Rear wheel of a bicycle

Abstract

A rear wheel of a bicycle, comprising a tire rim (1) having spokes (2), a hub shaft (3) to which at least one chain drive wheel (5, 6) is rotatably attached, and a one-way clutch assembly, wherein the one-way clutch assembly (71, 72) is composed of a flange (9) and a disk (10) which are coaxially arranged adjacent to each other with a gap (8) therebetween, the flange (9) is attached to the hub shaft (3) by a ball bearing, and the disk (10) is provided integrally with the chain drive wheel (6). The flange and the disk have opposing side surfaces (91, 101), one of the flange or the disk has teeth (11) on its side surface, and the other has at least one hook (12) on its side surface located at the same or a similar distance from the axle of the hub as the position of the teeth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject of the present invention is the rear wheel of a bicycle equipped with spokes.

Background Art

[0002] The rear wheel of a bicycle usually consists of a hub with a tire - attached rim via spokes. The hub is composed of a hub shaft on which a rotatable hub body is attached by ball bearings. The hub body is provided with a flange for fixing the spokes. At one end of the hub shaft, a rotatable clutch body is attached by ball bearings, and a spline for attaching a bicycle cassette consisting of sprockets is provided. The hub also includes a one - way clutch, and roller clutches, ratchet clutches, and disk clutches are the most common.

[0003] The ratchet clutch consists of a rim and a pawl. The rim is usually a metal serrated ring with internal teeth, and the pawl usually has a spring, and the spring presses the pawl against the teeth of the ring to engage. In this case, the rim is attached to the hub body and the pawl is attached to the clutch body. The reverse arrangement is also possible, in which case the rim is made with external teeth, attached to the clutch body, and the pawl is on the hub body. One pawl is sufficient for connection, but since the number of engagement points affects the ride comfort, the purpose is to increase the number of engagements. In this solution, the greater the transmission torque, the greater the force pressing the clutch elements together.

[0004] Another type of bicycle clutch is the disk clutch, which is formed by two disks meshing. Both disks have lateral play with respect to the shaft and are axially coupled to the shaft at the same time. The coupling is generated by the pressure of the disks against each other, which is achieved, for example, by a spring. Such a clutch has a greater torque - transmission capacity. The force with which the clutch disks are pressed against each other depends on the inclination angle of the teeth and the torsional torque. The pressure can also be achieved using neodymium magnets.

[0005] The rear wheel hub assembly of a bicycle is well-known since the publication of Patent Document 1, and includes a hub shaft having a through-hole for an axle with a minimum inner diameter of 13 mm or more, a hub body rotatably attached to the hub shaft about a central rotation axis, and a gear clutch body rotatably attached to the hub shaft. The clutch body includes at least one external tooth spline tooth for meshing with the rear wheel gear assembly of the bicycle. This tooth includes a spline that receives the torque generated during pedaling. The splined outer drive surface includes a radial helical edge that cooperates with a toothed disk. Due to the radial helical edge, one toothed disk is movable relative to the other toothed disk. The feature of this solution is that the number of meshing points is small and the structure is somewhat complex.

[0006] From the publication of Patent Document 2, a bicycle hub is well-known that includes a central axis that functions as a rotation axis of the bicycle hub; a body rotatably connected to the central axis; and a freewheel rotatably connected to the central axis and designed to be connected to a set of sprockets and having a plurality of spline teeth. The hub includes a clutch assembly consisting of two ratchet disks each having teeth and splines for sliding engagement along the longitudinal direction. One of the ratchet disks is connected to the body so as to be able to rotationally drive the body, and the other disk is connected to a one-way clutch so as to be able to drive the one-way clutch. The clutch assembly includes an adjustment element that is connected to the second ratchet disk and exerts a force to displace the second ratchet disk, thereby returning the second ratchet disk to its original position. The adjustment element is a spring, a magnet, or made of an elastic material.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses a one-way gear hub and a structure of a bicycle. This mechanism includes a hub assembly and a ratchet wheel assembly. The ratchet wheel assembly is attached by a first engagement mechanism, and the ratchet wheel assembly is coupled to the hub assembly by a second engagement mechanism. The ratchet wheel assembly is a one-way support structure and includes a ratchet wheel seat and a ratchet wheel sleeve. In the socket of the ratchet wheel, there are rolling elements and springs for supporting each rolling element. The ratchet wheel sleeve covers the ratchet wheel socket and all the springs and rolling elements within the ratchet wheel socket. The springs press each rolling element into contact with the ratchet wheel seat and the ratchet wheel sleeve. This structure has a large mass. Furthermore, a large radial force is applied to the structure. As a result, this solution may have low durability.

[0008] Patent Document 4 relates to a freewheel for a bicycle having two annular bodies. The first annular ferromagnetic body rotates together with the sprocket of the bicycle and includes a first crowning ring gear. The second annular body rotates together with the rear wheel of the bicycle, meshes with the first crowning ring gear, and has a second crowning ring gear facing in that direction. The first annular body is axially movable relative to the second annular body between an engaged state in which the first ring gear is coupled to the second ring gear and a disengaged state in which the two are separated. At least one magnetic body is disposed radially outward from the first annular body such that the first annular body in the disengaged state is at least partially received within the axial space of the magnetic body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0010] An object of the present invention is to propose a structure of a rear wheel of a bicycle characterized by a simple structure and quiet operation in a state where elements forming a one-way clutch are not coupled. Since the design is simple, the number of structural elements is reduced, and as a result, the wheel is lightened, manufacturing becomes easier, it becomes more ecological, and its service also becomes easier. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0011] The essence of a rear wheel of a bicycle composed of a tire rim having spokes, a hub shaft to which at least one drive chain wheel is rotatably attached, and a one-way clutch assembly is that the one-way clutch assembly is composed of a flange and a disk coaxially arranged adjacent to each other and having slots, the flange is attached to the hub shaft with a ball bearing, and the disk is provided integrally with the chain drive wheel. These elements have opposing sides, one element of the flange or the disk has teeth on its side, and the other element has at least one hook corresponding to the position of the teeth on its side.

[0012] Preferably, the flange or the disk, which is the second element, has a plurality of hooks corresponding to the positions of the teeth on its side.

[0013] Preferably, the teeth and the hooks are arranged circularly, and the radius of the circle in which at least one hook is arranged is in the following range: r = R - 0.5g - 10 mm ÷ R + 0.5g + 10 mm, where R is the radius of the circle in which the teeth are arranged and g is the width of the teeth: R is the radius of the circle in which the teeth are arranged and g is the width of the teeth.

[0014] Preferably, the radius of the circle where the teeth and the hooks are arranged is the same.

[0015] Preferably, the flange is part of the hub body.

[0016] Preferably, the spoke is attached to the flange.

[0017] Preferably, the hooks are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axle of the hub.

[0018] Preferably, the hook is a loop.

[0019] Preferably, the hook is firmly fixed at the first pressing and bending part for receiving the tooth.

[0020] Preferably, there are at least two hooks for engaging with one tooth.

[0021] Preferably, the hooks have different lengths, and the difference in the lengths of the outermost hooks is smaller than the distance between the tips of consecutive teeth.

[0022] Preferably, the teeth on the side opposite to the rotational direction of the element where the teeth are located have concave side surfaces, and / or the tips of the teeth are shifted towards the bottom of the notch located on the teeth on the side opposite to the rotational direction of the element where the teeth are located, and have convex side surfaces from the side that coincides with the rotational direction of the element.

[0023] Preferably, the width of the tooth is 30 mm or less.

[0024] Preferably, the diameter of the circle where the teeth and the hooks are arranged is 60 mm or more and 55% or less of the diameter of the wheel rim.

Advantages of the Invention

[0025] Therefore, the solution according to the present invention is intended to simplify the structure of the bicycle hub and rear wheel. By using flanges and discs, the number of structural elements can be reduced. For example, a hub body with a simplified structure can be used. A smaller number of elements affects the reduction of the failure rate. It becomes easier to maintain the wheels. By using the flanges and discs of the indicated design, knocking that occurs in conventional known solutions is eliminated when the mechanism is disengaged. Specifically, hooks, especially those made as loops that "jump over" teeth in the disengaged state, are much quieter than, for example, the claws of ratchet clutches and disc clutches. Furthermore, in this solution, it is assumed that the diameter of the circle of the flanges and discs on which the teeth and hooks are arranged is between 60 mm and 55 mm of the wheel rim. By using flanges and discs of such dimensions, a plurality of attachment points can be provided, and the accuracy of the coupling can be increased. A larger number of attachment points also enhances the reliability and safety of the mechanism. Even if one of the attachment points is damaged, the wheel will not fail. Furthermore, unlike known solutions, the operation of the hook is based on tension rather than compression. Another advantage is that since the dimensions of the clutch elements are larger than known dimensions, the driving force acting on the teeth and hooks is reduced, further improving the safety of the structure. By applying a plurality of hooks with different lengths, and if the difference in the lengths of the hooks at the outermost ends is smaller than the distance between the tips of the teeth, the number of capture points can be increased even though the number of teeth is constant. This ensures an improvement in clutch sensitivity, for example, with a smaller number of hook attachment points.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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[0027] The subject matter of the present invention is illustrated in exemplary embodiments in the drawings.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] (Example 1) As shown in Fig. 1, the rear wheel of the bicycle is composed of a tire rim 1 with spokes 2 and the axle 3 of the hub. The following components are rotatably attached to the axle 3 of the hub by ball bearings. A hub body 4 and a cassette 5 with a chain drive wheel 6. The wheel includes a one-way clutch assembly 71 shown in Figs. 2 to 4, in which a flange 9 and a disk 10 are coaxially arranged with a gap 8 sandwiched therebetween. The flange 9 is attached to the axle 3 of the hub by a ball bearing, and the disk 10 is provided integrally with the largest chain drive wheel 6. The elements 9 and 10 have respective side surfaces 91 and 101 facing each other. In this exemplary embodiment, the flange 9 has teeth 11 on its side surface 91, and the disk 10 has a plurality of hooks 12 on its side surface 101. The hooks 12 are loop-shaped. The teeth 11 and the hooks 12 are arranged along a circle with the same radius R = r. The flange 9 is part of the hub body 4. The spokes 2 are fixed to the flange 9. The hooks 12 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axle 3 of the hub. The loop-shaped hooks 12 are firmly fixed in a first bent state to sandwich the teeth 11. As shown in Fig. 5, the teeth 11 have a concave side surface 13 on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the flange 9, and the tip A of the teeth 11 is displaced toward the bottom 14 of the notch provided on the side surface of the teeth 11 located on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the flange 9. On the side consistent with the rotation direction of the flange 9, the teeth 11 have a convex side surface 13. The width g of the teeth 11 is 9 mm. The diameter of the circle on which the teeth 11 and the hooks 12 are arranged is in the range of not less than 60 mm and not more than 55% of the diameter of the wheel rim.

[0029] (Embodiment 2) In the one-way clutch assembly 72 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the flange 9 has a plurality of hooks 12 on its side surface 91, and the disk 10 is made into a wheel in the same manner as in the first embodiment except that the disk 10 has teeth 11 on its side surface 101. The teeth 11 on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the disk 10 have a concave side surface 13, and the tip A of the tooth 11 is displaced toward the bottom 14 of the notch provided on the side surface of the tooth 11 located on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the disk 10. On the side that coincides with the rotation direction of the disk 10, the teeth 11 have a convex side surface 13.

[0030] (Embodiment 3) This wheel is made in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment, except that there are three hooks 12 for receiving one tooth 11 on the side surface 91 or 101 of the flange 9 or the disk 10, respectively. The lengths of the hooks 12 are different, and the difference in the lengths of the outermost hooks 12 is smaller than the distance between the consecutive tips A of the teeth 11 - FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0031] (Embodiment 4) The wheel is made in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment, except that the teeth 11 are provided on the side surface 91 or 101 of the flange 9 or the disk 10, respectively, and the hooks 12 are provided on the side surface 91 or 101 of the second element of the clutch assemblies 71, 72. The teeth 11 are arranged at different distances from the axle 3 of the hub. The hooks 12 are arranged at the same distance from the axle 3 of the hub as the position of each tooth 11 - FIGS. 11 and 12. The hooks 12 are arranged at an angular offset so that the hook 12 can capture another tooth 11 at a predetermined position of the elements where the flange 9 and the disk 10 rotate relative to each other.

Description of the reference numerals

[0032] 1 Rim 2 Spoke 3 Axle of the hub 4 Hub body 5 Cassette 6 Chain drive wheel 71 One-way clutch assembly variant 1 72 One-way clutch assembly variant 2 8 Gap 9 Flange 91 Side surface of the flange 10 Disk 101 Side surface of the disk 11 Tooth 12 Hook 13 Side surface of the tooth 14 Bottom of the notch A Tooth tip g Width of the tooth R Radius of the circle where the tooth is located r Radius of the circle where the hook is located

Claims

1. A rear wheel of a bicycle, comprising a tire rim having spokes, a hub shaft to which at least one chain drive wheel is rotatably attached, and a one-way clutch assembly, wherein the one-way clutch assembly (71, 72) has a flange (9) and a disk (10) adjacent to each other and arranged coaxially with a gap (8) therebetween, the flange (9) being attached to the axle (3) of the hub by a ball bearing, the disk (10) being provided integrally with the chain drive wheel (6), and these elements having opposing side surfaces (91, 101) and one of the elements: one of the flange (9) or the disk (10) has teeth (11) on its side surface (91, 101), and the other of the flange (9) or the disk (10) is configured to have at least one hook (12) on its side surface (91, 101) located at the same or a similar distance from the axle (3) of the hub as the position of the teeth (11). A rear wheel of a bicycle, characterized in that.

2. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to claim 1, characterized in that the other element of the flange (9) or the disk (10) has a plurality of hooks (12) on its side surface (91, 101) at positions corresponding to the positions of the teeth (11).

3. The teeth (11) and the hooks (12) are arranged along a circle, and the radius (r) of the circle on which at least one hook (12) is arranged is in the range of r = R - 0.5g - 10mm ÷ R + 0.5g + 10mm: R is the radius of the circle on which the teeth (11) are arranged, and g is the width of the teeth (11). The rear wheel of a bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The rear wheel according to claim 3, characterized in that the radii (R, r) of the circles on which the teeth (11) and the hooks (12) are located are the same.

5. The rear wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the flange (9) is part of the hub body (4).

6. The rear wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the spokes (2) are fixed to the flange (9).

7. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hooks (12) are arranged symmetrically with respect to the hub shaft (3).

8. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the hook (12) is a loop.

9. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to claim 8, characterized in that the hook (12) is firmly attached at a first pressing and bending portion for capturing the tooth (11).

10. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that there are at least two hooks (12) for capturing one tooth (11).

11. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to claim 10, characterized in that the hooks (12) have different lengths, and the difference in length of the hooks (12) at the outermost ends is smaller than the distance between consecutive tips (A) of the teeth (11).

12. The tooth (11) on the side opposite to the rotational direction of the element (9, 10) where the tooth (11) is arranged has a concave side surface (13), and / or the tip (A) of the tooth (11) is displaced towards the bottom (14) of a notch located on the tooth (11) on the side opposite to the rotational direction of the element (9, 10), and on the side that coincides with the rotational direction of the element (9, 10), it has a convex side surface (13). The rear wheel of a bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the tooth (11) has a width (g) of 30 mm or less.

14. The rear wheel of a bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the diameter of the circle on which the tooth (11) and the hook (12) are arranged is 60 mm or more and 55% or less of the diameter of the wheel rim (1).

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