Exercise devices – Involving user translation or physical simulation thereof – Bicycling
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-07
2003-12-09
Crow, Stephen R. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
Involving user translation or physical simulation thereof
Bicycling
C482S908000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659917
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to quick release mechanism for securing and releasing a bicycle in a trainer, wherein said mechanism engages and secures the rear hub area of a bicycle without disassembly of said bicycle.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,642 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,729, each of which showing such a quick release mechanism comprising:
(a) a housing adapted to slidably receive at least part of a piston, wherein said housing is mounted on a first hub supporting leg of said trainer;
(b) a piston nesting within the housing and being slidable therein, wherein said piston has a first end and a second end, said first end bearing a first means for capturing a bicycle wheel hub;
(c) means for slidably moving said piston within said housing in order to extend said first end toward the hub of a bicycle to secure said bicycle, including a lever mounted at the second end of said piston;
(d) a second means for capturing said bicycle wheel hub, said capturing means being mounted on a second hub supporting leg of said trainer, wherein the hub supporting legs are mutually spaced to allow a bicycle wheel mounted on a bicycle wheel to be located and captured therebetween.
With reference to
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
of the drawings the known quick release mechanism operates as follows:
Referring to
FIG. 1
, there is shown a frame consisting of a base portion, comprising two mutually spaced front and rear substantially horizontal frame members
141
and
142
. Two parallel spacing bars
148
and
150
connect said front and rear base members. Connecting frame members
141
and
142
are substantially horizontal frame members
148
and
150
. The connecting of the frame members is performed by any suitable method well-known to those ordinarily skilled in the art. Cushion members
162
,
164
,
166
and
168
are provided to protect the ends of the frame members
141
and
142
to protect a flat surface having the frame structure resting thereon.
Coaxial sleeve
140
is mounted on the rear base member frame member
141
and is rotatable thereabout. Elements
178
and
179
are bolts to tighten sleeve
140
to frame member
141
. Upright frame extensions
36
and
37
(hereafter known as legs) are fixedly and perpendicularly attached to a coaxial member
140
. Legs
36
and
37
support a bicycle wheel axle. Once leg position for a particular bicycle is found, then
178
and
179
are tightened and this position is maintained for convenience. If various size bicycles are in constant use, then
178
and
179
are not used.
Quick release means are provided at the terminal end of leg
36
. Handle
18
is attached to cam
20
. Cam
20
rotates through slot
38
to urge piston
26
having socket
30
located at the end towards the opposed upright leg
37
.
Towards the terminal end of leg
37
is a threaded release means
48
,
50
. Threaded member
50
is rotated to urge the end of the threaded member bearing a socket
48
towards the oppose upright leg
36
. Socket
48
is threaded to a distance depending on the bicycle. Once this distance is determined for a particular bicycle, the quick release mechanism is the only thing necessary to operate to engage or disengage the bicycle.
Threaded socket member
48
and cam actuate socket member
30
are adapted to capture and hold securely the hub of a bicycle wheel. Lever
18
is attached in a fixe manner to cam
20
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, a bicycle is shown mounted on the apparatus of FIG.
1
. The rod
15
is shown in close proximity to the seat of the bicycle; this is for easy access by a rider to adjust tension on the roller. As the pedals
192
are rotated by a bicyclist situated on the bicycle of
FIG. 2
, the rear wheel of the bicycle rotates tensionable roller
2
.
Typically, the hub of the bicycle is captured by the sockets
30
and
48
, whereupon the legs
37
and
36
are pivoted forward to bring the tire in a resting position upon the roller
2
. This method of engaging the axle of a bicycle then pivoting forward and lowering the bicycle to the roller accomplishes two things: one it is the means of accommodating all wheel sizes; and two it saves the step of adjusting the roller to the wheel.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, there is shown the apparatus of
FIG. 1
from an elevated plan perspective. The frame comprises rear member
141
connected to front member
142
by connecting and spacing rods
148
and
150
. Coaxial with rear frame
141
and rotatable thereabout is coaxial sleeve
140
. Set screws
178
and
179
allow for fixing of the position of coaxial sleeve
140
about rear frame member
141
.
It is preferred that the screw socket member
50
,
48
be adjusted to capture one side of a bicycle hub whereupon the quick release member having socket
30
may be quickly moved to capture the other side of the bicycle hub.
The above is all known art from U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,642 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,729. A drawback of this known prior art is that it suffers from relative complexity and correspondingly high costs of manufacture whilst in use a person operating the known quick release mechanism is liable to get his fingers squeezed between the cam
20
and the slit
38
which is intended to receive cam
20
. A further drawback is that the esthetics of the known apparatus suffers from this visibly moving cam
20
moving in and out slit
38
when securing or releasing a bicycle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION)
The quick release mechanism developed by applicant obviates the above drawbacks by applying the features that the housing and the piston have a cooperating groove and protrusion or peg whereby the groove is embodied with a pitch so as to cause that rotation of the piston converts into simultaneous longitudinal motion of said piston.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4028915 (1977-06-01), Stahl
patent: 4400038 (1983-08-01), Hosokawa
patent: 4969642 (1990-11-01), Phillips
patent: 5026047 (1991-06-01), Kosecoff
patent: 5152729 (1992-10-01), Phillips
patent: 5494390 (1996-02-01), Gonzales
Crow Stephen R.
Myers Jeffrey D.
Technische Industrie Tacx B.V.
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