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US 8,074,530 B2Granted
Hub transmission assembly
AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorTetsuya Hino
Life of this patent
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AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorTetsuya Hino
Estimating the term…
A multi-speed internal bicycle hub transmission assembly includes a stationary hub axle, a driver, a hub shell, a power transmission mechanism and a shift control mechanism. The stationary hub axle includes a positioner that is movable in a radial direction. The driver and the hub shell are rotatably supported to the hub axle. The power transmission mechanism is operably disposed between the driver and the hub shell for transmitting rotational power from the driver to the hub shell through a plurality of power transmission paths. The shift control mechanism includes a pawl control member movable in rotational directions relative to the hub axle to a plurality of orientations. Each orientation corresponds to selection of a corresponding one of the plurality of power transmission paths of the power transmission mechanism. The positioner is disposed to urge the pawl control member to remain the selected orientation.
A multi-speed internal bicycle hub transmission assembly comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
With planetary gears: built in, or adjacent to, the ground-wheel hub
Interchangeably locked: control mechanism
Rider propulsion of wheeled vehicles or sledges
Technical subjects covered by former us classification
About 3 years 9 months of term left · ends 31 Jul 2030 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an internal transmission hub assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to an internal transmission hub assembly that includes an internal positioning member.
2. Background Information
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a bicycle, showing a rear portion of the bicycle with a hub assembly in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hub assembly removed from the bicycle, showing elements of a power transmission assembly, a shift control mechanism and a positioner in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, a bicycle 10 with a hub assembly 12 is illustrated in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 2, the hub assembly 12 includes a power transmission assembly 14 with a shift control mechanism 16 that controls movement of a pawl control member 18 and a clutch ring 20. The pawl control member 18 and the clutch ring 20 are selectively movable to a plurality of positions in order to configure various elements of the power transmission assembly 14 to transmit torque along a plurality of power transmission paths indicated in FIGS. 7-17 and described in greater detail below. Further, the hub assembly 12 of present invention includes a positioner 22 configured to accurately locate the pawl control member 18 to discreet positions corresponding to the plurality of power transmission path selectable by a cyclist.