US 6,065,580 AGranted

Heavy duty freewheel hub for bicycles

OwnerFriedrich Kirkinventor

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Abstract

A hub assembly for a bicycle wheel is comprised of two spaced flanges for connection to the spokes of a wheel and a tubular center section. One flange is provided with a circular array of holes for mounting a disk brake rotor. The opposite flange is provided with an internal spline axially aligned and housed within the hub. Said spline slidably engages with a spline on a ring pawl member, which has ramped teeth on a surface facing a tubular sprocket carrier. The teeth on said ring pawl member interact with corresponding teeth on said tubular sprocket carrier to create a unidirectional clutch mechanism. Said tubular sprocket carrier is also provided with external splines to accept industry standard toothed sprockets. The clutch mechanism and bearings are arranged so as to allow a large diameter sleeve axle to fit unrestricted within the confinement of the industry standard drive sprocket's internal splines. A large diameter (20 mm or larger) through axle can then pass through said sleeve axle with no restrictions.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A free-wheel hub for a bicycle comprising:

a hub shell, said hub shell a tubular member having a first end and a second end;
a sleeve axle having an external diameter, a first end region, a second end region, and a hole;
said sleeve axle positioned within said hub shell and rotatable relative to said hub shell;
a first roller bearing interfacing between the first end of said hub shell and the first end region of said sleeve axle;
a sprocket body having a first end and a second end and further having a central through bore larger than the external diameter of said sleeve axle;
said sprocket body having splines for receiving sprocket wheels;
said sprocket body positioned about said sleeve axle with the first end of said sprocket body within the second end of said hub shell, and the second end of said sprocket body adjacent said second end region of said sleeve axle and outward from the second end of said hub shell;
a second roller bearing positioned within the second end of said hub shell, inward of, said splines toward said first roller bearing, and interfacing between said hub shell and said sprocket body;
a third roller bearing positioned within the second end of said hub shell, inward of said splines toward said first roller bearing, and interfacing between said sleeve axle and the first end of said sprocket body;
clutch means for providing unidirectional torque coupling between said sprocket body and said hub shell, said clutch means positioned within said hub shell and inward of said splines and inward of the second and third roller bearings, toward said first roller bearing;
said clutch means for coupling rotation of said sprocket body to rotation of said hub shell in a first direction of rotation, and allowing free rotation said hub shell relative to said sprocket body in a second direction of rotation;
an axle, said axle disposed within said hole of said sleeve axle and protruding from the first and second end regions of said sleeve axle, said axle further protruding from said first end of said hub shell and from said second end of said sprocket body for providing clamp-engagable material.

9 more elements

A free-wheel hub for a bicycle comprising:

a hub shell, said hub shell a tubular member having a first end and a second end;
an axle having a first end region and a second end region;
said axle extending through said hub shell;
said hub shell rotatable relative to said axle;
a sprocket body having a first end and a second end and further having a central through bore;
said sprocket body having sprocket wheel support means for receiving at least one sprocket wheel and torsionally coupling the sprocket wheel to said sprocket body;
said sprocket body positioned about said axle with the first end of said sprocket body within the second end of said hub shell, and the second end of said sprocket body positioned about said second end region of said axle and outward from the second end of said hub shell;
a sleeve axle, said sleeve axle comprising a tubular member having a bore, said sleeve axle bore having a larger diameter than an external diameter of said axle so that said axle fits through said sleeve axle;
a first bearing interfacing between the first end of said hub shell and a first end of said sleeve axle;
a second bearing positioned within the second end of said hub shell, inward of said sprocket wheel support means toward said first bearing, and interfacing between said hub shell and said sprocket body;
a third bearing positioned within the second end of said hub shell, inward of said sprocket wheel support means toward said first bearing, and interfacing between said sleeve axle and the first end of said sprocket body;
clutch means for coupling rotation of said sprocket body to rotation of said hub shell in a first direction of rotation, and allowing free rotation said hub shell relative to said sprocket body in a second direction of rotation;
said clutch means positioned within said hub shell and inward of said sprocket wheel support means and inward of the second and third bearings, toward said first bearing.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.