Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Patent
1998-10-23
2000-12-19
Hurley, Kevin
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
74665F, B62M 100
Patent
active
061618543
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to two wheel bicycles, and in particular to two wheel drive bicycles having the rear wheel driven by the traditional chain or shaft mechanism and the front wheel driven by a series of shafts transferring power from the driven rear wheel to the front wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
As off road biking has gained broader appeal, the demands that riders place on their bicycles have increased dramatically. Downhill, snow, and endurance races demand the increased traction and mobility of a two wheel drive bicycle system. Conventional bicycles are powered through a chain linking the pedal crankshaft to the rear wheel. Bicyclists are now facing many obstacles where having only rear wheel drive can lead to bicycle damage or personal injury. For professional riders, precious race time is lost avoiding obstacles such as logs, rocks, loose sand, mud, or ice. Traction and climbing ability are severely limited in extreme mountain conditions by only having the rear wheel provide power. In fact, biking professionals teach that only through learning to keep your weight on the rear wheel will beginners ever hope to improve their off-road skills. Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a two wheeled drive bicycle which efficiently transfers power from the pedals to the front wheels, provides the rider with increased ability to safely negotiate rough terrain, and which does not detract from the aesthetic qualities and appearances of the bicycle structure itself.
The concept of a two wheel drive bicycle is not a new one. Several two wheel drive bicycle systems are patented at present using various combinations of chains, flexible cable shafts, and rocker arms mounted on the handlebars to transfer power either directly from the pedals to the front wheel or from the rear wheel to the front wheel. In general, two wheel drive bicycle systems fall into two categories: 1) permanent designs involving drive trains attached to the frame, and 2) retrofit kits which convert existing bicycles to two wheel drive. The main drawbacks to these systems are: 11) a modification to the standard bicycle in the form of a kit is expensive when considered as an addition to a bicycle purchase, 2) the low strength flexible shaft limits the allowable loading on the system, 3) the retro-fit kit requires considerable skill to attach and cannot be designed to optimally work with every frame design, and 4) the drive mechanisms are often large and openly exposed on the outside of the frame potentially creating additional hazards for the rider and detracting from the overall appearance of the bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,662 shows a bicycle with a front wheel driven by a chain connected to a handle-bar mounted hand pedaling system. The bicycle uses arm power to drive the front wheels and is adaptable to a conventional bicycle frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,689 shows a front wheel drive system for a bicycle which can be installed on a bicycle to drive the front wheel by rocking the handlebars back and forth. As with U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,662 mentioned previously, this bicycle attempts to harness the energy of the rider's arms as an additional power source for driving the bicycle. However, a drive mechanism requiring the use of the riders arms for more than steering, balance and control of the vehicle would likely create serious safety problems and interfere with the bicycle operation for both professional and recreational mountain bikers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,705 describes a bicycle with power distribution from the rear wheel to the front wheel via a caliper and cable drive system. The drive system is activated by a caliper clamped on the rear wheel connected by a cable to a caliper on the front wheel. Inefficient power transfer to the front wheel due to slippage as well as torque loss in the cable would be a problem with this system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,725 describes one permanent system that has been developed utilizing a series of chains and sprockets. This design invol
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Allora Louis J
Christini Steven James
Dunn Michael J
Pigeon Robert L
Shook Jeremy T.
Christini Technologies, Inc.
Fischer Andrew J.
Hurley Kevin
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