US 5,540,456 AGranted

Multispeed hub for a bicycle

AssigneeFichtel & Sachs AG

InventorsGerhard Meier-Burkamp, Werner Steuer

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Abstract

A hub for a bicycle can typically have an axle for being non-rotationally connected to a frame of the bicycle, a hub body rotatably mounted about the axle, and a drive element rotatably mounted on the axle. A plurality of transmission elements can preferably be disposed between the axle and the hub body for transmitting a drive force from the drive element to the hub body, and a selection between various gearing ratios provided by the transmission elements can preferably be provided by a selectively engageable ratchet mechanism and a control device for selectively engaging and disengaging the ratchet mechanisms. The ratchet mechanism can be provided by at least one pawl, biased radially inward by at least one spring, to non-rotationally couple a ring body in one direction of rotation with the axle. There can also be a control device running parallel to the hub axle to control the engagement of the pawl between the ring body and the axle, whereby the control device can have a control plate with at least one cam. The cam can be configured to disengage the ratchet mechanism. Such a device is advantageous for shifting ratchet mechanisms, even under load, and makes it possible to engage or disengage more than one ratchet mechanism with a single control plate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A multi-speed hub for a bicycle having a frame, at least one wheel, and the multi-speed hub for mounting the at least one wheel to the frame, said hub comprising:

shaft means for being non-rotationally connected to a frame of a bicycle;
input means for inputting rotational power to the hub;
sleeve means disposed concentrically about said shaft means for receiving rotational power from said input means and for outputting rotational power to the at least one wheel, said sleeve means comprising means for being connected to the at least one wheel;
transmission means disposed within said sleeve means about said shaft means, said transmission means comprising:
at least one sun gear disposed about said shaft means, said at least one sun gear having an inner portion disposed adjacent said shaft means;
at least one planet gear disposed adjacent said at least one sun gear and meshed with said at least one sun gear;
at least one ring gear disposed concentrically about said at least one sun gear and disposed about said at least one planet gear, said at least one ring gear being meshed with said at least one planet gear;
said at least one sun gear comprising:
a first member disposed on said inner portion of said at least one sun gear;
and
means for biasing said first member towards said shaft means;
said shaft means comprising:
means for engaging said first member of said at least one sun gear for non-rotatably engaging said at least one sun gear with said shaft means;
means for withdrawing said first member out of engagement with said means for engaging and blocking re-engagement of said first member with said means for engaging to enable rotation of said at least one sun gear about said shaft means;
and
means for longitudinally displacing said means for withdrawing between at least a first position with said first member engaged with said means for engaging, and at least a second position with said first member blocked from engaging with said means for engaging.

13 more elements

A controllable ratchet mechanism for a drive hub of a bicycle, the hub defining a longitudinal axis, and the hub comprising a first member and a second member with the second member disposed about the first member, the first member having an outer surface disposed towards the second member, and the second member having an inner surface disposed towards the first member, the first and second members being selectively rotatable relative to one another, and selectively non-rotatably engageable with one another, said ratchet mechanism comprising:

at least one pawl pivotably mounted on the inner surface of the second member, said at least one pawl having a first end mounted to the second member and a second end opposite the first end;
means for engaging said second end of said at least one pawl for non-rotatably engaging the first member and the second member, the first member comprising said means for engaging;
control means for controlling engagement and disengagement of said at least one pawl between the second member and the first member, the first and second members being relatively rotatable with respect to one another upon disengagement of said at least one pawl, and the first and second members being non-rotatably engaged with one another upon engagement of said at least one pawl, said control means comprising:
at least one third member for disengaging said at least one pawl from said means for engaging and for blocking re-engagement of said at least one pawl with said means for engaging to enable relative rotation between the first and second members;
and
means for longitudinally displacing said third member between at least a first position with said at least one pawl engaged with said means for engaging, and at least a second position with said at least one pawl blocked from engaging with said means for engaging.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.