Bearings – Rotary bearing – Antifriction bearing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-28
2002-05-14
Footland, Lenard A. (Department: 3682)
Bearings
Rotary bearing
Antifriction bearing
C384S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06386765
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure of a bottom bracket for bicycles wherein the shaft of the bottom bracket is hollow and has grooves for receiving balls therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional bicycle bottom bracket
70
is shown in FIG.
5
and generally includes a tube
80
with a shaft
71
rotatably received therein and two bearings
73
are respectively mounted to the shaft
71
to allow the shaft
71
be rotatable. An inner tube
72
is mounted to the shaft
71
and engaged between the two bearings
73
to position the bearings
73
. Two threaded races
74
are respectively engaged with two threaded portions defined in an inner periphery of the tube
80
. Therefore, the two bearings
73
are firmly positioned between the inner tube
72
and the two races
74
. The shaft
71
is made of solid metal so that the whole weight is heavy and not satisfied by the requirements of modern bicycles. Besides, each bearing
73
received in the tube
80
has an outer casing which has a certain thickness so that the shaft
71
has to be designed to have two shrink ends so that the bearings
73
can be received in the tube
80
. On the contrary, if the shaft
71
is made to be hollow to obtain a light in weight, the shrink ends
71
are adverse to bear large loads.
The present invention intends to provide a structure of bottom bracket wherein the shaft is hollowed and has grooves for receiving balls so that conventional outer casing of bearings can be improved and the diameter of the two ends of the shaft can be enlarged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bottom bracket for bicycles and comprising a tube with a hollow shaft received therein and two first grooves defined in an outer periphery of the hollow shaft. Two collars are mounted to the hollow shaft and each have a second groove defined in an inner periphery thereof so that balls are engaged with the first grooves and the second grooves. An inner tube is mounted to the hollow shaft and engaged between two respective first ends of the two collars. Two races are respectively engaged with two ends of the tube and each race has a positioning flange extending radially inward from an inner periphery thereof so that the two positioning flanges are engaged with two respective second ends of the collars.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bottom bracket that has a hollow shaft which as a larger diameter so that the total weight of the bottom bracket is reduced and the strength of the hollow shaft is enforced as the diameter thereof is increased.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6095691 (2000-08-01), Chiang
patent: 6116114 (2000-09-01), Edwards
Footland Lenard A.
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
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