Patent Publication Number: US-2005130808-A1

Title: Resistance adjuster for adjusting a resistance-providing member on a stationary bicycle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to a resistance adjuster, more particularly to a resistance adjuster for adjusting a resistance-providing member on a stationary bicycle.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional stationary bicycle that includes a flywheel  70 , a resistance-providing member  71  that is in frictional contact with the flywheel  70  so as to provide resistance to the flywheel  70 , and a resistance adjuster for adjusting the resistance-providing member  71 . The resistance adjuster includes an operating member  72  mounted on a handlebar of the stationary bicycle, and a string  73  interconnecting the operating member  72  and the resistance-providing member  71 . The conventional resistance adjuster is disadvantageous in that the resistance-providing member  71  tends to wear easily due to a rigid connection between the resistance-providing member  71  and the operating member  72  through the string  73 .  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a resistance adjuster with a buffering member that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.  
      According to the present invention, there is provided a resistance adjuster for adjusting a resistance-providing member, which is in frictional contact with a flywheel of a stationary bicycle. The resistance adjuster includes: a tubular housing adapted to be mounted on the stationary bicycle and defining an axial direction; an elastic buffering member that is disposed in the housing, that has upper and lower ends opposite to each other in the axial direction, and that is elastically compressible in the axial direction; an upper connecting member connected securely to the upper end of the buffering member; a lower connecting member opposite to the upper connecting member in the axial direction and connected securely to the lower end of the buffering member; a first string that extends into the housing to connect securely with the lower connecting member; a second string that extends into the housing to connect securely with the upper connecting member and that is adapted to be connected securely to the resistance-providing member; and an operating member adapted to be mounted movably on the stationary bicycle, connected securely to the first string, and operable to displace the buffering member, the upper and lower connecting members, and the first and second strings in the axial direction so as to permit adjustment of the resistance-providing member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention,  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a conventional resistance adjuster for a resistance-providing member on a stationary bicycle;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the first preferred embodiment of a resistance adjuster for a resistance-providing member on a stationary bicycle according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a fragmentary sectional view of the first embodiment;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along lines IV-VI in  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along lines V-V in  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary sectional view of the first embodiment, with a buffering member and two connecting members displaced in an axial direction;  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the second preferred embodiment of the resistance adjuster according to the present invention; and  
       FIG. 8  is a fragmentary sectional view of the second embodiment.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      For the sake of brevity, like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.  
      FIGS.  2  to  5  illustrate the first preferred embodiment of a resistance adjuster for adjusting resistance provided by a resistance-providing member  300  to a flywheel  200  of a stationary bicycle  100  that is in frictional contact with the resistance-providing member  300  according to the present invention. The resistance adjuster includes: a tubular housing  10  mounted on the stationary bicycle  100  and defining an axial direction; an elastic buffering member  20  that is disposed in the housing  10 , that has upper and lower ends opposite to each other in the axial direction, and that is elastically compressible in the axial direction; an upper connecting member  23  connected securely to the upper end of the buffering member  20 ; a lower connecting member  22  opposite to the upper connecting member  23  in the axial direction and connected securely to the lower end of the buffering member  20 ; a first string  42  that extends into the housing  10  to connect securely with the lower connecting member  22 ; a second string  32  that extends into the housing  10  to connect securely with the upper connecting member  23  and that is connected securely to the resistance-providing member  300 ; and an operating member  50  mounted movably on a handle bar  500  of the stationary bicycle  100 , connected securely to the first string  42 , and operable to displace the buffering member  20 , the upper and lower connecting members  23 ,  22 , and the first and second strings  42 ,  32  in the axial direction (see  FIGS. 3 and 6 ) so as to permit adjustment of the resistance-providing member  300 . Preferably, the buffering member  20  is in the form of a coil spring.  
      In this embodiment, each of the upper and lower connecting members  23 ,  22  is in the form of a cylindrical block that is in sliding contact with an inner wall of the housing  10  and that is formed with a clamping hole  231  ( 221 ) therein for extension of a respective one of the first and second strings  42 ,  32  therethrough, and a radial slit  233  ( 223 ) extending in a radial direction relative to the axial direction, intersecting the clamping hole  231  ( 221 ), and dividing the cylindrical block into first and second halves  238 ,  239  ( 228 ,  229 ). The clamping hole  231  ( 221 ) in each of the upper and lower connecting members  23 ,  22  has a cross-section, and extends in the axial direction. Each of the upper and lower connecting members  23 ,  22  includes a screw bolt  234  ( 224 ) that engages threadedly the cylindrical block, that extends through the first half  238  ( 228 ) of the cylindrical block and into the second half  239  ( 229 ) of the cylindrical block in a transverse direction relative to the slit  233  ( 223 ), and that intersects the slit  233  ( 223 ) so as to reduce the cross-section of the clamping hole  231  ( 221 ) and to thereby clamp the respective one of the first and second strings  42 ,  32  between the first and second halves  238 ,  239  ( 228 ,  229 ) of the cylindrical block upon tightening of the screw bolt  234  ( 224 ).  
      The cylindrical block of each of the upper and lower connecting members  23 ,  22  is further formed with a confining hole  232  ( 222 ) therein for extension of the other of the first and second strings  42 ,  32  therethrough. The confining hole  232  ( 222 ) and the clamping hole  231  ( 221 ) in each of the upper and lower connecting members  23 ,  22  are diametrically disposed.  
      Each of the first and second strings  42 ,  32  is enclosed by a protective sheath  40  ( 30 ). The first string  42  has an upper end that is connected securely to the operating member  50 , and a lower end  421  that is opposite to the upper end and that is connected securely to the lower connecting member  22 . The second string  32  has an upper end  231  that is connected securely to the upper connecting member  23 , and a lower end that is opposite to the upper end of the second string  32  and that is connected securely to the resistance-providing member  300 .  
      The resistance adjuster further includes upper and lower caps  13 ,  12  that are mounted respectively on upper and lower ends of the housing  10 . Each of the upper and lower caps  13 ,  12  defines a confining recess  131  ( 121 ) that extends from the respective one of the upper and lower ends of the housing  10  in the axial direction. Each of the first and second strings  42 ,  32  extends through the confining recess  131  ( 121 ) in a respective one of the upper and lower caps  13 ,  12 .  
       FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate the second preferred embodiment of the resistance adjuster according to the present invention. The resistance adjuster of this embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment, except that the second string  32  has an upper end connected securely to a brake operating member  60 , which is mounted on the handlebar  500 , and a middle segment  320  connected securely to the upper connecting member  23  and extending through the clamping hole  231  in the upper connecting member  23 .  
      With the inclusion of the buffering member  20  in the resistance adjuster of this invention, the aforesaid wearing problem as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated.  
      With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.