Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6349956?dq=7,496,943
Timestamp: 2016-09-29 12:31:34
Document Index: 325119352

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 40', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 40']

Patent US6349956 - Bicycle - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsThis invention relates to a bicycle having a driving force transmitting mechanism with oscillating fulcrum point. A sliding part is provided with a dust cover or a brush to prevent dust and the like from being entered therein and to remove the dust, if entered, therefrom. When a rider steps on the pedals...http://www.google.com/patents/US6349956?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6349956 - BicycleAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS6349956 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/362,051Publication dateFeb 26, 2002Filing dateJul 28, 1999Priority dateAug 7, 1998Fee statusLapsedAlso published asCN1244477A, EP0978446A2, EP0978446A3, US6478322, US20010048209, US20020074766Publication number09362051, 362051, US 6349956 B2, US 6349956B2, US-B2-6349956, US6349956 B2, US6349956B2InventorsNobuhiro Fujiwara, Atsushi MamiyaOriginal AssigneeSony CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (13), Referenced by (5), Classifications (14), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetBicycle
US 6349956 B2Abstract
a frame constituting a chassis; a steering mechanism attached to the frame; a seat for seating a rider attached to the frame; a pair of moving wheels rotatably arranged at the frame on a front side and a rear side of the frame, said rear side moving wheel acting as a driving wheel; a pair of pedal levers having a phase difference of 180� with respect to each other to oscillate alternatively up and down; a pair of pedals operatively connected one each to said pair of pedal levers; a sprocket arranged near a bottom bracket point in the frame between said pair of pedals and said rear side wheel; driving force transmitting means for transmitting rotating force of the sprocket to the rear side moving wheel; a crank lever arranged between the sprocket and the pedal lever so as to transmit force of the pedal lever to the sprocket; a sliding part for acting as an oscillating fulcrum point of the pedal lever; and a dust-resistant enclosure provided with the sliding part, said dust-resistant enclosure comprising: a housing substantially enclosing said sliding part, said housing having an opening; two reclosable cover members disposed at said opening to close said opening; an interlocking interface between said two reclosable cover members, said interface remaining interlocked except where said sliding part extends therethrough; and a covering member associated with said sliding member, said covering member covering an unlocked portion of said interface where said sliding part extends therethrough, and said covering member interlocking the cover members at said interface downstream of said sliding part as said sliding part slides along said interface; wherein a sliding pin arranged at one end of said pedal lever is slid within said sliding part as said pedal lever is oscillated, and wherein the force accompanied by the oscillation of said pedal lever is transmitted to said rear wheel through said sprocket. 2. The bicycle according to claim 1 wherein said frame extending between a bottom bracket point and the rear wheel includes a plate and a dust cover for covering said sliding part.
The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. P10-224083 filed Aug. 7, 1998 which application is incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
FIG. 15 is a view showing a state that the sliding part of FIG. 14 is attached to the frame, partly in section;
A wheel shaft la of the front wheel 1 is rotatably attached to an extremity end of a fork segment 7 a formed at a lower part of a handle frame 7. The handle 5 acting as a steering device is attached to an upper part of the handle frame 7.
Respective connecting portions (connecting frames) 4 a, 4 b constituting the rear frame 4 are extended along an inclined downward direction and laterally from the two connecting portions 3 a, 3 b. The extremity ends of these connecting portions 4 a, 4 b are connected to each other to hold a wheel shaft 2 a of the rear wheel 2 in a horizontal state. A gear 28 is fixed to the wheel shaft 2 a of the rear wheel 2. The force of a sprocket 26 generated by oscillations of a pedal lever 22R is transmitted to the gear 28 through a chain 27. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a shaft 26 a of the sprocket 26 is set at a bottom bracket point (a crossing point between the frames 3 b and 4 c).
The pedal lever 22R is equipped with the pedal 23R at an extremity end thereof, and fixes a sliding pin 42R (or a sliding roller) on the other end thereof.
The sliding pin 42R (or the sliding roller) attached to said other end of the pedal lever 22R is engaged with the sliding groove 41R with a slight clearance and is slid laterally within the sliding groove 41R as a guide.
To reduce the sliding friction, both the sliding pin 42R and the sliding part 40R may be plated. The plating process such as electroless plating process to perform film containing low phosphate and low boron with good qualities concerning high hardness, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, good lubrication, shock resistance, etc., may be utilized (for example, plated articles, “Kaniboron” plated in accordance with the plating process by Japan Kanigen Corporation may be used). The sliding pin 42R may be made of engineering plastic in addition to metal.
The zipper member 48R has a pair of projections 49Ra, 40Rb connected with the sliding pin 42R as shown in FIG. 5 (Apin itself engaged within the sliding groove 41R is referred to 42R′ in FIG. 5).
At present, it is assumed that the locus Q of motion is changed like a circular motion→an ellipse motion→a linear motion in response to a ratio of each of the lengths of parts of the pedal lever 22R (AB : BC) when each of the points A, B, C and D is defined as those shown in FIG. 6. Here, A is defined as a position of the pedal 23R; B is defined as the crossing point between the crank lever 30R and the pedal lever 22R; C is defined as a position of an end of the pedal lever 22R, namely, the sliding pin 42R; and D is defined as the fixed position of the crank lever 30R and the shaft 26 a of the sprocket 26. It has been found that, in the case of AB: BC=BC: BD=2:1, the pedal 23R shows a locus Q of an approximate linearly reciprocation motion.
FIG. 10 shows a sliding part of another preferred embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment, brush members are used as a dust-resistant means. A pair of brush members 53R, 54R are used for removing from an inner wall (upper wall and lower wall) of the sliding groove 41R the dust and the like attached thereto, as shown in FIG. 10.
Although a plate-like member is used as the frame 4 b in the above embodiments, FIGS. 14 through 18 show a sliding part of further preferred embodiment wherein the invention applies to a bicycle used pipe frames as the frame 4 b. FIG. 14 shows the relationship between the rear wheel 2 and the frames 4 b (80R, 80L) . In this embodiment, each of the frames 4 b is formed so that two pipe frames 80Ra, 80Rb (80La, 80Lb) are arranged on upper and lower positions. The above sliding part 40R (40L) is arranged and fixed between the pipe frames 80Ra, 80Rb (80La, 80Lb).
The sliding part 40R (40L) is made of a pair of plate-like frames 81Ra, 81Rb arranged upwardly and downwardly, as shown in FIG. 16. The plate-like frames 81Ra, 81Rb are fixed to each other with a predetermined space therebetween by two sleeves 84Ra, 84Rb respectively positioned longitudinally. FIG. 17 shows an example of attaching state thereof. In this example, the screwed sleeve 84Ra is used for attaching the plate-like frames 81Ra, 81Rb and the nut 85R is used for tightening the screwed rod.
Since the belt 90R keeps the dust or the like from entering the sliding part 40R, the enlarged portion 42R′ of sliding pin 42R may always be slid smoothly. Since the belt 90R also keeps water such as rain from entering the sliding part 40R, this can provide a waterproof sliding part 40R.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS1427589 *Oct 4, 1921Aug 29, 1922Nelson J GreenisonBicycle propelling meansUS1505271 *Sep 24, 1923Aug 19, 1924Bartley G McnellBicycleUS1577585Sep 22, 1925Mar 23, 1926Montiglio FranckPropelling mechanism for bicyclesUS2424639Jun 5, 1945Jul 29, 1947Sobirai Joseph JBicycleUS3984129 *Jul 15, 1974Oct 5, 1976Hege Advanced Systems CorporationReciprocating pedal drive mechanism for a vehicleUS4456276Apr 8, 1982Jun 26, 1984Peter BortolinBicycle assemblyUS4577879Sep 19, 1983Mar 25, 1986Vereyken Franciscus ABicycleUS5335927 *May 10, 1993Aug 9, 1994Islas John JPedaled propulsion systemUS6000292 *Dec 26, 1996Dec 14, 1999Smc Kabushiki KaishaActuatorCA461815A *Dec 20, 1949Charles August BouvierPedal for cycle pedal cranksDE3707669A1 *Mar 10, 1987Sep 22, 1988Manfred GeithPedal-crank driveEP0978446A2 *Aug 4, 1999Feb 9, 2000Sony CorporationBicycleFR572338A * Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS6478322 *Feb 21, 2002Nov 12, 2002Sony CorporationBicycle with propelling mechanismUS20030127822 *Jan 8, 2003Jul 10, 2003Fleck Steven JamesTransportation deviceUS20070228687 *Mar 17, 2006Oct 4, 2007Rodger ParkerBicycle propulsion mechanismUS20120279328 *Oct 8, 2010Nov 8, 2012Tokio NakagawaHuman-powered device using two levers and human-powered vehicle provided with aforementioned deviceCN1332847C *Oct 19, 2004Aug 22, 2007钱贵林Up and down foot operated bicycle frame* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification280/253, 280/256International ClassificationB62M1/36, B62M1/24, B62M3/04, B62J13/00Cooperative ClassificationB62M1/30, B62M1/36, B62M3/04, B62M1/26European ClassificationB62M1/36, B62M1/30, B62M1/26, B62M3/04Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 26, 1999ASAssignmentOwner name: SONY CORPORATION, JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:FUJIWARA, NOBUHIRO;MAMIYA, ATSUSHI;REEL/FRAME:010333/0648;SIGNING DATES FROM 19990930 TO 19991013Sep 14, 2005REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedFeb 27, 2006LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesApr 25, 2006FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20060226RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services