| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel drive mechanism so improved as to switch the relation between a drive shaft and a front wheel among three steps of lock, idling and speed change, and to provide an infant's tricycle including the drive mechanism. <P>SOLUTION: The drive mechanism includes the drive shaft 9 supported at the lower end of a handle frame 3, the front wheel 2 having a hollow structure and rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 9, and a switching mechanism received in the front wheel 2 so as to switch the relation between the drive shaft 9 and the front wheel 2 among the positions corresponding to the three steps of lock, idling and speed change. When an operating member 33 of the switching mechanism exposed to the exterior of the front wheel 2 from the side face thereof is at the lock position, the front wheel 2 remains locked with respect to the drive shaft 9 so that a rotation ratio of the drive shaft 9 and the front wheel 2 is 1:1. When the operating member 33 is at the idling position, the front wheel 2 remains idle with respect to the drive shaft 9. When the operating member 33 is at the speed change position, the rotation speed of the front wheel 2 is reduced by a speed change means interposed between the drive shaft 9 and the front wheel 2 so that the rotation ratio of the drive shaft 9 and the front wheel 2 is changed to 2:1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT |
