Bicycle Climbing Trainer Dynamic Inclination Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional indoor bicycle trainers fail to accurately simulate real-world riding experiences, particularly hills and elevation changes, as they do not dynamically adjust the bicycle's inclination, limiting the rider's training to replicate actual terrain conditions.
Innovation Solution
A climbing trainer that dynamically adjusts the elevation of a bicycle's front end by translating a shuttle within a housing, coupled with a curved base to accommodate horizontal displacement, allowing the bicycle to tilt and simulate inclines and declines, and can be controlled manually or automatically through a controller or software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional trainers only modify resistance without changing bicycle orientation, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the training realism and simulation accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic inclination adjustment mechanism where the bicycle frame can tilt relative to the trainer base through a pivot point. This allows the system to transition from a static to a dynamic configuration, enabling realistic simulation of hill climbing and descending by actively changing the bicycle's orientation angle during training sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the resistance adjustment function from the inclination adjustment function into independent subsystems. The resistance mechanism remains stationary while the inclination mechanism independently controls the bicycle's tilt angle, allowing both functions to operate without interfering with each other and improving overall system modularity.
2Reliability
If the trainer dynamically adjusts bicycle inclination to simulate terrain, then training realism is improved, but the device complexity and structural requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a curved base structure that is pre-designed to accommodate the horizontal displacement that occurs during inclination changes. This curved guidance path is built into the structure beforehand, allowing the bicycle to tilt smoothly without requiring complex real-time structural adjustments or reinforcements during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a rotational degree of freedom by allowing the bicycle frame to pivot relative to the base, adding an angular dimension to the previously linear resistance adjustment. This transforms the system from one-dimensional (resistance only) to two-dimensional (resistance plus inclination angle) control, enabling realistic terrain simulation.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
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AI summary
A training device for use with a bicycle includes a shuttle guide member including a lower end and an upper end that define an axis therebetween. A shuttle is operably coupleable to a front end of the bicycle and translatable along the axis by a drive coupled to the shuttle. When coupled to the front end of the bicycle, translation of the shuttle along the axis by the drive results in each of a rotation of the shuttle guide member about a pivot and a change in elevation of the front end of the bicycle.