192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Velocipede free wheel
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-20
2003-07-08
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Velocipede free wheel
C192S069810, C192S089270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06588564
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a hub, which is especially suitable for bicycles.
In addition to bicycles, the hub can be used for other purposes, for example for all types of towing trailers, especially bicycle trailers, for wheelchairs and other such similar contrivances. For the sake of simplicity, however, the invention will be described in the following with reference to its use with bicycles, whereby said description shall not be construed in any way as a limitation of application.
Hubs of the type referred to here serve to connect the stationary wheel axle with the freewheel rotating about said axle. The connection between the hub and the rim of the wheel is made with steel spokes, whereby generally between 24 and 36 spokes are used which are inserted into bores on the hub and the rim in adherence to a given pattern. In addition to said spokes, connections today are increasingly making use of just a small number of, for example, three or four plastic supports, or employing discs such as carbon discs.
High demands are placed on hubs especially with wheels used for sporting purposes, most particularly with wheels used during competitive events. On one hand, a hub should rotate with the least amount of frictional drag possible and on the other hand, it should enable a support as free of play as possible, it should exhibit only slight soiling and wear, and it should be easy to mount and disassemble.
Generally, it is the rear wheel of a bicycle which is driven. To this end, in addition to the actual hub housing, a rotor or driver is also arranged on the rear wheel hub axle, to which one or more gearwheels or sprocket wheels can be firmly mounted in order to transfer the driving force to the rear wheel.
To prevent the front pedal crank from continuing to rotate during a downhill ride, a freewheel is usually integrated into the rear hub, which transfers the driving force of the driver or the rotor from the rotor to the hub housing and thus to the rear wheel while having the effect that the hub housing and the rotor can rotate counter to one another during back-pedaling.
A freewheel which is fast and reliable in the introducing of driving force transferred from the rotor to the hub housing is known in the prior art from German utility model G 94 19 357.6. Meanwhile, friction losses are also relatively slight, if the user does not use the pedal.
This freewheel transfers forward rotor torque via a pair of toothed discs while the gear teeth are disengaged during back-pedaling.
A disadvantage of this freewheel is that a slight tilting of one of the toothed discs leads to greater wear on the more heavily stressed teeth so that durability is limited.
The task of the present invention is to provide a hub for a bicycle which meets the previously mentioned requirements and which, in particular, functions reliably, is easy to dismantle and which has a highly durable life.
This task is solved in accordance with the present invention by the object of claim 1, claim 26, or claim 27. Preferred embodiments of the invention constitute the subject matter of the subclaims.
The present invention provides a hub with high functional reliability and durability since the inventive freewheel contained in the hub achieves a reliable, durable and form-fitting connection during transferring of force while frictional losses occurring, for example during a downhill ride when not pedaling, are slight.
The hub according to the present invention has two bearing means as a front wheel hub and preferably four bearing means as a rear wheel hub. These bearing means are preferably configured as ball bearings, especially preferred is their configuring as grooved ball bearings, whereby it is especially preferable to use low-friction bearings and low-friction lubricants.
In addition to a hub axle which is rotatably mounted relative the hub housing, the hub according to the present invention also has a rotor mounted to be rotatable relative said hub axle and a freewheel device comprising at least two toothed discs arranged or switched between the rotor and the hub housing, said discs being pressed against each other by a pre-tensioning means and configured such that they transfer rotor torque in the direction of travel from the rotor to the hub housing. In a preferred embodiment, the tooth surfaces are arranged on a side surface and engage with one another upon transmission of torque.
The toothed discs are arranged substantially concentric to the hub axle and when assembled accordingly, the discs lie substantially in a plane perpendicular to an axial line of said hub axle, at least in the state of rest.
The toothed discs are of a floating mounting so that a tilting of said toothed discs perpendicular to the axial line relative this plane is possible during operation.
The hub according to the present invention has numerous advantages.
The use of two floating-mounted toothed discs has the advantage that a tilting of the first toothed disc causes a corresponding tilting of the second toothed disc such that the teeth arranged on said toothed discs are always reliably engaged with one another during a transmission of torque.
In a preferred embodiment of the inventive hub, said toothed discs are arranged adjacent to one another and urged together by means of at least one spring, whereby especially preferred is respective springs each exerting pressure against each outer side of the respective adjacent toothed discs. Configuring at least one of these springs as a coil spring is particularly preferred.
Such a configuration has many advantages since using two springs exerting pressure symmetrically from both sides onto adjacent toothed discs results in a symmetrical stressing and since using two springs allows for a quicker reaction at the outset. Consequently, the freewheel reacts faster to the introduction of driving force than conventional freewheels do.
In a further preferred embodiment, the toothed discs of the freewheel are configured to be relatively thin discs, their outer diameter amounting to between 20 and 40 mm; roughly 30 mm is preferred. Disc thickness amounts to between 4 and 12 mm; roughly 8 mm is preferred. A plurality of teeth are arranged on a side or disc surface, whereby the number of said teeth is >2, preferably between 4 and 60, and especially preferred between 6 and 48.
The quick and easy exchanging of toothed discs integrated in the hub is particularly preferred, as is the hub itself being readily opened without great exertion, in order to enable simple and feasibly daily cleaning, as is customary in professional cycling circles.
A greater number of teeth leads to a higher freewheel loading capacity, while friction is smaller with a lesser number of teeth.
When the corresponding toothed discs allow for simple and quick replacement, the user can choose between the individual advantages according to his or her own requirements for use so that toothed discs having a lesser number of teeth can be fitted for rides over even surfaces or at high speeds, while a greater number of teeth is more auspicious for uphill or cross-country rides since the loading capacity is greater.
In another preferred embodiment of the inventive hub, the teeth of the toothed discs are arranged on an annular section of the disc or side surface, wherein arranging the teeth on one of the outer annular areas of the toothed disc is especially preferred.
Two toothed discs are employed in a preferred embodiment of the inventive hub which are essentially similar or identical or manufactured in such a way that with two toothed-discs arranged with their tooth surfaces directly adjacent, at least a part of the teeth of one of said toothed discs engages in the recesses between the teeth of said second toothed disc, whereby the number of teeth of said two toothed discs may either be identical or different.
This constitutes a further advantage of the hub according to the present invention since the effect described above can be achieved by switching the toothed disc: employing a toothed disc with a lesser number of teeth reduces friction, e
Jäger Gerrit
Spahr Stephan
DT-Swiss AG
Lorence Richard M.
Williams Eric M
LandOfFree
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