Cassette and bicycle wheel assembly
AssigneePraxis Works LLC
InventorsDavid M. Earle, Ding-Jiun Lin, David Allen, Shih-Min Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cassette for a bicycle may include a plurality of sprocket portions fused into a single unit. The cassette may include a cavity formed in the large end of the cassette. Spokes of an associated wheel may be at least partially disposed in the cavity. A related manufacturing method may include joining a first generally planar sprocket portion having a plurality of connector portions extending transverse to the plane of the first sprocket portion, to a second generally planar sprocket portion by fusing at least one of the connector portions to the second sprocket portion.
Claims18
A method for making a cassette for a bicycle, the method comprising:
- forming a generally planar and annular first sprocket portion defining a plane and having a plurality of connector portions each unitary with the first sprocket portion and extending transverse to the plane of the first sprocket portion, by bending a corresponding plurality of elongate members extending radially inward around a first inner diameter (ID) of the first sprocket portion to form the plurality of connector portions;
- joining the first sprocket portion to a second generally planar sprocket portion by fusing at least one of the connector portions to the second sprocket portion;
- wherein the second sprocket portion is generally annular and has a second ID sized differently from the first ID.
A method for making a cassette for a bicycle, the method comprising:
- producing a substantially planar first sprocket portion defining a plane and having a generally annular shape, a first plurality of teeth extending radially outward around a first outer diameter, and a first plurality of finger portions extending radially inward around an inner diameter;
- producing a substantially planar second sprocket portion having a second plurality of teeth extending radially outward around a second outer diameter;
- shaping the first plurality of finger portions, by bending each of the finger portions, to produce a plurality of connector portions protruding transverse to the plane of the first sprocket portion;
- and
- joining the first sprocket portion to the second sprocket portion by fusing the plurality of connector portions to the second sprocket portion;
- wherein the first sprocket portion and the second sprocket portion are concentric, and the first sprocket portion is spaced from the second sprocket by the plurality of connector portions.
A method for making a cassette for a bicycle, the method comprising:
- selecting a substantially planar and annular first sprocket portion defining a plane, the first sprocket portion having a first outer diameter and a plurality of connection members disposed around an inner diameter, each connection member comprising a formerly coplanar member of the sprocket portion bent such that the respective connection member protrudes transverse to the plane of the sprocket portion;
- selecting a substantially planar second sprocket portion having a second outer diameter different from the first outer diameter;
- aligning the first and second sprocket portions coaxially;
- and
- joining the first and second sprocket portions by welding the connection members of the first sprocket portion to the second sprocket portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.