thru axle
The 12 mm diameter thru-axle with M12/M6 threads and adjustable width addresses the instability of existing axles, providing a stable and versatile attachment for luggage racks and accessories across various bicycle types, enhancing stability and load distribution.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE202024001498
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-08
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-19
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-08-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing bicycle axles with 12 mm diameter face challenges in supporting increased loads due to disc brakes and e-bike weights, and traditional M5 eyelets are inadequate for securing child seats and luggage racks, especially on lighter bicycles with complex composite materials, necessitating a more stable and versatile attachment solution.
A 12 mm diameter thru-axle with M12 external and M6 internal threads, along with an Allen key attachment, provides a stable base for attaching luggage racks and accessories, featuring extended threads and adjustable width, allowing secure attachment on various bicycle designs.
Enhances stability and load distribution, enabling secure attachment of luggage racks and accessories, accommodating different bicycle types and designs, and ensuring reliable fastening even on lighter composite frames.
Smart Images
Figure 00000004_0000 
Figure 00000004_0001 
Figure 00000004_0002
Abstract
Description
[0001] For several years now, there has been a trend in the bicycle sector towards the increasing use of thru axles with a diameter of 12 mm.
[0002] On the one hand, disc brakes are gaining ground, as their axles must withstand greater loads than those of rim brakes. Likewise, the e-bike trend is making bicycles heavier, especially cargo bikes. For sporting activities with mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and the like, more stable, stronger axles are also desired.
[0003] Traditionally, many bicycle components are attached to (threaded) eyelets for M5 screws on the rear triangle of the bike. These eyelets were originally intended primarily for attaching mudguard stays. However, these eyelets were also used in the past and are still used for attaching luggage racks. The bicycle is increasingly becoming the environmentally friendly standard means of transportation. Customers demand high-quality and safe components, and manufacturers of high-quality, highly stable luggage racks, for example, only approve them for weights up to 26 kg, even though they could carry much heavier loads.
[0004] However, due to increasingly strict product liability regulations, manufacturers do not want to allow child seats to be attached to their luggage racks using only these (threaded) eyelets for M5. Therefore, solutions are being sought, particularly because the luggage rack manufacturers themselves have no influence on the luggage rack eyelets arranged on the bike.
[0005] This consideration becomes even more relevant as some bicycles become lighter in certain market segments, especially since complex composite materials make it difficult to assess the strength of the integrated mounting eyelets. Even in the US and England, the metric system is becoming the norm for thru-axles.
[0006] In this regard, a reinforced axle for bicycles would be desirable, which can increase stability and contribute to relieving the load on the (threaded) eyelets arranged on bicycle frames, especially for M5 threads, and which can also be used for a variety of bicycles.
[0007] This object is achieved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. Further developments and advantageous embodiments of the invention are encompassed in the further claims.
[0008] According to the invention, a thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm, the axle being equipped at one end with an external thread M12 and at both ends with internal threads, a threaded hole M6 and an Allen key attachment 6 mm in front of the thread M6, at least at the end without an M12 thread.
[0009] This proposal is for a through axle that can provide a reliable, secure base for attaching luggage racks and other accessories, especially for the sale of accessories for the aftermarket. This axle combines the following features: threaded holes larger than M5 on both sides (M6 is proposed here), extended external threads over 25 mm long, and a 6 mm hexagon socket, at least on the non-threaded side. These axles can be offered as hollow axles or as solid axles.
[0010] Existing bicycle axles can be replaced with the axle suggested here. The threaded side of the axle is screwed a good distance through the frame dropout on the threaded side to ensure an equal length of projection over the bicycle dropouts, taking into account the width of the screw side head. In the accessories market, it is desired to offer products that can be applied to as many different bicycle makes and models as possible. A length of between 175-190 mm is suggested here to enable good assembly for the most common bicycle makes with a sensible number of spacers and a sensible thread length. This allows central attachment in relation to the bicycle's longitudinal axis, for example to enable the precise attachment of mudguards.By mounting the luggage racks wider, the attachments become more stable because the lateral vibration resistance of the luggage rack is increased by the more strongly developed trapezoidal shape of the luggage rack support tubes.
[0011] Furthermore, a multi-part thru axle with the above features is proposed, which is adjustable in terms of width. This also covers unusually wide and unusually narrow rear ends of bicycles. These axles can also be used for attaching front wheel luggage racks to the front wheel of the bicycle. In this case, it is possible to offer a left-hand base part with several right-hand short and therefore inexpensive threaded parts. These preferably have a thread size of M12x1, M12x1.5, or M12x1.75. The advantage of such a set can be that the end user can later mount the thru axle on a different bicycle with a different thread. In this case, a screw boss is required on both sides of the thru axle, preferably M6.
[0012] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to drawings, in which: Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 a one-piece thru-axle with an M12 external thread area 9 arranged at one end, as well as internal threads 2 arranged at both ends of the thru-axle, into which, after mounting the thru-axle between the dropouts of the bicycle, accessories can be securely attached to the bicycle using screws 17. At least at the end of the axle facing away from the external thread area 9, a hexagon socket area 3 is arranged in front of the internal thread 2, by means of which the axle can be mounted and screwed.
[0013] Using the provided spacers 15 and the corresponding intermediate cone 16, the axle can be centrally positioned and secured in this position. The ability to use M6 screws 17 as accessory mounting screws allows accessories or a luggage rack to be attached to a bicycle much more stably and securely than before.
[0014] The thru axle, as in the Fig. 5 to Fig.7 can be designed as a multi-part axle 10 and have different, for example screw parts 11 and / or spacer adapters 6, by means of which different, individually required lengths of the thru axle can be realized for almost every bicycle.
[0015] Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be made therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
[1] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm, characterized by that the axle is equipped at one end with an external thread M12 (9) and at both ends with internal threads, threaded hole M6 (2) and a 6 mm Allen key attachment (3) in front of the M6 thread, at least at the end without M12 thread. [2] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that it is designed as a hollow axle. [3] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that it has an extended thread M12 (9) with a length of at least 25 mm. [4] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that it also has a 6 mm Allen key socket (3) on the threaded side. [5] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that the axle has a length between 175 mm and 190 mm. [6] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that the centering of the M6 threaded ends in relation to the longitudinal center axis of the bicycle can be achieved by means of various intermediate washers (15) and intermediate cones (16). [7] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that the axle is made up of several parts. [8] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claims 1 and 7, characterized by that the multi-part axle has a left screw part (4) and a right threaded part (9) and a 6 mm Allen key attachment (3) on both sides. [9] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that the length of the multi-part axle with a left screw part and a right threaded part M12 can be changed by means of an intermediate thread (13) or one or more intermediate sleeves. [10] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claims 1 and 7, characterized by that the multi-part axle has a counterpiece between the left screw part and the M12 threaded part. [11] Multi-part thru-axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claims 1 and 7, characterized by that it is offered as a set with several threaded parts M12, preferably M12x1, M12x1.5, M12x1.
75. [12] Thru axle for bicycles with a diameter of 12 mm according to claim 1, characterized by that the extended M12 thread is turned at the end, essentially on a small piece preferably 3 mm - 8 mm approximately to the thread core diameter (5).