US 11,628,686 B2Granted

Bicycle hub assembly

AssigneeShimano Inc.

InventorsJun Nakajima, Kazuki Koshiyama

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The bicycle hub assembly includes a hub axle, a hub body, a bearing unit, a lock member, and a tool engagement member. The bearing unit is configured to rotatably support the hub body around the hub axle with respect to the rotational center axis. The bearing unit includes an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of rolling members. The lock member prevents the inner race of the bearing unit from rotating relative to the hub axle. The lock member has an outer peripheral surface. The tool engagement member is configured to rotate the inner race of the bearing unit relative to the hub axle. The tool engagement member has an inner peripheral surface. The inner peripheral surface of the tool engagement member is disposed radially outwardly relative to the outer peripheral surface of the lock member.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A bicycle hub assembly comprising:

a hub axle having a first end, a second end opposite to the first end in an axial direction parallel to a rotational center axis of the bicycle hub assembly and an axle threaded portion formed on at least one of the first end and the second end;
a hub body rotatably supported around the hub axle with respect to the rotational center axis;
a bearing unit configured to rotatably support the hub body around the hub axle with respect to the rotational center axis and including an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of rolling members disposed between the outer race and the inner race, the inner race having a first torque-transmitting portion and a bearing threaded portion configured to threadedly engage with the axle threaded portion of the hub axle;
a lock member configured to prevent the inner race of the bearing unit from rotating relative to the hub axle in a fully assembled state where the bearing unit and the lock member are mounted to the hub axle, the lock member having a first tool-engagement portion and a lock-member threaded portion configured to threadedly engage with the axle threaded portion, the lock member having an outer peripheral surface;
and
a tool engagement member configured to rotate the inner race of the bearing unit relative to the hub axle in a state where the inner race is threaded onto the hub axle and having a second tool-engagement portion and a second torque-transmitting portion configured to engage with the first torque-transmitting portion of the inner race, the tool engagement member having an inner peripheral surface, wherein
the inner peripheral surface of the tool engagement member is disposed on and in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lock member.

4 more elements

A bicycle hub assembly comprising:

a hub axle having a first end, a second end opposite to the first end in an axial direction parallel to a rotational center axis of the bicycle hub assembly and an axle threaded portion formed on at least one of the first end and the second end;
a hub body rotatably supported around the hub axle with respect to the rotational center axis;
a bearing unit configured to rotatably support the hub body around the hub axle with respect to the rotational center axis and including an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of rolling members disposed between the outer race and the inner race, the inner race having a bearing threaded portion configured to threadedly engage with the axle threaded portion of the hub axle;
and
a lock member configured to prevent the inner race of the bearing unit from rotating relative to the hub axle in a fully assembled state where the bearing unit and the lock member are mounted to the hub axle, the lock member having a first tool-engagement portion and a lock-member threaded portion configured to threadedly engage with the axle threaded portion, the lock member having an outer peripheral surface, wherein
the inner race of the bearing unit includes an inner race body and an axially extending part having a second tool-engagement portion spaced apart from the first tool-engagement portion in the axial direction, the second tool-engagement portion having an inner peripheral surface, and
the inner peripheral surface of the second tool-engagement portion is disposed on and in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lock member.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/845,800Filed 10 Apr 2020 · continuation
Priority: 7 Oct 2016
Published: US 2020/0238756 A130 Jul 2020
Granted: 18 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B60B 1/003
Spoked wheels; Spokes thereof: specially adapted for bicycles
B60B 27/023
Adapted to be rotatably arranged on axle: specially adapted for bicycles
B60B 27/0021
For driven wheels: characterised by torque transmission means from drive axle
B60B 27/0078
Hubs: characterised by the fixation of bearings

Family

Application15/287,751Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Oct 2016
US 2020/0238756 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Jul 2020
US 10,654,314 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0099526 A1Published application
US 11,628,686 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.