The invention first and foremost relates to coupling means for coupling a driving cycle to a driven cycle coupled to the driving cycle. The invention also relates to a driving cycle and a driven cycle that are coupled by such pulling means.

The driving cycle can hereby be a pulling cycle that pulls the driven cycle, whereby in this case the driven cycle is thus a pulled cycle and the coupling means a pulling means .

In another case or in another circumstance, the driving cycle can be a pushing cycle that pushes the driven cycle, whereby in this case the driven cycle is thus a pushed cycle and whereby the coupling means are also pushing means .

With two cycles that are coupled by coupling means, of the type as meant here, the roles of the driving and driven cycle can be reversed depending on the circumstances, whereby the one time the one cycle drives the other, for example by pulling it, while the other time the other cycle drives the first, for example by pushing it.

The pulling cycle and the pulled cycle can both be a bicycle for example, such as for example a child's bicycle with two, three or more wheels, while the pulled cycle can also be a trailer or similar.

However, it is not excluded to apply pulling means according to the invention to other cycles.

Combinations with a number of bicycles that are coupled together, each time with coupling means according to the invention, or combinations whereby one or more bicycles are coupled to one or more trailers using coupling means according to the invention are of course also possible.

Many coupling means for coupling a driving cycle and a cycle driven by this driving cycle are already known, but they present a number of disadvantages.

Generally they are coupling means in the form of pulling means with which a trailer is coupled to a bicycle and with which the trailer can be pulled by the bicycle. To this end the known coupling means are usually constructed as a rod or rigid frame that is immovably coupled at one end to the pulled or driven cycle and which is provided at the other end with hinged coupling means in order to couple the coupling means to the driving cycle.

The hinged coupling means enable the driven cycle to be brought to an oblique position with respect to the driving cycle in order to make riding around bends possible. A disadvantage of these known types of coupling means is that the extent to which the driven cycle and the driving cycle can be placed in a mutually non-straight position is rather limited, whereby when taking a sharp bend the driving cycle and the driven cycle can collide with one another . This disadvantage is even greater in the case where the pulled or driven cycle is also a steering pulled cycle, as with the aforementioned known coupling means the handlebars of the pulled or driven cycle can only be held in a position that corresponds to a riding direction that is fully oriented in the direction of the pulling or driving cycle.

The freedom of the steering pulled cycle with regard to choosing the riding direction is thus practically zero.

Another disadvantage of the known coupling means of the intended type is that they are generally heavy and cumbersome, mostly of metal, whereby its high cost price is also an important disadvantage.

Another disadvantage of the known coupling means for coupling a driven cycle to a driving cycle is that the coupling means are usually immovably connected to one of the cycles, more specifically either to the driven cycle or to the driving cycle, or forms part thereof, so that this cycle can often not be used without coupling means, or only with great difficulty.

An additional disadvantage of the known coupling means for cycles is that the coupling of it to the driven cycle and the detachment of it is often very laborious and takes a long time. Another disadvantage of the known coupling means of the type discussed here is that they are generally not very suitable and are rather unsafe for application between cycles for children, as children can easily hurt their hands and fingers between the movable parts of the connection realised with such known coupling means.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to one or more of the aforementioned and other disadvantages .

To this end the present invention concerns coupling means for coupling a driving cycle to a cycle driven by the driving cycle, such as a trailer or a bicycle, whereby the coupling means are formed by a movable chain of mutually hinged connected links, whereby an end coupling piece is provided at both ends of the chain for coupling the coupling means to the driving cycle and the driven cycle.

A big advantage of such coupling means according to the invention is the fact that it is constructed as a movable chain of hinged connected links between a pair of end coupling pieces.

Thus the coupling means are provided with a number of hinge points such that a much larger freedom of movement is allowed between the driven cycle and the driving cycle, compared to the known coupling means.

If such coupling means according to the invention serve as pulling means between a pulling cycle and a steering pulled cycle, this provides the extra advantage that the steering pulled cycle has much greater freedom for steering than is the case with the known coupling means with which cycles are coupled together.

On the other hand a chain of mutually hinged connected links also has the advantage that it can be manufactured such that the connection between the driving cycle and the driven cycle is flexible or movable, while it also has a certain rigidity.

If the coupling means form pushing means with which a pushing cycle pushes a pushed cycle, it is clear that such rigidity is needed to a certain extent, as otherwise there can be no question of pushing.

If the coupling means form pulling means with which a pulling cycle pulls a pulled cycle with it, the situation is somewhat different.

In this case it can be advantageous to ensure that the mutual movability of the links in the chain is limited to a certain extent in order to prevent the pulled or driven cycle colliding with the pulling or driving cycle when slowing down during braking.

Pulling means in the form of a rope or cable would bring about such hazardous situations. Such coupling means according to the invention, whereby the mutual movability between the links of the chain is somewhat limited, also contributes to safety and it is particularly suitable for use in applications for children .

Also the fact that coupling means according to the invention are provided with an end coupling piece at both ends is highly advantageous, because it enables the same coupling means to be applied between a multitude of available driving or driven cycles or because a user can easily decide not to use the coupling means by detaching both the driving cycle and the driven cycle.

In a preferred embodiment of coupling means according to the invention, the chain consists of hollow bodies that are each provided internally with a pair of parallel shafts that extend parallel to one another between opposite wall parts of the hollow body concerned, and connecting elements that are each provided with a pair of holes and which connect hollow bodies together or which connect a hollow body to an end coupling piece, whereby a shaft from a first hollow body is affixed in a first hole of a connecting element, and a shaft from a second hollow body or an end coupling piece is affixed in a second hole of a connecting element. Such an embodiment of coupling means according to the invention is particularly advantageous as the parts of the chain that are highly movable with respect to one another, more specifically the shafts that extend through the holes in the connecting elements to form a hinged connection, are screened off in a hollow body such that children cannot get their fingers in there for example. This of course contributes enormously to the safety of such pulling means according to the invention.

In addition, according to the invention the connecting elements are preferably flat elements that are essentially shaped as a figure of eight with two practically circular parts that are each provided with an aforementioned hole, and which are connected together by a narrowed part with flowing contours and whereby each practically circular part is at least partially affixed in a groove provided in a hollow body or end coupling piece concerned.

Such an embodiment of coupling means according to the invention is highly advantageous as the flat connecting elements only protrude out of the hollow bodies through a slot, whereby the groove is of course dimensioned with only minimal clearance, so that again the risk of people, in particular children, being able to hurt their fingers between the moving parts of the coupling means is zero or practically zero.

The flowing contours of the figure of eight shaped connecting elements also contribute to the safety of such coupling means according to the invention.

Moreover, the grooves from which the figure of eight shaped connecting elements protrude are dimensioned such that the figure of eight shaped connecting elements only have a limited freedom of rotation.

Thus the coupling means acquires a certain rigidity such that for example collisions between a pulling cycle and a pulled cycle can be prevented or such that the driving cycle can also push the driven cycle.

It is the intention that the flat connecting elements, after coupling the driven cycle and the driving cycle with such coupling means according to the invention, lie in a horizontal plane while the shafts in the hollow bodies extend vertically, so that the links of the chain are mutually hingeable around vertical axes.

Furthermore, there is no other freedom of movement between the links aside from the aforementioned rotation according to a vertical direction, which contributes to the rigidity of the solution.

Another big advantage of such an embodiment of coupling means according to the invention is that it contributes to the safety of the solution offered, as the coupling means only allow a tilting around vertical axes and not, for example, around a horizontal axis that extends in the riding direction.

Such a rotation around a horizontal axis that extends in the riding direction could lead to the tilting of one of the cycles.

In applications whereby the driven cycle is a pulled cycle that is provided with two wheels arranged next to one another, this can be important and certainly in an application with two-wheelers whose wheels are in line with the riding direction. Another preferred characteristic of coupling means according to the invention is that each end coupling piece is constructed of two parts detachable from one another that are coupled together by clicking them into one another and which can be detached from one another by pressing on one or more pressable protrusions.

Such an embodiment of pulling means according to the invention is very practical as the two parts of an end coupling piece can easily be coupled together and also easily detached again, which makes the use of it for coupling a driven cycle to a driving cycle very simple.

Preferably according to the invention a first detachable part of an end coupling piece is a hollow T-shaped piece that can be opened and closed by means of parts hinged with respect to one another that enable the T-shaped piece to be affixed around a tubular or T-shaped part, such as a part of a handlebar of a driving or driven carriage, and which is formed in the closed state by a crosspiece to which a central piece connects.

Such an embodiment of coupling means according to the invention provides the advantage that it can be affixed extremely easily on parts of the driven or driving cycle.

Another preferred characteristic of coupling means according to the invention is that the coupling means are made of plastic. Such an embodiment of coupling means according to the invention are cheap to manufacture, very light and also extremely suitable for coupling cycles for children. Another advantage of such a plastic embodiment is that it is highly suitable for toys and can easily be made in different colours.

The snakelike effect of coupling means according to the invention also gives it a playful character.

The invention also relates to a driving cycle and driven cycle that are coupled together by coupling means according to the invention in one of the possible embodiments described above.

With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a few preferred embodiments of coupling means according to the invention, as well as a driving cycle and a driven cycle that are coupled together by such coupling means are described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a possible embodiment of coupling means according to the invention;

figure 2 shows a perspective view of the same coupling means according to the invention with omission of the first detachable parts of the end coupling pieces; figures 3 and 4 show a perspective view of a trailer and the coupling means of figure 1, respectively in a non-coupled situation and in a coupled situation;

figure 5 shows a perspective view of a bicycle and trailer according to figures 3 and 4 that are coupled to one another according to the invention by the coupling means shown in figure 1 ;

figure 6 shows a perspective view of a hollow body on a larger scale in more detail that forms part of the coupling means of figure 1, and which is indicated by

F6;

figures 7 and 8 show two halves of the hollow body of figure 6, respectively indicated by F7 and F8;

figure 9 shows perspective view of a connecting element on a larger scale in more detail that forms part of the coupling means of figure 1, with which two hollow bodies are coupled together and that is indicated by F9;

in a similar way to figure 9, figure 10 shows a connecting element that forms part of the coupling means of figure 1, with which a hollow body and an end coupling piece are coupled together and which is indicated by F10 in figure 1 ;

figures 11 and 12 show a perspective view of a first detachable part of an end coupling piece of the coupling means of figure 1 that is indicated by F12, in the open and closed position respectively; and, figures 13 and 14 show a second detachable part of an end coupling piece of the coupling means of figure 1, that is indicated by F13, before and after affixing a coupling pin respectively. The coupling means 1 according to the invention shown in figure 1 are intended for coupling together a driven cycle 2, such as a trailer 2 that is shown in figures 3 and 4, and a driving cycle 3, such as for example a child's bicycle that is shown in figure 5.

The coupling means 1 are composed of mutually hinged connected links 4 that together form a movable chain 5. At the ends 6 and 7 the coupling means 1 are also provided with an end coupling piece 8 for coupling the coupling means 1 to the child' s bicycle 3 and the trailer 2 respectively . In the embodiment shown these end coupling pieces 8 are exactly the same, but according to the invention that does not necessarily need to be the case, as it offers the advantage that both ends 6 and 7 of the coupling means 1 can be coupled at random to the trailer 2 or to the child's bicycle 3.

In addition to the end coupling pieces 8, the chain 5 comprises hollow bodies 9 on the one hand, that are shown in more detail in figures 6 to 8, and on the other hand connecting elements of which there are two different types, i.e. connecting elements 10 and connecting elements 11, shown in more detail in figures 9 and 10 respectively.

In the case of the drawings there are three identical such hollow bodies 9, but which can be in other embodiments to a greater or lesser extent. Each such hollow body 9 consists of two identical halves 12 and 13 that can be clicked into one another.

The outside of each hollow body 9 in the clicked-together situation has a central cylindrical wall part 14 to which a hemispherical wall part 15 connects at each of its ends 16 and 17.

These wall parts 14 and 15 are traversed centrally at both ends 16 and 17 of the hollow body 9 by a groove 18, such that a connecting element 10 or 11 can protrude out of the hollow body 9.

In other words, the width B of these grooves 18 practically corresponds to the thickness D of the connecting elements 10 or 11, save for any small clearance, that must enable a connecting element 10 or 11 to move in the corresponding groove 18. Internally the hollow bodies 9 are provided with a pair of parallel shafts 19 that extend parallel to one another between the opposite internal wall parts 20 of each of the halves 12 and 13 of the hollow body 9 concerned. In the example shown these shafts 19 of figure 7 and 8 are made from two complementary parts 21 and 22 which, when clicking the halves 12 and 13 into one another, are clicked into one another into a shaft 19 and which are held together with the hollow body 9 in the clicked- together situation. The connecting elements 10 and 11 are each provided with pair of holes 23 and 24.

The connecting elements 10 are intended for the mutual connection of two hollow bodies 9, while the connecting elements 11 are intended for the mutual connection of a hollow body 9 and an end coupling piece 8.

In the assembled state of the chain 5 a shaft 19 of a first hollow body 9 is affixed in a first hole 23 of a connecting element 10 or 11.

A shaft 19 of a second hollow body 9 is also affixed in a second hole 24 of a connecting element 10, while with a connecting element 11 a coupling pin 25 is affixed in the second hole 24 for a connection to an end coupling piece 8.

In the case of a connecting element 10 as shown in figure 9, the two holes 23 and 24 both have the same internal diameter E, and this corresponds to the diameter F of a shaft 19.

In the case of a connecting element 11 as shown in figure 10, the internal diameter F of the hole 24 is larger than the internal diameter E of the other hole 23 and corresponds to the diameter H show of the coupling pin 25.

The connecting elements 10 and 11 are flat elements with a thickness D that are essentially constructed as a figure of eight. They comprise two practically circular parts 26 and 27 that are each provided with an aforementioned hole, respectively hole 23 and hole 24, and these circular parts 26 and 27 are connected together by a narrowed part 28 with flowing contours.

In the assembled state of the pulling means 1, each practically circular part 26 and 27 is at least partially affixed in a groove 18 provided in a hollow body 9 concerned or an end coupling piece 8.

A connecting element 10 that serves for the mutual coupling of two hollow bodies 9, is constructed symmetrically according to two planes that are transverse to one another, more specifically according to a plane of symmetry YY' that runs through the centre of the circular holes 23 and 24 and according to the plane of symmetry XX' perpendicular thereto through the centre M of the connecting element 10.

A notch 31 is provided at each of the far ends 29 and 30 of the practically circular parts 26 and 27.

These notches 31 are such that the extent to which adjacent connecting elements 10 (or 11) are turnable with respect to one another around the shafts 19 around which they are affixed, is limited by the connecting elements 10 (or 11) concerned gripping in one another at the location of their notches 31.

An aforementioned notch 31 is circular and preferably extends over an angle Z that is between 25° and 100°, or preferably between 30° and 90°, or between 40° and 80°, and most preferably between 45° and 60°, but other angles and forms are not excluded according to the invention. A connecting element 11 that serves to mutually couple a hollow body 9 and an end coupling piece 8 is only symmetrically constructed with respect to the plane of symmetry YY' that runs through the centres of the holes 23 and 24.

One far end 29 of the practically circular part 26 is provided with a notch 31 such as with the connecting element 10 in the case of figure 9. At the other far end 30 that is intended to be inserted in the end coupling piece 8 concerned, the practically circular part 27 concerned is provided with a bulge 32 that prevents a turning of the connecting element 11 in the end coupling piece 8.

Each end coupling piece 8 consists of two parts 33 and 34 detachable from one another that are coupled to one another by clicking them into one another and which can be detached from one another by pressing on one or more pressable protrusions 35.

A first detachable part 33 of an end coupling piece 8, that is shown in more detail in figures 11 and 12, forms a hollow T-shaped piece 33 that can be opened and closed by means of hinged parts 36 to 38 with respect one another. This part 36 to 38 enables the T-shaped piece 33 to be affixed around a tubular or T-shaped part 39 of the driving cycle, or in this case the pulling cycle in the form of a child's bicycle 3, or the driven cycle, or in this case the pulled cycle in the form of a trailer 2.

In the closed situation of the first detachable part 33 of an end coupling piece 8, the T-shaped piece 33 is formed by a crosspiece 40 to which a central piece 41 connects transversely.

In the closed state of the first detachable part 33, the central piece 41 comprises or forms the aforementioned pressable protrusions 35, more specifically in this case two opposite such pressable protrusions 35.

The second detachable part 34 of an end coupling piece 8, that is shown in more detail in figures 13 and 14, is a hollow cylindrical piece 34 with a cylindrical wall part 42 to which a hemispherical wall part 44 connects at one end 43.

A groove 18 is provided centrally in the hemispherical wall part 44 such that a connecting element 11 can protrude from the second detachable part 34.

In the cylindrical wall part 42, two opposite openings 45 are provided that can engage with the opposite pressable protrusions 35 of the first detachable part 33.

In the hemispherical wall part, two opposite openings 46 are also provided for affixing the coupling pin 25 that is intended for coupling the end coupling piece 8 to a connecting element 11 of the chain 5.

The coupling pin 25 is made of two parts with two complementary parts 47 and 48 and they can be put together along either side of the second detachable part 34 through the openings 46 by clicking the complementary parts 47 and 48 into one another. In a preferred embodiment the coupling means 1 according to the invention are made of a synthetic material or plastic, but other materials may be used just as well according to the invention. The invention is by no means limited to the embodiments of coupling means 1 according to the invention and a driving cycle 3 and driven cycle 2 that are coupled by such coupling means 1 described as an example and illustrated on the basis of the drawings, but such coupling means 1 according to the invention and a driving cycle 3 and driven cycle 2 that are coupled by such coupling means 1 can be realised in other ways without departing from the scope of the invention.