US 8,561,498 B2Granted

Bicycle eccentric bottom bracket

AssigneeNiner, Inc.

InventorSteve Domahidy

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An eccentric bottom bracket for a bicycle. The eccentric bottom bracket includes opposing first and second members. The first member and the second member each include a body and a flange. Each body is sized and shaped to penetrate an opening of a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle. Each flange is sized and shaped to prevent complete admittance of the member into the bottom bracket shell. Each body also has a bearing guide with an axis that is parallel to but offset from a center axis of the bottom bracket shell when that body is fit into the bottom bracket shell. The eccentric bottom bracket also includes a tightening assembly for selectively applying a compressive force between the body of the first member and the body of the second member. The compressive force secures the first member and the second member to the bottom bracket shell.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An eccentric bottom bracket for a bicycle, the eccentric bottom bracket comprising:

a first member;
a second member separate from the first member, the first member and the second member each including a generally cylindrical body and a generally cylindrical flange, each body having an outer surface with an outer diameter substantially matching an inner diameter of an inner surface of a bottom bracket shell of the bicycle so that each body mates with different openings of the bottom bracket shell, each flange having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the inner surface of the bottom bracket shell and preventing complete admittance of the member into the bottom bracket shell, each body having a bearing guide with an axis that is parallel to but offset from a center axis of the bottom bracket shell when that body is fit into the bottom bracket shell;
and
a tightening assembly for selectively applying a compressive force between the body of the first member and the body of the second member, the compressive force holding the first member fixed with respect to the second member and fixedly securing the first member and the second member against outer rims of the bottom bracket shell at an adjustable angle.

1 more element

An eccentric bottom bracket for a bicycle, the eccentric bottom bracket comprising:

opposing first and second members configured for independent seating into opposite sides of a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle frame, each member having a body and a flange, each body sized to touch an inner surface of the bottom bracket shell, each body including a bearing guide with an axis that is parallel to but offset from a center axis of the bottom bracket shell when that body is seated in the bottom bracket shell;
and
a tightening assembly for holding the bearing guide of the first member in alignment with the bearing guide of the second member, the tightening assembly configured to selectively tighten the flanges of the opposing first and second members against outer rims of the bottom bracket shell with enough compressive force to secure the first and second members at a fixed angle relative to the bottom bracket shell, and the tightening assembly configured to selectively loosen the flanges of the opposing first and second members from the bottom bracket shell so that the first and second members are rotatable relative to the bottom bracket shell.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.