Electrical drive assembly for an exercise machine

Abstract

An drive assembly for an exercise bike consists of an electrical motor ( 10 ), a driven wheel ( 20 ), a unidirectional clutch ( 30 ), a flywheel ( 40 ), a shaft ( 47 ) and a crank wheel ( 50 ). The shaft ( 47 ) penetrates the driven wheel ( 20 ), the unidirectional clutch ( 30 ) and the flywheel ( 40 ). The driven wheel ( 20 ) is driven by the electrical motor ( 10 ) and then passes on the rotating momentum via the clutch ( 30 ), the flywheel ( 40 ), the belt wheel and the crank wheel ( 50 ) in sequence when the electrical motor ( 10 ) is switched on. The exercise bike can rotate in an automatic way to make the ordinary exercise bike into a physical therapy training bike.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electrical drive assembly adapted for use on an exercise machine, and the drive assembly comprising: 
 an electrical motor assembly ( 10 ) having a toothed pinion ( 12 ) mounted on the electrical motor ( 10 ) and rotating in a single direction;    a driven wheel ( 20 ) with two side faces having a shaft hole ( 21 ) axially defined in the driven wheel ( 20 ) and rotating with the toothed pinion ( 12 ) via a first driving belt ( 14 ) looping around the driven wheel ( 20 ) and the toothed pinion ( 12 ) of the electrical motor;    a unidirectional clutch ( 30 ) firmly attaching on one side-face of the driven wheel ( 20 ) and having 
 a middle plate ( 31 );  
 a first insert ( 32 ) attached to one side of the middle plate ( 31 ) to press into the shaft hole ( 21 ) in the driven wheel ( 20 );  
 a second insert ( 33 ) attached to the other side of the middle plate ( 31 ) opposite to the first insert ( 31 ); and  
 a unidirectional bearing ( 35 ) secured inside the clutch ( 30 ) to make the clutch ( 30 ) rotate in one direction and keep the driven wheel ( 20 ) from rotating in a direction opposite to the single direction;  
   a flywheel ( 40 ) driven by the clutch ( 30 ) and having a central circular recess ( 43 ) defined in the flywheel ( 40 ) and a belt wheel ( 45 ) firmly received inside the central circular recess ( 43 ) to attach the flywheel ( 40 );    a shaft ( 47 ) rotatably penetrating the driven wheel ( 20 ), the clutch ( 30 ), the flywheel ( 40 ) and the belt wheel ( 45 ) and having two ends adapted to secure on stationary places; and    a crank wheel ( 50 ) rotating synchronously with the belt wheel ( 45 ) via a second driving belt ( 54 ) looping around the crank wheel ( 50 ) and the belt wheel ( 45 ).    
     
     
         2 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical motor ( 10 ) comprises a motor mount ( 13 ) and a direct current motor ( 11 ) mounted on the motor mount ( 13 ) to rotate the toothed pinion ( 12 ).  
     
     
         3 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , in which a lubricating sleeve ( 471 ) is mounted around the shaft ( 47 ) inside the other elements mounted on the shaft ( 47 ).  
     
     
         4 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the belt wheel ( 45 ) further has a bearing ( 453 ) mounted inside the clutch ( 30 ) around the shaft ( 47 ) to reduce the friction between the belt wheel ( 45 ) and the shaft ( 47 ).  
     
     
         5 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the belt wheel ( 45 ) further has a bearing ( 453 ) mounted inside the clutch ( 30 ) around the shaft ( 47 ) to reduce the friction between the belt wheel ( 45 ) and the shaft ( 47 ).  
     
     
         6 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , in which a tension wheel ( 55 ) is mounted on a stationary piece and slightly presses the second driving belt ( 54 ) to prevent the second driving belt ( 54 ) from loosening from the belt wheel ( 45 ) and the crank wheel ( 50 ).  
     
     
         7 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , in which a tension wheel ( 55 ) is mounted on a stationary piece and slightly presses the second driving belt ( 54 ) to prevent the second driving belt ( 54 ) from loosening from the belt wheel ( 45 ) and the crank wheel ( 50 ).  
     
     
         8 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the belt wheel ( 45 ) further has a side wheel ( 452 ) attached to the belt wheel ( 45 ) particularly to connect with the second driving belt ( 54 ).  
     
     
         9 . The electrical drive assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , the flywheel ( 40 ) further has a magnetic attractable face ( 41 ) surrounding the flywheel ( 40 ), wherein the magnetic attractable face ( 41 ) is attracted by a magnetic device, which can adjust the magnetic force on the magnetic attractable face ( 41 ) to impose different effort levels required to rotate the flywheel ( 40 ).