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AssigneeSte Look
InventorJean-Pierre Mercat
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The driving wheel of a bicycle or moped is fitted with radial spokes for ready detection of angular divergence between hub and rim under the action of torque. The angular position of the hub is detected by means of a perforated disk having openings which pass in front of a photoelectric sensor. A hoop attached to the rim is provided with rectangular notches which also pass in front of a photoelectric sensor. The signals produced by the sensors are sent to an electronic unit for computing the torque from the time interval by which the hoop lags with respect to the disk. In addition, detection of the passage of disk openings serves to calculate the speed which is displayed together with the power obtained by electronic multiplication of the torque by the speed.
A method for measuring the torque transmitted by the driving wheel of a cycle or a mechanical quantity which is a function of said torque, which consists in measuring the angular difference between a driving portion and a driven portion of one of the rotating elements which perform a contributory role in the propulsion of the cycle, wherein the angular difference existing between a central region of the driving wheel and a peripheral region of said wheel is measured by detecting the passage of two separate and distinct series of reference points carried respectively by the central region of the driving wheel and a peripheral region of said wheel and the torque or quantity related thereto is determined by utilizing a predetermined rule of correspondence between the detected difference and the torque.
A device for measuring the torque transmitted by the driving wheel of a cycle or a mechanical quantity which is a function of said torque, wherein said device includes first detecting means for detecting the angular position of a central region of the driving wheel about its axis, second detecting means for detecting the angular position of a peripheral region of the driving wheel about its axis, a phase shifter and integrator connected to the first and second detecting means for delivering a signal which is representative of the angular difference between the central region and the peripheral region about the axis of the driving wheel, and computing means for determining the transmitted torque or the quantity related thereto by utilization of the rule of correspondence between the angular difference and the transmitted torque.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.