Bicycle drive assembly
AssigneeENVE Composites, LLC
InventorKevin E. Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle drive assembly may include an axle, a hub shell rotatably mounted on the axle by a first bearing, a free hub rotatably mounted on the axle by a second bearing, and a ratchet mechanism releasably coupling the free hub to the hub shell to transmit torque from the free hub to the hub. The ratchet mechanism may include a first ratchet ring having an inner surface joined to the hub shell for rotation with the hub shell and a second ratchet ring having an inner surface joined to the free hub for rotation with the free hub. The first ratchet ring and the second ratchet ring encircle and radially overlap the first bearing and the second bearing, respectively. At least one spring resiliently biases the first ratchet face and the second ratchet face into engagement to transmit torque from the free hub to the hub shell.
Claims18
A bicycle drive assembly comprising:
- an axle extending along an axis;
- a hub shell rotatably mounted on the axle by a first bearing;
- a free hub rotatably mounted on the axle by a second bearing;
- a first spring captured between the first bearing and the second bearing to resiliently urge the inner races of the first bearing and the second bearing away from one another;
- and
- a ratchet mechanism releasably coupling the free hub to the hub shell to transmit torque from the free hub to the hub, the ratchet mechanism comprising:
- a first ratchet ring joined to the hub shell for rotation with the hub shell, the first ratchet ring encircling and radially overlapping the first bearing, the first ratchet ring having a first ratchet face;
- a second ratchet ring joined to the free hub for rotation with the free hub, the second ratchet ring encircling and radially overlapping the second bearing, the second ratchet ring having a second ratchet face;
- and
- a second spring resiliently biasing the first ratchet face and the second ratchet face into engagement to transmit torque from the free hub to the hub shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.