Hub for Bicycle Wheel, Assembly for Such a Hub, and Bicycle Wheel Comprising Such a Hub

Abstract

In an embodiment a hub for a bicycle running wheel includes a hub body and a freewheel body, wherein the hub body and the freewheel body are connected via a conical toothing arrangement.

Claims

1-22. (canceled)

23. A hub for a bicycle running wheel comprising: a hub body; and a freewheel body, wherein the hub body and the freewheel body are connected via a conical toothing arrangement.

24. The hub according to claim 23, wherein an end of the freewheel body facing the hub body comprises an end-side toothing, which circumscribes an opening cone angle or a closing cone angle.

25. The hub according to claim 24, wherein the opening cone angle or the closing cone angle is between 120.1° and 179.9°, inclusive.

26. The hub according to claim 23, wherein the hub body has a toothing corresponding to a toothing of the freewheel body.

27. The hub according to claim 26, wherein the toothing of the hub body is located in a toothed washer of the hub body.

28. The hub according to claim 27, wherein the toothed washer is displaceable in an axial direction within the hub body.

29. The hub according to claim 27, wherein, within the toothed washer, a ratio of a number of teeth of a conical toothing to a number of teeth of an external toothing is 1:1 or 1:2.

30. The hub according to claim 23, wherein the conical toothing arrangement consists of only two parts, namely of the freewheel body and the hub body, or of the freewheel body and a toothed washer.

31. The hub according to claim 23, further comprising a venting of at least one chamber located within the hub, wherein the at least one chamber comprises a hub body chamber, and/or a toothing chamber, and/or a free wheel chamber, and/or an interior of a wheel axle.

32. The hub according to claim 31, wherein the venting of the at least one chamber located within the hub is realized via bores and/or slots and/or openings, and/or axle end caps.

33. The hub according to claim 32, wherein the bores and/or the slots are configured to open when an overpressure or underpressure is present thereby enabling pressure compensation.

34. The hub according to claim 32, wherein an outer surface of the wheel axle comprises recesses, recessed surfaces, superficial slots, straight or spirally wound recesses, or channels, or a mixture thereof so that air is passable between an inner ring of a rolling bearing seated on the wheel axle and the outer surface of the wheel axle.

35. The hub according to claim 23, wherein the conical toothing arrangement comprises a tooth shape which always forms a line contact and/or a surface contact or full surface contact between corresponding toothing partners.

36. The hub according to claim 23, wherein the freewheel body is substantially cylindrical, extends along a longitudinal axis and has a conical toothing at an upper end, wherein each tooth has a tooth front side facing in a counterclockwise direction and a tooth backside which is upwardly and rearwardly delimited, and wherein the tooth backside has a region where a straight line which, starting from a point of intersection with the longitudinal axis between an inner side and an outer side of the tooth, exactly extends along a surface of the tooth backside.

37. The hub according to claim 36, wherein the hub body comprises a toothed washer, wherein the toothed washer has a conical toothing corresponding to a conical toothing of the freewheel body, and wherein the conical toothing of the toothed washer has a negative amount of a conical inclination of the conical toothing of the freewheel body.

38. The hub according to claim 23, wherein the freewheel body, on a side facing away from the hub body, comprises a receiving area and/or an external thread for accommodating and/or fixing a force transmission means.

39. The hub according to claim 38, wherein the force transmission means is a cassette or a belt pulley or a pinion.

40. An assembly for the hub according to claim 23, wherein the assembly consists of the hub body and the freewheel body.

41. The bicycle running wheel comprising: the hub according to claim 23.

42. A bicycle comprising: the bicycle running wheel according to claim 41.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Supplementary or additional to the advantageous embodiments and further developments of the teachings already discussed, examples embodiments of devices according to the invention shown in the drawing in the scope of FIGS. 1 to 11 are explained in more detail. However, the examples discussed by making reference to the drawing do not limit the invention to the examples shown. In discussing the examples embodiments by making reference to the drawing, preferred embodiments and further developments of the technical teachings will also be shown in general.

[0056] Further developments of the above-described advantageous embodiments having the features of the following examples embodiments expressly constitute further advantageous embodiments of the invention, just as further developments of the below-described examples embodiments having the features of the above-described embodiments expressly constitute further advantageous embodiments of the invention, thus form part of the present disclosure.

[0057] With respect to the following illustration of the figures, it should be pointed out in general that reference numbers already shown in previous figures and already explained in this respect above, have not fully been adopted in the subsequent figures for reasons of clarity and/or are not explained again in some cases based on the subsequent figures. For illustrating such reference numbers and the associated technical features, reference is made to the respective description of the respective preceding figures in its entirety to avoid repetition, wherein:

[0058] FIG. 1 is a preferred example embodiment of the hub according to the invention in a lateral sectional view;

[0059] FIG. 2 is the freewheel body of the hub of FIG. 1 in a lateral view, in a lateral sectional view, as well as in a perspective lateral view;

[0060] FIG. 3 is the toothed washer of the hub body of the hub of FIG. 1 in a lateral view, a plan view, in a lateral sectional view, as well as in a perspective view, respectively;

[0061] FIG. 4 is a side view of the freewheel body of FIG. 2 (bottom) and the toothed washer of FIG. 3 (top), the two portions being suitably engaged with each other;

[0062] FIG. 5 is another preferred example embodiment of a hub according to the invention, herein including an optional venting system, in a partially cut lateral view;

[0063] FIG. 6 is a lateral perspective view of the freewheel body of FIG. 2, with auxiliary lines to illustrate a specific form of conical toothing;

[0064] FIG. 7 is an enlarged section taken from the illustration in FIG. 6;

[0065] FIG. 8 is another enlarged section taken from the illustration in FIG. 7; used to explain the specific shape of the conical toothing;

[0066] FIG. 9 is a lateral perspective view of the toothed washer of FIG. 3; which has a specific shape of the conical toothing corresponding to the freewheel body of FIGS. 6 to 8, which is illustrated by auxiliary lines drawn and in correspondence to FIG. 6;

[0067] FIG. 10 is an enlarged section taken from the illustration in FIG. 9; and

[0068] FIG. 11 is another enlarged section taken from the illustration in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a preferred example embodiment of the hub 2 according to the invention for a bicycle wheel in a lateral sectional view. The example shown is a rear wheel hub. The hub 2 is viewed from behind in the direction of travel of the bicycle.

[0070] The hub 2 comprises a left and a right spoke flange 41, 42. The region at the left side of the right spoke flange 42 is the hub body 6. The region at the right side thereof is the freewheel body 8. The freewheel body 8 comprises a receiving area 10 on the outside for a force transmission means, which herein is a pinion package (cassette, not shown).

[0071] The Hub body 6 and the freewheel body 8 represent the assembly for a hub 2 according to the invention.

[0072] Both the hub body 6 and the freewheel body 8 are each rotatably mounted on the axle 12 (wheel axle 12) using two rolling bearings 111, 112, 113, 114.

[0073] The hub for a bicycle wheel according to the invention comprises a hub body 6 and a freewheel body 8, wherein a conical toothing 14 is produced between the hub body 6 and the freewheel body 8.

[0074] The freewheel produced with the freewheel body 8 is for decoupling the hub body 6 in a known manner, which hub body 6 always rotates with the forward movement of the bicycle, from the drive when no drive torque is applied. As soon as a drive torque is applied, the freewheel is required to immediately re-establish engagement between freewheel body 8 and hub body 6.

[0075] Herein, the end-side toothing 14 of the freewheel body 8 interacts with a toothed washer 16 of the hub body 6, which, on the one hand, has the corresponding conical toothing 14 and, on the other hand, can suitably pass on or introduce the torque to be transmitted into the hub body 6. For this purpose, the toothed washer 16 has another radial external toothing 18, which engages with corresponding recesses in the hub body 6, wherein the toothed washer 16 is displaceable in the axial direction of the hub body 6.

[0076] Furthermore, a resilient element is provided which presses the toothed washer 16 against the end-side toothing 14 of the freewheel body 8. Thus, when a driving torque is applied, engagement between freewheel body 8 and toothed washer 16 is established, while the stationary freewheel body 8 and the hub body 6, which co-rotates with a forward movement of the running wheel, can otherwise slide against each other with their toothing 14, thus achieving the purpose of the freewheel.

[0077] FIG. 2 shows the freewheel body 8 of the hub 2 of FIG. 1 in a lateral view, in a lateral sectional view, and in a perspective lateral view, respectively. Herein, an end-side toothing 14, 148 is introduced in the end of the freewheel body 8 facing the hub body 6, which toothing circumscribes an opening cone angle 2α. The surface of the toothing 148 is thereby inclined by half the amount α of the cone angle 2α with respect to the center axis (longitudinal axis) L. This angle (cone inclination) α is 61° in this example, so that herein the cone angle 2α is 122°.

[0078] In addition to the conical toothing 14, 148, the freewheel body 8 has a receiving profile 20 for torque transmission from the force transmission means (not shown here) and next to it an external thread 22 for fixing the force transmission means.

[0079] The force transmission means, which herein is a cassette (not shown herein), has an inner sleeve extending to the outside of the smallest pinion, which is screwed onto the external thread 22 of the freewheel body 8 from the smallest pinion direction using a suitable nut, wherein the matching inner profile of the cassette travels across the receiving profile 20 of the freewheel body 8, thus creating a form fit between the cassette and the freewheel body 8 in the circumferential direction so as to transmit force. Such a system for fixing a cassette and for transmitting torque from a cassette to a hub 2 is known from the company SRAM® under the designation XD®.

[0080] FIG. 3 shows the toothed washer 16 of the hub body 6 of FIG. 1 in a lateral view, a top view, a lateral sectional view and a perspective view.

[0081] In the direction of the center axis L, the toothed washer 16 initially has a conical toothing 14, 146 corresponding to the conical toothing 148 of the freewheel body 8. Since the end of the freewheel body 8 on the hub body side herein is designed with an opening cone angle 2α (cf. FIG. 2), the toothed washer 16 is designed with a closing cone angle 2α of the same amount, namely 122°. The amount of the cone inclination α of the cone toothing 146 relative to the center axis L is 61° for the toothed washer 16 as for the freewheel body 8 in this example embodiment.

[0082] Furthermore, the further radial external toothing 18 of the toothed washer 16 for engagement with the hub body 6 is clearly visible here. In this case, the toothed washer 16 remains displaceable within the hub body 6 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.

[0083] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the freewheel body 8 of FIG. 2 (bottom) and the toothed washer 16 of FIG. 3 (top), these two parts 8, 16 being in engagement with each other in a predetermined manner. The toothed washer 16 has been inserted with its conical toothing 14, 146 into the conical toothing 14, 148 of the freewheel body 8. Thus, herein the conical toothing 14 in question is formed as a whole between the hub body 6 (via the toothed washer 16) and the freewheel body 8.

[0084] FIG. 5 shows another preferred example embodiment of a hub 2 according to the invention in a partially sectioned lateral view.

[0085] This example embodiment initially corresponds to that of FIG. 1, but with an optional venting system implemented herein.

[0086] Herein, venting of the three chambers inside the hub 2 (hub body chamber 61, toothing chamber 141 and freewheel chamber 81) is achieved. For this purpose, vent openings 24, herein provided as venting holes 26, are arranged between free-wheel chamber 81 and axle 12, toothing chamber 141 and hub body chamber 61, and hub body chamber 61 and axle 12, respectively.

[0087] Other variable contours may advantageously be provided to enable circulation / pressure equalization. Depressions, recessed surfaces, surface slots, or straight or spirally wound depressions or channels can be made, in particular milled, in the outer surface (jacket) of the axle 12. Air can flow through such recesses below the inner ring of a rolling bearing 111, 112, 113, 114 seated on the shaft 12, i.e. between the shaft 12 and the inner ring.

[0088] Dedicated end caps 28 located at the ends of the axle 12 also allow air to flow into or out of the interior of the axle 12. The end caps 28 have variable contours, in particular bores or slots 281, which open when an overpressure or underpressure is applied, thus enabling pressure compensation. For this purpose, the end caps 28 can be made of flexible material, for example plastic material. Thus, the inner space of the wheel axle 12 is also vented.

[0089] Thus, in the above-mentioned chambers 61, 81, 141 pressure equalization with the environment can always be maintained via the vent openings 24, 281.

[0090] The benefit therefrom resides in that when the hub 2 cools down, negative pressure no longer exists in the chambers 61, 81, 141, aspirating air with water and possibly also pollutants into the interior of the hub 2 through gaps or seals, such as those of the rolling bearings 111, 112, 113, 114, or the freewheel body 8, to cause damage therein.

[0091] FIGS. 6 to 11 illustrate an optional and specific tooth form for the above-mentioned conical toothing 14, in which line contact and, depending on the design, surface and full-surface contact are always produced between the toothing partners 148, 146. This allows higher forces to be transmitted with less wear. In addition, the opposing teeth 30 slide against each other, so that less friction is likely to occur. Likewise, there will be less risk of wear during sliding due to the arising surface and/or line contact.

[0092] Thus, with smaller overall size, greater force transmission is possible.

[0093] FIGS. 6 to 8 show the specific tooth form on the conical toothing 14, 148 of the freewheel body 8 from FIG. 2, while FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate the specific tooth form on the corresponding conical toothing 14, 146 of the toothed washer 16 from FIG. 3 of a hub body 6 from FIG. 1.

[0094] The illustration of FIG. 8 shows a detailed representation of a tooth 30 of the conical toothing 148 of the freewheel body 8 entirely shown in FIG. 6, which in turn is shown in detail and enlarged in FIG. 7. The auxiliary lines or straight lines G and the intersections S thereof with the longitudinal or central axis L, which will be explained in the following, may be seen in all three illustrations.

[0095] The illustration in FIG. 8 shows the perspective view from the outside of an essentially cylindrical freewheel body 8 with a conical toothing 14, 148 at the upper end.

[0096] Each tooth 30 of the conical toothing 148 has a counterclockwise tooth front side 32 and an upwardly and rearwardly delimited tooth backside 34.

[0097] Inside the device, the longitudinal axis L of the freewheel body 8 is shown.

[0098] Herein, the height H of the tooth, measured from the tooth base 35, is H1.

[0099] The tooth 30 has a shoulder 36 of the same height H1 on the upper side. The shoulder 36 is shaped such that a straight line G1 applied to the leading edge 38 of the tooth and a straight line G2 applied to the rear end of the shoulder A intersect the longitudinal axis L at exactly the same point S1.

[0100] The tooth backside 34 has a specifically shaped region between the shoulder 36 and the line between B1 and B2. Starting from an intersection point S3 located below S1, a straight line G3 always exists which, starting from S3, extends between the inner side I and the outside A of the tooth exactly along the surface of the tooth backside 34.

[0101] In alternative embodiments, the tooth backside 34 may also be convex, concave, elevatedly curved into a circular section consisting of several curves, or may be formed as an ellipse or be planar and multi-surfaced.

[0102] Also, in alternative embodiments, the surface of the shoulder 36 may be formed as a circular section (rounded) or as a surface that is slightly inclined to the front of the tooth 32, preferably with an inclination of 0-20°. The highest point of the tooth 30 is then no longer located on the line G1, but travels from the tooth front 32 in the direction of the line G2.

[0103] The surface of the shoulder 36 can then rise from line G1 in the direction of line G2, or is straight-planar as described herein.

[0104] Returning to the specific example embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, there is also a straight line G4 to G7 to each of the intersection points S4 to S7, which, starting from the respective intersection point between the inner side I and the outer side A of the tooth 30, exactly extends along the surface of the backside 34 of the tooth.

[0105] The lowest intersection point S8, for which this condition applies, is the intersection point for the straight line G8, which contacts the tooth 30 exactly at point B1 of the region boundary, and there, it is located as a tangent to the surface of the region between the shoulder 36 formed on the leading edge 38 and the line between B1 and B2 on the backside 34 of the tooth.

[0106] Now a second body 16, which has a toothing 146 like the toothing 148 of the freewheel body 8 shown, but which must have the negative amount of the cone inclination α of the toothing 148, is turned over and is placed from the top of the freewheel body 8 shown. Then, the second body 16 is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the illustrated freewheel body 8 so that the toothings 148, 146 are not engaged, but slide against each other.

[0107] The second body 16 is preferably a toothed washer 16 which is in engagement with the previously described freewheel body 8. This is shown in FIG. 4.

[0108] A corresponding toothed washer 16 having a corresponding conical toothing 146 and corresponding to the freewheel body of the previous figures, as well as already shown in FIG. 3, is shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. To illustrate the toothing 146 realized therein, reference can be made to the above and following explanations of FIGS. 6 to 9 by way of the freewheel body 8.

[0109] Returning now to the illustration of FIG. 8, there is thus - due to the identical or corresponding tooth forms - a straight line G between G2 and G8 for each position of the then opposing toothings 148, 146, which exactly represents the actual line of contact between the two opposing toothings 148, 146. Or in other words: at each moment of sliding of the tooth backsides 34, the straight line G of the toothing 148 of the freewheel body 8 exactly coincides with the corresponding straight line G′ (not shown in FIG. 8, see FIG. 11) of the corresponding toothing 146 of the toothed washer 16 in the contact region of the two toothings 148, 146, thus this straight line G=G′ necessarily forms the actual contact line between the toothings 148, 146.

[0110] Therefore, at least one line contact between the toothings 148, 146, in this case of the freewheel body 8 and the toothed washer 16, in the region between the straight line G2 and the line B1-B2, is always to be present.

[0111] The same applies when the toothings 148, 146 slide along the straight line G2 in the direction of the shoulder 36 and along the straight line G1 from the shoulder 36 in the direction of the tooth base 35. At this moment, the straight lines G2 and G2′ or G1 and G1′ of the opposing toothings 148, 146 meet each other so that line contact is ensured.

[0112] Preferably, instead of a line contact, it may as well be a surface or partial surface contact, if instead of the straight lines G2 to G8, surfaces or partial surfaces are realized, which are arranged in alignment with the longitudinal axis L.

[0113] In general, a design of the tooth front side 32 and/or the tooth backside 34 is preferred, wherein the geometry thereof, regardless of whether it is concave, convex, planar or partial-surface, is always aligned with the center axis L of the component 8, 16, and/or in each position of the rolling or sliding process of the toothing partners 148, 146, the resulting contact line G, G′ or contact surface extends through the center axis L, irrespective of the amount of a cone angle 2α of the toothing 148, 146. Provided that the toothing 148, 146 has a cone angle 2α, the intersection point S, S′ of the contact line G, G′ with the center axis L of the component 8, 16 will then be accordingly higher or lower than without a cone angle 2α, but this does not necessarily affect the quality of the rolling process described herein.

[0114] In the example from FIG. 8, surface contact exists at least when the shoulders 36 of the toothings 148, 146 slide on each other.

[0115] The region of the tooth backside 34, which in FIG. 8 is located below the line B1-B2, herein is not designed as the specifically shaped region described above, since the space required for the tool for the shaping and/or broaching operation is no longer sufficient due to the adjacent tooth 30 on the left. This region can be referred to as a runout.

[0116] However, the presence and size of such a runout may vary, namely depending on the method of producing the toothing 148, 146 - for example, machining, shaping, broaching or milling.

[0117] The tooth runout can be significantly reduced in size or even completely eliminated in the case of manufacturing using 3D printing, sintering, stamping, embossing or lasering, so that, if required, the entire backside 34 of the tooth can be designed with the specific surface described above.

[0118] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by means of the preferred embodiment examples, the present invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations may be derived by the skilled person without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention.

Embodiments

[0119] In addition to the advantageous embodiments, further embodiments and examples embodiments already discussed, the invention will be described below while making reference to other preferred specific embodiments which, however, do not limit the invention to the embodiments described. These embodiments are expressly part of the present description.

[0120] Further embodiments of the above-described advantageous embodiments and examples embodiments having the features of the following embodiments expressly form further advantageous embodiments of the invention, just as further embodiments of the below-described embodiments having the features of the above-described embodiments and examples embodiments, and are thus within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0121] Embodiment 1: A hub for a bicycle running wheel, comprising a hub body and a freewheel body, wherein a conical toothing is produced between the hub body and the freewheel body.

[0122] Embodiment 2: The hub according to the preceding embodiment, wherein an end-side toothing is incorporated into the end of the freewheel body facing the hub body, which toothing circumscribes an opening or a closing cone angle.

[0123] Embodiment 3: The hub according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the cone angle is 120.1-179.9°, preferably 121-179°, more preferably 125-175°, more preferably 130-170°, more preferably 135-165°, more preferably 140-160°, more preferably 145-155°, and more preferably 150°.

[0124] Embodiment 4: The hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the hub body has a toothing corresponding to the toothing of the freewheel body.

[0125] Embodiment 5: The hub according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the conical toothing of the hub body corresponding to the toothing of the freewheel body is formed in a toothed washer of the hub body.

[0126] Embodiment 6: The hub according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the toothed washer is displaceable in the axial direction within the hub body.

[0127] Embodiment 7: A hub for a bicycle running wheel, comprising a hub body as well as a freewheel body, optionally according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein venting of at least one of the chambers located within the hub, in particular of hub body, toothing chamber or freewheel, and/or of the interior of the wheel axle is provided.

[0128] Embodiment 8: A hub for a bicycle running wheel, comprising a hub body as well as a freewheel body, optionally according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein a tooth form is provided within a toothing between hub body and freewheel body, which always establishes a line contact and/or a surface contact or full surface contact between the toothing partners.

[0129] Embodiment 9: The hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the freewheel, on its side facing away from the hub body, comprises a receiving area and/or an external thread for receiving and/or fixing a force transmission means.

[0130] Embodiment 10: The hub according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the force transmission means is a cassette (pinion package) or a belt pulley.

[0131] Embodiment 11: The hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the hub further comprises at least one of the features as set forth in the description above.

[0132] Embodiment 12: The hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the hub has the additional features of at least one of the examples embodiments as set forth in the description above.

[0133] Embodiment 13: The hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the hub is formed according to one of the examples embodiments as set forth in the description above.

[0134] Embodiment 14: The hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the hub has the additional features of at least one other preceding embodiment.

[0135] Embodiment 15: Assembly for a hub for a bicycle wheel according to one or more of the preceding embodiments, wherein the assembly comprises a hub body and a freewheel body.

[0136] Embodiment 16: Hub body for a hub for a bicycle wheel according to one or more of the preceding embodiments 1 to 14.

[0137] Embodiment 17: Freewheel body for a hub for a bicycle wheel according to one or more of the preceding embodiments 1 to 14.

[0138] Embodiment 18: Bicycle wheel comprising a hub according to one or more of the preceding embodiments 1 to 14.

[0139] Embodiment 19: Bicycle comprising a bicycle wheel according to the preceding embodiment.