Toothed gear

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a toothed gear including an outer toothed rim, a hub and a profiled bridge area connecting the toothed rim and the hub as one piece, the bridge area being connected to the toothed rim and to the hub in different planes.

#2. The Prior Art

#Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

#In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

#FIG. 1 shows a side view of a toothed gear in accordance with the present invention.

#Referring to FIG. 1, a toothed gear is shown which includes a hub 3, an outer toothed rim 1 and a plurality of spoke-like bridges interconnecting hub 3 and rim 1 as a single piece. As is particularly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bridges or spokes are alternately arranged with a uniform peripheral distribution in the planes E1 and, respectively, E2, shown in FIG. 3 extending parallel with and spaced on either side from the center plane EM passing through rim 1. Bridges 2 are formed as a section of an imaginary disk connecting toothed rim 1 on the inside and hub 3 on the outside, the disk being profiled in the peripheral direction as a periodic circular function 4. Each bridge 2 is formed in the areas of maximum amplitude of the circular function.

#Bridges 2 are connected to both the inner side of outer toothed rim 1 and to the outer side of hub 3 with widened transition areas 21 and 22, respectively.

#While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.