Patent Publication Number: US-11383126-B2

Title: Fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform and use method thereof

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the national phase entry of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/082331, filed on Mar. 31, 2020, which is based upon and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910259417.2, filed on Apr. 2, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the technical field of sports training and fitness equipment, and in particular to a fluid-damped riding platform for bicycle training and fitness and a use method thereof. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The direct-drive bicycle riding platform using a fluid-damped technology has just started in foreign countries and is still blank in China. The damping technology of the existing direct-drive bicycle riding platform is mostly an electromagnetic damping device, which uses the working principle of changing the electromagnetic strength by changing the current of an electromagnetic coil, so as to control the damping size. Such type of direct-drive bicycle riding platforms have the following disadvantages: the riding platform needs to be connected to a mains supply, is only suitable for the occasions with a power source, needs additional energy consumption, adapts to restricted occasions, and does not achieve low carbon and environmental protection; a gear needs to be set to adjust the coil current so as to change the damping size; a main shaft is fixed in height, cannot be adjusted and is only applicable to specific types of bicycles, and the types of applicable bicycles are limited; the rack is mostly a welded overall structure and has a large packaging volume and high package and transportation costs, which causes resource waste; and due to the working principle of an electromagnetic field, the noise is relatively large caused by an electromagnetic noise plus a mechanical transmission noise per se. 
     SUMMARY 
     The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform, with the advantages that a main shaft is adjustable in height, is suitable for any occasion, and is more low-carbon and environment-friendly; the damping size is adjusted in a fluid-damped stepless manner, and the riding is smoother; the rack can be disassembled for package, thereby saving package and transportation costs and resources are saved; and the fluid-damped device is fully closed, so that the noise diffusion is blocked and greater silence is realized. 
     In order to solve the above problem, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: 
     A fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform comprises a rack for supporting, a main shaft and a transmission shaft, wherein the rack comprises a front bottom foot tube, a rear bottom foot tube, a front support rod, a main beam and an angle adjuster, the front support rod is fixed on the front bottom foot tube by bolts, the main beam is fixed on the rear bottom foot tube by bolts, the angle adjuster is fixed on the main beam by bolts, the upper end of the front support rod is hinged to the angle adjuster through a spline, the main beam is provided with the main shaft and the transmission shaft, the main shaft is press-fitted on the main beam in an interference fit, the transmission shaft is fixed on the main beam through a bearing, the left end of the transmission shaft is connected to a fluid resistor, the right end of the transmission shaft is fixed with a small pulley, a large pulley sleeves the side of the main shaft located on the small pulley, and a belt playing a driving role sleeves the outer sides of the small pulley and the large pulley. 
     The further technical solution is that a shell of the fluid resistor is fixed on the main beam, and a transmission component in the fluid resistor is linked with the transmission shaft. The outer shell body of the fluid resistor is fixed to the main beam by bolts or other connection methods, but the transmission component playing a damping role inside is linked with the left end of the transmission shaft. 
     The further technical solution is that the large pulley sleeves the main shaft through a bearing, the large pulley is rotatably connected around the main shaft, and the small pulley is screwed on threads on the right side of the transmission shaft by the threads. 
     The further technical solution is that a belt tensioning pulley is also fixed on the main beam between the small pulley and the large pulley, and the outer side surface of the belt tensioning pulley abuts against a belt. The belt tensioning pulley is fixed on the main beam by bolts to adjust the tension of the belt. 
     The further technical solution is that a belt inner cover is fixed to the main beam, a belt outer cover is fixed to the outer side of the belt inner cover, and both the small pulley and the belt tensioning pulley are located inside the belt inner cover and the belt outer cover. The belt outer cover is connected to the belt inner cover by bolts. The belt inner cover and the belt outer cover cover the lower half section of the belt for safety protection. 
     The further technical solution is that a tower base is further connected to the large pulley, and a flywheel sleeves the tower base. A pawl of the tower base is sleeved in a pawl ring gear of the large pulley and the flywheel sleeves the bicycle tower base. 
     The further technical solution is that a power meter is further fixed to the inner side of the top end of the main beam, and a power module fixing base is fixed at the top end of the main beam. The power meter is clamped in the power module fixing base. The power module fixing base and the power meter are fixed to the main beam together by bolts. 
     The further technical solution is that a left sleeve shaft and a spacer bush are connected to the left end of the main shaft, and a right sleeve shaft is connected to the right side of the main shaft by threads. The left sleeve shaft for supporting a bicycle rear fork is sleeved into the spacer bush for adjusting the distance of the bicycle rear fork, and the left sleeve shaft and the spacer bush are then sleeved in a shaft hole in the left end of the main shaft together. The right sleeve shaft for supporting the bicycle rear fork is screwed on a threaded shaft at the right end of the main shaft. 
     The further technical solution is that the left and right tube ends of the front bottom foot tube and the rear bottom foot tube are sleeved into foot pads for supporting and slip prevention. 
     The further technical solution is that the power meter comprises a power module  701  and a sensing element  702 , the power module  701  is mounted on the power module fixing base, the power module fixing base is provided with a power module fixing slot  27 , and the power module  701  is inserted into the power module fixing slot  27  to be fixed; and the sensing element  702  is fixed at one side of the large pulley, the sensing element  702  transmits a signal to the power module  701 , and the power module  701  and an intelligent device realize signal transmission by wireless connection. When the large pulley rotates around the main shaft, the sensing element  702  fixed thereon is driven to rotate, every time the sensing element  702  passes by the power module  701 , the power module  701  is sensed once, the number of rotation is counted, and the corresponding speed, mileage, and power are calculated by an electronic chip inside the power module  701 . The power module  701  realizes signal transmission with the intelligent device through wireless connection, and digital visualization can be realized on these terminal devices. 
     The further solution is that one side of the large pulley opposite to the main beam is provided with a sensing element fixing groove  28  for placing the sensing element, the sensing element is fixed in the groove by an adhesive, and the sensing element is located in the belt inner cover and the belt outer cover. 
     The present invention further discloses a convenient-to-use method for using a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform, comprising: 1) firstly, adjusting the height of an included angle between the front support rod and the main beam by screwing on and off the spline: 2) then removing a bicycle rear wheel, erecting the bicycle rear fork on the left sleeve shaft and the right sleeve shaft on the riding platform, and locking by a bicycle quick tightening shaft; 3) hanging a bicycle chain on the flywheel on the riding platform and riding the bicycle, the bicycle chain driving the flywheel on the riding platform to rotate; 4) driving the large pulley to rotate through the tower base, driving the small pulley to rotate by the large pulley through transmission of the belt, and driving the transmission shaft to rotate by the small pulley: and 5) driving the fluid resistor to work by the transmission shaft, and generating a resistance by using the damping characteristics of a viscous fluid to consume the work done by a rider, so as to achieve training and fitness purposes. 
     The present invention has the beneficial effects: the object of the present invention is to provide a direct-drive bicycle riding platform of a new structure: a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform in view of the current development status of domestic fluid-damped bicycle riding platforms and the shortcomings of the existing electromagnetic damped direct-drive bicycle riding platforms, and the damping technology adopts a fluid-damped device, and the blank that the domestic direct-drive bicycle riding platforms use the fluid-damped technology is filled; the height of the main shaft of the riding platform can be freely adjusted, and the rack is a large component assembly structure. The direct-drive bicycle riding platform according to the present invention does not need to be connected to any power source, is suitable for any occasion, does not consume additional energy, and is more low-carbon and environment-friendly. The damping size is adjusted in a fluid-damped stepless manner. The higher the rotating speed is, the greater the damping is, and the smoother the riding is; the main shaft is adjustable in height and is suitable for a wider range of bicycles; the rack can be disassembled for package, thereby saving package and transportation costs, and resources are saved; and the fluid-damped device is fully enclosed to block noise diffusion and realize greater silence. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art. It is apparent that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments described in this application, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may obtain other drawings on the basis of these drawings without any creative effort. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a rack in a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform during package and transportation according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a general assembly diagram of a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a power meter in a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     In  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 :  1 —fluid resistor;  2 —rack;  3 —transmission shaft;  4 —belt inner cover;  5 —left sleeve shaft;  6 —spacer bush;  7 —power meter;  8 —power module fixing base;  9 —main shaft;  10 —large pulley;  11 —tower base;  12 —flywheel;  13 —right sleeve shaft;  14 —belt outer cover;  15 —belt tensioning device;  16 —small pulley;  17 —belt;  18 —bolt, nut;  21 —front bottom foot tube;  22 —front support rod;  23 —angle adjuster;  24 —main beam;  25 —rear bottom foot tube;  26 —foot pad;  27 —power module fixing slot;  28 —sensing element fixing groove. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, to make advantages and features of the present invention more easily understood by a person skilled in the art, to further make a clearer definition on the protection scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform comprises a rack  2  for supporting, a main shaft  9 , and a transmission shaft  3 . The rack  2  comprises a front bottom foot tube  21  and a rear foot bottom foot tube  25 , a front support rod  22 , a main beam  24  and an angle adjuster  23 . The front support rod  22  is fixed to the front bottom foot tube  21  by bolts, the main beam  24  is fixed to the rear bottom foot tube  25  by bolts, and the angle adjuster  23  is fixed to the main beam  24  by bolts. The upper end of the front support rod  22  is hinged to the angle adjuster  23  by a spline. The main beam  24  is provided with the main shaft  9  and the transmission shaft  3 , and the main shaft  9  is press-fitted on the main beam  24  in an interference fit. The transmission shaft  3  is fixed on the main beam  24  through a bearing, the left end of the transmission shaft  3  is connected to a fluid resistor  1 , and the right end of the transmission shaft is fixed with a small pulley  16 . A large pulley  10  sleeves the side of the main shaft  9  located on the small pulley  16 , and a belt  17  playing a driving role sleeves the outer sides of the small pulley  16  and the large pulley  10 . 
     A shell of the fluid resistor  1  is fixed on the main beam  14 . A transmission component in the fluid resistor  1  is linked with one end of the transmission shaft  3 . The outer shell of the fluid resistor  1  is fixed on the main beam  14  by bolts or other connection methods, but the transmission component which plays a damping role inside is linked with the left end of the transmission shaft  3 . The large pulley  10  sleeves the main shaft  9  through a bearing, and the large pulley  10  is rotatably connected around the main shaft  9 . The small pulley  16  is screwed on the threads on the right side of the transmission shaft  3  by threads. A belt tensioning pulley  15  is also fixed on the main beam  24  between the small pulley  16  and the large pulley  10 . The outer side surface of the belt tensioning pulley  15  abuts against the belt  17 . The belt tensioning pulley  15  is fixed on the main beam  24  by bolts. The tension of the belt is adjusted. A belt inner cover  4  is also fixed to the main beam  24 . A belt outer cover  14  is fixed to the outer side of the belt inner cover  4 . The small pulley  16  and the belt tensioning pulley  15  are both located in the belt inner cover  4  and the belt outer cover  14 . The belt outer cover  14  is connected with the belt inner cover  4  by bolts. The belt inner cover  4  and the belt outer cover  14  cover the lower half section of the belt  17  for safety protection. The large pulley  10  is also connected to a tower base  11  and a flywheel  12  sleeves the tower base  11 . A pawl of the tower base  11  is sleeved in a pawl ring gear of the large pulley  10  and the flywheel  12  sleeves the bicycle tower base  11 . A power meter  7  is also fixed to the inner side of the top end of the main beam  24 . A power module fixing base  8  is also fixed at the top end of the main beam  24 . The power meter  7  is clamped in the power module fixing base  8 . The power module fixing base  8  and the power meter  1  are fixed to the main beam  24  together by bolts. The left end of the main shaft  9  is also connected to a left sleeve shaft  5  and a spacer bush  6 . The right side of the main shaft  9  is connected to a right sleeve shaft  13  by threads. The left sleeve shaft  5  for supporting a bicycle rear fork is sleeved into the spacer bush  6  for adjusting the distance of the bicycle rear fork, and the left sleeve shaft  5  and the spacer bush  6  are then sleeved in a shaft hole in the left end of the main shaft  9  together. The right sleeve shaft  13  for supporting the bicycle rear fork is screwed on a threaded shaft at the right end of the main shaft  9 . The left and right tube ends of the front bottom foot tube  21  and the rear bottom foot tube  25  are sleeved into foot pads  26  for supporting and slip prevention. 
     The power meter comprises a power module  701  and a sensing element  702 . The power module  701  is mounted on the power module fixing base  8 , the power module fixing base  8  is provided with a power module fixing slot  27 , and the power module  701  is inserted into the power module fixing slot  27  to be fixed. One side of the large pulley  10  opposite to the main beam  24  is provided with a sensing element fixing groove  28  for placing the sensing element  702 , and the sensing element  702  is fixed in the sensing element fixing groove  28  by an adhesive. The sensing element  702  is located in the belt inner cover and the belt outer cover. The sensing element  702  transmits a signal to the power module  701 , and the power module  701  and an intelligent device realize signal transmission by wireless connection. When the large pulley  10  rotates around the main shaft  9 , the sensing element  702  fixed thereon is driven to rotate, every time the sensing element  702  passes by the power module  701 , the power module  701  is sensed once, the number of rotation is counted, and the corresponding speed, mileage, and power are calculated by an electronic chip inside the power module. The power module  701  realizes signal transmission with the intelligent device (such as a mobile phone, a computer, a power meter and the like) through wireless connection, and digital visualization can be realized on these terminal devices. Moreover, the power module  701  may also be connected to mainstream cycling game platforms (such as Zwift, Viscene, Onelap, UHfitness, Strava) in China and other countries through the intelligent device (such as the mobile phone, the computer and the like) to perform cycling training and competition on real or simulated cycling routes, and the speed, mileage and power are visualized at the same time. 
     The method for using a fluid-damped direct-drive bicycle riding platform of the present invention comprises: 1) firstly, adjusting the height of an included angle between the front support rod  22  and the main beam  24  by screwing on and off the spline: 2) then removing a bicycle rear wheel, erecting the bicycle rear fork on the left sleeve shaft  5  and the right sleeve shaft  13  on the riding platform, and locking by a bicycle quick tightening shaft; 3) hanging a bicycle chain on the flywheel on the riding platform and riding the bicycle, the bicycle chain driving the flywheel  12  on the riding platform to rotate; 4) driving the large pulley  10  to rotate through the tower base, driving the small pulley  16  to rotate by the large pulley  10  through transmission of the belt  17 , and driving the transmission shaft  3  to rotate by the small pulley  16 ; and 5) driving the fluid resistor  3  to work by the transmission shaft, and generating a resistance by using the damping characteristics of a viscous fluid to consume the work done by a rider, so as to achieve training and fitness purposes. 
     In the present embodiment, the angle adjuster  23  can freely adjust the included angle between the front support rod  22  and the main beam  24 . After the included angle between the front support rod  22  and the main beam  24  is changed, the height of the main shaft  9  from the ground is changed in order to be suitable for a variety of types of bicycles (the bicycles have different models and the heights of the rear forks are different). 
     The power meter  7  calculates the values of power and a bicycle speed in real time, and is connected with a mobile phone or computer through wireless transmission, and the real-time values of the power and bicycle speed are displayed on the mobile phone or computer, to instruct riders in training and fitness. 
     When the product is packaged, the package is disassembled. The product can be disassembled into a state by assembling and folding the support rod  22 , the main beam  24 , the belt inner cover  4 , the belt outer cover  14 , and the fluid resistor  1 , and then can be disassembled into a state that the front bottom foot tube  21  and the rear bottom foot tube  25  are provided with the foot pads  26 , and the bolts and nuts  34  for mounting and connection also exist, thereby reducing the packaging volume and saving costs. 
     Compared with the existing direct-drive bicycle riding platform, the present invention has the advantages that the fluid-damped technology is applied for the first time on a direct-drive bicycle riding platform in China, and the product structures of the direct-drive bicycle riding platform are enriched. The direct-drive bicycle riding platform of the present invention does not need to be connected to any power source, is suitable for any occasion, does not consume additional energy, and is more low-carbon and environment-friendly. The damping size is adjusted in a fluid-damped stepless manner. The damping characteristic is smooth, and the riding feeling is smoother; the main shaft can be adjusted in height, and is applied to a wider range of bicycles; the rack can be disassembled for package, thereby saving package and transportation costs, and saving resources; and the fluid-damped device is sealed in a closed oil cavity to block noise diffusion and achieve greater silence. 
     The descriptions are only specific implementations of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any variation or replacement readily figured out without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.