Flywheel Device of Bicycle
Disclosed is a flywheel device of a bicycle, including a flywheel means, a clutching means and a speed transforming means. The flywheel means is installed in rotation with the frame that is placed between the driving wheel and the driven wheel. The clutching means is engaged or disengaged between the flywheel means and the driving wheel according to an engaging state and a disengaging state thereof, wherein, a rotational energy is transferable between the flywheel means and the driving wheel during in the engaging state. The speed transforming means is connected between the flywheel means and the driving wheel by means of the clutching means to adjust a transmission ratio in relation to the driving wheel and the flywheel means.
The present invention relates to an assist device of a bicycle, and more particularly to a flywheel device of a bicycle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA bicycle is widely popular to people all around the world. The movement of the bicycle is driven depending on a pedaling force or a resistance force applied by a rider.
A rider can save an applying pedaling force either by an inertia generated from the bicycle and the rider itself in a movement or by a slope degree of a road. However, once the bicycle is slowed down or is stopped while it is in an uphill, in a situation against the wind, or in an emergency, the rider will have to take much effort to pedal the bicycle again to gain the original speed.
Further, when a bicycle is slowed down or is to stop, the bicycle will be unsteady to loss of balance to cause the rider falling down or being hurt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn view of above, the bicycle of a prior art has a defects that a rider needs to take a great effort to pedal the bicycle to start or to speed up, and tends to loss the balance while the bicycle is slowed down or is to be stopped.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flywheel device of a bicycle that provides the assist for speeding up and slowing down, and maintains the balancing of the bicycle.
The present invention provides a flywheel device of a bicycle, the bicycle having a frame, a driving wheel and a driven wheel, the flywheel device comprises: a flywheel means installed on the frame that is placed between the driving wheel and the driven wheel, a rotation axis of the flywheel means being substantially parallel to a rotating axis of the driving wheel; a clutching means, engaged or disengaged between the flywheel means and the driving wheel according to an engaging state and a disengaging state thereof, wherein, a rotational energy is transferable between the flywheel means and the driving wheel during in the engaging state; and a speed transforming means connected between the flywheel means and the driving wheel by means of the clutching means to adjust a transmission ratio in relation to the driving wheel and the flywheel means.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving wheel is a rear wheel of the bicycle.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flywheel means is positioned between a down tube and a seat tube of the frame.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flywheel means has a flywheel edge partly extending beyond a top tube of the frame.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flywheel means is rotated in connection with the driving wheel via a transmission member.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the clutching means is provided with a handling member for shifting the clutching means in the engaging state or the disengaging state.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the speed transforming means includes an input transforming assembly and an output transforming assembly, the input transforming assembly is provided to adjust an input transmission ratio of the driving wheel to the flywheel means, and the output transforming assembly is provided to adjust an output transmission ratio of the flywheel means to the driving wheel.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the input transmission ratio of the driving wheel to the flywheel means is adjusted as an acceleration transmission ratio by the input transforming assembly.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the output transmission ratio of the flywheel means to the driving wheel is adjusted as an acceleration transmission ratio by the output transforming assembly.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flywheel device further comprises a ratchet means, assembled between the flywheel means and the driving wheel via the speed transforming means.
By means of technical means of the present invention, the flywheel device according to the present invention can selectively store and release a rotational kinetic energy in a way that the bicycle is starting, speeding up, slowing down and stopping easier to save rider's effort on riding. Further, the flywheel device according to the present invention stores the rotational kinetic energy by means of rotating manner, so an angular momentum of the rotation can be helpful for balancing the bicycle.
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.
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The above description should be considered as only the discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, a person having an ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications to the present invention. Those modifications still fall within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims
Claims
1. A flywheel device of a bicycle, the bicycle having a frame, a driving wheel and a driven wheel, the flywheel device comprising:
- a flywheel means installed on the frame that is placed between the driving wheel and the driven wheel, a rotation axis of the flywheel means being substantially parallel to a rotating axis of the driving wheel;
- a clutching means, engaged or disengaged between the flywheel means and the driving wheel according to an engaging state and a disengaging state thereof, wherein, a rotational energy is transferable between the flywheel means and the driving wheel during in the engaging state; and
- a speed transforming means connected between the flywheel means and the driving wheel by means of the clutching means to adjust a transmission ratio in relation to the driving wheel and the flywheel means.
2. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving wheel is a rear wheel of the bicycle.
3. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flywheel means is positioned between a down tube and a seat tube of the frame.
4. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flywheel means has a flywheel edge partly extending beyond a top tube of the frame.
5. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flywheel means is rotated in connection with the driving wheel via a transmission member.
6. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clutching means is provided with a handling member for shifting the clutching means in the engaging state or the disengaging state.
7. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed transforming means includes an input transforming assembly and an output transforming assembly, the input transforming assembly is provided to adjust an input transmission ratio of the driving wheel to the flywheel means, and the output transforming assembly is provided to adjust an output transmission ratio of the flywheel means to the driving wheel.
8. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input transmission ratio of the driving wheel to the flywheel means is adjusted as an acceleration transmission ratio by the input transforming assembly.
9. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the output transmission ratio of the flywheel means to the driving wheel is adjusted as an acceleration transmission ratio by the output transforming assembly.
10. A flywheel device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a ratchet means assembled between the flywheel means and the driving wheel via the speed transforming means.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 25, 2013
Publication Date: Feb 19, 2015
Inventors: Yun-Yin Cheng (New Taipei City), Yi-Jia Wu (Yilan County)
Application Number: 14/088,515
International Classification: A63B 21/015 (20060101);