Transmitting device for exercise appliances

A transmitting device for exercise appliances includes a first, a second and a third shaft all fixed on a bike frame in parallel. The first shaft has a first transmitting wheel and a first transmitting wheel, the second shaft has a second transmitting gear with a one-way bearing and a second transmitting gear, and the third shaft has a third transmitting wheel with a one-way bearing, a fourth transmitting wheel and a fifth transmitting wheel. The first transmitting gear engages with the second transmitting gear, the first transmitting wheel is connected with the third transmitting wheel by a first connecting member, the second transmitting wheel is connected with the fifth transmitting wheel by an endless belt. The fourth transmitting wheel always rotates in an ordinary or forward direction, whether the first shaft is rotated in the ordinary or in the reverse direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a transmitting device for exercise appliances, particularly to one provided with a drive handle for a user to grab with a hand or hands or to tread with feet for exercise, with a subordinate wheel such as a flywheel or a fan fixed with the exercise appliance always rotating in the same direction, whether the user rotates the drive handle in an ordinary (clockwise) or a reverse (counterclockwise) direction.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional transmitting device for an exercise appliance is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,122 B2 which the same applicant of this invention acquired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention has been devised to offer a transmitting device for exercise appliances, which has a subordinate wheel such as a flywheel or fan fixed with the exercise appliance to rotate in the same direction, whether the user rotates a drive handle in the forward/ordinary (clockwise) or the reverse (counterclockwise) direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a transmitting device for exercise appliances in the present invention, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, includes a first shaft1, a second shaft2and a third shaft3.

The first shaft1is fixed on a bike frame, having its two ends respectively connected to a drive handle, a first transmitting wheel10and a first transmitting gear11respectively fixed at opposing portion of the first shaft1. When the first shaft1is rotated by the drive handles, the first transmitting wheel10and the first transmitting gear11are rotated synchronously in the same direction as the first shaft1.

The second shaft2is also fixed on the bike frame spaced apart in parallel to the first shaft1, having a second transmitting gear20engaging with and rotated synchronously by the first transmitting gear11. Further, the second shaft2has a second transmitting wheel21also fixed thereon by means of a one-way bearing22beside the second transmitting gear20. When the first transmitting gear11is rotated by the first shaft1, as shown in the ordinary (clockwise) direction marked by the arrow head A1inFIG. 1, the second transmitting gear20is rotated in the reverse (counterclockwise) direction marked by the arrow head B1in FIG.1. So the second shaft2is rotated in the reverse (counterclockwise) direction as the second transmitting gear20, and the second transmitting wheel21fixed with the one-way bearing22may become loose from the second shaft2, when it is not rotated by the second shaft2in the reverse direction.

On the contrary, if the first shaft1rotates the first transmitting gear11in the reverse direction, as shown by the arrow head A2inFIG. 3, the second transmitting gear20together with the second shaft2rotates in the ordinary direction, as shown by the arrow head B2in FIG.3. Then the second transmitting wheel21may be locked by the one-way bearing22and rotates together with the second shaft2in the ordinary direction.

The third shaft3is also fixed on the bike frame at a far rear location of the second shaft2in parallel, having a third transmitting wheel30fixed thereon by means of a one-way bearing31and connected with the first transmitting wheel10by a first connecting member4such as an endless belt. So when the third transmitting wheel30is rotated in the ordinary direction by the first connecting member4, the third shaft3is also rotated in the ordinary direction, as the one-way bearing31and the third shaft3are locked with each other. On the contrary, if the third transmitting wheel30is rotated in the reverse direction, the third shaft3is not rotated in the reverse direction by the third transmitting wheel30owing to the third shaft3not being locked but in loose connection with the one-way bearing31.

Further, the third shaft3also has a fourth and a fifth transmitting wheel32and33fixed thereon side by side at the end opposite to the third transmitting wheel30. The fifth transmitting wheel33is connected with the second transmitting wheel21by means of a second connecting member5such as an endless belt. So when the second transmitting wheel21is rotated synchronously by the second shaft2in the ordinary direction, as shown inFIG. 3, the fifth transmitting wheel33with the third shaft3is also rotated in the ordinary direction at the same time. On the contrary, if the second shaft2is rotated in the reverse direction as shownFIG. 1, the second transmitting wheel21of the second shaft2is not rotated by the second shaft2owning to the loose condition of the one-way bearing22relative to the second shaft2, with the fifth transmitting wheel33not being rotated in the reverse direction either. The fourth transmitting wheel32on the third shaft3is to be connected with an output wheel70as shown inFIG. 2by means of a third connecting member6to rotate the output wheel70.

Next, the operation of the transmitting device for exercise appliances is to be described. When the first shaft1is rotated in the ordinary direction as shown by the arrow head A1inFIG. 1, the first transmitting wheel10and the first transmitting gear11are both rotated in the same ordinary direction. Then the first transmitting wheel10rotates the third transmitting wheel30of the third shaft3through the first connecting member4, and the third transmitting wheel30rotates in the ordinary direction because of its connection with the third shaft3by the function of the one-way bearing31. Then the fourth and the fifth transmitting wheels32and33fixed and rotated synchronously with the third shaft3are also rotated in the ordinary direction. Thus the fourth transmitting wheel32rotates in the ordinary direction and the output wheel70on a fourth shaft7is connected with the fourth transmitting wheel32by means of a third connecting member6, as shown in FIG.2. The driving order is (1) the first shaft1rotating in the ordinary direction, (2) the first transmitting wheel10rotating in the ordinary direction, (3) the third transmitting wheel30rotating in the ordinary direction, (4) the third shaft3rotating in the ordinary direction, (5) the fourth transmitting32wheel rotating in the ordinary direction, (6) the output wheel70rotating in the ordinary direction. And if the output wheel70is a fan, the fan will produce wind. If a resisting member of a generator is fixed at the other end of the output wheel70, the generator will produce electricity for output.

In the rotating process for the ordinary direction of the first shaft1, the fifth transmitting wheel33on the third shaft3and the second transmitting wheel21are connected by the second connecting member5, so that the second transmitting wheel21also rotates in the ordinary direction as shown by the arrow head Cl in FIG.1. On the other hand, when the first transmitting gear11also rotates in the ordinary direction as shown by the arrow head A1inFIG. 1, the second transmitting gear20on the second shaft engaging with the first transmitting gear11will be rotated in the reverse direction as shown by the arrow head A1in FIG.1. Subsequently, the second shaft2is rotated in the reverse direction. However, the second transmitting wheel21only rotates idly, not forcing the second transmitting wheel22to rotate in the reverse direction, but only rotate in the ordinary direction by the fifth transmitting wheel33.

On the contrary, when the first shaft1is rotated in the reverse direction as shown by the arrow head A2inFIG. 3, the first transmitting wheel10and the first transmitting gear11are both rotated in the same reverse direction. Then the first transmitting gear11rotates the second transmitting gear20on the second shaft2in the ordinary direction as shown by the arrowhead B2in FIG.3. So the second shaft2may rotate in the same ordinary direction, forcing the second transmitting wheel21to rotate in the ordinary direction because of the one-way bearing22of the second transmitting wheel21being locked with the second shaft2. Further, the second connecting member5will pull to rotate the fifth transmitting wheel33fixed on the third shaft3synchronously, with the fourth transmitting wheel32also rotating in the same ordinary direction so as to rotate the output wheel70on the fourth shaft7by the third connecting member6pulled by the fourth transmitting wheel32as shown in FIG.2. The rotation driving order, as shown inFIG. 3, is (1) the first shaft1rotating in the reverse direction, (2) the first transmitting gear11rotating in the reverse direction, (3) the second transmitting gear20rotating in the ordinary direction, (4) the second shaft2rotating in the ordinary direction, (5) the second transmitting wheel21rotating in the ordinary direction, (6) the fifth transmitting wheel33rotating in the ordinary direction, (7) the third shaft3rotating in the ordinary direction, (8) the fourth transmitting wheel32rotating in the ordinary direction, and (9) the output wheel70rotating in the ordinary direction.

In the process of the reverse rotation of the first shaft1, the first transmitting wheel10may rotate synchronously and reversedly the third transmitting wheel30on the third shaft3with the first connecting member4pulled by the first transmitting wheel1. But, the output wheel70will never be rotated in the reverse direction, because the third transmitting wheel30is fixed on the third shaft3by means of the one-way bearing31to permit the third transmitting wheel30to rotate idly owing to the loose connection of the one-way bearing31with the third shaft3.

As understood from the foresaid description, the fourth transmitting wheel32and the output wheel70are always maintained to rotate in the ordinary direction, whether the first shaft1is rotated in the ordinary direction or the reverse direction. But in the reverse rotation of the conventional stationary bike, it will not rotate reversely until the flywheel stops by inertia. Therefore, an exercise appliance having the transmitting device in the invention connected with a resisting member of a generator or a fan can be actuated to continuously generate electricity or to rotate without interruption (until stopped by inertia).