STEPPING BICYCLE

VELO A ACTION PAR IMPULSION

English Abstract

A foot operated wheeled vehicle is disclosed, the vehicle having a frame, a rear wheel, a front wheel pivotally mounted to the frame and handle bars operatively coupled to the front wheel for pivoting the front wheel in the desired angle. The rear wheel has a hub mounted to the frame, the hub having a sprocket mechanically coupled to the hub, a drive sprocket rotatably mounted to the frame and mechanically coupled to the sprocket of the rear wheel by a chain. The vehicle also has a right and left pedal pivotally mounted to the right and left side of the frame, respectively, and pivotally movable between a raised and lowered position, the right and left pedal being mechanically coupled to the drive sprocket by a ratchet mechanism. The ratchet mechanism is adapted and configured to rotate the drive sprocket only when a pedal is moved from its elevated to its lowered position. The ratchet mechanism also permits the right and left pedal to be move independent of each other. Each of the pedals are biased towards their elevated position by a spring.

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un véhicule à roues manoeuvré au pied, ledit véhicule comportant un cadre, une roue arrière, une roue avant monté par pivotement au cadre et des guidons couplés à la roue avant pour faire pivoter la roue avant selon l'angle désiré. La roue arrière comporte un moyeu fixé au cadre, ledit moyen ayant un pignon mécaniquement couplé au moyeu, un pignon d'entraînement fixé par rotation au cadre et mécaniquement couplé au pignon de la roue arrière au moyen d'une chaîne. Le véhicule comprend également une pédale droite et gauche fixée respectivement à droite et à gauche du cadre et qui passe d'une position élevée à une position abaissée par pivot, la pédale droite et gauche étant mécaniquement couplée au pignon d'entraînement par un mécanisme à cliquet. Le mécanisme à cliquet est configuré pour faire tourner le pignon d'entraînement seulement lorsqu'une pédale passe de la position élevée à la position abaissée. Le mécanisme à cliquet permet également aux pédales de droite et de gauche d'être plus indépendantes l'une de l'autre. Chacune des pédales est orientée vers sa position élevée au moyen d'un ressort.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege
is claimed are
defined as follows:
1. A foot operated wheeled vehicle comprising;
(a) a frame,
(b) a front wheel pivotally mounted to the frame and having a handle bar
operatively coupled thereto for pivoting the front wheel in the desired angle,
(c) a rear wheel having a hub mounted to the frame, the hub having a sprocket
mechanically coupled to the hub,
(d) a drive sprocket rotatably mounted to the frame and mechanically coupled
to the sprocket of the rear wheel by chain,
(e) a right and left pedal pivotally mounted to the right and left side of the
frame
respectively, and pivotally movable between a raised and lowered position,
(f) the right pedal being mechanically coupled to the drive sprocket by right
ratchet mechanism, and the left pedal being mechanically coupled to the
drive sprocket by left ratchet mechanism, said right and left ratchet
mechanisms adapted and configured to rotate the drive sprocket only when
said right and left pedals are moved from their elevated to their lowered
position,
(g) the right and left ratchet mechanisms permitting the right and left pedal
to
move independent of each other, wherein said right and left ratchet
mechanisms further comprise a right and left lever arm each having a first
and second end, the first end of the right and left lever arms each being
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attached to the right and left ratchet mechanisms respectively, the second
end of said lever arms movably attached to the right and left pedals,
respectively.
2. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the right
and left
ratchet mechanisms comprise a shaft mounted to the drive sprocket and a right
and
left ratchet mechanisms are operatively coupled to the right and left pedal,
respectively, the right and left ratchet operatively coupled to the shaft to
rotate the
shaft in one direction when the right or left pedals are moved from their
elevated to
their lowered position.
3. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the pedals
are
pivotally mounted to the frame at a position between the front wheel and the
drive
sprocket.
4. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 3 wherein the pedals
are each
provided with a foot engaging surface adapted and configured to retain a users
foot,
the pedals each being operatively coupled to the right and left rachet
mechanisms
at a position between the foot engaging surfaces and the pivotal attachment to
the
frame.
5. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the pedals
are each
pivotally attached to the frame at a position between the front wheel and the
drive
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sprocket.
6. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 5 wherein each pedal is
provided with a foot engaging surface adapted and configured to retain a
user's
foot, the pedals each being movably connected to the lever arms at a position
on
the pedal between the foot engaging surfaces and the pivotal attachment to the
frame.
7. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 6 wherein the movable
connection between the lever arms and the pedal comprises a slot in the pedal
adapted and configured to retain a projection on the lever arm.
8. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein the right and
left
ratchet mechanisms comprise right and left roller ratchets, said roller
ratchets
having a substantially circular housing with substantially circular cavity, a
toothed
wheel centraly disposed in the cavity, and a plurality of rollers peripherally
arranged
around the toothed wheel and positioned between the teeth of the wheel and the
housing, the teeth configured to permit the right and left rollers to
physically engage
both the wheel and the housing only when the housing is rotated relative to
the
toothed wheel in one direction.
9. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 8 wherein the right and
left
ratchet mechanisms further comprises an arm rigidly attached to the housing,
the
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arm being mechanically coupled to the right and left pedal and the toothed
wheel
being mechanically coupled to the shaft.
10. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claims 1, 2, 3 or 9 further
comprising
a biassing means for biassing the right and left pedals towards their raised
position.
11. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein the foot
engaging
surface comprises a member pivotally attached to each pedal.
12. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a
first and
second shock absorber mounted on the right and left sides of the frame,
respectively, each shock absorber positioned to arrest the forward movement of
its
respective pedal at the pedals' downward most position.
13. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a
first and
second stop mounted on the right and left side of the frame, respectively,
each stop
positioned to arrest the upward movement of its respective pedal at the
pedals'
upward most position.
14. A foot operated wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 13, wherein the stops
are
adjustably mounted to the frame such that the upward most position of each
pedal
can be adjusted.

Description

CA 02296166 2000-01-17
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to manually powered vehicles or cycles and
more particularly to
foot powered bicycles having side-by-side pivoted steps for actuating a
sprocket.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditional bicycles use a system of pedals, sprockets and chains to drive the
rear wheel of
the bicycle. In such bicycles, the pedals are directly connected to a drive
sprocket which in turn is
coupled to a sprocket at the rear wheel by a chain. To drive the rear wheel,
the user turns the
pedals in a circular motion which in turn causes the drive sprocket to rotate.
The rear sprocket is
attached to the hub of the rear wheel via a ratchet mechanism which permits
the rear wheel to
rotate in a forward direction even if the chain is not moving.
While traditional bicycles are very popular, users have often sought a bicycle
which
permits the user to actuate the rear wheel by pedaling up and down rather than
in a circular
motion. Several attempts have been made to produce bicycles which use a
rectilinear motion of
the pedals to drive the rear wheel, but these prior art bicycles tend to be
cumbersome,
complicated, and difficult to use. Furthermore, these prior art bicycles
require the user to lift one
pedal while lowering the other, which many users find to be an unnatural
motion. There is a need
for a rectilinear bicycle which is easy to use and simple to construct.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a foot operated wheeled vehicle is
described, the vehicle
having a frame, a rear wheel, a front wheel pivotally mounted to the frame and
handle bars

CA 02296166 2000-01-17
operatively coupled to the front wheel for pivoting the front wheel in the
desired angle. The rear
wheel has a hub mounted to the frame, the hub having a sprocket mechanically
coupled to the
hub, a drive sprocket rotatably mounted to the frame and mechanically coupled
to the sprocket of
the rear wheel by a chain. The vehicle also has a right and left pedal
pivotally mounted to the
right and left side of the frame, respectively, and pivotally movable between
a raised and lowered
position, the right and left pedal being mechanically coupled to the drive
sprocket by a ratchet
mechanism. The ratchet mechanism is adapted and configured to rotate the drive
sprocket only
when a pedal is moved from its elevated to its lowered position. The ratchet
mechanism also
permits the right and left pedal to be move independent of each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1. is a side view of the right side of the invention,
FIGURE 2. is a top view of the invention,
FIGURE 3. is a side view of the right side of the invention showing the right
pedal in its elevated
position,
FIGURE 4. is a side view of the right side of the invention showing the right
pedal in its lowered
position,
FIGURE 5. is a cross-sectional view of the invention taken along line A-A of
figure 1, and
FIGURE 6. is a cross-sectional view of the invention taken along line B-B of
figure 5.
FIGURE 7. is a side view of the right side of the invention showing the right
foot rest in a pivoted
position.
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CA 02296166 2000-01-17
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring firstly to figures 1 and 2, a bicycle made in accordance with the
invention is
shown generally as item 10. Bicycle 10 has handle bars 11 mounted to frame 12,
front wheel 14,
rear wheel 16, drive sprocket 18 and right and left pedals 20 and 19 (see
figure 2) respectively.
Pedals 20 and 19 are pivotally attached to frame 12 at pivot points 24 and 23
respectively. Pedals
20 and 19 are provided with foot rests 22 and 21 respectively, which are
adapted to comfortably
retain a users feet without slippage. Drive sprocket 18 is mounted to frame
member 44 by
support bracket housing 48 (see figure 5). Drive sprocket 18 is mechanically
coupled to rear
wheel 16 via chain 36 and rear sprocket 38.
Referring now to figures 1, 3 and 4, the right half of the invention shall now
be discussed.
It will be appreciated that each of the features discussed in this paragraph
have their equivalent
counterpart on the left side of the invention. Pedal 20 is provided with
member 26 which is
positioned between foot rest 22 and pivot point 24. Member 26 mechanically
couples pedal 20 to
drive sprocket 18 via crank arm 30. One end of crank arm 30 is rigidly
attached to ratchet
member 32 which in turn is mechanically coupled to sprocket 18. The opposite
end of crank arm
30 is securely attached to guide member 28. Guide member 28 is configured to
be retained in
opening 50 of member 26. Opening 50 is sufficiently large to permit guide
member 28 to move
back and forth within member 26. When a user presses down on foot rest 22, the
foot rest moves
downward, from the elevated position shown in figure 3 to the lowered position
shown in figure
4. The downward movement of pedal 20 is arrested at its lowermost position by
shock absorber
41. Shock absorber 41 may comprise a bushing made of rubber or some similar
material, and it
helps to soften the impact of pedal 20 on the frame. The downward movement of
foot rest 22
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CA 02296166 2000-01-17
forces member 26 downward which in turn causes guide member 28 to move
downward. As
guide member 28 is forced downward, ratchet member 32 is rotated in a
clockwise direction.
When pressure is removed from pedal 20, the pedal is moved back into an
elevated position by
biasing spring 40. Preferably, biasing spring 40 is mounted to frame 12 so as
to bias against pedal
20 at point 42 between member 26 and pivot point 24. The upward movement of
pedal 20 is
arrested at its highest position by stop 33. Stop 33 is adjustable, so the
maximum upward travel
of pedal 20 can be adjusted for different riders. Foot rest 22 is pivotally
connected to pedal 20 at
point 51 so that the foot rest may be pivotally moved up and down as shown in
figure 7. The
pivotal movement of foot rest 22 permits a rider to adjust their balance while
riding the bike,
thereby making the bike easier to ride. The pivotal movement of foot rest 22
is limited by stops
35 and 37.
Referring now to figure 5, drive sprocket 18 is rigidly mounted to shaft 54
via plate 53
which is physically bolted to the drive sprocket by bolts 55. Shaft 54 is
mounted within housing
48 which in turn is bolted to frame member 44 by bolts 491ocated in flange
portion 46 of the
frame member. To permit shaft 54 to rotate freely within housing bracket 48,
the housing bracket
is provided with bearings 52 which support the shaft in the housing bracket.
As Crank arms 29
and 30 provide a mechanical advantage between guide members 27 and 28 and
ratchet members
31 and 32 respectively. As members 25 and 26 of pedals 19 and 20,
respectively, are forced
downward, ratchet members 31 and 32 are forced to rotate in a clockwise
direction as viewed
from the right. Ratchet members 31 and 32 are mechanically coupled to shaft 54
in a ratchet
fashion so that as the ratchet members rotate in a clockwise rotation, they
make mechanical
contact with the shaft and cause the shaft to rotate in a clockwise rotation
as viewed from the
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CA 02296166 2000-01-17
right. When members 25 and 26 are raised, they in turn cause guide members 27
and 28 to move
upward which in turn cause ratchet members 31 and 32, respectively, to rotate
counter-clockwise
as viewed from the right.
Since shaft 54 is mechanically connected to drive sprocket 18, the rotating of
the shaft in a
clockwise direction causes a corresponding rotation of the drive sprocket. As
ratchet members 31
and 32 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, the mechanical connection with
shaft 54 is
disengaged thereby allowing the shaft to continue to rotate in a clockwise
direction. Therefore,
drive sprocket 18 is rotated in a clockwise direction by simply pressing down
on either or both of
members 25 and 26. Since ratchet members 31 and 32 are not mechanically linked
to each other,
the operator may force drive sprocket 18 to rotate by pumping his or her legs
independently of
each other in a comfortable jogging motion.
As mentioned above, ratchet members 31 and 32 are mechanically coupled to
shaft 54 in a
ratchet fashion. Several suitable ratchet mechanism are known in the art;
however, a roller ratchet
mechanism is the particularly useful since it is compact. The roller ratchet
mechanism used in this
particular embodiment of the invention is shown in figure 6 and comprises a
ratchet wheel 60
rigidly mounted to shaft 54. Ratchet whee160 is dimensioned to fit snugly
within ratchet member
32. Rollers 62 are positioned on the edge of ratchet wheel 60 and mechanically
couple the ratchet
wheel to ratchet member 32 when the ratchet member is rotated in a clock-wise
direction by the
lowering of crank arm 30.
A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however,
several
variations of the disclosed steps could be envisioned as within the scope of
this invention. It is to
be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments
described above, but
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CA 02296166 2000-01-17
encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
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Representative Drawing