Patent Publication Number: US-11033775-B2

Title: Swingable exercise bicycle mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a swingable exercise bicycle, especially to one that is able to swing left and right and shaft back and forth, which achieves intense exercise. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Exercise bicycles enhance body muscles by pedaling in situ which drives a turning gear to rotate. When the weather is bad or people are lacking time to do outdoor exercise, an exercise bicycle provides a choice for indoor exercise. Unfortunately, users easily feel bored about pedaling. Also, an unchanged posture has a negative effect on the human body 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a swingable exercise bicycle, Taiwan patent publication No M314622, an improved version compared with the traditional one which is boring and has a negative effect on the human body, comprising a saddle supporting frame  920 , a saddle  960 , a buffer base  950 , a buffer  930 , and a reciprocating device  940 . Therefore, the saddle supporting frame  920  and a pin joint part  921  determine the rotation direction, and the torque of rotation makes the saddle supporting frame  920  press the buffer  930 . A buffer  930  is arranged at the both sides of saddle supporting frame, and each buffer  930  is connected slantingly to the saddle supporting frame  920 . Whereby, arranging the buffers  930  slantingly and the reciprocating device  940  achieve the effect of simulating the shaking and bouncing of riding a bicycle outdoors. 
     Also, the swingable exercise bicycle can swing left and right and up and down. A user&#39;s small body movements, which change the center of weight, can easily cause the buffers  930  and the reciprocating device  940  to provide the function of shaking the saddle support frame  920 , but it cannot achieve the purpose of a workout and sweating profusely. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a swingable exercise bicycle mechanism which swings left and right repeatedly by shaking users&#39; body. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a swingable exercise bicycle mechanism which takes users&#39; huge efforts to change the center of weight to generate component forces for reciprocating that causes shifting of the bicycle. 
     In order to achieve the above objectives, a swingable exercise bicycle includes a base frame, pedestals at the front and rear with pivots inside, two extension springs arranged symmetrically in pairs connecting with fastening seats, and the fastening seats pivot at both sides and an opposite torque from the symmetrically arranged extension springs. There is at least one sliding shaft corresponding to the locating hole of a corresponding fastening seat; a slider having at least one shaft hole on a horizontal axis and arranged on a sliding shaft, make the slider slide back and forth on the sliding shaft. A buffer is arranged between the slider and the fastening seat, generating a damping effect when slider moves on the sliding shaft. A swingable exercise bicycle includes a bicycle frame, a bicycle handle, a saddle, pedals and a turning gear, and the bottom of bicycle frame is secured onto the top of slider. 
     Whereby when a user starts pedaling and applies force to the bicycle frame by swinging of the user&#39;s body, the slider drives the fastening seat to rotate the swinging effect of the exercise bicycle; the center of gravity moves by the shaking of the user&#39;s body back and forth and thereby applies axially reciprocating component forces which makes the slider shift back and forth, and by overcoming the damping of the buffer an intense exercise effect is achieved. 
     Also, the swingable exercise bicycle mechanism includes a brake arranged on the front edge of the slider, a lever and a stop mechanism. When the lever is rotated, the stop mechanism is displaced to press against the sliding shaft and stops slider from moving on the sliding shaft. 
     Furthermore, the swingable exercise bicycle includes a locking device with a locking bar passing through the base frame and affixing the fastening seat at an inner side of the base frame. 
     Moreover, the swingable exercise bicycle mechanism has a bearing inside the pivot hole of each of the fastening seats and each fastening seat is set on a corresponding pivot of the base frame to increase ease of rotation of the fastening seats. 
     Yet, in the swingable exercise bicycle mechanism both sides of slider have a linear bearing, and each linear bearing has at least one bearing hole corresponding to the sliding shaft, thereby making the slider move smoothly on the sliding shaft. 
     Yet, in the swingable exercise bicycle mechanism a buffer has two pairs of return springs. Each pair of return springs is connected with a corresponding linear bearing and a respective fastening seat. 
     Yet, in the swingable exercise bicycle mechanism an elastic band surrounds each fastening seat and a rubber wheel. 
     A fastening seat is set at a front and a rear side, the slider is set on a sliding shaft, the sliding shaft passes through the fastening seats and the bicycle frame is secured on the top surface of the slider. When a user swings their body left and right and applies force to the bicycle frame, the slider drives the fastening seats to repeatedly rotate, and the extension springs arranged on the opposite sides of the slider generate a torque in opposite directions to achieve the effect of enhancing the swinging of the bicycle. 
     Between the slider and each fastening seat said there is extension springs, the elastic band, or any other types of buffer. Therefore, when a user moves back and forth intensely and is pedaling the bicycle, it applies component forces to the sliding shaft which makes the slider move reciprocally. Whereby overcoming of damping of the reciprocal movement achieves the effect of intense exercise. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a swingable exercise bicycle according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective views of the present invention in a first applicable embodiment; 
         FIG. 3A  is an assembly perspective views of the present invention in a first applicable embodiment; 
         FIG. 3B  is second assembly perspective views of the present invention in a first applicable embodiment; 
         FIG. 3C  is an assembly top view of the present invention in a first applicable embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is an assembly perspective views of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an assembly side views of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an assembly rear views of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram illustrating shifting back and forth of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an assembly perspective view of the present invention in a second applicable embodiment; and 
         FIG. 9  is an assembly bottom view of the present invention in a second applicable embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3A-3C , in a first applicable embodiment, a swinging and shifting mechanism  100  mainly includes a base frame  10  which is formed by two crossbars  11  and two straight bars  12  making the base frame  10  able to sit horizontally on the ground. 
     At the front of one straight bar  12  is a pair of rubber tire  13  respectively adjacent both ends thereof. Thereby, the frame is easy moved with the rubber tires  13 , with the rear side of the base frame  10  being liftable. In the middle of each straight bar  12  there is a pedestal  14 , each pedestal  14  has a pivot  15  extending toward an inside of the base frame  15 ; and adjacent each pedestal  14  there are two hanging rods  16  on straight bar  12 . 
     Each of two fastening seats  20  has a pivot hole  21 , at least one locating hole  22  and hanging part  23 . In a first applicable embodiment, each fastening seat  20  has two locating holes  22 . Two bearings  24  are respectively arranged inside the pivot hole  21  of the two fastening seats  20  into which a corresponding pivot  15  is received. Each bearing  24  increases the ease of rotating of the respective fastening seats  20 . Four extension springs  30  are arranged symmetrically in pairs, each extension spring  30  is connected with one of a pair of hanging parts  23  of a respective fastening seat  20  and a corresponding hanging rod  16  of base frame  10 . When fastening seat  20  rotates, the extension springs  30  apply torque in an opposite direction to that of the corresponding fastening seat  20 . 
     In a first applicable embodiment the at least one sliding shaft  40  is represented by two sliding shafts  40  corresponding to the locating holes  22  of the fastening seats  20 . Each sliding shaft  40  is received in a respective one of the locating holes  22  of each of the fastening seats  20 . A slider  50  has a pair of shaft holes  51  on opposing sides thereof on a horizontal axis, and each of the opposing sides of slider  50  have a linear bearing  52  received therein. Each linear bearing  52  has a pair of bearing holes  53 . Each sliding shaft  40  passes through a corresponding one of the two shaft holes  51  and two bearing holes  53  on each end of the slider  50 , whereby the slider  50  can slide smoothly on the sliding shafts  40 . A locking device has a locking bar  25  with a screw  251  at the front of the locking bar  25  for locking one of the fastening seats  20  to a corresponding one of the pedestals  14 , to thereby affix the two fastening seats  20  and sliding shafts  40  between both pedestals  14 . A buffer  60  produces a damping effect while the slider  50  slides on the sliding shafts  40 . In the first applicable embodiment, the buffer  60  includes two return spring  61 . Each return spring  61  connect with a respective one of the linear bearings  52  and a corresponding fastening seat  20 . The two return springs  61  produce a damping effect while slider  50  slides on the sliding shafts  40 . The front edge of the slider  50  has a brake  54 . The brake  54  has a stop mechanism (not shown) and an operation lever  541 . Rotation of the operation lever  541  displaces the stop mechanism to press against a corresponding sliding shaft  40 , therefore the slider  50  will stop sliding on the sliding shafts  40 . 
       FIGS. 4-5  illustrate an exercise bicycle  70  assembled on the swinging and shifting mechanism of the present invention. The exercise bicycle  70  includes a bicycle frame  71 , a saddle  72 , pedals  73 , and a tuning gear  74 , and the bottom of the bicycle frame  71  is secured on to the top of the slider  50 . Wherein, a user&#39;s pedaling applies force to the bicycle frame  71 , causing the fastening seat  20  to rotate, and then the extension springs  30  provide torque M in an opposite direction (see  FIG. 6 ) which enhances the effect of swinging of the exercise bicycle  70 . Moreover, the user can lift their buttock out of the saddle  72  for centralizing their weight on the pedals  73  and shaking intensely back and forth, which applies component forces in the direction of the X axis, causing a reciprocating motion that causes the slider  50  and exercise bicycle  70  to shift on sliding shaft  40 . The present invention thereby achieves the effect of intense exercise by overcoming the damping of the return springs  61  of the buffer  60 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the situation of the exercise bicycle  70  while swinging. The two fastening seats  20  arranged on pedestals  14  are located on both sides of the base frame  10 . The pairs of extension springs  30  are symmetrically connected respectively to the fastening seats  20 , the slider  50  is arranged on sliding shafts  40 , and the bicycle frame  71  is secured onto the top surface of the slider  50 . When a user applies force to the bicycle frame  71  by shaking their body, that causes the fastening seats  20 , the slider  50  and exercise bicycle  70  to rotate in either direction with the pivots  15  as a rotative axis. One extension spring  30  of each pair of extension springs will be compressed, while the other extension spring  30  of each pair of extension springs is stretched to thereby produce a rotative torque M. Once a user reduces the force applied to the bicycle frame  71 , the torque M induces the user to swing their body to the other side, and creating a new torque M in the opposite direction. Whereby, the purpose of swinging repeatedly is achieved. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the situation of exercise bicycle  70  while shifting to-and-fro. Two fastening seats  20  are arranged on pedestals  14  that are located on the base frame  10 . The pairs of extension springs  30  are coupled to the fastening seats  20  at the pedestals  14 , The sliding shafts  40  extend between and are supported by the two fastening seat  20 . The slider  50  is arranged on the sliding shafts  40 , and the bicycle frame  71  secured onto the top surface of the slider  50 . A pair of return spring  61  is connected to the slider  50  and two fastening seats  20 . Rather than just swing the user&#39;s body smoothly on the exercise bicycle  70 , the user can also lift their buttock out of the saddle for centralizing their weight on the pedals  73 . When pedaling, a user applies force to the bicycle frame  71 , generating component forces in the direction of the X axis causing a reciprocating motion which causes the exercise bicycle  70  to shift on the sliding shafts  40 . Since the user needs to overcome the damping of the buffer  60 , which is bigger than the component forces, it requires the user to pedal harder and move their body to a greater extent, which achieves the effect of increasing the intensity of the exercise. 
       FIGS. 8-9  illustrate a second applicable embodiment of swinging and shifting mechanism  100 , wherein other than the arrangement of the buffer  60 , the mechanism in this embodiment is the same as that of the first applicable embodiment. The buffer  60  includes an elastic band  62  which serpentines between the fastening seats  20  and is threaded around a plurality of band wheels  63  among the linear bearings  52  and the fastening seats  20 . The elastic band  62  produces damping between slider  50  and the fastening seats  20 . 
     The present invention has a fastening seat  20  at both the front and rear of the base frame  10 , a slider  50  arranged on sliding shafts  40 , and the bicycle frame  71  is secured onto the top surface of the slider  50 . When a user applies force to the bicycle frame  71 , by shaking their body, the fastening seats  20  rotate, the slider  50  is linearly displaced and exercise bicycle  70  rotates and the extension springs  30  arranged on opposing sides of each of the fastening seats  20  provide a torque M in an opposite direction, which enhances effect of swinging of the exercise bicycle  70 . Moreover, the present invention has return springs  61 , an elastic band  62  or any kind of buffer arranged between the slider  50  and each of the fastening seats  20 . Whereby, the force of intense shaking by the user&#39;s body and pedaling causes the slider  50  to shift in the direction of the X axis on the sliding shafts  40 . Also, a user needs to pedal faster and amplify their body movement to resist damping from the buffer  60 , so as to achieve the effect of intense exercise. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.