Internally mounted bicycle transmission
AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorAkihiko Shoge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internally mounted bicycle transmission includes a hub axle, a drive member rotatably mounted around the hub axle, a hub body rotatably mounted around the hub axle, and a gear mechanism coupled between the drive member and the hub body for communicating rotational force from the drive member to the hub body through multiple transmission paths. The gear mechanism includes a sun gear rotatably supported around the axle, a planet gear supported by a planet gear carrier for rotation around the hub axle and for engaging the sun gear, and a ring gear engaging the planet gear. According to the invention, the ring gear is integrally formed with the drive member.
Claims18
A drive member for an internally mounted bicycle transmission comprising an annular member (10) having a first end (12) structured for attaching a sprocket (1) thereto and a second end (14) having a plurality of teeth disposed along a peripheral surface thereof for forming a ring gear (29), wherein the ring gear (29) defines a ring gear hole having a first diameter (D1), wherein the second end (14) defines a clutch assembly hole (15) having a second diameter (D2);
- and a power transmission clutch (35) disposed in the clutch assembly hole (15), wherein the power transmission clutch (35) moves radially toward and away from an inner peripheral surface of the clutch assembly hole (15), wherein the first end (12) of the annular member (10) defines an attachment hole (11) having a third diameter (D3) for receiving a hub axle (3) therethrough, wherein the clutch assembly hole (15) is disposed axially between the ring gear hole and the attachment hole (11);
- a first side wall of the annular member (10) extending radially inwardly from an inner peripheral surface of the annular member (10) and defining a junction between the ring gear hole and the clutch assembly hole (15);
- and a second side wall of annular member (10) extending radially inwardly from the inner peripheral surface of the annular member (10) and defining a junction between the clutch assembly hole (15) and the attachment hole (11).
An internally mounted bicycle transmission comprising:
- a hub axle (3);
- a drive member (10) rotatably mounted around the hub axle (3);
- a hub body (2) rotatably mounted around the hub axle (3);
- a gear mechanism (21,22,23,24,26,28,29,30,31,32,33,34) coupled between the drive member (10) and the hub body (2) for communicating rotational force from the drive member (10) to the hub body (2) through multiple transmission paths, wherein the gear mechanism includes:
- a sun gear (31) rotatably supported around the axle (3);
- a planet gear (21) supported by a planet gear carrier (26) for rotation around the hub axle (3), wherein the planet gear (21) engages the sun gear (31);
- and
- a ring gear (29) engaging the planet gear (21), wherein the ring gear (29) is integrally formed with the drive member (10);
- wherein the drive member (10) comprises an annular member (10) having a first end (12) structured for attaching a sprocket (1) thereto and a second end (14) having a plurality of teeth disposed along a peripheral surface thereof for forming the ring gear (29), wherein the ring gear (29) defines a ring gear hole having a first diameter (D1), wherein the second end (14) defines a clutch assembly hole (15) having a second diameter (D2);
- and a power transmission clutch (35) disposed in the clutch assembly hole (15) for selectively nonrotatably coupling the drive member (10) to the planet gear carrier (26), wherein the first end (12) of the annular member (10) defines an attachment hole (11) having a third diameter (D3) for receiving a hub axle (3) therethrough, and wherein the clutch assembly hole (15) is disposed axially between the ring gear hole and the attachment hole (11).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.