BICYCLE TRAINER AND METHOD OF ITS OPERATION

Abstract

Method for operating a bicycle trainer, and such a bicycle trainer comprising a stand with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, or such a bicycle trainer comprising a stand for mounting a bicycle frame with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, wherein the stand incorporates an electronically variable brake acting directly or indirectly on the rotatable pedals with a braking resistance that depends on a computer-controlled predetermined setting, wherein the pre-determined setting is variable and wherein said setting depends on selected parameters to reflect a simulated surface condition of a road.

Claims

1. A bicycle trainer comprising a stand with a seat, handle-bars and rotatable pedals, or comprising a stand for mounting a bicycle frame with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, wherein the stand incorporates an electronically variable brake acting directly or indirectly on the rotatable pedals with a braking resistance that depends on a computer-controlled predetermined setting, wherein the predetermined setting is variable and depends on selected parameters to reflect a simulated surface condition of a road.

2. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined setting is time variable with variations within a predetermined frequency band.

3. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined setting is time variable with variations predominantly of a fixed frequency.

4. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined setting is time variable with variations containing a mixture of fixed frequencies.

5. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined setting is speed dependent, wherein the speed reflects a simulated forward speed of a user that drives the pedals, and wherein said setting of the braking resistance inversely correlates with said forward speed.

6. The bicycle trainer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined setting is depending on a force applied to the pedals, and wherein the braking resistance is inversely correlated to said force.

7. A method for operating a bicycle trainer comprising a stand with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, or for operating a bicycle trainer comprising a stand for mounting a bicycle frame with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, wherein the stand incorporates an electronically variable brake acting directly or indirectly on the rotatable pedals with a braking resistance that depends on a computer-controlled predetermined setting, comprising providing that the predetermined setting is variable and providing that said setting depends on selected parameters to reflect a simulated surface condition of a road.

8. The method according to claim 7, additionally comprising providing that the predetermined setting is time variable with variations within a predetermined frequency band.

9. The method according to claim 7, additionally comprising providing that the predetermined setting is time variable with variations predominantly of a fixed frequency.

10. The method according to claim 7, additionally comprising providing that the predetermined setting is time variable with variations containing a mixture of fixed frequencies.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined setting is speed dependent, and wherein the speed reflects a simulated forward speed of a user that drives the pedals, and additionally comprising providing that the setting of the braking resistance inversely correlates with the forward speed.

12. The method according to claim 7, additionally comprising providing that the predetermined setting is depending on a force applied to the pedals, and providing that the braking resistance is inversely correlated to said force.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a bicycle trainer for use according to the invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an example of a cobblestone road;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the development over time of the setting of a braking resistance for simulating a cobblestone road as shown in FIG. 2; and

[0025] FIG. 4 shows the development over time of the setting of a braking resistance for simulating a regular brick road.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Generally speaking, the bicycle trainer of the invention has the feature that the predetermined setting is variable and depends on selected parameters to reflect a simulated surface condition of a road. The proposal to make the braking resistance to depend on a simulated surface condition of a virtual road is ground-breaking and an entirely novel approach for indoor bicycle training devices. Different cycle courses can thus be simulated, to note when it concerns the simulation of a brick road it is appropriate that the predetermined setting is time variable with variations predominantly of a fixed frequency. If on the other hand the simulated road involves cobblestones it is appropriate that the predetermined setting is time variable with variations containing a mixture of fixed frequencies. The various road conditions can thus generally speaking preferably be simulated by providing that the predetermined setting is time variable with variations within a predetermined frequency band.

[0027] Also, other fields of endeavor can be simulated with the bicycle trainer of the invention. Although it is known from the prior art to provide that the predetermined setting is speed dependent, wherein the speed reflects a simulated forward speed of a user that drives the pedals, the invention now provides that the said setting of the braking resistance inversely correlates with said forward speed. This is an elegant manner to simulate cycling in a sandy or muddy terrain wherein cycling gets harder with diminishing speed.

[0028] When the aim is to simulate cycling on a snowy or icy road it is best to provide that the predetermined setting is depending on a force applied to the pedals, wherein the braking resistance is inversely correlated to said force. When too much force is applied to the pedals the braking resistance suddenly drops down to a very low level which actually happens when cycling in a snowy or icy terrain.

[0029] The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of two exemplary embodiments of the setting of a braking resistance of a bicycle trainer according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

[0030] The applicant remarks that in principle it is unnecessary to show with reference to a drawing the construction of a bicycle trainer that according to the preamble comprises a stand with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, or that comprises a stand for mounting a bicycle frame with a seat, handlebars and rotatable pedals, wherein the stand incorporates an electronically variable brake acting directly or indirectly on the rotatable pedals with a braking resistance that depends on a computer-controlled predetermined setting. These types of bicycle trainers are well known from day to day life, as well as from prior art documents such as NL-A-2001323 and NL-A-1019154. To avoid however any doubt on the sufficiency of disclosure of the instant invention reference is nevertheless made to FIG. 1 to show a bicycle trainer in accordance with NL-A-1019154, which can be arranged as discussed hereinafter with the features of the invention.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows an example of a bicycle trainer 1 of the type comprising a stand 2 which can receive a bicycle 3. The stand 2 is provided with a braking organ 4 which provides a braking resistance to a back wheel 5 of the bicycle 3. Since the bicycle's pedals 12 are connected with said back wheel 5 through a bicycle chain, the pedals 12 also experience the braking resistance as set by the braking organ 4.

[0032] The shown bicycle trainer 1 further has a computer 6 which is provided with a visual display unit 7 to show the user of the bicycle trainer 1 a simulated trajectory of a road on which the user virtually cycles. The earlier mentioned braking organ 4 thereby receives signals from the computer 6 for setting the braking resistance of the braking organ 4.

[0033] A further feature that is shown in the figure which is however not essential to the invention, is a rotational sensor 8 linked to the front wheel fork 9 of the bicycle 3. This rotational sensor 8 can be linked to the computer 6 to register steering movements with the handlebars 10 of the bicycle 1. Further the figure shows a nonessential sensor 11 which is arranged to detect each passing of a pedal 12, which can be used to measure the user's cadence during his exercise on the pedals of the bicycle.

[0034] Preferably further the braking organ 4 is built together with a sensor for measuring the rotational speed of the driven back wheel 5 of the bicycle 3, and the computer 6 is in a particular embodiment arranged to use this rotational speed of the back wheel 5 for the setting of the braking resistance as explained hereinafter.

[0035] The following discussion concentrates on the contribution that the invention provides to the prior art, which is elucidated by reference to two non-limiting examples. Both examples as reflected by FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show that the invention provides a predetermined setting of the braking resistance which is variable and made dependent on selected parameters to reflect a simulated surface condition of a road.

[0036] In FIG. 3 it is shown that amplitude and frequency of the setting of the braking resistance is used to simulate a cobblestone road, an example of which is shown in FIG. 2. For that purpose of simulating the cobblestone road of FIG. 2, the predetermined setting of the braking resistance is shown in FIG. 3 to be time variable with variations containing a mixture of several fixed frequencies.

[0037] In FIG. 4 another example is shown that relates to the predetermined setting of the braking resistance as being time variable with variations predominantly of a fixed frequency, which better reflects the conditions of a normal brick road.

[0038] Numerous other variations in the predetermined setting of the braking resistance of the bicycle trainer 1 are feasible to simulate other road conditions or road materials, to note without intent to exhaust the possible variations: a setting of the braking resistance that inversely correlates with a simulated forward speed of a user of the bicycle trainer 1, so as to simulate cycling in a sandy or muddy terrain wherein cycling gets harder with lower speeds. Another option may be to simulate cycling on a snowy or icy road by providing that the predetermined setting is depending on a force applied to the pedals 12, and wherein the braking resistance is inversely correlated to said force so as to reflect that said resistance breaks down when too much force is applied to the pedals 12.

[0039] Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment relating to the bicycle trainer of the invention, the invention is not restricted to these particular embodiments which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiments shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiments are merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to these exemplary embodiments. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using these exemplary embodiments.