Bicycle trainer

A bicycle trainer includes a magnetic control damping device controlling a resisting force of a roller set to simulate stamp strengths required by a bicycle on various roads. A lifting device controls a support frame and a base seat to drive a front fork of the bicycle up or down to dynamically simulate states of the body of the bicycle on various roads, so that the actual effect closest to the bicycle running on an uphill, smooth or bumpy road can be achieved. In addition, a power generation device converts the rotating power, generated by the roller set, into the electric power for the dynamic simulation or other electronic devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a technical field of a structure of a bicycle trainer, and more particularly to a bicycle trainer capable of dynamically simulating a state when a bicycle runs on an uphill, smooth or bumpy road, and converting the rotating power, generated upon training, into the electric power for the dynamic simulation.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

Generally, a conventional common bicycle trainer holds a body of a bicycle with a rear wheel of the bicycle contacting a damping wheel. When a user stamps to drive the rear wheel to rotate, the damping wheel generates an appropriate resisting force through an oil resistance device, a mechanical device or a magnetic control device to increase the stamp strength of rotating the rear wheel and thus to achieve the training objective.

However, when the conventional trainer is being used, the body of the bicycle is held stationary, and only the resisting force of the damping wheel can be used to statically simulate the stamp strengths of the bicycle running on the smooth and uphill roads, and the state of the body when the bicycle runs on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road cannot be dynamically simulated. Thus, the actual requirement of the rider riding the bicycle cannot be sufficiently reacted, and the training effect is affected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A main objective of the present invention is to solve the problems that the conventional bicycle trainer only can statically simulate the stamp strengths of the bicycle running on the smooth and uphill roads, but cannot dynamically simulate the state of the body when the bicycle runs on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road, and that the actual requirement of the rider riding the bicycle cannot be sufficiently reacted.

The present invention provides a bicycle trainer including a base seat, a support frame, a roller set, a magnetic control damping device, a power generation device, a lifting device, a rechargeable battery and a controller. The base seat includes a base and a front fork holder disposed on a front end of the base seat, and the front fork holder has a fixing rod with a top end portion onto which a front fork of a bicycle is mounted. The support frame has one end swingably combined with a front end of the base, and the other end having a plurality of rollers. The roller set includes a front roller and a rear roller parallelly and separately disposed on the base. The rear wheel of the bicycle may rest against top sides of the front and rear rollers. The magnetic control damping device disposed on the base generates a magnetic drag force to control a damping effect of the rear roller. The power generation device disposed in the rear roller can convert the rotating power of the rear roller into the electric power. The lifting device is connected to the front fork holder and the support frame, and controls the support frame to drive the front end of the base seat up or down. The rechargeable battery stores and supplies the electric power. The controller connected to the rechargeable battery, the lifting device, the power generation device and the magnetic control damping device can directly supply the electric power, generated by the power generation device, to the lifting device and the magnetic control damping device, store the excess electric power into the rechargeable battery, control a magnitude of the magnetic drag force generated by the magnetic control damping device, and control the lifting device to drive the support frame to move the front end of the base seat up or down by a height.

In the bicycle trainer of the present invention, the magnetic control damping device controls the rear roller to generate the resisting force to simulate the stamp strengths required by the bicycle on the uphill, smooth or other roads, and then the lifting device controls the support frame to drive the front end of the base seat up or down to dynamically simulate the state of the body of the bicycle running on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road. Thus, the objective of dynamically simulating the actual state of the bicycle running on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road can be achieved, and the actual requirement of the bicycle rider can be satisfied to enhance the training effectiveness. More particularly, the power generation device converts the rotating power, generated upon training, into the electric power for the dynamic simulation or other electronic devices, so that the effective energy saving effect can be achieved.

Further aspects, objects, and desirable features of the invention will be better understood from the detailed description and drawings that follow in which various embodiments of the disclosed invention are illustrated by way of examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 6, a bicycle trainer of the present invention includes a base seat10, a support frame20, a roller set30, a magnetic control damping device40, a power generation device50, a lifting device60, a rechargeable battery70, a controller80, a display device90and an operation device91.

The base seat10includes a base11, a front fork holder12, a rear housing13and a front housing14. The front fork holder12is retractably combined with a front end of the base11, and has a fixing rod120with a top end portion onto which a front fork A1of a bicycle A is mounted. The rear housing13is disposed on a rear portion of the base11, and has an upward opening130. The front housing14is disposed on the front fork holder12, and the top end portion of the fixing rod120extends out of the front housing14.

The support frame20has one end swingably combined with the front end of the base11, and the other end having rollers21, which contact the ground and can freely rotate.

The roller set30includes a front roller31and a rear roller32parallelly and separately disposed on the base11. The front roller31and the rear roller32are covered by the rear housing13, and top sides of the front and rear rollers31and32are exposed from the opening130of the rear housing13, and a rear wheel A2of the bicycle A rests against the top sides of the front and rear rollers31and32. One end of the rear roller32is combined with a flywheel33with a larger outer diameter, and the flywheel33is covered by the rear housing13.

The magnetic control damping device40is disposed on the base11and one side of the flywheel33, is covered by the rear housing13, and generates a magnetic drag force to control the rear roller32to generate the appropriate damping effect to simulate the stamp strength of the bicycle A required when running on an uphill or smooth road.

The power generation device50is disposed in the rear roller32and converts the rotating power of the rear roller32into the electric power.

The lifting device60is connected to the front fork holder12and the support frame20and covered by and disposed inside the front housing14, and can control the support frame20to drive the front end of the base seat10up or down to dynamically simulate a state of a body A3of the bicycle A running on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road.

The rechargeable battery70is disposed on the front fork holder12and covered by and disposed inside the front housing14, and stores and supplies the electric power.

The controller80is disposed on the front fork holder12and covered by and disposed inside the front housing14. The controller80is connected to the rechargeable battery70, the lifting device60, the power generation device50and the magnetic control damping device40, and directly supplies the electric power, generated by the power generation device50, to the lifting device60and the magnetic control damping device40, stores the excess electric power into the rechargeable battery70, controls a magnitude of the magnetic drag force generated by the magnetic control damping device40, and controls the lifting device60to drive the support frame20to move the front end of the base seat10up or down by a height.

The display device90is connected to the controller80in a wired or wireless manner, and displays images when the bicycle runs on various roads. Different signals are generated and transmitted to the controller80according to the images, so that the controller80can control the lifting device60and the magnetic control damping device40in correspondence with various images to dynamically simulate the situations when the bicycle runs on various roads according to the images displayed on the display device90. For example, when the display device90displays the uphill image, the controller80controls the magnetic control damping device40to generate the larger magnetic drag force and controls the lifting device60to drive the support frame20to move the front end of the base seat10up. In the present invention, the display device90may be a mobile phone or a tablet computer mounted on the bicycle A, or may be a monitor mounted on the wall or supported on the ground.

The operation device91is connected to the controller80in a wired or wireless manner to manually control the magnetic control damping device40and the lifting device60through the controller80. In the present invention, the operation device91may be a wireless remote controller, a wired operator or the like.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 4, adjusting the retractable position of the front fork holder12at the front end of the base11makes the applications to various sizes of bicycles A become possible.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 5 to 6, the lifting device60includes a seat base61, a screw rod62, a sleeve63and a driver64. The seat base61is swingably combined with the fixing rod120of the front fork holder12. A top end of the screw rod62is rotatably combined with the seat base61. A bottom end of the sleeve63is swingably combined with the support frame20, and a bottom end of the screw rod62is screwed to a top end of the sleeve63. The driver64is disposed on the seat base61and includes a servo motor for driving the screw rod62to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The screw rod62is retractable on one end of the sleeve63by rotating clockwise or counterclockwise, and thus can drive the front end of the base seat10up or down through the support frame20.

Referring toFIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the controller80includes a wireless signal transceiver module81and a plurality of connection units82. The wireless signal transceiver module81may include a bluetooth module and an infrared module through which the wireless connections with the display device90and the operation device91are established. The connection units82may be electrically connected to a plurality of power lines by way of inserting and supply the electric power to a plurality of electronic devices92. Of course, the plurality of connection units82may also be electrically connected to a plurality of wires by way of inserting and respectively connected to the display device90and the operation device91to supply the electric power to the display device90and the operation device91, so that the display device90and the operation device91can control the controller80. In the present invention, the connection unit82may be a power and signal transmission connector, such as a USB connector or the like.

In the bicycle trainer of the present invention, the magnetic control damping device40controls the rear roller32to generate the resisting force to simulate the stamp strengths required by the bicycle A on the uphill, smooth or other roads, and then the lifting device60controls the support frame20to drive the front end of the base seat10up or down to dynamically simulate the state of the body A3of the bicycle A running on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road. Thus, the objective of dynamically simulating the actual state of the bicycle running on the uphill, smooth or bumpy road can be achieved, and the actual requirement of the bicycle rider can be satisfied to enhance the training effectiveness. More particularly, it is possible to synchronously control the magnetic control damping device40and the lifting device60to perform the corresponding traffic condition simulating and driving in correspondence with the situation displayed on the display device90, so that the bicycle training further has the telepresence, and the training interest and effect can be significantly enhanced. More particularly, the power generation device50converts the rotating power, generated upon training, into the electric power for the dynamic simulation or other electronic devices92, so that the effective energy saving effect can be achieved.

New characteristics and advantages of the invention covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Changes in methods, shapes, structures or devices may be made in details without exceeding the scope of the invention by those who are skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.