Drop-in Pivot Stationary Bike Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise machines, such as stationary bicycles, lack a versatile configuration that allows for easy adjustment of user position and resistance levels, limiting the range of exercises that can be performed and the adaptability to different user preferences.
Innovation Solution
A drop-in pivot configuration featuring a frame with a base portion and an upright portion connected by a pivot joint, including a drop-in axle and receptacle, a crank assembly with independent crank axles, and a flywheel with a tilt actuator that adjusts the upright portion's angle, enabling the machine to pivot within a range of -20 to 20 degrees, allowing for both upright and recumbent cycling modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional fixed configuration is used, then the structural stability is maintained, but the adaptability to different exercise modes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into separate components (base portion, upright portion, pivot joint) that can be independently positioned and connected. The pivot joint itself is segmented into a receptacle and an axle, allowing the upright portion to be selectively positioned at different angles relative to the base portion, enabling transition between upright and recumbent exercise modes without requiring a completely different frame design.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot joint introduces dynamic adjustability to the frame configuration. The upright portion can be positioned at different fixed angles (upright or recumbent) through the pivot mechanism, allowing the exercise machine to adapt to different exercise modes. This dynamic reconfigurability is achieved through the removable axle that can be inserted or removed from the receptacle at desired angular positions.
2Ease of operation
If a fixed pivot configuration is used, then the manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ease of adjustment for different user positions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot joint is segmented into a stationary receptacle attached to the base and a movable axle attached to the upright portion. This segmentation allows the axle to be easily removed and reinserted at different angular positions, enabling users to adjust between upright and recumbent modes without complex tools or procedures, while the receptacle remains a simple, easily manufactured component.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot joint enables dynamic repositioning of the upright portion relative to the base. The removable axle design allows users to easily adjust the frame configuration by simply removing and reinserting the axle at different angles, providing ease of operation for accommodating different user preferences and exercise requirements without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the upright portion is fixed at a single angle, then the structural stability is maintained, but the versatility for different exercise modes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot joint provides dynamic reconfigurability while maintaining structural integrity. The upright portion can be positioned at different fixed angles (upright or recumbent) by removing and reinserting the axle into the receptacle at desired positions. Each positioned configuration maintains full structural stability, as the axle firmly connects the upright portion to the base at the selected angle, ensuring reliability for both exercise modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The single pivot joint design provides multi-functionality, allowing the same frame structure to support both upright and recumbent exercise modes. The receptacle and axle mechanism serves multiple purposes: it maintains structural stability, enables angle adjustment, and allows transition between different exercise configurations, making the frame universally applicable to various exercise requirements without compromising reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An exercise machine may include a frame. The frame may include a base portion, an upright portion coupled to the base portion, and a pivot joint connecting the upright portion to the base portion. The pivot joint may include a drop-in axle connected to the upright portion and a drop-in receptacle connected to the base portion. The drop-in axle may be removably received in the drop-in receptacle.