192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Velocipede free wheel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-16
2001-07-17
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Velocipede free wheel
C192S11000B, C301S110500, C384S520000, C384S545000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260681
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle transmission mechanism, more particularly to a free-wheel hub transmission mechanism for a bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional free-wheel hub transmission mechanism is shown to include an axle
3
and a spoke-mounting barrel
1
mounted rotatably around the axle
3
in such a manner that a right axle portion
300
thereof projects outwardly from a right end portion
100
of the spoke-mounting barrel
1
. A sprocket mounting member
5
is sleeved around the right axle portion
300
of the axle
3
adjacent to the right end portion
100
of the spoke-mounting barrel
1
. The sprocket-mounting member
5
includes an outer shell
500
that is coupled with the right end portion
100
of the spoke-mounting barrel
1
and that has an inner wall surface
501
formed with a proximate small-diameter wall section
502
and a distal large-diameter wall section
503
. Left and right bearing units
6
are disposed inside the large-diameter wall section
503
of the outer shell
500
and around the right axle portion
300
of the axle
30
. A positioning tubular sleeve
7
is disposed within the large-diameter wall section
503
of the outer shell
500
around the right axle portion
300
of the axle
3
in such a manner that two opposite ends of the tubular sleeve
7
abut against the left and right bearing units
6
, respectively, in order to prevent axial displacement of the left and right bearing units
6
relative to each other. A clutch assembly
4
is disposed inside the right end portion
100
of the spoke-mounting barrel
1
and is operably coupled with the outer shell
500
so as to permit co-rotation of the spoke-mounting barrel
1
with the sprocket mounting member
5
in only a single direction.
Some of the drawbacks of the aforementioned conventional free-wheel hub transmission mechanism are as follows:
It is somewhat difficult to assemble the components of the aforesaid hub transmission mechanism. During assembly, the axle
3
is inserted through the spoke-mounting barrel
1
in such a manner that the right axle portion
300
projects outwardly from the right end portion
100
of the spoke-mounting barrel
1
. The sprocket mounting member
5
is then mounted around the right axle portion
300
of the axle
3
. Because the tubular sleeve
7
is radially displaceable in the outer shell
500
so that just prior to mounting of the sprocket mounting member
5
around the right axle portion
300
, the central bores in the bearing units
6
and the tubular sleeve
7
within the outer shell
500
must be aligned with each other to permit smooth extension of the right axle portion
300
therethrough. As such, a relatively long assembly time is thus incurred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a free-wheel hub transmission mechanism which includes an axle and a sprocket mounting member provided with a tubular sleeve and a restricting spacer unit of specific configurations such that only a relatively short amount of time is required for mounting of the sprocket mounting member on the axle.
Accordingly, a free-wheel hub transmission mechanism of the present invention includes an axle with left and right axle portions, a tubular spoke-mounting barrel, a sprocket mounting member, and a clutch assembly. The spoke-mounting barrel has a right end portion, and defines an axially extending through-hole therethrough. The axle extends co-axially through the through-hole in the spoke-mounting barrel in such a manner that the right axle portion thereof projects outwardly from the right end portion of the spoke-mounting barrel. The sprocket mounting member is sleeved around the right axle portion of the axle adjacent to the right end portion of the spoke-mounting barrel, and includes an outer shell, left and right bearing units, a tubular sleeve, and a restricting spacer unit. The outer shell is coupled with the right end portion of the spoke-mounting barrel, and has an inner wall that is formed with a proximate small-diameter wall section relative to the right end portion of the spoke-mounting barrel and a distal large-diameter wall section, thereby defining a shoulder between the small and large-diameter wall sections. The left bearing unit is disposed inside the large-diameter wall section of the outer shell, and has an inner race sleeved around the right axle portion of the axle, and an outer race. The outer race of the left bearing unit has a left end surface that abuts against the shoulder of the outer shell, and an outer circumferential surface that is in tight engagement with the outer shell. The inner race of the left bearing unit has left and right end surfaces. The tubular sleeve is disposed inside the large-diameter wall section of the outer shell and around the right axle portion of the axle. The tubular sleeve has a left sleeve section with an abutment surface abutting against the right end surface of the inner race of the left bearing unit, and a right sleeve section which extends axially from the left sleeve section away from the left bearing unit. The right bearing unit is disposed inside the large-diameter wall section and is spaced apart axially from the left bearing unit. The right bearing unit has an outer race in tight engagement with the outer shell and an inner race that is disposed around the right sleeve section of the tubular sleeve and that has left and right end surfaces. The restricting spacer unit is disposed inside the large-diameter wall section between the left and right bearing units to restrict axial displacement of the left and right bearing units relative to each other, thereby immobilizing the inner races of the left and right bearing units relative to the tubular sleeve. The clutch assembly is disposed inside the right end portion of the spoke-mounting barrel, and is operably coupled with the outer shell so as to permit co-rotation of the spoke-mounting barrel with the sprocket mounting member in only a single direction.
Before the axle is inserted into the sprocket mounting member during assembly of the mechanism, because the tubular sleeve disposed within the outer shell of the sprocket mounting member is restricted from radial displacement relative to the left and right bearing units, extension of the right axle portion of the axle therethrough can be conducted with ease.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4567973 (1986-02-01), Butz
patent: 5738197 (1998-04-01), Kroger et al.
patent: 646836 (1950-11-01), None
Kun Teng Industry Co., Ltd.
Lorence Richard M.
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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