Patent ID: 8257220

Claim:
A pedal driven vehicle including: a human input device ( 11 ) for converting movements by a human into a forward or reverse direction rotational movement; a load wheel set ( 15 ); and a reversible transmission mechanism ( 13 ) including a clutch device ( 70 ), said transmission mechanism having a bidirectional input connected to the human input device and a one-way output connected to the wheel set such that the transmission mechanism produces a same constant rotary direction output to the wheel set while allowing a rider to selectively pedal in different directions; and wherein when a wheel of said wheel set is subject to an external force that acts in a direction opposite the direction of the one-way output, the clutch device is released to prevent locking of the transmission mechanism, wherein when the bidirectional input is in a first rotary direction, power to the output is transmitted by a first one-way transmission set that rotates in said first rotary direction, and when the bidirectional input is in a second rotary direction, power to the output is transmitted by a second one-way transmission set that converts said rotation in said second direction into an output rotation in said first direction, and wherein said clutch devices disengages said first and second one-way transmission sets from said one-way output.