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US 7,434,489 B1Granted
Bicycle drive system
OwnerPeter Scrantoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle drive system includes a front gear face, a rear gear face, a front guide assembly, a rear guide assembly, and a drive shaft coupled to a rear-suspension frame via a rear hub and a crank spindle. The bicycle drive system operates independently of the frame. Shifting from one gear to another is controlled by a shift controller. Each shift of the shift controller shifts both the front and rear guide assemblies at the same time. The shift controller is preferably coupled to the front and rear guide assemblies via a cable system.
Claims32
A bicycle drive system comprising:
- a. a first face gear wheel including at least two first concentric face gears and a plurality of dowel pins extending from a surface of the first face gear wheel;
- b. a second face gear wheel including at least two second concentric face gears and a plurality of dowel pins extending from a surface of the second face gear wheel;
- c. a variable length drive shaft having an axis of rotation and having a first end and a second end;
- and
- d. a first gear shift assembly coupled to the first end of the drive shaft and engaging one of the first concentric face gears;
- and
- e. a second gear shift assembly coupled to the second end of the drive shaft and engaging one of the second concentric face gears, wherein upon initiating of a gear shift both the first gear shift assembly and the second gear shift assembly are simultaneously actuated such that the first gear shift assembly maintains a current position relative to the engaged first concentric face gear and the second gear shift assembly moves to and engages an adjacent second concentric face gear as the second face gear wheel rotates to one of a plurality of alignment positions on the second face gear where gear teeth on an adjacent second concentric face gears are aligned in a radial direction,
- wherein the first face gear includes a plurality of alignment positions such that upon a subsequent gear shift both the first gear shift assembly and the second gear shift assembly are simultaneously actuated such that the second gear shift assembly maintains a current position relative to the engaged second concentric face gear and the first gear shift assembly moves to an adjacent first concentric face gear as the first face gear wheel rotates to one of the plurality of alignment positions on the first face gear where gear teeth on adjacent first concentric face gears are aligned in a radial direction.
5 more elements
A bicycle gear shift system comprising:
- a. a face gear wheel including at least two concentric face gears and a plurality of dowel pins extending from a surface of the face gear wheel;
- b. a pinion gear engaging one of the concentric face gears;
- c. a sliding assembly coupled to the pinion gear, the sliding assembly including a plurality of wedge guides;
- and
- d. means for moving the plurality of wedge guides between a neutral position and a shift position such that in the shift position one of the plurality of wedge guides intercepts one of the plurality of dowel pins thereby moving the sliding assembly and the pinion gear from a first concentric face gear to a second concentric face gear.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.