Laterally Offset Chain Ring Teeth for Secure Chain Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional chain rings with uniformly sized teeth can lead to chain disengagement, increased weight, and entanglement issues due to alternating link widths in bicycle drive chains, which can result in performance hindrances and safety risks.

Innovation Solution

A chain ring design featuring teeth positioned in alternating lateral positions across its thickness, with some teeth configured to engage outer and inner links differently to apply lateral forces, allowing the chain to flex and maintain engagement without shifting, thereby reducing the risk of disengagement and entanglement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If teeth of larger size are used to correspond to alternating link widths, then chain engagement is improved, but weight of the chain ring increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechain engagementVSAvoidweight of chain ring
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the lateral position of individual teeth across the chain ring circumference. Some teeth are positioned at a first lateral position while others are at a second lateral position, allowing each tooth to engage with the appropriate link width (outer or inner links) without requiring all teeth to be uniformly large. This localized variation in tooth positioning achieves reliable engagement with alternating link widths while maintaining a lighter overall chain ring structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If teeth of larger size are used to correspond to alternating link widths, then chain engagement is improved, but risk of tooth catching on chain increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechain engagementVSAvoidrisk of tooth catching
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the lateral position of individual teeth across the chain ring circumference. Some teeth are positioned at a first lateral position while others are at a second lateral position, allowing each tooth to engage with the appropriate link width (outer or inner links) without requiring all teeth to be uniformly large. This localized variation in tooth positioning achieves reliable engagement with alternating link widths while maintaining a lighter overall chain ring structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If teeth of larger size are used to correspond to alternating link widths, then chain engagement is improved, but likelihood of debris entanglement increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechain engagementVSAvoiddebris entanglement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the lateral position of individual teeth across the chain ring circumference. Some teeth are positioned at a first lateral position while others are at a second lateral position, allowing each tooth to engage with the appropriate link width (outer or inner links) without requiring all teeth to be uniformly large. This localized variation in tooth positioning achieves reliable engagement with alternating link widths while maintaining a lighter overall chain ring structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Ease of manufacture

If uniformly sized teeth are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but chain disengagement risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetooth manufacturingVSAvoidchain engagement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the lateral position of individual teeth across the chain ring circumference. Some teeth are positioned at a first lateral position while others are at a second lateral position, allowing each tooth to engage with the appropriate link width (outer or inner links) without requiring all teeth to be uniformly large. This localized variation in tooth positioning achieves reliable engagement with alternating link widths while maintaining a lighter overall chain ring structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the teeth into at least two groups based on their lateral positions. The first group of teeth is positioned at a first lateral position while the second group is positioned at a second lateral position. This segmentation allows the chain ring to effectively engage with both outer links and inner links of the alternating chain structure, improving reliability while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized tooth geometries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11293537B2Alternating tooth chain ring
Publication Date: 2022.04.05 EKO SPORT INC
  • US11293537B2 patent drawing
  • US11293537B2 patent drawing
  • US11293537B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a chain ring having teeth positioned in one of three lateral positions. At least one tooth may be placed in each lateral position. At least half the teeth may be positioned in a middle lateral position. The teeth in the first and third lateral positions may apply opposing lateral forces to a bicycle drive chain.