High-torque dual-purpose hub assembly for the rear wheel of a multispeed bicycle
OwnerPyong I. Chainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cylindrical cassette body contains the movable balls and ball-biasing springs of a ball-type clutch. The balls ride in grooves in an element disposed within the body. Exteriorly, the cog body has longitudinal keyways to receive internal teeth of a set of cogs all of which have the same internal diameter. The exterior of the body is also threaded and is selectively employed in combination with a free-wheeling cog adapter having two different outer diameters, such adapter receiving a set of cogs having two different inner diameters.
Claims5
A high-torque assembly for a multispeed bicycle, said bicycle having a rear wheel, said rear wheel having a rear hub, said high-torque assembly being for said rear hub, said high-torque assembly comprising:
- (a) an elongate generally cylindrical body having a large-diameter coaxial bore therethrough,
- said bore having a wall,
- (b) a generally cylindrical race element mounted coaxially in said bore,
- said race element being adapted to be connected coaxially to said rear hub of said multispeed bicycle,
- said race element being mounted for rotation relative to said body unless such relative rotation is prevented,
- said race element having an outer side that is generally cylindrical and is coaxial with said wall,
- said outer side having a plurality of annular grooves formed therein and spaced from each other axially of said race element,
- each of said annular grooves lying in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the axis of said race element,
- (c) a multiplicity of ball-receiving recesses provided in said body,
- said recesses opening through said wall of said bore,
- said recesses also lying generally in said planes,
- each of said recesses having an outer wall that is generally tangential to said race element,
- (d) a ball provided in each of said recesses,
- each such ball being disposed at its inner portion in one of said annular grooves in said race element,
- each such ball being disposed at its outer portion, outwardly of the one of said annular grooves it is partially in, for engagement with said outer wall of the one of said recesses it is in,
- (e) spring means to bias said balls in a predetermined direction,
- said balls, recesses, grooves, and spring means cooperatively forming a one-way ball clutch preventing rotation of said race element relative to said body in one direction, but permitting rotation of said race element relative to said body in the opposite direction,
- (f) means provided externally on said body to receive a set of cogs for said bicycle, and
- (g) a set of cogs mounted on said cog-receiving means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.