Exercise bicycle stability tracking system

Abstract

A stabilizing tracking system for a spinner exercise bicycle includes a spool that is attached to the bike in the loop path of the drive belt between the drive and flywheel sprockets. The spool is located such that the belt is forced to travel below the top dead center of the flywheel sprocket. The spool also has flanges such that the standard poly-V-belt is caused to track within the spool. Forcing the belt below top-dead center of the flywheel sprocket and keeping the belt in tack reduces belt wear, stretching, and the tendency of the belt to wobble or sway as it is driving a flywheel. The spool utilizes inner bearings for smooth rotation of the stability tracking spool. The spool compensates for the differential in the thrust from the top, dead center position of the drive sprocket. The spool picks up the slack in the drive belt that and keeps the belt in a close track. The spool also compensates for slippage during start up of the flywheel and keeps the belt from slipping or wobbling.

1 . A stabilizing and tracking system for an exercise bike having frame, pedal drive sprocket rotatably mounted to said frame, and a flywheel drive sprocket linked to a flywheel that is rotatably mounted to said frame, a belt interconnecting the pedal drive sprocket and the flywheel drive sprocket, comprising a spool rotatably connected to said frame, said spool being fixed at a position vertically between the pedal drive sprocket and the flywheel drive sprocket such that a bottom dead center point of said spool is below a top dead center point of said flywheel drive sprocket, and such that an axis of said spool is horizontally positioned from about 1.5 to about 5.5 inches from an axis of said flywheel drive sprocket toward said pedal drive sprocket.  
   
   
       2 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 1 , wherein said spool has left and right flanges such that said belt is kept between said flanges as the belt moves.  
   
   
       3 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 1 , wherein said spool has left and right flanges and an inner drive surface wherein said inner drive surface is located below said top dead center point of said flywheel drive sprocket.  
   
   
       4 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 3 , further comprising a spool hub for rotatably supporting said spool and attached to said exercise bike, and at least one bearing located between said spool hub and said spool.  
   
   
       5 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 3  wherein the flanges are positioned at an angle, relative to the inner device drive surface, ranging from about 120° to 140°.  
   
   
       6 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 5 , where the angle for each flange is 128°.  
   
   
       7 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 1 , wherein the belt is a poly-V ribbed belt.  
   
   
       8 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 1 , wherein the bottom dead center of said spool is located from about one eighth of an inch to about one and a half inches below said top dead center of said flywheel drive sprocket.  
   
   
       9 . A stabilizing and tracking system as in  claim 8 , wherein the bottom dead center of said spool is located about a half inch below the top dead center of said flywheel drive sprocket.