Drive systems for bicycles
AssigneeFloyd Fitzgibbons
InventorFloyd Fitzgibbons
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bicycle includes a frame having a seat tube, a rear wheel including a drive plate, and a drive system configured to drive rotation of the rear wheel. The drive system includes at least one shaft operably extending in a direction between the seat tube and the rear wheel and arranged to interact with the drive plate. A pair of drive assemblies are located near or at least in part inside the seat tube and are arranged to operably interact with the drive shaft. The at least one drive shaft converts linear motion of the drive assemblies into rotation of the rear wheel without a chain or chainring.
Claims16
A bicycle comprising:
- a frame having a seat tube;
- a rear wheel including a drive plate;
- and
- a drive system configured to drive rotation of the rear wheel, the drive system comprising:
- at least one drive shaft extending in a direction between the seat tube and the rear wheel and arranged to interact with the drive plate;
- and
- a pair of drive assemblies located at least in part within the seat tube and arranged to operably interact with the at least one drive shaft, wherein each drive assembly includes a rack drive member configured to interact with a drive gear on the at least one drive shaft, wherein the drive assemblies are operably connected to piston members within the seat tube such that up and down motion of the drive assemblies drives the piston members to compress and move air within the frame for powering or braking the rear wheel.
A bicycle comprising:
- a frame having a seat tube;
- a rear wheel attachable to the frame and including a drive plate;
- and
- a drive system configured to drive rotation of the rear wheel, the drive system comprising:
- at least one drive shaft extending in a direction between the seat tube and the rear wheel and arranged to interact with the drive plate, wherein the at least one drive shaft includes a plurality of pegs arranged to interact with a plurality of holes formed in a drive plate to selectively drive rotation of the rear wheel;
- and
- a pair of drive assemblies located near or at least in part within the seat tube and arranged to operably interact with the at least one drive shaft, wherein the at least one drive shaft converts linear motion of the drive assemblies into rotation of the rear wheel without a chain or chainring.
A drive system for driving rotation of a rear wheel of a bicycle having a seat tube, the drive system comprising:
- at least one drive shaft operably connected to the rear wheel and arranged to interact with a drive plate of the rear wheel, wherein the at least one drive shaft comprises a seat stay having a variable length configured to absorb shock and provide suspension to the rear wheel;
- and
- a pair of drive assemblies near or at least in part within the seat tube and arranged to operably interact with the at least one drive shaft, wherein the at least one drive shaft converts linear motion of the drive assemblies into rotation of the rear wheel without a chain or chainring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.