Patent Publication Number: US-9421417-B2

Title: Bicycle trainer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 103135517, filed on Oct. 14, 2014. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a bicycle, and particularly relates to a bicycle trainer. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     When unable to perform training on an outdoor road due to weather conditions, bicycle cyclists or enthusiasts may use a bicycle arranged with a bicycle trainer to simulate riding on an outdoor road. Currently on the market, bicycle trainers normally only have a single resistance source, for example a wind resistance type resistance source, a magnetic resistance type resistance source or a fluid resistance type resistance source. Single resistance sources are able to simulate only one type of riding situation, for example by increasing the gradient of the riding condition or the resistance when riding with head wind or increasing the training intensity, and will result in an inaccurate simulation, resulting in an unfamiliar feel to the rider. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a bicycle trainer, adapted to be arranged with a bicycle to simulate riding a bicycle on an outdoor road. 
     A bicycle trainer of the invention is adapted to be arranged with a bicycle to simulate riding a bicycle on an outdoor road. The bicycle trainer includes a stand, a roller, a first resistance source and a second resistance source. The stand is adapted to support the bicycle. The roller is pivoted to the stand and adapted to contact a bicycle wheel of the bicycle. The first resistance source is coupled to the roller, and provides resistance to the bicycle wheel via the roller. The second resistance source is coupled to the roller, and provides resistance to the bicycle wheel via the roller. Furthermore, the first resistance source, the second resistance source and the roller may be coupled to a same rotation axis, to allow the resistance to be transmitted more directly, making the riding experience better. 
     According to the above, in the invention, dual resistance sources are disposed to simulate riding a bicycle on an outdoor road, therefore the parameters for the resistance sources may be set according to realistic requirements, for example a resistance source designed according to different gradients or a resistance source designed for wind resistance according to different speeds or a resistance source designed according to training intensity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating of a bicycle trainer according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a three dimensional view illustrating the bicycle trainer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view illustrating the bicycle trainer of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4A  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the bicycle trainer of  FIG. 3  in a resting state along the line X-X. 
         FIG. 4B  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the bicycle trainer of  FIG. 4A  in an active state. 
         FIG. 5A  is a three dimensional partial exploded view illustrating a second resistance source of the bicycle trainer of  FIG. 3  when a magnetic resistance is not increased. 
         FIG. 5B  is a three dimensional partial exploded view illustrating a second resistance source of the bicycle trainer of  FIG. 5A  when a magnetic resistance is increased. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , in the present embodiment, a bicycle trainer  100  is adapted to be arranged with a bicycle  50  to simulate riding a bicycle  50  on an outdoor road. The bicycle trainer  100  includes a stand  110 , a roller  120 , a first resistance source  130  and a second resistance source  140 . The stand  110  is adapted to support the bicycle  50 , and particularly to support a bicycle wheel  52  of the bicycle  50 . The roller  120  is pivoted to the stand  110  and adapted to contact a bicycle wheel  52  of the bicycle  50 . The first resistance source  130  is coupled to the roller  120  and provides resistance to the bicycle wheel  52  via the roller  120 . The second resistance source  140  is coupled to the roller  120  and provides resistance to the bicycle wheel  52  via the roller  120 . 
     In an embodiment, the first resistance source  130  may be a wind resistance type resistance source, a magnetic resistance type resistance source, a fluid resistance type resistance source or a friction type resistance source. The second resistance source  140  is a wind resistance type resistance source, a magnetic resistance type resistance source, a fluid resistance type resistance source or a friction type resistance source. In an embodiment, the first resistance source  130  and the second resistance source  140  are respectively located at the two ends of the roller  120 , therefore balancing of the weight may be achieved. In an embodiment, the first resistance source  130  is an automatic adjusting resistance source, and the second resistance source  140  is a manual adjusting resistance source. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4A , in the present embodiment, the first resistance source  130  uses a magnetic resistance type resistance source, and in particular is a magnetic type resistance source which uses the eddy current effect. The first resistance source  130  may include a magnetic fixing component  131  and a first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132 . The magnetic fixing component  131  is fixed to a supporting part  112  of the stand  110 . The roller  120  is coupled to a rotation axis  122 , the rotation axis  122  is pivoted to the stand  110  through a plurality of bearings  124 , and the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  is coupled to the roller  120  through the rotation axis  122 . The rotating first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the magnetic fixing component  131  mutually interact producing a magnetic resistance, and is provided to the roller  120 . In the present embodiment, the magnetic fixing component  131  is a magnetic component  131   a  (magnet, for example), and the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  may be a magnetism sensing flywheel (flywheel of zinc alloy, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, or stainless steel material, for example). 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , in the present embodiment, in order to allow the first resistance source  130  to automatically vary the provided resistance according to the rotation speed of the roller  120  (namely bicycle wheel  52 ), the first resistance source  130  may further include a restrictive rotating component  133  and a plurality of rolling components  134  (for example, a plurality of balls). The restrictive rotating component  133  may be coupled to the roller  120  through the rotation axis  122 , and construes a plurality of paths S with the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132 . The rolling components  134  are respectively located in the paths S. When the rotation speed of the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the restrictive rotating component  133  changes, the rolling components  134  move along the paths S due to the influence of centrifugal force, allowing the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  to move with respect to the restrictive rotating component  133  to adjust an interacting distance D between the magnetic fixing component  131  and the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132 . It should be noted, the magnetic resistance produced by the eddy current effect is inversely proportional to the interacting distance D squared. The smaller the interacting distance D, the larger the magnetic resistance produced by the mutual interaction of the magnetic fixing component  131  and the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132 , as shown in  FIG. 4B . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , in the present embodiment, a plurality of rolling components  126  (balls, for example) are arranged between the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the rotation axis  122 . The rolling components  126  are linearly arranged at the periphery of the rotation axis  122 , and respectively located in particular grooves, to set the moving direction of the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  with respect to the rotation axis  122 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , in the present embodiment, the first resistance source  130  further includes a restoring component  135 . The restoring component  135  may restore the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  with respect to the restrictive rotating component  133 . When the rotation speed of the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the restrictive rotating component  133  decreases, the restoring component  135  restores the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132 , and increases the interacting distance D between the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the magnetic fixing component  131 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , therefore decreasing the magnetic resistance produced by the mutual interaction of the magnetic fixing component  131  and the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132 . The restoring component  135  may be achieved by a spring force or by mutual magnetic repulsion, therefore the restoring component  135  may be an elastic component or a pair of magnetic components. In the present embodiment, the restoring component  135  for example is a spring, arranged on the rotation axis  122 , and may set the movement range of the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the restoring component  135  with respect to the rotation axis  122  by an inner stop ring  128   a  and an outer stop ring  128   b  arranged on the rotation axis  122 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A , in the present embodiment, the first resistance source  130  further includes an inner cover  136 , mutually interacting with the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  to produce a magnetic resistance. In addition, the first resistance source  130  further includes a first outer cover  137 . The first outer cover  137  is fixed to the restrictive rotating component  133 , and rotates together with the restrictive rotating component  133 , the first non-magnetic metal rotating component  132  and the rotation axis  122 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B , in the present embodiment, the second resistance source  140  also uses a magnetic resistance type resistance source, and in particular is a magnetic type resistance source using the eddy current effect. The second resistance source  140  may include a magnetism adjusting component  141 , a second non-magnetic metal rotating component  142  and an adjustment assembly  143 . The magnetism adjusting component  141  may be movably attached to the stand  110 . The second non-magnetic metal rotating component  142  is coupled to the roller  120  by being coupled to the rotation axis  122 , and mutually interacting with the magnetism adjusting component  141  to produce a magnetic resistance. The adjustment assembly  143  for example is a manual wire controlled adjustment assembly and is connected to the magnetism adjusting component  141 , and used to adjust the interacting area A between the magnetism adjusting component  141  and the second non-magnetic metal rotating component  142 . When the first resistance source  130 , the second resistance source  140  and the roller  120  are coupled to the same rotation axis  122 , the resistance is transmitted more directly, making the riding experience better. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A , in the present embodiment, the second resistance source  140  further includes a second inner cover  144  and a second outer cover  145 . The second inner cover  144  is fixed to the supporting part  112  of the stand  110 , and the magnetism adjusting component  141  may be movably (such as rotatably) attached to the supporting part  112  of the stand  110 . The second outer cover  145  is fixed to the second non-magnetic metal rotating component  142 , and rotates together with the second non-magnetic metal rotating component  142  and the rotation axis  122 . 
     In summary, in the invention, dual resistance sources are disposed to simulate riding a bicycle on an outdoor road, therefore the type of resistance source may be set according to realistic requirements. In addition, one resistance source may be set automatically adjusting to simulate resistance of an outdoor road with no gradient (namely a flat road), and another resistance source may be set to be a manually adjusting to add resistance of a road with a gradient or wind resistance when riding or to increase the training intensity. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.