Abstract:
A bicycle trainer includes a reverse resistance unit mounting arrangement that is configured to increase traction between a bicycle wheel and a resistance unit upon an increase in the speed of rotation of the wheel. The reverse resistance unit mounting arrangement is configured to mount the resistance unit in a suspension-type manner and has an actuator that initially positions the resistance unit against the bicycle wheel. The reverse resistance unit mounting arrangement tends to pivot the resistance unit against the bicycle wheel during use, to automatically bias the wheel toward the resistance unit to prevent slippage between the bicycle tire and the roller of the resistance unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/708,311, which was filed on Oct. 1, 2012, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to the field of stationary bicycles trainers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for a the resistance unit of a bicycle trainer, in which the bicycle is held stationarily in place. The resistance unit is located such that, when in use, traction is increased as the user applies more torque on the bicycle pedals. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     There are several types of bicycle training systems that provide resistance and/or hold a bicycle in a stationary position. For instance, many stationary bicycle trainers have resistance devices located in front of the rear tire. Others feature resistance devices located behind the rear tire. One issue with many bicycle training devices is that a decrease in traction occurs as the user applies more torque on the bicycle pedals, thus increasing the rotational speed of the rear wheel. Such a reduction in traction is undesirable in that it adversely effects intended operation of the bicycle trainer and may result in slippage of the bicycle tire relative to the resistance unit. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a bicycle trainer device that allows for a bicycle to be engaged with a resistance unit in a manner that prevents slippage and replicates real world friction and inertia, such that a user can experience conditions more closely simulating an outdoor ride. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     By way of summary, the present invention is a bicycle trainer system featuring a mounting frame and a resistance unit, wherein the resistance unit is located behind the rear wheel of the mounted bicycle. 
     In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, the bicycle trainer includes a wheel support system with an adjustment and locking, device such that a driven wheel of the bicycle can be suspended. Different sized tires and bicycles can be accommodated by such a system. Once the bicycle is mounted, a user can exert a pedaling force identical to the pedaling force on the bicycle while outdoors or on a track. The bicycle trainer frame may be of the type that has four feet that remain in contact with the ground while in use. 
     The mounting frame includes a reverse-mounted resistance unit, which applies resistance to rotation of the bicycle wheel. The reverse resistance unit is pivotably connected to the frame of the bicycle trainer such that, in use, the reverse resistance unit moves in a tightening direction against the wheel of the bicycle. 
     An adjuster is included on the reverse resistance unit to increase or decrease the tightness of the reverse resistance unit by rotating a knob. The reverse resistance unit is located such that, when in use, traction and inertia are increased as the user applies more torque on the bicycle pedals to increase wheel speed. This ensures that the wheel of the bicycle does not slip and therefore provides a more realistic feel and experience during use. 
     These and other features and aspects of the present invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating a representative embodiments of the present invention, is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A clear conception of the advantages and features constituting the present invention, and of the construction and operation of typical mechanisms provided with the present invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate the same elements in the several views, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a rear side perspective view of one embodiment of a bicycle trainer incorporating the a reverse resistance unit mounting arrangement in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front side perspective view of the bicycle trainer with reverse resistance unit mounting arrangement as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the bicycle trainer with reverse resistance unit mounting arrangement as shown in from  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a section view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     In describing the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific terms so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. For example, the word connected, attached, or terms similar thereto are often used. They are not limited to direct connection but include connection through other elements where such connection is recognized as being equivalent by those skilled in the art. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described by the following non-limiting examples which will serve to illustrate various features of the invention. With reference to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure, a representative embodiment of the present invention is a bicycle trainer  5  that allows for stationary training on a bicycle which may be a road or mountain bike or the like. The bicycle trainer  5  includes a frame  9  that supports the bicycle in a generally stationary position while a user exerts a pedaling effort to rotate a driven wheel  11  of the bicycle during a training session, in a manner as is generally known, in which the rotation of the driven wheel  11  is resisted by a resistance unit  13  that is arranged under a cover  14  and on the frame  9 , as is described in greater detail elsewhere herein. The resistance unit  13  operates in a known way and can be one of an electronic, magnetic, fluid, or airflow-type resistance units such as, for example, those incorporated into various ones of the POWERBEAM PRO, SUPERMAGNETO PRO, JETFLUID PRO, FLUID2, MAGNETO, and WIND series trainers available from CycleOps POWER of Madison. Wis. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , frame  9  is generally U-shaped and includes a lower segment  15  that is connected to a bar  17  that has a pair of rear feet  19  that engage the ground or other underlying support surface. A pair of side segments  21  extends from opposing ends of the lower segment  15  of the frame  9 . The side segments  21  extend angularly from the lower segment  15  and bar  17 . A space  23  is defined between the side segments  21  and in which the driven wheel  11  is arranged during use. Legs  25  extend downwardly from upper ends  27  of the frame side segments  21 . Forward feet  29  are arranged at the lower ends  31  of the legs  25  and engage the ground or other underlying support surface. It is understood, however, that the frame of bicycle trainer  5  may have any other satisfactory configuration that supports the bicycle and the resistance unit  13 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a wheel support system  33  is arranged toward an upper portion of the frame  9  for mounting the driven wheel  11  to the bicycle trainer  5 . Wheel support system  33  includes an adjustment device  35  and a locking device  37  that are arranged at the upper ends  27  of the frame side segments  21 . Adjustment device  35  includes a tube  39  that extends in a transverse direction with respect to the bicycle trainer  5 . The tube  39  has internal threads (not shown) and an adjustment screw  41  which threads into the threads of the tube  39  and a threaded lock ring  43  that is threaded and concentrically held on the adjustment screw  41 . In this way, the adjustment screw  41  can be turned out from or turned in the tube  39  and locked in place with the lock ring  43 , like a jamb nut, to fix an end  45  of the adjustment screw  41  which engages and supports an end of a skewer  47  ( FIG. 1 ) that extends through and supports a hub  49  ( FIG. 1 ) of the driven wheel  11 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the locking device  37  of the wheel support system  33  includes a tube  51  that has a circumferential side wall  53  and a slot  55  that extends through the circumferential side wall  53  along a generally helical path. A pocket (not shown) extends from an inward end of the slot  55  that is closest to the driven wheel  11  and provides a recess in which a handle  59  that extends through the slot  55  can lock into to secure the handle  59  in a fixed position, in a bolt-action manner. The handle  59  is connected to a bolt tube  61  that is arranged concentrically within the circumferential side wall  53  so that the bolt tube  61  slides through a longitudinally extending opening of the tube  51 . The handle  59  and bolt tube  61  move in unison with each other so that moving the handle through the slot  55  toward the driven wheel  11  correspondingly moves the bolt tube  61  in the same direction so that it extends further beyond the tube  51 , toward the driven wheel. This allows for mounting the driven wheel  11  in a known manner by arranging the skewer  47  ( FIG. 1 ) between the adjustment screw  41  and bolt tube  61  and advancing the handle  59  through the slot  55  until it enters and is held in the pocket (not shown) at the inward end of the slot  55 , at which point the skewer  47  ( FIG. 1 ) is pinched between the adjustment screw  41  and the bolt tube  61  and the driven wheel  11  is in driving engagement with the resistance unit  13 . Again, it is understood that any other satisfactory arrangement may be employed for securing the bicycle wheel in place on the frame  9 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the resistance unit  13  is supported by a supporting member secured to the frame  9 , which may be in the form of a hoop  63  that is generally U-shaped and is arranged generally parallel to the ground or other underlying support surface. Hoop  63  extends between and connects the frame side segments  21  to each other. The resistance unit  13  is supported by the hoop  63  in a manner that allows the resistance unit to move in a tightening direction toward and in a loosening direction away from the driven wheel  11 . Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the resistance unit  13  is movable with respect to the frame  9  between a fully extended position, shown in phantom-dashed outline closer to the legs  25  and a fully retracted potion, shown in phantom-dashed outline further from the legs  25 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a hinge arrangement  65  interconnects the resistance unit  13  and the hoop  63 . The hinge arrangement  65  includes a hinge  67  and an adjuster  69  that cooperate with each other to locate the resistance unit  13  in a generally longitudinal direction within the bicycle trainer  5  ( FIG. 3 ). Hinge  67  includes a hinge arm  71  with an upper end  73  that has an opening  75  that concentrically holds the hoop  63  and is arranged so that the hinge arm  71  can pivot about the hoop  63 . In this way, a pivot axis  77  of the hinge  67  is defined longitudinally through the hoop  63 . A lower end  79  of the hinge arm  71  supports the resistance unit  13  so that a roller  81  of the resistance unit  13  can freely rotate as driven by its engagement with tire  83  that is mounted to a rim  85  of the driven wheel  11 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the adjuster  69  includes a plate  87  that extends generally parallel to the side segment(s)  21  and has a threaded bore  89  through which threaded stem  91  of a handle  93  extends. The threaded stem  91  of the handle  93  extends generally parallel to the hinge arm  71  and has a first end  95  to which a knob  97  is connected and a second end  99  that can rotate in unison with a block  101  that is connected to and moves the resistance unit  13 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , this is done with a cylinder  103  that is captured in a pocket  105  of the block  101  while being rotatable within the pocket  105 . In this way, the adjuster  69  can be used to set the initial tightness of the resistance unit  13  by rotating the knob  97  in a first direction so that the threaded stem  91  advances through the plate  87  and the ball  103  moves longitudinally away from the plate  87  and pushes the block  101 , which forces the entire resistance unit  13  to pivot about the pivot axis  77  of the hinge  67  so as to move the roller  81  closer to the driven wheel  11 . The knob  97  is rotated in a second, opposite direction to move the resistance unit  13  in the opposite direction, away from the driven wheel  11  so as to loosen the resistance unit  13 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the hinge arrangement  65  allows the resistance unit  13  to automatically bias in its tightening direction when a driving torque of the driven wheel  11  is applied or increased so as to dynamically increase traction of the driven wheel  11  against the roller  81 . That is, because the driven wheel  11  rotates in its use direction shown as arrow  105 , the driven wheel  11  applies a rotational force to the roller  81  that extends in a direction of a tangent line shown as arrow  107  from a contact area  109  defined at the interface of the roller  81  and tire  83 . Since the pivot axis  77  is positioned above and behind the contact area  109 , the vector of the rotational force tangent line  107  causes the force to push the hinge arm  71  to pivot about the pivot axis  77  in the tightening direction of the resistance unit  13  toward the wheel  11  in an automatic dynamic biasing movement represented by arrow  111 . This increases the normal force  112  at the interface of the roller  81  and tire  83  so as to further tighten an engagement between the roller  81  and tire  83  at the contact area  109 . In this way, as a user pedals faster or otherwise increases driving speed of the driven wheel  11 , the reactionary forces experienced by the resistance unit  13  bias the resistance unit  13  toward driven wheel  11  so as to increase traction through an increase in the normal force  112  at the interface of the roller  81  and tire  83  and thus at the contact area  109 . In this manner, it is insured that there is no slippage between wheel  11  and resistance unit  13 , which provides a more realistic ride feel during use of trainer  5 . 
     While a specific embodiment of the tightening and adjustment arrangement are shown for illustrative purposes, it is understood that any other satisfactory mechanism may be employed for selectively moving resistance unit  13  toward and away from the bicycle wheel  11 . 
     Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.