Bicycle hub transmission with a power control mechanism for a shift assist mechanism
AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorAkihiko Shoge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hub transmission for a bicycle comprises a hub axle; a driver rotatably supported to the hub axle; a hub shell rotatably supported to the hub axle; a power transmitting mechanism disposed between the driver and the hub shell for communicating rotational power from the driver to the hub shell through a plurality of power transmission paths; a shift mechanism for selecting the plurality of power transmission paths; a shift assist mechanism for communicating rotational power from the driver to the shift mechanism; and a power control mechanism disposed between the driver and the shift assist mechanism and coupling the driver to the shift assist mechanism for controlling an amount of rotational power communicated from the driver to the shift mechanism.
Claims35
A hub transmission for a bicycle comprising:
- a hub axle;
- a driver rotatably supported to the hub axle;
- a hub shell rotatably supported to the hub axle;
- a power transmitting mechanism disposed between the driver and the hub shell for communicating rotational power from the driver to the hub shell through a plurality of power transmission paths;
- a shift mechanism for selecting the plurality of power transmission paths;
- a shift assist mechanism for communicating rotational power from the driver to the shift mechanism;
- and
- a power control mechanism disposed between the driver and the shift assist mechanism and coupling the driver to the shift assist mechanism for controlling an amount of rotational power communicated from the driver to the shift mechanism to prevent locking between the driver and the shift mechanism when the shift assist mechanism engages the driver to communicate rotational power from the driver to the shift mechanism and the shift mechanism provides excessive resistance to the shift assist mechanism.
A hub transmission for a bicycle comprising:
- a hub axle
- a driver rotatably supported to the hub axle:
- a hub shell rotatably supported to the hub axle:
- a power transmitting mechanism disposed between the driver and the hub shell for communicating rotational power from the driver to the hub shell through a plurality of power transmission paths;
- a shift mechanism for selecting the plurality of power transmission paths;
- a shift assist mechanism for communicating rotational power from the driver to the shift mechanism;
- and
- a power control mechanism disposed between the driver and the shift assist mechanism and coupling the driver to the shift assist mechanism for controlling an amount of rotational power communicated from the driver to the shift mechanism, wherein the power control mechanism comprises:
- a first power control member operatively coupled to the driver for rotation in response to rotation of the driver;
- and
- a second power control member engaging the first power control member so that the first power control member rotates together with the second power control member until the second power control member significantly resists rotation of the first power control member whereupon the first power control member rotates relative to the second power control member;
- wherein the first power control member contacts the second power control member.
A hub transmission for a bicycle comprising:
- a hub axle;
- a driver rotatably supported to the hub axle;
- a hub shell rotatably supported to the hub axle;
- a power transmitting mechanism disposed between the driver and the hub shell for communicating rotational power from the driver to the hub shell through a plurality of power transmission paths;
- a shift mechanism for selecting the plurality of power transmission paths;
- a shift assist mechanism for communicating rotational power from the driver to the shift mechanism;
- and
- a power control mechanism disposed between the driver and the shift assist mechanism and coupling the driver to the shift assist mechanism for controlling an amount of rotational power communicated from the driver to the shift mechanism, wherein the power control mechanism comprises:
- a first power control member operatively coupled to the driver for rotation in response to rotation of the driver;
- a second power control member engaging the first power control member so that the first power control member rotates together with the second power control member until the second power control member significantly resists rotation of the first power control member whereupon the first power control member rotates relative to the second power control member;
- and
- an assist cam for supporting the second power control member, wherein the assist cam includes a plurality of ratchet teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.