Bottom bracket and wheel shaft for bicycle

Abstract

A bicycle bottom bracket, housed within a bottom bracket, includes a main axle, multiple insulating support rings, multiple conductive rings, two bearings, an outer sleeve, and an external distribution panel. The main axle includes a wiring channel formed within it to accommodate multiple transmission wires. The multiple insulating support rings are fixed around the main axle. Each of the multiple conductive rings is disposed within one of the multiple insulating support rings. The outer sleeve is fitted around the periphery of the multiple conductive rings and has a distribution opening. The external distribution panel detachably covers the distribution opening and includes multiple brush springs correspondingly abutting against the multiple conductive rings. The transmission wires sequentially pass through the wiring channel and the insulating support rings of the main axle and connect to the inner side of the conductive rings; thereby, the transmission wires can transmit pedal electrical signals externally via the external distribution panel. This invention can also serve as a bicycle axle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a bottom bracket and axle for a bicycle, and more particularly to a bottom bracket that can be installed inside the bottom bracket of an electric-assisted bicycle, and an axle installed on a wheel. Prior Technology

[0002] Due to the energy crisis and rising environmental awareness, bicycles have evolved into electric-assisted bicycles. With advancements in battery, motor, and control technologies, the performance of electric-assisted bicycles continues to improve.

[0003] Electric-assisted bicycles are bicycles that rely primarily on human power and secondarily on electricity. To understand the rider's needs and provide the necessary assistance, sensors are required as a communication medium between the rider and the bicycle. The purpose of the sensors is to "predict the rider's actual movement" and transmit this information to the control module, ultimately allowing the motor to provide the appropriate assistance at that moment.

[0004] Existing sensors can be divided into two types: speed sensors and torque sensors. The disadvantage of speed sensors is that they have difficulty determining the differences in pedaling force caused by changes in incline. Existing torque sensors cannot instantly sense the force applied to the pedals by the rider's feet.

[0005] However, once the pedals receive the force or torque from the rider's pedaling, how is this signal transmitted through the crank and the bottom bracket of the bicycle to the central control unit?

[0006] In summary, how to transmit the signals from the pedals through the crank, the bottom bracket of the bicycle, and then to the central control unit to output appropriate electric power to control the motor and provide suitable assistance, in order to complete the transmission and control of the electric-assisted bicycle, has become a problem that needs to be solved in this technical field. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bicycle bottom bracket that addresses the shortcomings of the prior art. This bottom bracket can transmit signals from the pedals through the crank, the bottom bracket of the bicycle, and then to the central control device, thereby outputting appropriate electric power to control the motor and provide suitable assistance to the bicycle.

[0008] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide a bicycle bottom bracket for installation within a bottom bracket, comprising a main shaft, multiple insulating bearing rings, multiple conductive rings, two bearings, an outer sleeve, and an external distribution panel. The main shaft includes a wiring channel formed within the main shaft and designed to accommodate multiple transmission wires. The multiple insulating bearing rings are fixed side-by-side around the main shaft. Each of the multiple conductive rings is disposed within the multiple insulating bearing rings. The two bearings are disposed at both ends of the main shaft; the outer sleeve is fitted around the multiple conductive rings, with the two bearings disposed at both ends of the outer sleeve, which has a distribution opening. The external distribution panel includes multiple brush springs, which are detachably covered by the distribution opening and exposed within the bottom bracket. The multiple brush springs are fixedly disposed on the top surface of the external distribution panel and correspondingly abut against the multiple conductive rings. The transmission wire passes sequentially through the wiring channel of the main shaft and the insulating bearing ring and is connected to the inner side of the conductive ring; thereby, the transmission wire can connect the electrical signal of the pedal to the outside through the external distribution panel.

[0009] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, another technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide a bicycle axle, which includes a main axle, at least one insulating bearing ring, at least one conductive ring, two bearings, an outer sleeve, and an external distribution panel. The main axle includes a wiring channel formed within the main axle and is designed to accommodate multiple transmission wires. The at least one insulating bearing ring is fixed around the main axle. The at least one conductive ring is disposed on the at least one insulating bearing ring; the two bearings are disposed at both ends of the main axle. The outer sleeve is fitted around the at least one conductive ring, and the two bearings are disposed at both ends of the outer sleeve, which has a distribution opening. The external distribution panel includes at least one brush spring, which is detachably covered by the distribution opening. The at least one brush spring is fixedly disposed on the top surface of the external distribution panel and correspondingly abuts against the at least one conductive ring. The transmission wire passes sequentially through the wiring channel of the main shaft and the insulating bearing ring and is connected to the inner side of the conductive ring; thereby, the transmission wire can connect the electrical signal of the pedal to the outside through the external distribution panel.

[0010] One of the advantages of the present invention is that the bicycle's bottom bracket and wheel axle provided by the present invention are connected to the inner side of the conductive ring by the transmission wire passing through the wire hole of the main shaft and the insulating bearing ring in sequence; thereby, the transmission wire can connect the pedal signal to the outside through the external distribution panel.

[0011] To further understand the features and technical content of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, the drawings provided are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the bicycle's bottom bracket connected to the crank and pedals according to the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the central axle of the bicycle of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the bottom bracket of the bicycle of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 is another perspective exploded view of the bicycle's central axle according to the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 is an exploded front view of the bottom bracket of the bicycle of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the bicycle's central axle according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along section line VII-VII of Figure 6.

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the main shaft of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the bicycle's central axle according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the bicycle's central axle according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the application of the present invention to the axle of the rear wheel of a bicycle. Implementation

[0023] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation methods disclosed in this invention. Those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of this invention from the content disclosed in this specification. This invention can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified and changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of this invention. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings of this invention are for simple illustrative purposes only and are not depictions of actual dimensions; this is stated beforehand. The following embodiments will further describe the relevant technical content of this invention in detail, but the disclosed content is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0024] [First Embodiment]

[0025] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, an embodiment of the present invention provides a bottom bracket 100 (or simply BB) for a bicycle. The bottom bracket 100 is disposed within the bottom bracket tube 40 of the frame. The bottom bracket tube 40 in the figures is for illustrative purposes only, and other tubes are not shown. As shown in Figure 1, each end of the bottom bracket 100 in this embodiment is connected to a crank 91 and a pedal 92. The bottom bracket tube 40 has internal threads 41 on both sides to screw in two positioning rings 50a and 50b.

[0026] The central shaft 100 includes a main shaft 10, multiple insulating bearing rings 141, multiple conductive rings 142, two bearings 20, and an outer sleeve 30. The insulating bearing rings 141 and conductive rings 142 form a conductive ring group 14. The conductive rings 142 are circular and completely surround the insulating bearing rings 141. In this embodiment, the number of insulating bearing rings 141 and conductive rings 142 can be at least one, depending on the signal or power to be transmitted.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the main spindle 10 includes a wiring channel 101 and at least one wire through-hole 140. The wiring channel 101 is formed in the main spindle 10, for example, on the surface or at the center. In this embodiment, the wiring channel 101 is formed inside the main spindle 10 along a direction parallel to the axis of the main spindle 10 and is designed to accommodate multiple transmission wires 93. The wire through-hole 140 connects from the surface of the main spindle 10 to the wiring channel 101 for mounting the transmission wires 93. The number of wire through-holes 140 can be the same as or less than the number of transmission wires 93; for example, the wire through-hole 140 can be an elongated hole to allow two or more transmission wires 93 to pass through.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the two ends of the main shaft 10 are shaped like square rods to match the crank 91 (see Figure 1), for connecting the crank 91. However, the two ends of the main shaft 10 of the present invention can be shaped to match external mechanisms to form other shapes. The main shaft 10 also includes two main connection holes 104 for all the transmission wires 93 to pass through and connect to the crank 91. The wiring channel 101 may or may not pass through the main shaft 10, and is mainly used to connect the two main connection holes 104.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, multiple insulating support rings 141 are fixed side-by-side around the main shaft 10. The outer surface of the main shaft 10 also includes two stop rings 16 located on either side of the multiple insulating support rings 141. In this embodiment, each insulating support ring 141 is formed by connecting two semi-circular arc-shaped ring bodies 141C, one of which has a wire groove 1410, the position of which corresponds to the position of the wire through hole 140. Specifically, each semi-circular arc-shaped ring body 141C in this embodiment has an arc-shaped support body 1411 and an arc-shaped spacer 1412. The arc-shaped spacer 1412 is located on one side of the arc-shaped support body 1411 and protrudes outward.

[0030] Multiple conductive rings 142 are each disposed on the surface of multiple insulating support rings 141. Adjacent conductive rings 142 are separated by arc-shaped spacers 1412 of semi-circular ring bodies 141C. The conductive rings 142 cover the arc-shaped support bodies 1411 of the insulating support rings 141, and the arc-shaped spacers 1412 separate two adjacent conductive rings 142. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the conductive rings 142 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the stop rings 16. The conductive rings 142 can be complete circular rings, preferably made of a wear-resistant conductive metal, such as a circular copper ring. The conductive rings 142 are inserted into the main shaft 10 from one end, pass through the stop rings 16, and are then clamped between two semi-circular ring bodies 141C.

[0031] This embodiment also includes an outer partition 143, which is disposed on the outer side of a plurality of insulating bearing rings 141. In this embodiment, as shown on the left side of Figures 5 and 6, it abuts against the outermost insulating bearing ring 141.

[0032] Two bearings 20 are disposed at both ends of the main shaft 10. Furthermore, the two bearings 20 respectively abut against the outer sides of the two stop rings 16. The bearings 20 can be fitted tightly onto the main shaft 10 and abut against the stop rings 16.

[0033] Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the outer sleeve 30 is sleeved around the periphery of multiple conductive rings 142 and is cylindrical in shape. Two bearings 20 are disposed at both ends of the outer sleeve 30, jointly clamping and fixing the outer sleeve 30. The outer sleeve 30 has a cylindrical body 31 and a power distribution opening 310. The power distribution opening 310 penetrates the cylindrical body 31. In this embodiment, the power distribution opening 310 is square, exposing multiple conductive rings 142. The width of the power distribution opening 310 of the outer sleeve 30 extends to the two outermost conductive rings.

[0034] The external distribution panel 38 includes a plurality of brush springs 383. The external distribution panel 38 is detachably covered by the distribution opening 310 and exposed in the bottom bracket 40. The plurality of brush springs 383 are fixedly disposed on the top surface of the external distribution panel 38 and correspondingly abut against a plurality of conductive rings 142. The number of brush springs 383 is, in principle, the same as the number of conductive rings 142, with one brush spring 383 abutting against one conductive ring 142. In this embodiment, there are six conductive rings 142 and six brush springs 383. Each brush spring 383 has a fixing portion 3830 and a resilient contact portion 3832. The resilient contact portion 3832 extends obliquely from the fixing portion 3830 to contact the conductive ring 142. In this embodiment, to save space, two adjacent brush springs 383 are configured to face different directions.

[0035] Referring to Figure 4, the external distribution panel 38 also includes a base 381, a boss 382, ​​and multiple terminal slots 384. The base 381 is detachably fixed to the outer sleeve 30, and the boss 382 may be integrally formed on the surface of the base 381 and made of insulating material. The multiple terminal slots 384 penetrate the base 381 and the boss 382. Multiple brush springs 383 are disposed on the boss 382 and correspond to the terminal slots 384. The fixing part 3830 of the brush spring 383 is fixed to the boss 382. The terminal slots 384 allow external conductive terminals (not shown) to be inserted to contact the brush springs 383. The external distribution panel 38 can be designed as a structure like an electrical connector, facilitating the connection of an external connector to the central axis 100 of the present invention.

[0036] The transmission wire 93 passes sequentially through the wiring channel 101 of the main shaft 10 and the insulating bearing ring 141 and is connected to the inside of the conductive ring 142; thereby, the transmission wire 93 can connect the electrical signal of the pedal 92 to the outside through the external distribution panel 38, for example, to the central control device of the electric-assisted bicycle (figure not shown).

[0037] In this embodiment, during the pedaling process, the transmission wire 93 passes through the interior of the main shaft 10 and rotates with the main shaft 10, connecting to the pedal 92 via a wired control. It then passes through the bottom bracket 40 via an external distribution panel 38 and is connected to the central control device of the electric bicycle in real-time transmission (figure not shown). For details regarding the internal mechanism of the pedal 92, please refer to the applicant's granted publication number TWI855546B, "Force Detection and Transmission Mechanism for Pedals." Therefore, this invention can transmit the signal from the pedal 92 to the central control device of the electric bicycle in real-time transmission (figure not shown).

[0038] [Second Embodiment]

[0039] Please refer to Figures 8 and 9, which are perspective views of another embodiment of the spindle of the present invention. The wiring channel 105 of the spindle 10 of the present invention is recessed on the surface of the spindle 10. The two ends of the wiring channel 105 are adjacent to the positions where the crank 91 (see Figure 1) is connected, and do not penetrate the entire spindle 10. Furthermore, the wiring channel 105 can pass under the stop ring 16 to maintain better structural strength. Alternatively, a portion of the stop ring 16 can be cut open.

[0040] As shown in Figure 9, to accommodate another crank 91, the wiring channel 105 has an arc-shaped channel 1052 located on the other side of the main spindle 10, that is, the right side as shown in Figure 9. The arc-shaped channel 1052 extends to the top surface of the main spindle 10 approximately around half a circumference, such that the two ends of the wiring channel 105 are located opposite each other on the surface of the main spindle 10. The advantage of this embodiment is that the transmission wire 93 is more easily installed on the main spindle 10. If necessary, the wiring channel 105 can be covered with a cap or fixed with adhesive to fix the transmission wire 93 inside the wiring channel 105.

[0041] [Third Embodiment]

[0042] Referring to Figure 10, it is a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the bicycle's bottom bracket according to the present invention. The main axle 10 of the present invention has two wiring channels 106 recessed on its surface. The outer ends of the two wiring channels 106 are adjacent to the crank 91 (see Figure 1) and do not penetrate the entire main axle 10. Each wiring channel 106 houses a transmission wire 93, and the transmission wires 93 on both sides extend inward to connect to half of the conductive rings 142. For example, the transmission wire 93 on the upper right extends inward to connect to three conductive rings 142, and the transmission wire 93 on the lower left extends inward to connect to three conductive rings 142.

[0043] The advantage of this embodiment is that the transmission wire 93 is more conveniently installed on the main spindle 10. If necessary, the wiring channel 106 can be covered with a cover or fixed with adhesive to fix the transmission wire 93 inside the wiring channel 106.

[0044] [Fourth Embodiment]

[0045] As shown in Figure 11, the structure of the present invention can also be applied to the axle 100a of bicycle B, for example, the axle 100a of the rear wheel B1. The axle 100a is modified to be fitted onto the hub housing 40a to form the hub of the bicycle, wherein the hub housing 40a is connected to the spokes of the wheel (figure omitted).

[0046] The axle 100a also includes a main shaft 10a, at least one insulating bearing ring, at least one conductive ring 142, two bearings 20, an outer sleeve 30, and an external distribution panel 38. The external distribution panel 38 includes at least one brush spring 383. The two ends of the main shaft 10 can be correspondingly modified to have a threaded structure for fixing to the frame of the bicycle B. The structures of the above components are similar to those of the components of the bottom bracket 100 described above, and will not be repeated.

[0047] At least one transmission wire 93 sequentially passes through the wire through-hole 140 of the main axle 10a and the insulating bearing ring 141 and is connected to the inside of the conductive ring 142. In application, for example, the transmission wire 93 can connect the power from the battery 95 along the spokes B12 to the tire pressure sensor B13 inside the rear wheel B1, and can also transmit the tire pressure signal via wire to the central control unit of the bicycle B (not shown) through an external distribution panel 38. This solves the problem of existing tire pressure sensors being limited by battery power due to wireless transmission. This embodiment can provide power to the tire through the structure of the axle 100a, and is not limited to the above-described implementation. For example, the tire can be equipped with a light-emitting device, such as an LED light strip, and the transmission wire can transmit power to the LED light strip.

[0048] [Beneficial Effects of the Examples]

[0049] One of the advantages of the present invention is that the bicycle bottom bracket provided by the present invention can pass through the wiring channel of the main shaft and the insulating bearing ring in sequence via the transmission wire and be connected to the inner side of the conductive ring; thereby, the transmission wire can transmit the signal transmitted by the pedal through the crank, the external distribution panel and the bottom bracket of the bicycle, and finally connect to the central control device, thereby outputting appropriate electric control motor to provide suitable assistance to the bicycle.

[0050] Furthermore, this invention can also be used as a bicycle axle. In applications, for example, the transmission wire can be connected to a tire pressure sensor inside the tire, transmitting the tire pressure signal via wire to the central control unit of the bicycle B through an external distribution panel. Alternatively, for example, the tire can be equipped with a light-emitting device, such as an LED light strip, and the transmission wire can transmit power to the LED light strip.

[0051] The content disclosed above is only a preferred and feasible embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings are included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

[0052] 100: Central axis 100a: Axle 10, 10a: Main axis 101, 105, 106: Wiring channels 104: Main connection hole 14: Conductive Ring Assembly 140: Wire penetration 141: Insulating bearing ring 141C: Semicircular arc-shaped ring 1410: Wire groove 1411: Arc-shaped load-bearing body 1412: Arc-shaped partition plate 142: Conductive ring 143: Outer partition 16: Stop ring 20: Bearings 30: Outerwear 31:Tubular body 310: Power distribution opening 38: External distribution panel 381: Base 382: convex seat 383: Brush spring 3830: Fixing part 3832: Flexible contact part 384: Terminal slot 40: Five-way pipe 40a: Hub shell 41: Internal thread 50a, 50b: Positioning rings 91: Crank 92: Pedal 93: Passing wires 95: Battery B: Bicycle B1: Rear wheel B12: Wheel spokes B13: Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Claims

1. A bicycle bottom bracket, disposed within a bottom bracket tube, comprising: A main spindle, including a wiring channel formed in the main spindle and designed to accommodate multiple transmission wires; Multiple insulating support rings are fixed side-by-side around the main shaft; multiple conductive rings are each disposed on the multiple insulating support rings; wherein each insulating support ring is formed by connecting two semi-circular arc-shaped ring bodies, each semi-circular arc-shaped ring body has an arc-shaped support body and an arc-shaped spacer plate, the arc-shaped spacer plate is located on one side of the arc-shaped support body and is designed to separate two adjacent conductive rings, the conductive rings cover the arc-shaped support body of the insulating support rings, and the arc-shaped spacer plate separates two adjacent conductive rings; two bearings are disposed at both ends of the main shaft; an outer sleeve is sleeved around the multiple conductive rings, the two bearings are disposed at both ends of the outer sleeve, the outer sleeve has a power distribution opening; and an external power distribution panel includes multiple brush springs, the external power distribution panel is detachably covered by the power distribution opening, the multiple brush springs are fixedly disposed on the top surface of the external power distribution panel and correspondingly abut against the multiple conductive rings; The transmission wire passes sequentially through the wiring channel of the main shaft and the insulating bearing ring and is connected to the inner side of the conductive ring; thereby, the transmission wire is connected to the outside through the external distribution panel.

2. The bottom bracket of the bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the bottom bracket further includes two stop rings located on both sides of the plurality of insulating bearing rings.

3. The bottom bracket of the bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiring channel passes through the surface of the spindle.

4. The bottom bracket of the bicycle as claimed in claim 1 further includes an outer partition, which is disposed on the outer side of one of the plurality of insulating support rings and abuts against the outermost insulating support ring.

5. The bottom bracket of the bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external distribution panel further comprises a base, a boss, and a plurality of terminal slots, the base being detachably fixed to the outer sleeve, the boss being disposed on the surface of the base, the plurality of terminal slots passing through the base and the boss, and the plurality of brush springs being disposed on the boss and corresponding to the terminal slots.

6. The bottom bracket of the bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiring channel passes through the center of the spindle, and the spindle also has a plurality of wire through holes that connect from the surface of the spindle to the wiring channel for the passage of the transmission wire.

7. The bottom bracket of the bicycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the electrical opening of the outer sleeve extends to the two outermost conductive rings.

8. A bicycle axle, comprising: A main spindle, including a wiring channel formed within the main spindle and designed to accommodate multiple transmission wires; At least one insulating support ring is fixed around the main shaft; at least one conductive ring is disposed on the at least one insulating support ring; wherein each insulating support ring is formed by connecting two semi-circular arc-shaped ring bodies, each semi-circular arc-shaped ring body has an arc-shaped support body and an arc-shaped spacer plate, the arc-shaped spacer plate is located on one side of the arc-shaped support body and is designed to separate two adjacent conductive rings, the conductive ring covers the arc-shaped support body of the insulating support ring, and the arc-shaped spacer plate separates two adjacent conductive rings; two bearings are disposed at both ends of the main shaft; an outer sleeve is sleeved around the at least one conductive ring, the two bearings are disposed at both ends of the outer sleeve, the outer sleeve has a power distribution opening; and an external power distribution panel, including at least one brush spring, the external power distribution panel is detachably covered by the power distribution opening, the at least one brush spring is fixedly disposed on the top surface of the external power distribution panel and correspondingly abuts against the at least one conductive ring; The transmission wire passes sequentially through the wiring channel of the main shaft and the insulating bearing ring and is connected to the inner side of the conductive ring; thereby, the transmission wire is connected to the outside through the external distribution panel.

9. The bicycle axle of claim 8, wherein the axle is fitted onto a hub housing to form a hub.

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