Concepts Developed

Designed by Nghia (Wilson) Ly, Caleb Mayer, Daria Frame

Caleb Mayer, Enclosed Drivetrain on Hubless Bicycle

Concept:

The main focus of this concept is safety. This would have no exposed moving parts, besides the pedals and handlebars which are controlled by the user. The idea is to avoid anything that could get caught or clip part of the user while riding. This concept uses small gears attached to a frame to support the wheels, with one of those gears being driven by the linkage between the pedals and gears. The linkage as well as the gears will be enclosed entirely as to avoid any unsafe moving parts.

Innovations:

• 1. Enclosing moving parts on hubless bike

  2. Covering drivetrain

  3. Compacting drivetrain

Criteria:

• 1. No pinching or tearing of clothes or skin.→Safer

  2. Requires no grease (still needs some for easier movement).→Lower maintenance

  3. Will not have lots of small pieces or linkages that the whole system relies upon. There will only be a few points where problems could potentially arise.→Durability/Ease of Maintenance/Safety

Extra:

• 1. The ergonomics of the original design of the bike will change and require redesigning the frame. This design changes the drivetrain, and changes the way the wheel is attached to the frame.

  2. The bike’s aesthetics would change a lot. It would look very innovative, but to unknowing consumers this design may seem odd considering there are no spokes to hold the wheel in place, making it look like it is floating.

Caleb Mayer, Caster Wheel Bicycle

Concept:

Caster wheels are wheels that can roll as well as, spin on a horizontal orientation. This type of wheel is used in an existing product known as the Razor RipStik. On a caster board like this one the casters are set on the board tilt forward at about a thirty degree angle. This allows the board to be easily manipulated by twisting the board and rocking back and forth to create forward motion. This concept will apply that idea to a bicycle’s frame and wheels, creating a pedal and drivetrain free, and therefore safer, way of riding a bike.

Innovations:

• 1. Removing drivetrain

  2. Rethinking the way a bicycle is rode

  3. Use foot platforms to hold feet instead of pedals

Criteria:

• 1. Requires no grease (still needs some for easier movement).→Lower maintenance

  2. Will not have lots of small pieces or linkages that the whole system relies upon. There will only be a few points where problems could potentially arise.→Durability/Ease of Maintenance/Safety

Extra:

• 1. The ergonomics of the original design of the bike won’t change very much, but would the frame would require some modifying. This design removes the drivetrain for a new way of movement, and changes the way a user controls the bicycle.

  2. The bike’s aesthetics wouldn’t change much, but may stand out compared to other bikes. When riding, someone watching may look at it differently as well, because of the new way of making the bicycle move.

Daria Frame, Train Linkage→Applied

Concept:

Watching how a locomotive's wheels are attached through a crank system, the same basic idea is applied to the drivetrain of a bicycle. One pivot point is attached to the top, on a spoke, of the front wheel and the other end is attached to close to the ground on a spoke of the back wheel. The feet will make the motion of pressing down, like a sewing machine pedal, to push the linkage and therefore the wheels will turn.

Innovations:

• 1. Taken from traditional locomotives and applied to bike system.

  2. Added flexible pivot points.

  3. Applied to both wheels, not motor driven. Force put on the linkage, not another part of the system.

Criteria:

• 1. No pinching or tearing of clothes or skin.→Safer

  2. Requires less grease (still needs some for easier movement).→Lower maintenance

  3. Still metal, possible to have some kind of weather-proofing coating.→Durability

  4. Will not have lots of small pieces or linkages that the whole system relies upon. There will only be a few points where problems could potentially arise.→Durability/Ease of Maintenance/Safety

  5. The motion of the feet and the linkage are more interesting and will seem more fun to little kids.→Customer Need/Performance

Extra:

• 1. The ergonomics of the original design of the bike will not change. This design only changes the drivetrain, the comfort provided by placement and shaping of handles and seats relative to the other parts of the bicycle are not sacrificed.

  2. Aesthetics of the bike could be seen as better or worse, because this is a very different concept from what is commonly seen on the market and in big name retail stores now. The drivetrain area of the bike will not be nearly as busy when the bike is at rest, but in motion how the system works will look very different.

Daria Frame, Treadmill Pedaling

Concept:

The idea of using a belt instead of a chain is applied, but taken even farther. The whole step of pedaling, in the conventional sense, is removed and in its place, a treadmill for each foot is added. The bike moves when feet push down and pull the treadmill back through the force of the foot on the belt, as most other treadmills move. This is then connected to the back wheel and the wheel is moved a direction at the center.

Innovations:

• 1. Bike still has a seat, it is not standing like many other concepts show.

  2. There are still only two permanent wheels, but training wheels can be added. The treadmills are not placed between two permanent wheels. Other designs have shown three and four permanent wheels.

  3. Complete replacement of traditional drivetrain system. Taking one system and applying it to another function.

Criteria:

• 1. Less likely chance of clothing and bodies to be pinched or torn in the belt system, though still possible with the gears involved.→Safety

  2. The belt around the system can stretch, like the chain, but it will be easier to replace, time and money wise.→Target Cost and Consumer/Maintenance

  3. Most parts will be made of metal with weather-proofing coatings, to avoid things like rusting. The belt will not be a metal, but something more malleable and with more traction on both sides.→Durability

Extra:

• 1. An extra gear is attached to the side of the treadmill system so that when a person “pedals”, they will be able to do it in the way they normally run on pavement. This gear changes the direction from making the bike move backwards and instead move forward. This is based on the properties of the motion of interacting gears.

  2. The aesthetics and ergonomics of this design will affect the bike. This system of pedaling could potentially be more tiring or uncomfortable because of how different it is from the common type, and it will be like the effort of running, not normal biking. Aesthetically, people may find the design different looking, it would attract attention whether in motion or at rest.

Nghia Ly, Guidance Guard

Concept:

The guard goes around and covers the entire chain system, preventing dirt from getting into the chain, thus, increase the efficiency of the system. In addition, the guard also keep the chain intact which eliminate the problem where chain falling of the sprocket, further, require less maintenance from consumer.

Innovation:

• 1. Take from the original guard where only the top half of the chain is cover and other guidance guard that already invented.

  2. Covering entire system rather than just half the system.

  3. Easier to install.

  4. Keep the chain intact.

Criteria:

• 1. Safer than half guard

  2. Require less maintenance since the system will be seal off

  3. Prevent chain falling off as the guidance guard keep the chain intact

  4. cost/material

  5. Installation will be fairly easy since it on consist of two piece

Extra:

• 1. The size of the guard is also a one thing that we take in for considering since not every chain system will be the same. Therefore, some adjustment will need to be made for further development where the tube could be extended to fit the chain size.

Nghia Ly, Chain between Frame

Concept: The idea of the putting chain system between bike frame rather than on one side to increase the safety feature of the bike. Which mean that the sprocket will be located between 2 pole that connecting between seat and pedal. The pedaling will be the same as well as the back sprocket.

Innovations:

• 1. The sprocket locate beside 2 frame rather than on one side.

  2. The pole outside the sprocket increase stability.

  3. Eliminate clothes getting pitch problem.

  4. Adding Some sort of protection to the chain system.

Criteria:

• 1. The cost would be fairly the same since there is no additional part.

  2. Material require to meet the requirement.

  3. Sprocket location would benefit the safety feature as well as eliminate some vital problem.

Extra:

• 1. The main concept of this design is toward more on the location of the sprocket and the recreation of the bike frame rather than a whole new chain system. Allowing the design to fulfill the criteria of the product while keeping the old bike experience. However, the size of the frame could affect the sprocket.