WO2018044244A1

WO2018044244A1 - Immobilizing mechanism mounted on the bicycle frame to prevent movement of the bicycle

Info

Publication number: WO2018044244A1
Application number: PCT/TR2016/050315
Authority: WO
Inventors: Graeme Mitchell HANSSEN
Original assignee: Yasar Universitesi
Priority date: 2016-08-30
Filing date: 2016-08-30
Publication date: 2018-03-08

Abstract

A bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) to be fixed on the frame of a bicycle for selectively blocking the wheel rotation to prevent theft of the bicycle. The mechanism comprising: a casing (101) providing a housing for the mechanism; an electro magnet (202) provided in the casing and for switching the mechanim between a locked and unlocked state; a trigger mechanism (200) having a trigger (201) that regulates the electro magnet (202) and activates the mechanism; a sled mechanism (300) having a latching sled (302) that is activated by the motion of the trigger (201) and a trigger sled (301) to raise or lower the latching sled (302) by sliding on a horizontal plane; and a swing-arm mechanism (400) that has multiple swing-arms connected as to extend around a support plate (405), wherein the swing-arms can block the wheel rotation by bringing a bolt between the spokes.

Description

IMMOBILIZING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON THE BICYCLE FRAME TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE BICYCLE

Technical Field of Invention

The invention is related to an immobilizing mechanism which is mounted on the frame of a bicycle to prevent the rotation of its wheel and the pedals, thereby impeding the back and forth movement of the bicycle.

Prior Art

The products used in prior techniques do not have any features of being fixed on the bicycle frame and are mostly composed of chains, cables etc., independent of the bicycle, preventing its movement by being passed between the wheel and the frame. Carrying chains or cable-like products on the bicycle is considered inconvenient by a cyclist, and disrupts the visual harmony of the vehicle. The user loses time while connecting and disconnecting the chains or cables, which in turn decreases its usefulness and handiness. The inability to fix these devices onto the frame of the bicycle causes the user to put them in different locations during the connection and disconnection and therefore creates a risk of losing those items. This forces the user to buy a new one frequently, resulting in financial losses.

In the patent research conducted regarding the prior art, an American patent numbered US 20090078009 has been detected. This application is based on a locking mechanism developed for bicycles. That locking mechanism consists of a lock setup that passes through the empty area between the spokes of a wheel and its corresponding lock mounted on the frame of the bicycle enabling the desired locking. Explanation of the Invention

The aim of this invention is to prevent the rotation of the wheel and the pedal of the bicycle, thus preventing the back and forth movement of the bicycle thanks to fixing of the invention to the frame.

Another purpose is to offer easy usage to the user because the invention is fixed to the frame of the bicycle.

An additional purpose of the invention is to prevent loss of time for the user thanks to its easy-to-engage feature of this invention.

Another aim is to, owing to its ability to be fixed to the bicycle frame, prevent the device from being lost or forgotten due to being left at various places, causing the users to periodically re-purchase the same item.

The last purpose of the invention is to eliminate the necessity to carry the device independently due to its ability to be fixed onto the frame, as well as maintaining the visual harmony of the bicycle. Figures to aid the Comprehension of the Invention

Figure-1 : An illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention from a dismantled or exploded perspective.

Figure-2: An illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in an armed position from a top view perspective.

Figure-3: An illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in a disarmed position from a top view perspective. Figure-4: An illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in an armed position from a lateral perspective. Figure-5: An illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in a disarmed position from a lateral perspective.

Figure-6: An illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in a mounted and armed position on the frame.

Figure-7: Another illustration of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in a mounted and armed position on the frame. Figure-8: A 2D illustration depicting the working steps of the swing arm mechanism of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention in a mounted and armed position on the frame.

Detailed Explanation of the Invention

A depiction of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention (100) from a dismantled perspective has been illustrated in Figure-1 . The invention prevents the rotation of the wheel and the pedal of the bicycle and thus prevents the back and forth movement of the bicycle because the mechanism is fixed to the frame. The casing (101 ) provides for the other pieces to be mounted on itself. The casing mentioned is composed of a bottom plate (101 .1 ), front plate (101 .2), rear plate (101 .3) and back plate (101 .4). An electro magnet (202) exists to immobilize the bicycle by activating the immobilizing mechanism (100) to an armed or disarmed position. This electro magnet (202) is attached to an electro magnet holder (203) and the trigger (201 ) moves the trigger-sled (301 ) backwards / forwards which releases the latching-sled (302), allowing the swing-arms (401 , 402, 403) to move into an armed / disarmed position. RFID- reader (204) and the Printed Circuit Board (205) identifies frequencies from the RFID-key (206) and responds to on/off instructions to arm or disarm the immobilizer mechanism. The trigger (201 ), the electro magnet (202), the electro magnet holder (203), the RFID- reader (204), the printed circuit board (205) and the RFID-key mentioned above make-up the trigger mechanism (200). Figure -2 and Figure-3 illustrate top view perspectives of the immobilizing mechanism (100) of the invention in armed and disarmed positions whereas Figure-4 and Figure-5 shows lateral perspectives of the immobilizing mechanism (100) of the invention in armed and disarmed positions. The Trigger sled (301 ), which slides on a horizontal plane, helps to raise or lower the latching sled (302) depending on the direction of its movement. Movement up and down of the Latching sled protrusions (303) enables the arming or disarming of the swing- arm mechanism (400). The upper part of the structure, the fulcrum plate (304), makes it possible for the swing-arm mechanism (400) to turn around its axis. The sled cover plate (305) covers the top of the sled mechanism (300). The trigger sled (301 ), latching sled (302), latching sled protrusion (303), fulcrum plate (304) and sled cover plate (305) mentioned above constitutes the sled mechanism (300).

Figure-6 and Figure-7 illustrate the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in its armed position mounted on the bicycle from a lateral perspective. Small swing-arm (401 ) turns around the anchor point of the main swing-arm (403). The front swing-arm (402) extends 90 degrees further when the system is activated. The main swing-arm (403) slides on a horizontal plane and enables the front swing arm to move 90 degrees and also make the swing- arm mechanism pass through a hole in the back plate (101 .4). The rear swing-arm (404) extends 90 degrees further and enables the other parts to fall into their places whereas the support plate (universal joint) (405) supports the swing-arm mechanism (400). The small swing-arm (401 ), front swing-arm (402), main swing-arm (403), rear swing-arm (404) and support plate (universal joint) mentioned above constitute the swing-arm mechanism (400).

Figure-8 is a 2D illustration from the top depicting the working principles of the swing arm mechanism (400) of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention (100) in a mounted and armed position on the frame. There are three consecutive mechanisms in the operation of the immobilizing mechanism of the invention (100). These are trigger mechanism (200), sled mechanism (300) and swing-arm mechanism (400).

The trigger (201 ) of the trigger mechanism (200) moves around the anchoring points mounted on the rear plate (101 .3). The on and off position of the electro magnet (202) regulates the rotation around the axis. The upper extension of the trigger (201 ) passes through the support plate (universal joint) (405) and fulcrum plate (304) and thus the horizontal arm of the trigger (201 ) fits into the trigger sled (301 ).

The trigger mechanism (200) turns and moves the horizontal-arm of the sled mechanism back and forth which in turn enables the trigger sled (301 ) to slide back and forth on a horizontal plane. The sled cover plate (305) defines the track of the trigger sled's (301 ) movement. On the front side of the trigger sled (301 ) there are several s-shaped routers placed on the cross-lines of the latching sled (302). The latching sled (302) moves upwards and downwards in the vertical plane due to the back and forth movement of the trigger sled

(301 ) . There are two latching sled protrusions (303) under the latching sled

(302) which are facing downwards. As these are moved up and down the swing-arm mechanism (400) becomes locked and unlocked.

When the immobilizer is disarmed, in other words when the bicycle is able to be moved, the small swing-arm (401 ), the front swing-arm (402), the main swing-arm (403) and the rear swing-arm (404) which constitute the swing- arm mechanism (400) are folded into the casing (101 ). When activated the main swing-arm (403) slides out of the casing, pivoting 90 degrees along a horizontal plane. This sliding movement causes the main swing-arm (403) to pass by the back plate (101 .4) protruding and therefore blocking the pedals and the crankshafts. The movement of the main swing-arm (403) is regulated by inner springs. The main swing-arm (403) pivots around an anchoring point or an axle placed vertically between the fulcrum plate (304) and the support plate (universal joint) (405). The remaining three arms, small swing-arm (401 ) , front swing-arm (402) and rear swing-arm (404), fold into the casing or swings out from the casing in accordance with the main swing-arms' (403) movement. These arms also increase the stiffness of the protruding tip of the main swing-arm (403) which is between the spokes of the wheel.

The operation steps of the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) are as follows: The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) placed on the frame of the bicycle blocks or prevents movement of the rear wheel and the rotation of the pedals. If the bicycle immobilizer mechanism (100) is not activated the swing-arm mechanism (400) is folded into the casing (101 ) via the actions of the sled mechanism (300). This is referred to as the disarmed position. When the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) is activated it becomes armed. The activation of the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) is triggered according to the on/off position of the electro magnet (202) placed in front of the electro magnet holder (203). The on/off positions of the electro magnet (202) are controlled by the RFID-reader (204) and the printed circuit board (205). When the RFID-key (206) is held close to the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) enables the small swing-arm (401 ), the front swing-arm

(402) , the main swing-arm (403) and the rear swing-arm (404) of the swing- arm mechanism (400) connected to the casing (101 ) to pivot and slide towards their places and thus is released from its folded position.

The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) becomes armed when the swing- arm mechanism (400) folds out and extends. In order to deactivate the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100), the RFID-key (206) is again held close to the RFID-reader (204) unlocking the electro magnet (202). Finally, the bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) is pushed back into the casing (101 ) by hand. List of References

100- Bicycle Immobilizing Mechanism

101 - Casing

101 .1 - Bottom Plate

101 .2- Front Plate

101 .3- Rear Plate

101 .4- Back Plate

200- Triggering Mechanism

201 - Trigger

202- Electro magnet

203- Electro magnet holder

204- RFID- reader

205- Printed Circuit board

206- RFID-key

300- Sled Mechanism

301 - Trigger Sled

302- Latching Sled

303- Latching Sled protrusion

304- Fulcrum Plate

305- Sled Cover Plate

400- Swing-Arm mechanism

401 - Small Swing-Arm

402- Front Swing-Arm

403- Main Swing-Arm

404- Rear Swing-Arm

405- Support Plate (Universal Joint)

Claims

A bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) fixed on the frame of the bicycle blocking the backwards and forwards motion of the bicycle by preventing the wheel and the pedal from rotating wherein:

a) a casing (101 ) providing a place for the other pieces to be connected to an electro magnet (202) to trigger the position of the bicycle immobilizing mechanism into armed and disarmed states;

b) a trigger mechanism (200) composing of a trigger (201 ) regulates the above mentioned electro magnet (202) and activates the mechanism; c) a sled mechanism (300) composing of a latching sled (302) that is activated by the motion of the trigger sled (301 ) mentioned above to provide up and down sliding and a trigger sled (301 ) to raise or lower the latching sled (302) by sliding on a horizontal plane.

d) a swing-arm mechanism (400) that has multiple swing-arms connected as to extend around the support plate (universal joint) (405).

The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains an electro magnet holder (203) to which the electro magnet (202) is connected.

The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains latching sled protrusions (303) that enables the user to lock and unlock the swing-arm mechanism (400) as it is moved up and down.

The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a fulcrum plate (304) as an upper part of the structure to enable the swing-arm mechanism (400) to rotate around its axis.

The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a swing-arm (401 ) that rotates around the anchoring point of the main swing-arm (403)

The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a front swing-arm (402) that extends 90 degrees along a horizontal plane further when activated. 7- The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a main swing-arm (403) that slides on a horizontal plane and enables the front swing arm to move 90 degrees and also makes the swing-arm mechanism (400) passes through a hole in the back plate (101 .4).

8- The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a rear swing-arm (404) that enables the other pieces to fit into their places by extending 90 degrees further.

9- The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a swing-arm mechanism (400) which is supported by a support plate (universal joint) (405)

10- The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains an Electro Magnet (202), a RFID-reader (204) and the Printed Circuit Board (205) which identifies the RFID frequencies and responds to signals from the RFID-key (206) to allow the arming or disarming of the immobilizer mechanism

11 - The bicycle immobilizing mechanism (100) in accordance with Claim 1 contains a casing (101 ) composed of bottom plate (101 .1 ), front plate (101 .2), rear plate (101 .3) and a back plate (101 .4).