Patent Publication Number: US-2022226691-A1

Title: Integrated operating device of resistance and brake for exercise bike

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a device for an exercise bike, especially to a device that is applied on an exercise bike and is capable of adjusting resistance and controlling brake with one operating rod. 
     2. Description of the Prior Arts 
     Conventionally, an exercise bike has a resistance mechanism and a brake mechanism. The resistance mechanism and the brake mechanism respectively have their own operating rods, which means a user controls the resistance mechanism and the brake mechanism respectively through two operating rods independent from each other. 
     However, operating two operating rods respectively with two hands during exercising is not only inconvenient but also quite dangerous. Besides, configuring two operating rods to control two mechanisms increases complexity on bike body structure and cost in component consumption. Therefore, the configuration of the conventional exercise bike, i.e. two operating rods to respectively control the resistance mechanism and the brake mechanism, needs to be improved. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides an integrated operating device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide an integrated operating device that is capable of controlling resistance mechanism and brake mechanism with one operating rod, so that the integrated operating device simplifies visual appearance, makes the operation more convenient, and reduces costs. 
     The integrated operating device is adapted to be mounted on a bike frame and is adapted to control a wheel. The integrated operating device has a brake mechanism, a resistance mechanism, and an operating mechanism. The brake mechanism is adapted to be mounted on the bike frame, is adapted to stop the wheel from rotating, and has a brake cable. The resistance mechanism is adapted to be mounted on the bike frame, is adapted to apply rotating resistance to the wheel, and has a resistance cable. The operating mechanism has a pivoting disk, a connecting unit, and an operating rod. The pivoting disk is adapted to be pivotally mounted on the bike frame. An end of the resistance cable is connected to an edge of the pivoting disk. When the pivoting disk pivots, the resistance cable is winded around an outer annular surface of the pivoting disk such that the pivoting disk is capable of tightening or releasing the resistance cable. The connecting unit is securely mounted on the pivoting disk. The operating rod is capable of turning the pivoting disk via the connecting unit and has a pivoting segment, a hook segment, and a shaft segment. The pivoting segment is pivotally mounted on the connecting unit. The hook segment is securely mounted on the pivoting segment and is connected to the brake cable. The shaft segment is securely mounted on the pivoting segment and is capable of moving relative to the pivoting disk by the pivoting segment pivoting relative to the connecting unit. When the shaft segment moves, the hook segment moves along with the shaft segment to tighten or to release the brake cable. 
     By the pivoting disk pivotally mounted on the bike frame and the resistance cable connected to the pivoting disk, when the pivoting disk pivots, the rope body of the resistance cable is winded on the outer annular surface of the pivoting disk, and the rope body of the resistance cable engages in the annular groove of the pivoting disk, so that the pivoting disk is capable of tightening or releasing the resistance cable to operate the resistance mechanism. 
     By the pivoting segment of the operating rod pivotally mounted on the connecting unit and the hook segment connected to the brake cable, when a user pulls the operating rod and moves the shaft segment relative to the pivoting disk, the hook segment moves along with the shaft segment to tighten or to release the brake cable to operate the brake mechanism. 
     Because the operating rod is capable of turning the pivoting disk via the connecting unit to operate the resistance mechanism, and the operating rod is also capable of pivoting relative to the pivoting disk to operate the brake mechanism, the user is allowed to operate the brake mechanism and the resistance mechanism with one operating rod, thereby simplifying visual appearance of the exercise bike, making operating more convenient, and reducing costs of components. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an integrated operating device in accordance with the present invention, showing the integrated operating device applied on an exercise bike; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially enlarged view of the integrated operating device in  FIG. 1 , showing the resistance mechanism and the brake mechanism; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially enlarged view of the integrated operating device in  FIG. 1 , showing the operating mechanism; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the integrated operating device in  FIG. 1 , showing the operating mechanism and the exercise bike; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are operational views of the integrated operating device in  FIG. 1 , showing the operating rod turning the pivoting disk; and 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  are operational views of the integrated operating device in  FIG. 1 , showing the operating rod pivoting relative to the pivoting disk. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 , an integrated operating device in accordance with the present invention is adapted to be mounted on a bike frame A, and is adapted to control a wheel B. In this embodiment, the integrated operating device has a brake mechanism  10 , a resistance mechanism  20 , and an operating mechanism  30 . 
     The brake mechanism  10  is adapted to be mounted on the bike frame A, and is adapted to stop the wheel B from rotating. The brake mechanism  10  has a brake cable  11 . Specifically, in this embodiment, the brake mechanism  10  has two clamping units  12 . When the brake cable  11  is pulled and is tightened, the two clamping units  12  move toward each other and clamp the wheel B on two opposite sides to stop the wheel B from rotating by friction. But the structure of the brake mechanism  10  is not limited to the abovementioned, as long as the brake mechanism  10  is actuated by tightening the brake cable  11 . 
     The resistance mechanism  20  is adapted to be mounted on the bike frame A, and is adapted to apply rotating resistance to the wheel B. The resistance mechanism  20  has a resistance cable  21 . Specifically, in this embodiment, the resistance mechanism  20  has a C-shaped board  22 . Multiple magnetic poles  221  are mounted on an inner surface of the C-shaped board  22 . When the resistance cable  21  is tightened or released, the C-shaped board  22  moves relative to the wheel B back or forth, and is capable of covering an outer annular surface and the two opposite sides of the wheel B to apply rotating resistance to the wheel B via the magnetic poles  221 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4, 5, and 7 , the operating mechanism  30  has a pivoting disk  31 , a connecting unit  32 , an operating rod  33 , a positioning unit  34 , and two limiting units  35 . 
     The pivoting disk  31  is adapted to be pivotally mounted on the bike frame A. An end of the resistance cable  21  is connected to an edge of the pivoting disk  31 . In this embodiment, the pivoting disk  31  has an annular groove  311 , multiple positioning grooves  312 , and a notch  313 . The annular groove  311  is formed on an outer annular surface of the pivoting disk  31 . When the pivoting disk  31  pivots, the rope body of the resistance cable  21  is winded around the outer annular surface of the pivoting disk  31 , and the rope body of the resistance cable  21  engages in the annular groove  311 , so that the pivoting disk  31  is capable of tightening or releasing the resistance cable  21 . The positioning groove  312  is formed on a side surface of the pivoting disk  31 , and is arranged in an arced line. The notch  313  is formed on the outer annular surface of the pivoting disk  31  and is concaved toward a center of the pivoting disk  31 . 
     The connecting unit  32  is securely mounted on the pivoting disk  31 . The connecting unit  32  has a stopping segment  321 , a mounting segment  322 , and an extending segment  323 . 
     The operating rod  33  is capable of turning the pivoting disk  31  via the connecting unit  32 . Specifically, in this embodiment, the mounting segment  322  of the connecting unit  32  is securely mounted on one of two sides of the pivoting disk  31 , and the extending segment  323  is mounted through the notch  313  of the pivoting disk  31  and pivotally connected to the operating rod  33  on the other one of the two sides of the pivoting disk  31  with a pivot  3231 , wherein the pivot  3231  is perpendicular to an axis of the pivoting disk  31 , such that the pivot  3231  is parallel to the pivoting disk  31 . In this embodiment, the operating rod  33  has a pivoting segment  331 , a hook segment  332 , and a shaft segment  333 . The pivoting segment  331  is pivotally mounted on the extending segment  323  of the connecting unit  32 . The hook segment  332  is securely mounted on the pivoting segment  331 , and is connected to the brake cable  11 . The shaft segment  333  is securely mounted on the pivoting segment  331 , and is moveable relative to the pivoting disk  31  by the pivoting segment  331  pivoting relative to the connecting unit  32 . When the shaft segment  333  moves, the hook segment  332  moves along with the shaft segment  333  to tighten or to release the brake cable  11 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , as well as  FIGS. 7 and 8 , specifically, in this embodiment, because the operating rod  33  is normally located in a radial direction of the pivoting disk  31 , and because the pivot  3231  between the pivoting segment  331  of the operating rod  33  and the connecting unit  32  is parallel to the pivoting disk  31 , when the pivoting segment  331  pivots relative to the connecting unit  32 , the shaft segment  333  is capable of moving toward the two sides of the pivoting disk  31 . In other words, a user is allowed to hold the operating rod  33  to turn the pivoting disk  31  back and forth to operate the resistance mechanism  20 , and the user is also allowed to pull the operating rod  33  left and right to operate the brake mechanism  10 . But in other embodiments, the pivot  3231  between the pivoting segment  331  of the operating rod  33  and the connecting unit  32  is not limited to being parallel to the pivoting disk  31 , as the pivot  3231  can also be inclined to the pivoting disk  31 . 
     Besides, in this embodiment, the pivoting segment  331  and the hook segment  332  of the operating rod  33  are located in the notch  313  on the outer annular surface of the pivoting disk  31 , which means the pivoting segment  331  and the hook segment  332  are connected to each other through the notch  313 . Further, a connecting point between the hook segment  332  of the operating rod  33  and the brake cable  11  and a pivoting point between the pivoting segment  331  of the operating rod  33  and the connecting unit  32  are respectively located on the two sides of the pivoting disk  31 . But it is not limited thereto in other embodiments, as the pivoting disk  31  can be implemented without the notch  313 , such that the pivoting segment  331  and the hook segment  332  can be connected to each other across the two sides in the radial direction of the pivoting disk  31 . Alternatively, the pivoting segment  331  and the hook segment  332  can also be located on the same side of the pivoting disk  31 . Additionally, the operating rod  33  selectively abuts the stopping segment  321  of the connecting unit  32 . 
     The positioning unit  34  is adapted to be mounted on the bike frame A. When the pivoting disk  31  pivots, the positioning unit  34  selectively engages in one of the positioning grooves  312  to position the pivoting disk  31 . Specifically, the positioning unit  34  is resilient, such that the positioning unit  34  is capable of protruding into one of the positioning grooves  312  to position and to fix the pivoting disk  31  when the pivoting disk  31  is not turned, and is capable of retracting back from said positioning groove  312  to release the pivoting disk  31  when the pivoting disk  31  is turned. But in another embodiment, the positioning unit  34  and the positioning grooves  312  can also be respectively implemented as a pin and holes. 
     The two limiting units  35  are securely mounted on the pivoting disk  31 . The brake cable  11  is located between the two limiting units  35 , so that the brake cable  11  can be limited within a certain range of space during pivoting of the pivoting disk  31 . Specifically, the two limiting units  35  protrude from a side surface of the pivoting disk  31  and are spaced apart from each other to form a limiting space between the two limiting units  35 , and the brake cable  11  is limited in the limiting space. In addition, in this embodiment, the two limiting units  35  are screws, but in other embodiments, the two limiting units  35  are not limited to screws and the operating mechanism  30  can also be implemented without the two limiting units  35 . 
     By the pivoting disk  31  pivotally mounted on the bike frame A and the resistance cable  21  connected to the pivoting disk  31 , when the pivoting disk  31  pivots, the rope body of the resistance cable  21  is winded on the outer annular surface of the pivoting disk  31 , and the rope body of the resistance cable  21  engages in the annular groove  311  of the pivoting disk  31 , so that the pivoting disk  31  is capable of tightening or releasing the resistance cable  21  to operate the resistance mechanism  20 . 
     By the pivoting segment  331  of the operating rod  33  pivotally mounted on the connecting unit  32  and the hook segment  332  connected to the brake cable  11 , when the user pulls the operating rod  33  and moves the shaft segment  333  relative to the pivoting disk  31 , the hook segment  332  moves along with the shaft segment  333  to tighten or to release the brake cable  11  to operate the brake mechanism  10 . 
     Because the operating rod  33  is capable of turning the pivoting disk  31  via the connecting unit  32  to operate the resistance mechanism  20 , and the operating rod  33  is also capable of pivoting relative to the pivoting disk  31  to operate the brake mechanism  10 , the user is allowed to operate the brake mechanism  10  and the resistance mechanism  20  with one operating rod  33 , thereby simplifying visual appearance of the exercise bike, making the operation more convenient, and reducing costs of components. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.