Arrangement for actuating a pawl to shift a gear in a bottom bracket gearbox of a bicycle or pedelec.

Abstract

An arrangement is proposed for actuating at least one pawl (1) for locking or releasing a rotatable transmission component (2) for shifting a gear in a bottom bracket transmission (3) of a bicycle or a pedelec (4), wherein the pawl (1) can be actuated via a rotatably controlled cam ring (5) to engage a locking toothing (6) of the transmission component (2), wherein the pawl (1) is pivotable about an axis of rotation between an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein a first end of the pawl (1) is associated with the locking toothing (6) of the transmission component (2) and wherein a second end of the pawl (1) has at least a first arm (7) and a second arm (8), wherein the arms (7, 8) are operatively connected with a cam track (9) running on an outer circumference of the cam ring (5) in such a way that a positively guided actuation of the A locking pawl (1) is provided.Furthermore, a bottom bracket gearbox (3) with at least one arrangement and a bicycle or pedelec (4) with the bottom bracket gearbox (3) are proposed.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for actuating at least one pawl for locking or releasing a rotatable gear component for shifting a gear stage in a bottom bracket gear of a bicycle or pedelec according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of patent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a bottom bracket gear with the arrangement and to a bicycle or pedelec with the bottom bracket gear.

[0002] For example, from the publication DE 10 2019 220 044 A1, a bottom bracket transmission with an arrangement for actuating at least one brake switching element is known. The brake switching element comprises an actuatable brake or locking pawl, which, when closed or engaged, connects a transmission component to a housing of the bottom bracket transmission. To actuate the brake switching element or the locking pawl, a rotatably mounted shift drum with a cam track as a shift gate is assigned to the locking pawl, pivoting the locking pawl depending on the course of the cam track to lock or release the transmission component.

[0003] The subsequently published document DE 10 2023 201 408 B3 shows a shift drum with a torsional backlash for pawl actuation. Further actuation arrangements for pawls can be found in the documents DE 10 2022 201 482 B3 and DE 10 2022 201 130 B3.

[0004] The present invention is based on the object of proposing an arrangement for actuating a pawl and a bottom bracket gear with the arrangement as well as a bicycle or pedelec with the bottom bracket gear, in which a safe and at least with regard to the switching feel and the switching acoustics improved actuation of the pawl is realized.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention and claimed further developments emerge from the subclaims and the description as well as the drawings.

[0006] Thus, an arrangement for actuating at least one pawl for locking or releasing a rotatable transmission component for switching a gear stage in a bottom bracket transmission of a bicycle or a pedelec is proposed, wherein the pawl is actuated via a rotatably controlled cam ring for engaging in a locking toothing of the transmission component, and wherein the pawl is pivotable about a rotation axis between an engaged state and a disengaged state.In order to realize a safe and at least with regard to the switching feel and the switching acoustics improved actuation of the pawl, a first end of the pawl is assigned to the locking toothing of the transmission component, wherein a second end of the pawl has at least a first arm and a second arm, and wherein the arms are operatively connected to a curved path running on an outer circumference of the cam ring in such a way that a positively guided actuation of the pawl is provided.

[0007] In the proposed arrangement, the locking and releasing of the transmission component can be controlled by the intended positively guided actuation of the pawl, as a double-armed pawl or as a pawl with a double cam or the like, without the need for additional components such as a spring or the like, so that a safe engagement and disengagement of the pawl is enabled, thereby also improving the shifting quality in terms of shifting feel and shifting acoustics.

[0008] To structurally implement the positively guided actuation of the pawl, the first arm and the second arm are aligned at the second end of the pawl such that a free end of the first arm and a free end of the second arm are in contact with the cam track. This stabilizes both the engaged and disengaged states of the pawl for locking or releasing the transmission component.

[0009] In order to be able to maintain both the locked state and the released state of the transmission component via the positively operated pawl, the free end of the first arm and the free end of the second arm are operatively connected to the cam track of the cam ring at a predetermined distance along the course.

[0010] It is also conceivable that instead of a cam ring, a rotatably controlled switching drum with at least one cam contour or cam track is used.

[0011] For example, cam-shaped curves can be provided as curved paths on the cam ring or shift drum. A simple design provides for the cam ring to have a curved path with periodic maxima and minima.

[0012] With such a course on the curved path of the cam ring, it is provided, for example, that the active contact of the free end of the first arm and the active contact of the free end of the second arm are assigned to the curved path offset by a distance along the course of the curved path, wherein the distance corresponds to the distance between a maximum and an adjacent minimum or a multiple thereof.

[0013] The object underlying the invention is also achieved by a bottom bracket gear with at least one of the above-described arrangements. This results in the advantages already described and further advantages.

[0014] Furthermore, the object underlying the invention can also be achieved by a bicycle or pedelec with the bottom bracket gear described above, whereby the advantages already described and further advantages arise.

[0015] The present invention is further explained in the drawings below.

[0016] They show: Fig. 1 a schematic side view of a possible embodiment of an arrangement according to the invention for actuating a pawl for locking or releasing a transmission component for switching a gear stage of a bottom bracket transmission of a bicycle or pedelec in a released state of the transmission component; and Fig. 2 a schematic side view of the arrangement in a locked state of the transmission component.

[0017] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows, by way of example, a variant embodiment of an arrangement for actuating a pawl 1, for example as a brake switching element for locking or releasing a rotatable transmission component 2, for example a ring gear for switching a gear stage in a bottom bracket transmission 3, which is only indicated schematically, of a bicycle or pedelec 4, which is also only indicated schematically, using various views.

[0018] The Fig. 1 and Fig. The arrangement shown in Figure 2 comprises, for example, a pawl 1 with which the associated rotatable transmission component 2 can be engaged to engage the associated gear stage in the bottom bracket transmission 3. It is readily conceivable that multiple arrangements for actuating additional pawls 1 are provided in the bottom bracket transmission 3 in order to lock or release additional transmission components 2, so that additional gears can be engaged in the bicycle or pedelec 4.

[0019] The locking pawl 1 can be actuated via a rotatably controlled cam ring 5 to engage with a locking toothing 6 of the transmission component 2. For this purpose, the locking pawl 1 can be pivoted about a rotational axis between an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein a first end of the locking pawl 1 is assigned to the locking toothing 6 of the transmission component 2 and a second end of the locking pawl 1 has at least a first arm 7 and a second arm 8, wherein the arms 7, 8 are operatively connected to a curved track 9 running on an outer circumference of the cam ring 5 in such a way that a positively guided actuation of the locking pawl 1 is provided.

[0020] The first arm 7 and the second arm 8 at the second end of the pawl 1 are aligned such that a free end 10 of the first arm 7 and a free end 11 of the second arm 8 are in contact with the cam track 9, wherein the free end 10 of the first arm 7 and the free end 11 of the second arm 8 are in operative connection with the cam track 9 of the cam ring 5 at a predetermined distance along the course.

[0021] Due to the operative connection on the one hand between the free end 10 of the first arm 7 and the curved track 9 of the cam ring 5 and on the other hand between the free end 11 of the second arm 8 and the curved track 9 of the cam ring 5, the forced actuation of the pawl 1 is realized, so that the position of the pawl 1 is held stable both in the locked state of the transmission component 2 and in the released state of the transmission component 2, without the need for additional components.

[0022] In the embodiment shown, the cam ring 5 as a curved path 9 has a periodic course of maxima or peaks and minima or valleys.

[0023] With such a course of the curved path 9 on the cam ring 5, it is provided for the forced control of the pawl that the active contact of the free end 10 of the first arm 7 and the active contact of the free end 11 of the second arm 8 are assigned to the curved path 9 offset by a distance along the course of the curved path 9, wherein the distance corresponds to the distance between a maximum and an adjacent minimum or a multiple thereof.

[0024] This means that in Fig. 1, when the locking pawl 1 is disengaged, it is provided that the free end 10 of the first arm 7 is assigned to a minimum in the course of the curved path 9 and the free end 11 of the second arm 8 is assigned to a maximum in the course of the curved path 9.

[0025] In the Fig. 2 shown locked state of the gear component 2 with the pawl 1 engaged, it is provided that the free end 10 of the first arm 7 is assigned to a maximum in the course of the curved path 9 and the free end 11 of the second arm 8 is assigned to a minimum in the course of the curved path 9.

[0026] Because one of the two free ends 10, 11 of the two arms 7, 8 at the second end of the pawl 1 is assigned to a minimum in the course of the curved path 9, the stable position of the positively guided pawl 1 in the proposed arrangement results both in the engaged state of the pawl 1 and in the disengaged state of the pawl 1. Reference symbol 1 pawl 2 rotating gear component 3 bottom bracket gears 4 Bicycle or Pedelec 5 cam ring 6 locking teeth 7 first arm at the second end of the pawl 8 second arm at the second end of the pawl 9 Cam track on the cam ring 10 free end on the first arm 11 free end on the second arm

Claims

[1] Arrangement for actuating at least one pawl (1) for locking or releasing a rotatable transmission component (2) for switching a gear stage in a bottom bracket transmission (3) of a bicycle or a pedelec (4), wherein the pawl (1) is actuated via a rotatably controlled cam ring (5) for engaging in a locking toothing (6) of the transmission component (2), and wherein the pawl (1) is pivotable about a rotational axis between an engaged state and a disengaged state, characterized by in that a first end of the pawl (1) is assigned to the locking toothing (6) of the transmission component (2) and in that a second end of the pawl (1) has at least a first arm (7) and a second arm (8), wherein the arms (7, 8) are operatively connected to a curved track (9) running on an outer circumference of the cam ring (5) in such a way that a positively guided actuation of the pawl (1) is provided. [2] Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the first arm (7) and the second arm (8) are aligned at the second end of the pawl (1) such that a free end (10) of the first arm (7) and a free end (11) of the second arm (8) are in contact with the cam track (9) of the cam ring (5). [3] Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized by that the free end (10) of the first arm (7) and the free end (11) of the second arm (8) are in operative connection with the curved path (9) of the cam ring (5) at a predetermined distance along the course. [4] Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cam ring (5) has a curved path (9) which runs periodically with maxima and minima. [5] Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized bythat the operative contact of the free end (10) of the first arm (7) and the operative contact of the free end (11) of the second arm (8) are assigned to the curved path (9) offset by a distance along the course of the curved path (9) of the cam ring (5), wherein the distance corresponds to the distance between a maximum and an adjacent minimum or a multiple thereof. [6] Arrangement according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by that in the locked state of the gear component (2) with the pawl (1) engaged, the free end (10) of the first arm (7) is assigned to a maximum in the course of the cam track (9) and the free end (11) of the second arm (8) is assigned to a minimum in the course of the cam track (9). [7] Arrangement according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized bythat in the released state of the transmission component (2) with the locking pawl (1) disengaged, the free end (10) of the first arm (7) is assigned to a minimum in the course of the cam track (9) and the free end (11) of the second arm (8) is assigned to a maximum in the course of the cam track (9). [8] Bottom bracket gear (3) with an arrangement according to one of the preceding claims. [9] Bicycle or pedelec (4) with a bottom bracket gear (3) according to claim 8.

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