Bicycle chain rings with ramps
AssigneeWick Werks, LLC
InventorsChristopher A. Wickliffe, Eldon Goates
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are bicycle chain rings for bicycles having specially shaped ramps with lifting surfaces for improved up-shifting performance. Additional embodiments of the bicycle chain rings of the present invention may be configured with one or more additional features formed within the chain rings including a transition slide, a tapered ramp face, a ramp bridge, a ramp lead, a trailing transition slide and a wear pin.
Claims19
A bicycle chain ring for engaging a chain link of a bicycle chain, the bicycle chain ring comprising:
- a plurality of ramps disposed about an inner surface of the bicycle chain ring, wherein at least one of the plurality of ramps is configured with a linear lifting surface that extends perpendicularly from the inner surface and is configured to concurrently engage the chain link at two or more distinct pivot points along the length of the chain link, and
- wherein the at least one ramp is positioned generally from an inner periphery of the chain ring toward an outer periphery, the at least one ramp ending before reaching the bottom of a trough positioned between chain ring teeth along the outer periphery.
A bicycle chain ring, comprising:
- a plurality of lifting surfaces perpendicularly disposed about an inner surface of the bicycle chain ring, at least one of the lifting surfaces being configured to concurrently engage two or more load points of a bicycle chain below bicycle chain link pins, thereby initiating stable lift to the bicycle chain without assistance from chain ring teeth or shift pins during an up-shift;
- and
- wherein at least one of the plurality of lifting surfaces is linearly positioned generally from an inner periphery toward an outer periphery, the at least one lifting surface ending before reaching the bottom of a trough positioned between chain ring teeth along the outer periphery.
A bicycle chain ring, comprising a plurality of ramps disposed about an inner surface of the bicycle chain ring and positioned generally from an inner periphery of the chain ring toward an outer periphery, wherein at least one of the plurality of ramps is configured with a lifting surface that protrudes from the inner surface and is linearly angled to engage and lift a bicycle chain during an up-shift, the lifting surface being configured to concurrently engage the chain at two or more load points along a length of the chain during the up-shift, the load points being located directly under chain pivot points that are proximate to bicycle chain link pins;
- and
- wherein the at least one ramp ends before reaching the bottom of a trough positioned between chain ring teeth along the outer periphery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.