includes a circular hub that can be used to fix the crank to the support box 100 in a rotary manner and an arm that can have attachment points for the pedals 1A, 6A. Further, the shaft 8 can be associated with at least one crown gear 9. The aforementioned at least one crown gear 9 is adapted to operate a chain, which, for example, connects the crank mechanism to a rear transmission pinion. Any conventional mechanism for connecting the chain from the crown gear to one or more transmission pinions can be used together with the device according to the present invention.

[0064] However, the present invention can be used with many other types of mechanisms. Another example is a drive shaft that connects a crank device to the rear wheel. Since those components are known to those skilled in the art, they will not be exemplified or described in detail within the scope of this description.

[0065] Generally, a user can provide a driving force by, for example, pressing a pedal attached to the end of the first crank 6 with one foot. This moves the first crank 6 counterclockwise (the crank can be oriented in the direction opposite to the moving direction). The reverse gear of the device according to the present invention moves the aforementioned second crank 1 clockwise. Thus, when the user presses the first pedal, the second pedal rises. When the first pedal reaches the bottom of its stroke, the process reverses. The second pedal is in the raised position and is in a state of being pushed down by the user. At this point, the reverse gear of the device according to the present invention promotes the reversal of the movement of the first pedal, and the first pedal rises to a position suitable for being pushed by the user to start the cycle again.

[0066] In further detail, also referring to the functional diagram in FIG. 1, the aforementioned support box 100 includes a drive shaft 8 whose ends are connected to the first crank 6 and the second crank 1. The transmission between the two parallel shafts 8, 8a uses a pair of or three gears, chains, or belts for direct transmission and reverse transmission, and a one-way coupling - or freewheel - 7a, 7b is provided to ensure as a whole that the two cranks 1, 6 always rotate in opposite directions and alternately engage with the shaft 8 to transmit the torque applied to the cranks 1, 6 by the user.

[0067] The aforesaid freewheel, or one-way joint, operates such that when it rotates in one direction, the motor element pulls the driven element, while when it rotates in the opposite direction, it automatically disengages therefrom. The aforesaid freewheels are known to those skilled in the art and are commercialized in various forms. Therefore, those freewheels are not described in further detail in this description.

[0068] The first crank 6 is connected to the first transmission wheel 5. To bypass the transmission members 9, 10, the second crank 1 is connected to a lever that acts as a torque transmitter 2 connected to the second transmission wheel 3. The aforesaid first and second transmission wheels 5, 3 are installed adjacent to each other, supported by the aforesaid transmission shaft 8, and have opposing axes.

[0069] To enable reversal of the rotational direction of the aforesaid first and second gears 5, 3, a third gear 4a is mounted on the auxiliary shaft 8a and connected to the second gear 3. The wheel 4a is integral with a transmission wheel 4b also clamped on the auxiliary shaft 8a. The transmission wheel 4b is connected to the transmission wheel 5 by a transmission element 60 (chain, belt, cord, or double gear transmission). Briefly stated, the device provides two transmissions on the auxiliary shaft 8a, one of which reverses the rotational direction (between the transmission wheels 3, 4a), and the other maintains the rotational direction (between the transmission wheels 4b, 5). There may be a gear kinematic mechanism 4 capable of meshing with both the first gear 5 and the second gear 3. The aforesaid first and second gears 5, 3 are preferably characterized by a tooth profile having a height of 12 mm or less. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aforesaid first and second gears 5, 3, and the aforesaid third gear 4 may be of the conical type. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the aforesaid first and second gears 5, 3 may be of the cylindrical type, and the aforesaid toothed wheel kinematics may include pinions 4a, 4b having parallel axes. In conclusion, the reversal of the motion between the transmission wheels 5, 3 can be achieved by many different types of mechanisms, and such mechanisms are still included within the scope of the present invention.

[0070] The foregoing first crank 6 and the foregoing second crank 1 are respectively associated with a first one-way coupling 7a and a second one-way coupling 7b adapted to transmit the torque applied by the user to the cranks 1, 6 to the drive shaft 8 and move the foregoing drive shaft 8 in a desired direction. The foregoing one-way joints 7a, 7b are such that when the foregoing cranks are actuated by the user in a predetermined direction (e.g., counterclockwise), they lock the foregoing cranks 1, 6 together with the foregoing shaft 8, and when the foregoing cranks are actuated in a direction opposite to the foregoing predetermined direction (e.g., clockwise), they disengage the foregoing cranks 1, 6 from the foregoing shaft 8.

[0071] Furthermore, the drive shaft 8 may be connected to a crown gear 9, and the crown gear 9 can transmit the applied torque to a driven crown 11 by means of a suitable transmission member 10, and the driven crown 11 can be integrally connected to a driven wheel 12. The foregoing transmission member 10 can be made, for example, by the transmission chain shown in the attached FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0072] The above-mentioned lever 2 acting as a torque transmitter enables the foregoing second crank 1 to be integral with the second gear 3 without interfering with the crown gear 9 and the transmission member 10. This solves the problem of interference with the drive crown gear 9 and the transmission member 10 that occurs when the crank 1 acts, for example, in an arc that harmonizes with the position of the transmission member 10.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows an optional configuration with respect to the schematic in FIG. 1, in which the foregoing support box 100 realizes that the foregoing first crank 6 and the foregoing second crank 1 have parallel axes and are rigidly connected to each other. The foregoing torque transmitter 2 rigidly connected to the cranks 1, 6 also enables torque to be transmitted in this case without interfering with the rotation of the drive crown gear 9. This parallel crank configuration enables both pushing torque and pulling torque to be generated at the drive shaft 8.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows an alternative configuration compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, in which the driven spur gear 11 is connected directly or via a gear to a generator / motor 30 connected to the driven wheel 12. When the cranks 1, 6 generate effective torque at the drive shaft 8, the transmission member 10 transmits the torque to the spur gear 11, enabling a resultant torque provided by the torque generated by the cranks 1, 6 and the generator / electric motor 30 to occur on the drive wheel 12. When the cranks 1, 6 do not transmit effective torque to the drive shaft 8, the generator / electric motor 30 receives the mechanical torque from the driven wheel 12 by converting it into electrical energy.

[0075] FIG. 4 shows an alternative configuration compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, in which the drive shaft 8 is connected directly or via a gear to a generator / motor 30 by a transmission member 13. The generator / electric motor 30 provides an auxiliary torque to the drive shaft 8 by acting as an electric motor when the cranks 1, 6 transmit effective torque to the drive shaft 8. During the stall phase of the cranks 1, 6, the generator / electric motor 30 receives the mechanical torque generated by the inertia of the driven wheel 12 via the transmission member 10 and generates an electric current. The generator / electric motor 30 may also be advantageously installed inside the aforementioned support box 100 or may be installed outside the vehicle structure by suitable fixtures.

[0076] FIG. 5 shows an alternative configuration compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, in which the aforementioned support box 100 requires the cranks 1, 6 to be rigidly connected to each other with parallel axes. Also in this case, as before, the aforementioned torque transmitter 2 rigidly connected to the cranks 1, 6 enables advantageous torque transmission without interference with the rotation of the drive spur gear 9. This configuration including parallel levers or cranks enables both pushing and pulling torques to be generated at the drive shaft 8.

[0077] Figure 6 shows an alternative configuration compared to the configuration shown in Figure 4, in which the aforementioned support box 100 requires the cranks 1, 6 to have parallel axes and be rigidly connected to each other. Also in this case, the aforementioned torque transmitter 2 rigidly connected to the cranks 1, 6 allows torque to be transmitted without interference with the rotation of the drive crown gear 9. Also in this case, a configuration including parallel levers or cranks allows both pushing torque and pulling torque to be generated at the drive shaft 8.

[0078] Attached Figure 7 shows an embodiment corresponding to the functional diagram shown in Figure 1, in which the cranks 1, 6 are connected outside the aforementioned support box 100.

[0079] Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the reverse kinematic operation by using only cylindrical gears. In this preferred embodiment, the aforementioned kinematic operation of the gears that allows mechanical reversal of the first and second gears 5, 3 is achieved by the use of parallel-axis pinions 4a, 4b. The force F1 applied to the second crank 1 integral with the torque transmitter 2 transmits torque to the aforementioned second gear 3. Thus, the aforementioned second gear 3 meshes with the first pinion 4a, the first pinion 4a meshes with the second gear 4b, and the second gear 4b allows it to mesh with the second gear 5. The second gear 5 integral with the first crank 6 transmits torque having a direction opposite to that of the torque of the force F1 to the first one-way joint 7a. The first one-way coupling 7a moves the drive shaft 8 integral with the drive crown gear 9, allowing the drive shaft 8 to rotate in the desired direction indicated by the arrow ω1.

[0080] The above torque transmission occurs when, in the same configuration, the force applied to the first crank 6 allows the drive shaft 8 to be pulled by the second freewheel 7b.

[0081] The above torque transmission is achieved by starting with forces F1 and F2 that pull the drive shaft 8 in a desired direction by means of the one-way joints 7a, 7b. In other words, when a downward thrust from above is applied to one of the cranks, the transmission wheel adjacent to the crank will rotate in the same direction as the movement of the actuated crank, while the other transmission wheel on the shaft 8 will rotate in the opposite direction. One of the two wheels will still engage with the shaft 8 by means of its one-way joint. In this way, the one-way joints 7a, 7b enable the reciprocating motion imparted to the cranks 1, 6 to result in a continuous circular motion at the drive shaft 8.

[0082] FIG. 9 shows a preferred alternative embodiment for the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in which the aforementioned first gear 3 meshes with the gear 4a. The gear 4a, which is integral with the wheel 4b, transmits (or receives) motion to the wheel 5 by means of the transmission element 60. The lever 2, as a torque transmitter integral with the gear 3, bypasses the transmission members 9, 10 and integrates the wheel with the crank 1. This configuration enables the crank 1 to act on an arc adjacent to the transmission members 9, 10.

[0083] FIG. 12 shows a further preferred alternative embodiment for the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, in which, instead of using the aforementioned first gear 5, the aforementioned second gear 3, and the aforementioned pinions 4a, 4b, ring gears 50 and 60, and ring gears 40a and 40b are used respectively. In this embodiment, a transmission chain 80 connects the ring gear 50 and the ring gear 40b to enable them to rotate in the same rotational direction, and a transmission chain 70 connects the ring gear 60 and the ring gear 40a and is attached so as to enable the aforementioned chain 70 to enable the aforementioned ring gear 60 to rotate in the opposite direction to the aforementioned ring gear 40a.

[0084] The torque transmitted to the crown gear 60 is transmitted to the crown gear 40a by reversing the direction of rotation. The aforementioned crown gear 40a, which is integral on the same axis of rotation, transmits torque to the crown gear 40b, and the aforementioned crown gear 40b transmits torque to the crown gear 50. The preferred embodiment of FIG. 12 can also be implemented by reversing the connection of the aforementioned chains 80 and 70 while maintaining the reversal of the direction of rotation between the aforementioned crown gear 60 and the aforementioned crown gear 50 as a final result.

[0085] FIG. 13 shows a functional diagram of the device according to the depiction in FIG. 12.

[0086] In FIG. 10, the device according to this description in the version shown in FIG. 7 is attached to the bicycle frame 40, and on the bicycle frame 40, the crown gear 9 enables the driven crown gear 11 - or the group of driven crown gears - to rotate the driven wheel 12 by means of the transmission chain 10. The driven wheel 12 integral with the driven crown gear 11 allows the inertia of rotation to be transmitted to the driving crown gear 9 when the cranks 1, 6 do not transmit torque to the drive shaft 8 by means of the one-way joints 7a, 7b.

[0087] FIG. 11 shows an example of the application of the configuration described in the schematic diagram of FIG. 3. The device according to the present invention transmits the torque from the driving crown gear 9 to the driven wheel 11 or the group of driven wheels by means of the transmission chain 10. The driven wheel 11 integral with the generator / electric motor 30 allows the resultant torque given by the mechanical torque generated by the device and the torque supplied by the generator / electric motor 30 to be transmitted to the driven wheel 12. When the device does not transmit effective torque to the driven wheel 11, the motion inertia of the wheel 12 enables the generator / electric motor 30 to generate an electric current.

[0088] The device according to this description makes it possible to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and thanks to its flexibility of use and configuration, it is advantageously applicable both to pedal-driven vehicles (bicycles, racing bicycles, MTBs, fitness bikes, touring bikes, hand bikes, etc.) and to equipment used in the gym, for example for the training of the arms and legs.

Claims

1. A device for transmitting driving torque, Axis (8) and, The crown gear (9) associated with the shaft (8), A first crank (6) connected to a first transmission element (5, 50), A second crank (1) connected to a second transmission element (3, 60), A first unidirectional joint (7a) connected to the first crank (6), A second unidirectional joint (7b) connected to the second crank (1), Equipped with, The unidirectional joints (7a, 7b) are configured to lock the cranks (1, 6) together with the shaft (8) when the cranks are operated by the user in a predetermined direction, and to disengage the cranks (1, 6) from the shaft (8) when the cranks are operated in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction. The aforementioned device A torque transmission (2) that connects the second crank (1) to the second transmission element (3, 60), wherein the torque transmission (2) is adapted to bypass the crown gear (9) in order to avoid interference with the movement of the crown gear (9) during the movement of the crank (1, 6), A reversing element having a kinematic mechanism adapted to engage with the first transmission elements (5, 50) and the second transmission elements (3, 60) and adapted to rotate the cranks (1, 6) in opposite directions, Furthermore, A device characterized in that the kinematic motion is of the parallel axis type and is adapted to supply continuous driving torque to the shaft (8) and the crown gear (9) during the movement of the crank (1, 6).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a support box (100).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unidirectional joints (7a, 7b) are adapted to engage in one direction and release the movement in the opposite direction.

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the unidirectional joints (7a, 7b) are housed inside the support box (100).

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unidirectional joints (7a, 7b) are directly attached to the cranks (1, 6).

6. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the support box (100) is incorporated into the structure of a vehicle.

7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cranks (1, 6) are provided with hubs adapted to fix the cranks (1, 6) to the support box (100) in a rotatable manner.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crank (1, 6) comprises an arm provided with fixing means for the pedals (1A, 6A).

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crown gear (9) is associated with a transmission member (10) adapted to transmit the motion of the crown gear (9) to a driven crown (11).

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the crown gear (11) is connected to a generator / motor (30).

11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive shaft (8) is connected to a generator / motor (30) by a transmission member (13).

12. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first crank (6) and the second crank (1) are firmly connected to each other such that their axes are parallel.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first transmission element is connected to the crank (6) and comprises a first crown gear (5), the second transmission element is connected to the crank (1) and comprises a second crown gear (3), and the first crown gear (5) and the second crown gear (3) are coaxial with the output shaft (8).

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the reversing element comprises a gear-kinetic mechanism (3, 4a) and a transmission element (60) that act on two transmission wheels (4b, 5).

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that the gear-driven mechanical mechanism comprises two wheels (5, 3) and two pinions (4a, 4b).

16. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the gears (3, 5) have a tooth profile having a height of 12 mm or less.

17. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first transmission element comprises a first crown gear (50), the second transmission element comprises a second crown gear (60), and the first crown gear (50) and the second crown gear (60) are coaxial with the output shaft (8).

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that the reversing element comprises a crown gear kinetic mechanism.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that the crown gear and parallel axis kinematic mechanism comprises two crown gears (40a, 40b) and two drive chains (70, 80) adapted to engage the first crown gear (50) and the second crown gear (60) with the crown gear of the crown gear kinematic mechanism.

20. A pedal-driven vehicle comprising a device for transmitting drive torque as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A machine for training the arms and legs of a user, comprising a device for transmitting driving torque or dragging torque as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

Images