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Balanced magnetic brake assembly for exercise cycling apparatus

Balanced magnetic brake assembly for exercise cycling apparatus description/claims

The present invention finds application in the field of sport and leisure accessories, and particularly relates to a balanced magnetic brake assembly for exercise cycling apparatus.

The invention further relates to an exercise cycling apparatus incorporating such assembly.

Exercise cycling apparatus are known which essentially comprise a support frame having a bolt for locking the hub of the rear wheel of a bicycle so that the latter can rotate by contact engagement with a horizontally extending roller by applying a driving torque which is variable according to the pedaling force exerted by the user.

Such roller is braked by a brake assembly suitable to generate a resistance torque opposing the applied driving torque to simulate a more or less difficult route, thereby training the muscular and cardiovascular systems of the user. The resistance torque is typically generated by various types of means: mechanical, hydraulic, electric and/or magnetic elements.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,607 discloses a brake assembly of the type with magnetic elements, which comprises a disc with a plurality of permanent magnet elements mounted to corresponding helical springs in respective guide grooves, to control radial displacement thereof upon rotation of the support disc on which they are mounted.

One drawback of this prior art solution is that the disc with the magnetic elements mounted thereon tends with time to produce vibrations of variable intensity, thereby causing malfunctioning and unbalancing of the roller which, in the worst cases, may involve the mechanical collapse of the whole structure.

The object of this invention is to overcome the above drawbacks, by providing a brake assembly for a training roller that is highly efficient and relatively cost-effective.

A particular object is to provide a brake assembly of the magnetic type that is well balanced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic brake assembly that is not subjected to vibrations even after may hours of use.

These and other objects, as better explained hereafter, are fulfilled by a brake assembly for exercise cycling apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising rotor means with at least one pair of magnetic elements adapted to be rotary driven about a longitudinal axis by a user applying a driving torque, stator means adapted to cooperate with said at least one pair of magnetic elements to generate a resistance torque adapted to counteract said driving torque and guide means associated to said rotor means to cause translation of said magnet elements along respective directions having at least one radial component to cause variation of said resistance torque proportionally to said driving torque.

According to the invention, the magnetic elements are reciprocally coupled to make displacements thereof along said guide means mutually dependent and with substantially the same length.

Thanks to this particular configuration, the brake assembly of the invention is well balanced and vibration-free unlike prior art assemblies.

As a consequence of the mutual coupling of the magnetic elements, which causes their displacements to be mutually dependent and of substantially equal length, the point of application of the moment of the resistance torque will be substantially fixed and substantially coincident with the point of application of the moment of the driving torque, thereby providing a well-balanced long-life assembly, free of vibration and part misalignment problems.

Advantageously, the magnetic elements may be reciprocally coupled by a kinematic chain, to make easier the construction of the present invention.

The term “kinematic chain” as used herein is intended to mean an assembly of mechanical elements interconnected by kinematic pairs in which each mechanical element has such a motion, relative to any other element, that its points have uniquely determined paths, thereby forming a system with only one degree of freedom.

The term “kinematic pair” as used herein is intended to indicate two mechanical parts in contact with each other, which are so interconnected to transmit motion to each other and such that one mechanical part moves relative to the other with only one degree of freedom.

Conveniently, the kinematic chain for connecting the magnetic elements may be of the closed type.

The term “closed kinematic chain” as used herein is intended to indicate a kinematic chain in which the mechanical parts at the ends are connected to each other.

Preferably, the kinematic chain may include at least one prismatic pair.

The term “prismatic pair” as used herein is intended to indicate a kinematic pair in which a mechanical part moves within another mechanical part with a rigid translational motion.

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• Utility Patent

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