Leisure equipment with wheeled vehicle

Abstract

Leisure equipment is disclosed which permits an experience of fully controlled loop-the-loop rotary motion with a wheeled vehicle. The leisure equipment comprises a frame structure with a trough-shaped wheel track, an axis of rotation and at least one rotating arm with one wheeled vehicle each. The trough-shaped wheel track is curved so as to form a closed contour. The axis of rotation is contained within this contour. At least one rotating arm is rotatably supported on this axis of rotation. At the rotating arm a wheeled vehicle is fastened which is adapted to be guided in the wheel track. The wheeled vehicle is pressed into the wheel track by a pressing device acting on the rotating arm. In this way a contact of wheel track and wheeled vehicle exists in every point of the wheel track. With the wheeled vehicle of the leisure equipment, a rider can perform loop-the-loop rotary motions or revolutions during which he retains full command of the motion at all times.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns leisure equipment according to the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Wheeled vehicles are known in the prior art in most diverse embodiments. They have in common that they permit almost exclusively rides on a horizontal or inclined ground. However, from WO 96/15019 and from EP 0 856 460 A1, two embodiments of wheeled vehicles or bicycles are known which permit a ride in a vertical direction. Their propulsion may occur by purely muscular activity or also with an engine. A rotary motion is not possible with these embodiments.

[0003] From the prior art a variety of embodiments of pendulums are also known. Probably the most well-known ones are a children's swing and a boat swing commonly erected in fairgrounds. In this case rotations of the pendulum are possible. Prior to overturning, pendular movements usually are required. These pendular movements are characterized, on one hand by a continuous alternation between the kinetic and potential energy of the pendular system, and on the other hand by the change in direction of the movement. A change in direction occurs at the point where all of the mechanical energy is concentrated in the form of potential energy, and thus no kinetic energy is left. Through an appropriate displacement of the center of gravity during the individual phases of the oscillation, both the amplitude of the oscillation and the mechanical energy of the pendulum can be raised. A complete revolution but no change in direction will occur when the mechanical energy is higher than the largest attainable potential energy (at the highest point of the trajectory of rotation). The motion has changed from an oscillation to a rotation.

[0004] It is the task of the present invention to specify leisure equipment for rotary motions with a wheeled vehicle where the wheeled vehicle can be closely held against the wheel track, which causes the rotary motion to become more uniform and the rider is enabled to execute self-controlled rotary motions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] This task is accomplished according to the invention by leisure equipment according to claim 1. The contact force presses the wheeled vehicle against the wheel track so as to secure sufficient contact of the wheeled vehicle in the wheel track. In this way a driving force can be generated at all times which results in a reliable forward motion of the wheeled vehicle. In this way the user has full command of the rotary motion at all times.

[0006] The preferred pressing device is a pneumatic spring, which produces the required contact force in the simplest and most elegant way. However, any other technical spring can also be used as an alternative.

[0007] The preferred contour of the wheel track is a circle having the axis of rotation in its center. For a displaced axis of rotation or for another contour the distance between the axis of rotation and the wheel track is not the same everywhere. The spring excursion of the pressing device must then be at least as large as the difference between the minimum and maximum distance between the axis of rotation and the wheel track. A constant contact pressure is no longer guaranteed when the spring excursion is smaller, since the contact between the wheeled vehicle and the wheel track will be partly interrupted.

[0008] It is preferred that the wheeled vehicle be detachably fastened at the rotating arm. The wheeled vehicle can then easily be exchanged with another one. As an alternative, the wheeled vehicle can be solidly attached to the rotating arm, but then an exchange of the wheeled vehicle is difficult or entirely impossible without demounting the rotating arm.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one weight can be attached to the end of the rotating arm opposite to the wheeled vehicle. The rotating arm can be brought into a state of equilibrium with this additional weight. The condition for the equilibrium state follows from the law of lever action. The product of weight and distance of the weight from the axis of rotation must be the same at both ends of the rotating arm in order to attain this equilibrium state. With the rotating arm in an equilibrium state, the rider is only required to expend muscular activity for the rotary motion. He need not expend work against the force of his own weight due to gravitation. The exact position of the weight on the rotating arm can be adjusted so as to account individually for the rider's weight. The degree of difficulty can also be adjusted by varying the position and size of the weight.

[0010] It is preferred to use a bicycle as the wheeled vehicle. The muscular activity that is needed is readily produced by the rider on a bicycle with pedal drive, and many people master a bicycle.

[0011] In the pedal drive preferably applied in this invention, free wheel both forward and backward is envisaged when the pedal drive is at rest. In this point the pedal drive deviates from traditional pedal drives for bicycles. Ordinarily a free wheel is envisaged in two situations for bicycles. In the prior art, free wheel occurs, firstly when back-pedaling, and secondly when not pedaling while the bicycle is moving in the forward direction. However, in backward motion the pedals also turn backward. In the pedal drive preferred in this invention, a force-locking transmission of the rider's muscular activity to a motion is only envisaged in forward motion and forward actuation of the pedal drive. Thus, when rolling backward there is no impairment for the rider by the pedal drive.

[0012] It is further preferred that the bicycle has a saddle adjustable in its height. In this way the bicycle can be adjusted individually to the rider or body size of the rider. Also, the bicycle pedals are detachably mounted on the crank mechanism of the pedal drive in order to give the rider a choice of pedal makes, for instance with straps or of the plug-in type.

[0013] It is preferred in this embodiment of the invention to provide an emergency brake or emergency brake system. This emergency brake is actuated from outside in this case. The brake system is located on the axis of rotation and exerts its braking action on the rotating arm. It is preferred in this embodiment to employ a drum brake. A preferred alternative in this invention is a disk brake.

[0014] Appropriate harness which can be secured at the rotating arm is provided in a preferred embodiment. The harness serves to secure the rider against dropping out and down during the ride. The harness system can be adjusted individually to the particular rider.

[0015] It is preferred that the leisure equipment contains a data acquisition device. Measurable data are those concerning the revolutions per minute, the velocity, the acceleration (G forces), the performance and the pulse of the rider. The data can be acquired individually or in combination. Objectively measurable values can be communicated to the user. The objectively measured data can also be used as a basis for a sports competition organized with leisure equipment of this invention.

[0016] Additionally, a lining of the wheel track is preferred in this embodiment. In this way the rolling friction resistance of the wheels in the wheel track can be raised and a slipping of the wheels in the wheel track can be additionally impeded. The rolling friction resistance becomes even larger when the lining in addition has a structure.

[0017] Preferably, it is possible to partly disassemble and collapse the complete leisure equipment for transport and for storage between different uses.

[0018] The preferred mode of erection of the leisure equipment is on a motor vehicle trailer. The leisure equipment is then detachably mounted on the trailer. Thus, the leisure equipment can be taken from the trailer so that the latter is free for other uses or can be inspected in a motor vehicle examination.

[0019] Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention become apparent from the drawing and subsequent detailed description of an embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral view of the leisure equipment according to the invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the rotating arm according to the invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic lateral view of the rotating arm with a bicycle fastened to it, according to the invention.

[0023] FIG. 4a is a schematic lateral view of a part of the frame structure.

[0024] FIG. 4b is a schematic front view of the part of FIG. 4a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral view of leisure equipment according to the invention. In the preferred embodiment the leisure equipment is detachably mounted on a motor vehicle trailer 190. As a basic structure, the leisure equipment has a tubular steel frame consisting of main struts 130, vertical frame struts 140 and horizontal tame struts 150. The main struts 130 are fastened to the loading area of the motor vehicle trailer 190. The overall dimensions of the tubular steel structure of the main struts 130 occupy almost all of the loading area, and the main struts 130 support the entire leisure equipment. At the front and rear part of the main struts 130, vertical frame struts 140 are fastened so as to rise perpendicularly upward, while at their upper end the horizontal frame struts 150 are fastened. Seen from the side, the main struts 130, the vertical frame struts 140 and the horizontal frame struts 150 yield the contours of a rectangle. A telescopic tower consisting of a lower telescopic tower 410 and an upper telescopic tower 420 and explained in more detail in FIGS. 4a/4b is centrally mounted on the main struts 130. The horizontal frame struts 150 are also connected with the upper zone of the lower telescopic tower 410. One wheel track each is located on either side of the telescopic tower. The lower wheel track 110 is sitting as a semicircle opening upward on the main struts 130. The two free ends of the semicircle of the lower wheel track 110 are fixed to the frame structure consisting of vertical and horizontal frame struts 140 and 150. The telescopic tower is maximally extended in FIG. 1, and the upper wheel track 120 is displaceably fastened at the upper zone of the upper telescopic tower 420. The upper wheel track 120 forms a semicircle opening downward. The free ends of the upper wheel track 120 and the free ends of the lower wheel track 110 are connected with each other in such a way that together they form a full circle. The two half wheel tracks 110 and 120 each consist of two steel tubes curved in like manner, and between these two steel tubes there is a wheel track made of aluminum the edges of which are welded to the steel tubes. For better static and rolling friction, the intermediate aluminum part is laminated with grip tape known from the coating of skateboard surfaces. At the upper wheel track 120, diagonal struts 180 are fastened in the center of both the front and rear quarter circle; their other ends are fastened to the upper part of the lower telescopic tower 410. The diagonal struts 180 serve to raise the lateral stability of the upper wheel track 120. From the upper zone of the lower telescopic tower 410, safety struts 170 go beyond the dimensions of the motor vehicle trailer to all four corners of the basal surface on the ground. The four safety struts 170 support the entire leisure equipment from all four directions and carry the entire weight of the leisure equipment, so that the axles of the motor vehicle trailer 190 are not loaded when the leisure equipment is used. Support struts 160 are mounted for greater stability between the safety struts 170 and the main struts 130. Two pivotal hubs 460 are located in the upper zone of the lower telescopic lower 410 on the sides facing the wheel tracks. The pivotal hubs 460 are at the same time in the centers of the circles formed by the corresponding wheel tracks 110 and 120. The pivotal hubs 460 are commercial hubs for motor vehicle trailers. The rotating arms 200 are suspended rotatably at these hubs in the axis of rotation 210. The bicycles 300 which are pressed against the track wheels 110 and 120 by integrated sprig elements 320 and 330 are mounted on the rotating arms.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the rotating arm. The rotating arm 200 consists of a tubular steel structure. Several tie struts 260 go from the suspension in the axis of rotation 210 to the main frame 250. The mid-vertical of the main frame 250 is located centrally above the bicycle and the user. In the upper zone of the main frame 250 a number of connecting sockets 270 for the attachment of commercial weighted disks (dumbbells, not shown) are located. The weighted disks serve as counterweights. The lower end of the rotating arm 200 is formed by the two bow frames 220a and 220b. The bow frames 220 form a contour opening downward (see FIG. 3). The front ends of the bow frames 220 terminate at the forward points of attachment 240 where the handlebar of the bicycle 300 is fastened. The two bow frames, the left one 220a and the right one 220b, merge in the rearward zone of the bow frames 220 and form the rearward point of attachment 230 which is connected with the bicycle 300 in the reward zone of the bicycle frame. The space delimited above by the bow frames 220a, b and below by the bicycle 300 leaves sufficient room and clearance zone for the user (FIG. 3).

[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic lateral view of the rotating arm with a bicycle attached to it. Essentially, the same features can be seen here as in FIG. 2. The bicycle 300 is shown in addition in FIG. 3. In the zone of the handlebar, the bicycle 300 is tied to the rotating arm 200 in the points of attachment 240a, 240b. The rearward zone of the frame of bicycle 300 is tied to the rotating arm 200 at the point of attachment 230. Pneumatic spring elements integrated into the bicycle are used as pressing devices. A pneumatic spring double-bridge fork 320 is one spring element, a rear-shock suspension 330 is a further spring element in the rear part of the bicycle 300. The drive is a crank drive (310) operated via pedals. A modified three-speed hub derailleur is used in order to realize free wheel during backward movement. Ordinarily the gear shift has three forward speeds and one free wheel. In a modified version just one speed and the free wheel are left. At the wheels, magnets are mounted, their magnetic fields are recorded by Hall effect sensors at the frame of bicycle 300. This procedure allows the direction of movement to be recognized. During backward motion the Hall effect sensors switch the gear shift into free wheel via a servo device, During forward movement the single forward speed is reconnected.

[0028] FIGS. 4a and 4b show the telescopic tower: FIG. 4a in a lateral view and FIG. 4b in a front view. For perspicuity, the two figures will be described together. The telescopic tower consists of two halves, the lower telescopic tower 410 and the upper telescopic tower 420. The upper telescopic tower 420 can be lowered into the lower telescopic tower 410 and extended from it. The two parts of the tower represent a cuboid tubular steel structure having diagonal struts in each of the four sides of the cuboids for greater stability and carrying capacity. At the lower end of the upper telescopic tower 420, two guide pulleys 450 for a wire rope 440 are located. The wire rope 440 is solidly fastened with one end at the upper end of the lower telescopic tower 410. From there the wire rope 440 descends approximately perpendicularly to the first diverter pulley 450 at the upper telescopic tower 420, and from there, diverted at a right angle, to the second diverter pulley 450, also fixed at the upper telescopic tower 420. The wire rope 440 is once more diverted at a right angle and now rises approximately perpendicularly to the diverter pulley 452 fixed at the lower telescopic tower 410. At the diverter pulley 452, the wire rope 440 is diverted by about 180° and now descends approximately perpendicularly to the winch 430 in which the wire rope 440 can be wound up. This constitutes a simple pulley-block hoist where the two diverter pulleys 450 are the “free” pulley and the diverter pulley 452 is the “standing” pulley of the pulley-block hoist. The upper telescopic tower constitutes the load to be lifted by this pulley-block hoist. By turning the crank of winch 430, the upper telescopic tower 420 can be lifted from the lower tower and lowered back into it. It is envisaged that the winch can be locked so that the tower will also remain stable when extended or lifted.

[0029] Suspensions 460 are located to both sides at the upper end of the lower telescopic tower 410 for one rotating arm 200 each. A commercial hub of a motor vehicle trailer is used as the suspension 460. A drum brake (not shown) is integrated into the hubs in order to be able to decelerate the rotating arm 200 from outside.

[0030] The lower telescopic tower 410 is solidly attached to the main struts 130 which in turn are detachably fastened on the motor vehicle trailer 190. The upper telescopic tower 420 moves freely within the lower telescopic tower 410. It is supported via diverter pulleys 450 on the wire rope 440 and is guided through the opening in the upper side of the lower telescopic tower 410 so that the upper telescopic tower 420 cannot buckle laterally. A cross-bar 470 is solidly connected with the upper telescopic tower on its upper side. The upper half of the wheel track 120 (not shown) is movably attached via a trolley (also not shown) to this cross-bar.

[0031] For the leisure equipment to become usable, it must first be erected from its compact transport condition. At first the telescopic tower must be extended, to this end the winch 430 is operated until the upper telescopic tower 420 is maximally lifted from the lower telescopic tower 410. Then the two upper wheel track halves 120 are pushed out along the cross-bar 470 by trolleys until they are positioned exactly above the lower wheel track halves 110. The wheel track halves 110, 120 are detachably fixed at each other. The free ends of diagonal struts 180 having their other ends solidly connected with the upper track wheels 120 are also detachably fixed to the horizontal struts 150. The safety struts 170 are extended and arrested in such a way that the weight of the leisure equipment is supported via the safety struts on the ground. The axle of the motor vehicle trailer 190 is loaded during operation in order to prevent the trailer 190 from slipping away. Next, the rotating arms 200 are connected with the suspensions. The bicycle with the relieved spring elements 320, 330 is now mounted on the rotating arm 200. Once the bicycle 300 mounted, the spring elements 320, 330 are inflated. In this way the bicycle 300 is pressed into the wheel track 110, 120. Counterweights (not shown) are slipped onto the sockets 260 and secured. The saddle 340 of the bicycle 300 is adjusted individually to the user, who mounts the bicycle 300 at the lowest position. Finally a harness (not shown) can be fitted to the user before he is able to use the leisure equipment according to the invention. During operation of the leisure equipment the rotating arm 200 can be decelerated by operators outside the leisure equipment via a drum brake (not shown) in the pivotal hub 460 when required for safety reasons.

Claims

1. Leisure equipment having a frame structure, comprising:

a trough-shaped wheel track (110, 120) curved so as to form a closed contour,

an axis of rotation (210) supported within the contour of the wheel track,

at least one rotating arm (200) supported rotatably on the axis of rotation (210), and

at least one wheeled vehicle (300) fastened at one end of the rotating arm (200) and adapted to be guided in the wheel track,

wherein a pressing device (320, 330) acting on the wheeled vehicle (300) is provided which presses the wheeled vehicle (300) into the wheel track (110, 120).

2. Leisure equipment according to

claim 1 where the pressing device has a pneumatic spring (320, 330).

3. Leisure equipment according to

claim 1 where the pressing device has a helical spring.

4. Leisure equipment according to

claim 1 where the pressing device has a leaf spring.

5. Leisure equipment according to one of the preceding claims where the contour of the wheel track (110, 120) is circular and the axis of rotation (210) is situated in the center of the circle.

6. Leisure equipment according to one of the preceding claims where the wheeled vehicle (300) is detachably connected with the rotating arm (200).

7. Leisure equpiment according to one of the preceding claims where the wheeled vehicle (300) is solidly connected with the rotating arm (200).

8. Leisure equipment according to one of the preceding claims where at the free end of the rotating arm (200) opposite to the wheeled vehicle (300) at least one weight can be fastened (at 270), and the position of the weight along the rotating arm (200) is adjustable.

9. Leisure equipment according to one of the preceding claims where the wheeled vehicle (300) has a bicycle.

10. Leisure equipment according to

claim 9 where a free wheel is provided both forward and backward when the pedals are not treaded.

11. Leisure equipment according to

claim 9 where the bicycle has a saddle (340) adjustable in its height.

12. Leisure equipment according to one of the preceding claims where the rotating arm (200) can be decelerated by a braking system operable from outside.

13. Leisure equipment according to

claim 12 where a disk break is used as the braking system in the axis of rotation (210).

14. Leisure equipment according to

claim 12 where a drum brake is used as the braking system in the axis of rotation (210).

15. Leisure equipment according to one of the preceding claims where appropriate harness to secure the rider is attached to the rotating arm (200).