Patent Abstract:
A bicycle may tow a trailer for the purposes of carrying a heavy or large object across great distances. A motor may be mounted to the trailer which drives a rear wheel of the bicycle. To this end, a transmission is added to the rear hub of the bicycle which is mechanically coupled to the output shaft of the motor. When the trailer is detached or not used in conjunction with the bicycle, the rider does not have to carry the weight of the motor. Also, this setup provides a stable configuration since the bicycle is pulling the trailer.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to a motorized bicycle with a trailer. 
         [0004]    Bicycles are utilized for various purposes. One purpose is to transport objects from point A to point B. To this end, bicyclists may place the object in a backpack or other hands-free bag/pouch that attaches to the bicycle to transport the object from point A to point B. The bicyclist may not use his/her hands since the rider uses his/her hands to hold the handlebars and stabilize the bicycle. 
         [0005]    When the object is too heavy or too large for a backpack or other bicycle mounted pouch, a trailer may be attached to the bicycle. The trailer may be towed behind the bicycle and allows the bicyclist to transport heavy and large objects that otherwise would not be transportable by bicycle. 
         [0006]    When the weight of the object is too heavy, transportation of the object from point A to point B becomes more difficult especially as the terrain becomes steep or the distances become large. In this circumstance, motorized bicycles have been utilized to assist the bicyclist in powering the bicycle and trailer. Unfortunately, the addition of a motor creates other problems such as additional weight on the bicycle when the trailer is not in use or jack knifing when the motor is mounted to the trailer to drive the wheels of the trailer. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved system. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The trailer and bicycle discussed herein address the needs discussed above, discussed below and those that are known in the art. 
         [0009]    The bicycle may be retrofitted with a transmission or may be designed with the transmission. The transmission is added to the rear wheel of the bicycle. The transmission when receiving power transmits such power to the rear wheel of the bicycle to propel the bicycle forward. The trailer may be removably attachable to the bicycle, and more particularly, to the transmission which may be retrofitted to the bicycle. The trailer may have a motor mounted thereon. The motor through a mechanical coupling provides power to the transmission. This set up is beneficial in that the weight of the motor is carried by the trailer so that the rider does not need to carry the weight of the motor when the trailer is detached from the bicycle. Moreover, the motor provides power to the rear wheel of the bicycle instead of the wheels of the trailer itself. This mitigates any unstable situation such as jack knifing. Additionally, the motor and other components mounted to the trailer maintain a low center of gravity so that attaching the trailer with motor to the bicycle does not cause instability of the trailer. 
         [0010]    More particularly, a human powered vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle may comprise a rear wheel having a hub; a trailer removably attachable to the hub of the rear wheel; and a motor attached to the trailer and mechanically coupled to the hub of the rear wheel so that the motor can drive the hub and rear wheel of the bicycle. 
         [0011]    The wheels of the trailer may be free spinning. In other words, the motor does not drive the wheels of the trailer. The trailer may have two wheels. 
         [0012]    The vehicle may further comprise a first bevel gear fixedly attached to the hub; a second bevel gear engaged to the first bevel gear and operative to transmit power to the hub through the first bevel gear; and a drive axle attached to an output shaft of the motor. The first and second bevel gears may be seated within a housing. 
         [0013]    A switch mounted to a forward portion of the vehicle such as the handlebar to control the motor of the trailer. The switch and the motor may be in wireless communication. 
         [0014]    A plurality of drive axles may be attached to the motor and the hub for transferring power from the motor to the rear wheel of the vehicle. The drive axles may be connected to each other with knuckle joints. A sleeve may be fixedly attached to the trailer with at least one of the drive axles rotationally embedded within the sleeve. The sleeve may be curved to allow the vehicle to make a left or right turn. 
         [0015]    An axle of the wheels of the trailer may be at about the same level as the hub of the rear wheel of the vehicle. 
         [0016]    It is contemplated that the vehicle may be a bicycle. 
         [0017]    Additionally, a trailer for a human powered vehicle is disclosed. The trailer may comprise a storage area; a free wheeled suspension system for rolling the storage area; and a motor attached to the storage area and mechanically coupleable to a rear wheel of the vehicle to rotate the rear wheel of the vehicle. 
         [0018]    The free wheeled suspension system may have two wheels. 
         [0019]    A plurality of drive axles may be coupled to the motor and coupleable to the rear wheel of the vehicle wherein the plurality of drive axles transfers the power of the motor to the rear wheel of the vehicle. 
         [0020]    The trailer may further comprise a battery for powering the motor; a switch mountable to a handlebar of the vehicle; and a controller operative to regulate an amount of power provided by the battery to the motor; wherein the switch is in communication with the controller to increase or decrease the amount of power the battery supplies to the motor to increase or decrease a speed of the vehicle when the trailer is in use. 
         [0021]    It is contemplated that the trailer may be used in conjunction with a bicycle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a bicycle with a removably attachable trailer wherein a motor is mounted to the trailer that powers a rear wheel of the bicycle; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of a hitch arm of the trailer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the trailer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of a transmission that interconnects the trailer and the bicycle shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the transmission and a hub shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of a single wheel trailer mounted to the rear axle at a rear portion of the bicycle; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a transmission for powering the rear wheel of the bicycle by way of the motor mounted to the trailer shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    Referring now to the drawings, a bicycle  10  with a trailer  12  attached to the rear portion  58  of the bicycle  10  is shown. The trailer  12  may have a motor  14  mechanically coupled to the rear hub  16  of the rear wheel  18  of the bicycle  10 . The motor  14  drives the rear hub  16  and the rear wheel  18  of the bicycle  10  to propel the rider, bicycle  10  and trailer  12  in the forward direction. The trailer  12  carries the motor  14 . Beneficially, the trailer  12  can be conveniently removed or attached to the bicycle  10  so that the bicyclist does not need to carry the weight of the motor  14  when the trailer is not in use. More particularly, when the trailer  12  is attached to the bicycle  10 , the trailer  12  carries the weight of the motor  14  and assists the bicyclist in propelling the bicycle  10  and the trailer  12  forward by powering the rear wheel  18  of the bicycle. When the trailer  12  is not in use (i.e., detached from the bicycle  10 ), the motor  14  does not add additional weight to the bicycle  10  because the motor  14  is mounted to the trailer  12  and not the bicycle. Another benefit of mounting the motor to the trailer instead of the bicycle is that the rider/bicycle&#39;s center of gravity remains the same. Additionally, the motor  14  may be mounted under a loading platform  36  of the trailer  12 . In this manner, the trailer  12  has a low center of gravity and is more stable. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the trailer  12  may be pulled behind the bicycle  10  which provides for a stable configuration. The trailer  12  may be attached to the bicycle  10  at the rear portion  58  of the bicycle  10 . The loading platform  36  of the trailer  12  may be used to mount the motor  14 , battery  40  and controller  42 . Preferably, the motor  14 , battery  40  and controller  42  are disposed generally at the height of the bottom bracket shell  60  of the bicycle  10 . The reason is to maintain a low center of gravity of the trailer  12  so that the trailer  12  does not tip over when traversing over uneven terrain. 
         [0032]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a hitch arm  20  connects the trailer  12  to the bicycle  10 . The hitch arm  20  may have a plurality of drive axles  22   a - e  which are connected to each other by knuckle joints  24   a - e . The knuckle joints  24   a - e  provide multi-axes freedom so that the drive axles  22   a - e  can rotate. The drive axle  22   a  may be mechanically coupled to the output shaft  26  of the motor  14  as shown in  FIG. 3 . In particular, the drive axle  22   a  may have a first pulley or gear  30  fixedly attached to the drive axle  22   a . A second pulley or gear  31  may also be attached to the output shaft  26  of the motor  14 . The pulleys or gears  30 ,  31  of the drive axle  22   a  and the output shaft  26  may be connected to each other by a belt, chain or other device  32  to transfer the rotational motion of the output shaft  26  to the drive axle  22   a.    
         [0033]    When the output shaft  26  rotates, the power of the output shaft  26  is transferred to the drive axle  22   a  through the belt  32 . The drive axle  22   a  is held in a stationary position by sleeve  34 . A cross section of the sleeve  34  is shown. The sleeve  34  is rigid and covers the drive axles  22   a - c . The sleeve  34  may be fixedly attached to the loading platform  36  of the trailer  12  with welding, nuts and bolts, etc. or other methods known in the art or developed in the future. The drive axle  22   a  is allowed to rotate within the sleeve  34  by way of bearings  38 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . One or more bearings  38  may be located within the sleeve  34  to support the drive axle  22   a  so that the drive axle  22   a  does not mar up or damage the interior surface of the sleeve  34 . 
         [0034]    Rotational power of the drive axle  22   a  is transferred to drive axle  22   e  by way of drive axles  22   b, c  and  d . The sleeve  34  may extend outward from the rear wheel  18  of the bicycle  10  to allow the user to make a right turn. When the bicyclist makes a right turn, the back side of the rear wheel  18  would move toward the sleeve  34 . The curve in the sleeve  34  allows the back side of the rear wheel  18  to enter the space defined by the curvature of the sleeve  34  as shown by dash lines  76  in  FIG. 2 . The rear wheel  18  does not hit the sleeve  34  but rather fits within the space created by the curved sleeve  34 . The sleeve  34  may also house drive axle  22   b  as well as drive axle  22   c . Two bearings  38  may support the drive axle  22   c  within the sleeve  34  to prevent damage to the sleeve  34  by rotation of the drive axle  22   c . Drive axle  22   b  connects drive axles  22   a  and  c  within the sleeve  34  and allows the bend or curve within the sleeve  34 . Knuckle joint  24   a  and  24   b  allow the drive axles  22   a, b  and  c  to turn in unison or rotate within the sleeve  34  and transmit power to the drive axles  22   d  and  e . Drive axle  22   e  is connected to transmission  62 . The knuckle joints  24   c  and  d  allow the trailer  12  to move up and down and left and right with respect to the bicycle  10  so that the bicycle  10  and trailer  12  can traverse over uneven terrain and turn left and right. It is contemplated that the sleeve  34  and drive axles  22   a - e  may be mounted on the opposite side of the bicycle  10 . 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the battery  40  and the controller  42  may be mounted to the underside of the loading platform  36 . The battery  40  may provide power to the motor  14  to rotate the output shaft  26 . The battery  40  may also be rechargeable and replaced when defective. The controller  42  is operative to regulate the amount of power that the battery  40  provides to the motor  14 . The user may have a switch  44  (see  FIG. 1 ) located on the handlebar  46  of the bicycle  10  that communicates with the controller  42 . The switch  44  is operative to command the controller  42  to send more or less power to the motor  14  from the battery  40  to speed up or slow down the output shaft  26 . The switch  44  may communicate with the controller  42  through wireless communication or wired communication that is routed through the frame  48  of the bicycle  10  and sleeve  34 . 
         [0036]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an exploded view of the rear wheel hub area of the bicycle is shown. The rear hub  16  may have a standard mounting bracket  48  for a brake disc. A first bevel gear  50  may be mounted to the mounting bracket  48  with six screws  78  (only one is shown in  FIG. 4  for clarity) that attach the first gear  50  to the mounting bracket  48 . A ring gear  52  may be mounted to the outer periphery of the first bevel gear  50 . A housing  54  (see  FIG. 2 ) may be secured to the hub  16  by way of the ring gear  52 . More particularly, the ring gear  52  is seated within a first portion  80  of the housing  54 . The ring gear  52  allows the first bevel gear  50  to rotate within the housing  54 . 
         [0037]    Second bevel gear  56  may be mounted to a second portion  82  of the housing  54  by way of ring gear  58 . The ring gear  58  is secured to the housing  54 . The drive axle  22   e  is secured to the second bevel gear  56  so that as drive axle  22   e  rotates, the second bevel gear  56  rotates. The teeth of the second bevel gear  56  mesh with the teeth of the first bevel gear  50 . The second bevel gear  56  transmits power to the first bevel gear  50  which transmits power to the rear axle  74  and rear wheel  18 . 
         [0038]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a cross sectional view of an assembled hub  16  and transmission  62  is shown. The transmission  62  may be mounted to a rear wheel hub  16  that can accept a disk brake. In particular, the rear wheel hub  16  may have a mounting bracket  48  for the disc of the disc brake. Instead of mounting a disc to the mounting bracket  48 , the transmission  62  may be mounted to the mounting bracket  48 . The first bevel gear  50  of the transmission  62  is secured to the mounting bracket  48  with screws  78 . The first ring bearing  52  is seated onto the outer periphery of the first bevel gear  50 . The housing  54  is mounted to the first ring bearing  52 . 
         [0039]    Referring back to  FIG. 4 , the trailer  12  may be removed from the bicycle  10  by way of a cotter pin  64 . The cotter pin  64  connects the drive axle  22   d  to the drive axle  22   e . More particularly, the cotter pin  64  may be inserted into an aperture  66  formed within the drive axle  22   d . When the cotter pin  64  is inserted into the aperture  66 , the cotter pin  64  also enters an aperture (not shown) formed in a cross member  68  of the drive axle  22   e . To remove the trailer  12  from the bicycle  10 , the cotter pin  64  is removed to disengage the drive axle  22   d  from the drive axle  22   e . To reattach the trailer  12  to the bicycle  10 , the aperture  66  is aligned to the cross member  68  of the drive axle  22   e . The cotter pin  64  is inserted into the aperture  66  to reengage the drive axle  22   d  and  22   e . Instead of a cotter pin  64 , a ball lock pin or other attachment mechanism is also contemplated. 
         [0040]    During use, the bicycle  10  may be used to ride around the local area for pleasure. For this purpose, the trailer  12  may be detached from the bicycle  10 . In particular, the bicyclist removes the cotter pin  64  to detach the drive axle  22   d  from the drive axle  22   e . The trailer  12  is left at home or at another secure location while the bicyclist rides his/her bicycle  10 . The weight of the motor  14 , controller  42  and battery  40  are not on the bicycle  10  but are on the trailer  12 . Accordingly, the bicyclist can ride the bicycle  10  normally without having to pull the weight of the motor. 
         [0041]    When a heavy load needs to be transported from point A to point B, the bicyclist may reattach the trailer  12  to the bicycle  10 . In particular, the aperture  66  of the drive axle  22   d  may be aligned to the cross member  68  of the drive axle  22   e . Cotter pin  64  is inserted into the aperture  66  to reattach the drive axle  22   d  and  22   e . At this point, the battery  40  should be charged and operative to send power to the motor  14 . Additionally, the switch  44  may be set to a speed of zero or off. The loading platform  36  may be loaded with the object to be transported between points A and B. With the object on the loading platform  36 , the bicyclist may mount the bicycle  10  and prepare to move forward. The bicyclist may propel the bicycle  10  and trailer  12  in the forward direction by pedaling forward. Alternatively or additionally, the bicyclist may turn the switch  44  on to send a signal to the controller  42  so that power from the battery  40  is provided to the motor  14 . The motor  14  rotates output shaft  26  and drive axles  22   a - e . Rotation of the drive axles  22   a - e  transmits power to the rear wheel  18  by way of transmission  62 . The rear wheel  18  propels the bicycle  10  and the trailer  12  forward. Since the object is being pulled on the trailer  12  by the bicycle  10 , the stability of the bicycle  10  and trailer  12  is not compromised. The trailer  12  allows the bicyclist to transport objects that might too heavy or too large to carry in a backpack or shoulder bag. Additionally, the motor  14  allows the bicyclist to traverse steep terrain or distances that are too large for the bicyclist to pedal. 
         [0042]    The trailer  12  may have two wheels  70  which provide stability to the loading platform  36  and any object that might be loaded thereon. The loading platform  36  may be configured to have sidewalls for containing the object being transported between points A and B or even be configured as a baby carrier. The axle  72  of the trailer  12  is shown in  FIG. 1  as being lower than the rear axle  74  of the rear wheel  18 . However, it is also contemplated that the axle  72  of the trailer  12  may be at or above the level of the rear axle  74  of the rear wheel  18 . The loading platform  36  may also be formed so as to provide a level surface when the trailer  12  is attached to the bicycle  10 . 
         [0043]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the trailer  12   a  may have a single wheel  88  instead of the dual wheel  70  shown in  FIGS. 1-5 . The single wheel version of the trailer  12   a  may be mounted to the rear axle  90  of the rear wheel  18  of the bicycle  10 . The rear axle  90  is also shown in  FIG. 7 . The rear axle  90  may have a through axle  94  having a head  96  with a groove  98 . The through axle  94  is inserted through the rear hub  98  so that the rear dropouts  100  of the bicycle  10  fit between the head  96  of the through axle  94  and the rear hub  98 . The overcenter lever  102  may be actuated to secure the rear axle  90  of the rear wheel  18  to the rear dropouts  100 . 
         [0044]    The trailer  12   a  is mounted to the through axle  94 , and more particularly, to the groove  98  formed on the head  96  of the through axles  94 . The drop outs  103  of the trailer  12   a  may have an upper part  104  that may be secured or fixedly attached to the forward portion  106  of the trailer  12   a . The upper part  104  has a circular recess  108  that mates with the groove  98  formed in the head  96  of the through axle  94 . The drop outs  102  may also have a lower part  110 . The lower part  110  may also have a circular recess  112  that mates with the groove  98 . The upper and lower parts  104 ,  110  may be fastened together by way of bolt  114  to rotatably secure the trailer  12   a  to the bicycle  10 . The recesses  108 ,  110  are sufficiently large to allow rotation about the rotational axis  116  defined by the rear axle  90 . The trailer  12   a  can rotate up and down about the axis  116  as shown by rotational arrow  118 . 
         [0045]    Referring specifically to  FIG. 7 , a gear  120  may be attached to the mounting bracket  122  additionally used to mount a disc of a disc break. The gear  120  may be mounted to the mounting bracket  122  by way of bolts  124 . A belt  126  or other drive transfer mechanism may be attached to the gear  120  and a sprocket  128  (see  FIG. 6 ) of the motor  14 . The belt  126  transfers power from the motor  14  to the rear wheel  18  of the bicycle  10 . The motor  14  is preferably mounted to the forward portion  106  of the trailer  12   a  so that the motor  14  rotates about the rear axle  90 . As such, the sprocket  128  of the motor  14  stays at a constant distance from the gear  120  as the bicycle  10  and trailer  12   a  traverse over uneven terrain and the trailer  12   a  pivots up and down as shown by arrows  118 ,  130 . 
         [0046]    The trailer  12   a  may also have a rear portion  132 . The single wheel  88  of the trailer  12   a  is mounted to the rear portion  132 . Moreover, the rear portion  132  is pivotally mounted to the forward portion  106  so that the rear portion  132  may pivot left and right as shown by arrow  134  about vertical pivot axis  136 . Preferably, a distance  138  between the horizontal axis  116  and the vertical axis  136  is equal to or greater than a diameter  140  of the rear wheel  18 . 
         [0047]    The trailer  12   a  may operate in a similar fashion to the trailer  12  discussed above. By way of example and not limitation, motor  14  may be powered by a controller that is mounted to the rear portion  132  of the trailer  12   a . The amount of power transmitted to the motor  14  may be controlled by the rider by way of a switch  44 . 
         [0048]    The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of attaching and detaching the trailer  12  from the bicycle  10 . Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1