CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE DRIVETRAIN
Drivetrains and frames for vehicles, equipment, machines, etc. Some embodiments of the drivetrains and frames are particularly suited for human powered machines, such as bicycles and exercise equipment. In some embodiments, a drivetrain includes a reciprocating crank coupled to a crank pivot. A lever couples to the crank via a lever pivot positioned on the crank. A lever stop cooperates with a lever guide surface to guide a motion of the lever as the lever pivots about the lever pivot. The lever and/or the crank are operably coupled to a drive pulley, idler pulley, and/or compound pulley. In some embodiments, a drive cable operably couples the lever and/or the crank to the drive pulley, idler pulley, and/or the compound pulley. In one embodiment, one or more pulleys couple to the lever's distal ends. In some embodiments, the drivetrain includes a wheel hub adapted to receive torque from the crank via a drive pulley.
1 . A vehicle frame comprising:
a top tube;
top stays;
down stays;
crank stays; and
wherein the top stays, down stays, and crank stays form a generally triangular frame that couples to the back tube, said triangular frame coupled to the top tube.
2 . The vehicle frame of claim 1 , further comprising a back tube that couples the triangular frame to the top tube.
3 . The vehicle frame of claim 2 , further comprising a fixed hinge coupling the top tube to the back tube.
4 . The vehicle frame of claim 3 , further comprising a removable hinge adapted to facilitate coupling of the top tube to the back tube.
5 . The vehicle frame of claim 4 , wherein the fixed hinge and removable hinge are configured to facilitate a folding of the top tube relative to the back tube.
6 . The vehicle frame of claim 1 , further comprising a chest support coupled to the top tube.
7 . The vehicle frame of claim 6 , further comprising a support base that couples the chest support to the top tube.
8 . The vehicle frame of claim 7 , wherein the support base is configured to allow selective positioning of the support base relative to a portion of the top tube.
9 . A vehicle frame comprising:
a head tube;
top tubes coupled to the head tube and extending toward a first distal end from the head tube;
bottom tubes coupled to the head tube and/or to the top tube, the bottom tubes extending toward a second distal end from the head tube; and
tying tubes coupling to the top tubes at the first distal end and coupling to the bottom tubes at the second distal end.
10 . The vehicle frame of claim 9 , wherein the tying tubes and/or the top tubes are configured at the first distal end to receive a means for supporting a wheel.
11 . The vehicle frame of claim 9 , wherein the tying tubes and/or the top tubes are configured at the second distal end to provide a pivot point for a crank.
12 . The vehicle frame of claim 9 , further comprising lever stops coupled to the tying tubes, wherein the lever stop is configured to guide a motion of a lever.
13 . The vehicle frame of claim 9 , further comprising a chest support coupled to the top tubes.
14 . A vehicle frame comprising:
a head tube;
a down tube coupled to the head tube and extending toward a distal end from the head tube;
down stays coupled to the down tube;
crank stays coupled to the down tube and to the down stays; and
lever stops coupled to the crank stays, the lever stops adapted to guide a motion of a lever.
15 . The vehicle frame of claim 14 , wherein a down stay and a crank stay are one integral piece.
16 . The vehicle frame of claim 14 , wherein the down stays or crank stays are adapted to couple to a wheel.
17 . The vehicle frame of claim 14 , wherein the down tube comprises a bend such that one portion of the down tube is at an angle relative to another portion of the down tube.
18 . The vehicle frame of claim 17 , wherein the down stays couple to the down tube at, near, or in the vicinity of the bend.
19 . The vehicle frame of claim 18 , wherein the crank stays couple to the down tube at an end of the down tube that is distal from the bend.
20 . The vehicle frame of claim 19 , wherein the levers stops couple to the crank stays at an end of the crank stays that is distal from the end of the crank stays that coupled to the down tube.
21 . The vehicle frame of claim 14 , further comprising a connecting hub adapted to facilitate coupling of the crank stays to the down tube.
22 . The vehicle frame of claim 14 , further comprising a chest support coupled to the down tube.
23 . The vehicle frame of claim 21 , further comprising a chest support tube configured to facilitate coupling the chest support to the down tube.
24 . The vehicle frame of claim 22 , further comprising a chest support tube clamp for coupling the chest support tube to the down tube.
25 . The vehicle frame of claim 23 , wherein the chest support clamp is removable and slideable along at least a portion of the down tube.