Bicycle Chain Connecting Link With Sliding Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bicycle chain connecting links face challenges in maintaining robustness and efficiency due to limitations in design, particularly in the interaction between link pins and plates, which affects the chain's durability and performance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a link pin with a main-body, head portion, and intermediate portion, along with a link plate featuring elongated openings, guiding portions, and protrusions that are slidable relative to the link pin's outer periphery, enhancing the connection's robustness by allowing for larger intermediate portion diameters and improved sliding resistance without excessive wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the intermediate portion diameter is increased to improve connection robustness, then the chain durability is improved, but the wear on protrusions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different surface properties on different parts of the link pin. Specifically, the intermediate portion is given a different surface treatment or material property compared to the head and main body, allowing it to have enhanced wear resistance or lubrication properties that reduce wear on the protrusions while maintaining the larger diameter for improved connection robustness.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions act as intermediary elements between the link pin and link plate. By optimizing their geometry, distribution, and surface properties, they mediate the interaction between the larger intermediate portion and the link plate, distributing contact stresses and reducing wear while allowing the intermediate portion to maintain its larger diameter for structural robustness.
2Ease of operation
If the guiding portion and protrusion length are increased to improve link pin guidance, then the sliding resistance is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding function is segmented between the guiding portion and the protrusions. The guiding portion provides the primary guidance path for the link pin, while the protrusions provide secondary guidance and positioning. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized independently, reducing the need for overly complex single-element guidance structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the guiding portion extremely long to provide guidance, the patent uses the protrusions to provide guidance through their positioning and geometry. The protrusions guide the link pin by their spatial arrangement and interaction with the link plate, inverting the traditional approach where only the guiding portion would provide guidance. This reduces the required length of the guiding portion while maintaining effective guidance.
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle chain connecting link comprises a link pin and a link plate. The link pin has a center axis. The link plate comprises an elongated opening, a guiding portion, a first protrusion, and a second protrusion. The elongated opening comprises an insertion opening and an attachment opening connected with the insertion opening. The guiding portion is configured to engage with the groove of the link pin to guide the link pin between the insertion opening and the attachment opening. The first protrusion is provided between the insertion opening and the attachment opening and is configured to be slidable relative to an outer periphery of a head portion of the link pin. The second protrusion is provided between the insertion opening and the attachment opening and is configured to be slidable relative to an outer periphery of an intermediate portion of the link pin.