1. The method of travel using a lifting airfoil inflated with buoyancy gas, a wheeled vehicle to be propelled by pedaling, and a propeller, that includes the steps
i) pedaling to wheel drive the vehicle to gain speed,
ii) then pedaling to propeller drive the vehicle to gain further speed,
iii) then operating the airfoil to lift the vehicle, while continuing pedaling to propeller drive the lifted air-borne vehicle, in a travel direction,
vi) said airfoil provided with tethering of an aft portion of the airfoil to an aft portion of the vehicle,
etc...
Yup, what we have been waiting for is finally here - the flying bike, aka the most ideal mode of transportation as traffic just keeps getting worse nowadays. This invention has two parts to it - first is a bicycle that seems to have a children's car seat and a fan mounted to the rear, then it is being pulled into midair by a giant inflatable "wing" that is comprised of two parallel tubes connected by a long rectangular piece. That is not even the best part, the inventor suggests mounting a rocket on the machine for when you get tired of pedaling. Well, time to buckle up. It is going to be a wild ride.
Prior Art? Nothing even comes close to how elaborate this design is. As far as I know, I don't think there exists any prior art similar to this invention.
Novel? Definitely. Flying bicycles? Who would have guessed.
Useful? An investment for those who are tired of getting stuck in traffic for hours. With this flying device, your experience on the road (in the sky) is about to be transformed and go to a whole another level. So yes, lifesaver for those who are tired of wasting years of their life being stuck in traffic.
Obvious? In my opinion, the concept is not anything too complex to come up with - it is pretty much just attaching a giant hot air balloon to a bicycle to lift it off the ground. But it is not very obvious to come up with the specifications of the design, as nothing quite like this has existed before.
Source:http://www.google.com/patents/US6688553
While I agree that this is a pretty silly invention, a similar product actually with many enthusiasts owning them is the powered parachute. Nevertheless, it has an engine to power its propeller, instead of using a self-pedaling motor like this invention. A self-propelling mechanism in this case may not be able to generate enough force to produce lift.
ReplyDeleteI am skeptical about the science behind this. Although the inventor mentions the use of buoyant gas, I went to do a quick search online, and found that we need about 4000 helium balloons to lift a 50kg (110lbs) person. You will need a lot of propelling force (probably barely enough with just your hand and leg action), plus a good airfoil design. Thus, I wonder if the examiner did question the feasibility of the invention before granting it.
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ReplyDeleteI'm confused as to why someone would spend so much time for a device that will clearly never be produced. A quick search of the inventor's other patents show that he has patented useful technologies, which makes it even more confusing as to why he would spend time developing such a useless product. There aren't any safety provisions for the bike in case there's turbulence and no mention is made in the patent of what backup systems exist in case the inflatable airfoil is punctured.
ReplyDeleteI think this invention isn't entirely useless because of the conveniency it creates, which was mentioned in the post. But I do agree that the safety issues weren't properly considered. Unless this patent is properly thought through with various situations, it might have been a great invention ever happened.
DeleteI have thoroughly enjoyed reading your last 4 posts about silly patents. Here are some more everyday technologies whose patent status look pretty questionable: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2039282/10-tech-patents-that-should-have-been-rejected.html
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorites include Amazon's 1-click purchase patent and Microsoft's up/down key patent.
Thank you for a hilarious post. I honestly do think that this flying bike would be a really cool form of transportation. Yet this patent goes to show that once again just because a patent is approved doesn't mean that it can actually be executed. Hopefully though, we will find an actual solution to ground traffic!
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