Cable connection for a motor unit of an electric auxiliary drive for a bicycle

Abstract

A cable connection on a motor unit of an electric auxiliary drive for a bicycle, the motor unit includes an external rotor having a rotational axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the wheels. The cable connection has a solid connecting piece which can be connected to the motor unit and conductors for connection to the cores of a cable to be fed at an angle.

Claims

1. A cable connection for a motor unit of an electric auxiliary drive for a bicycle, wherein the motor unit has an external rotor with a rotation axis which is perpendicular in relation to a plane of bicycle wheels of the bicycle, the cable connection comprising a solid connection piece that is connectable to the motor unit and has conductors for connection to cores of a cable that is fed at an angle relative to the rotation axis and for connection to conductor pieces that are connectable in an interior of the motor unit.

2. The cable connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable is connectable to the connection piece at a right angle to the rotation axis.

3. The cable connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection piece has an attachment for relieving strain on the cable, said attachment extending at an angle relative to the rotation axis.

4. The cable connection as claimed in claim 3, where the attachment extends at a right angle relative to the rotation axis.

5. The cable connection as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connection piece is formed in two parts includes a plug part and a socket part.

6. The cable connection as claimed in claim 5, wherein the attachment is formed on the plug part.

7. The cable connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductors are encapsulated in an insulating housing of the connection piece.

8. The cable connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein a part of the connection piece intended to be connected to the cable has a removable cover which is screwed to the other part.

9. The cable connection as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cover is pressable against the cable for strain-relief purposes.

10. The cable connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection piece is arranged on a shaft that is fixedly connected to the bicycle and on which the external rotor is rotatably mounted.

11. The cable connection as claimed in claim 10, wherein the connection piece is rotationally fixed on the shaft.

12. The cable connection as claimed in claim 11, wherein the connection piece is arranged axially between a rotary bearing for the external rotor and a supporting lever that is supported against a frame part.

13. The cable connection as claimed in claim 12, wherein an axial position of the attachment is arranged between a brake disk, which is connected to the external rotor, and the supporting lever.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 shows a partially sectional illustration of a motor unit of an electric auxiliary drive for a bicycle, and

(2) FIG. 2 shows different views of a connection piece which is used in the motor assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) A motor unit which is arranged between limbs 1, 2 of a fork of a front wheel of a bicycle or other parts of the bicycle frame comprises a stator 3 which is rigidly connected to a shaft 4 which is coaxial to the stator and which, for its part, is fixedly connected, in a manner not illustrated in any detail here, to the fork limbs 1, 2.

(4) An external rotor 8 is mounted, such that it can rotate about a rotation axis 7, on the shaft 4 by means of bearings 5 and 6.

(5) As shown in FIG. 1, a brake disk 10 is connected to the external rotor 7, for example by screw-connection to a perforated rim (not shown) which surrounds the bearing 6. Reference numeral 24 refers to a supporting lever which is rigidly connected to the shaft 4 and which transmits a countertorque of the motor unit to the limb 2 or to another frame part.

(6) A connection piece 11 which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the shaft 4 is arranged on the shaft 4 in an axial position between the bearing 6 and the supporting lever 24, said connection piece being connected to a cable 12 which is fed perpendicularly in relation to the rotation axis 7.

(7) The cable 12 contains cable cores which transmit both data and current which are to be supplied to the motor unit. The cable cores are connected to conductors which are laid in the connection piece 11 and, for their part, are connected to the stator 3 and to an electronics assembly 15 by means of line pieces 13, 14 which are indicated by dashed lines by way of example.

(8) The cable 12 is advantageously not subject to any bending during the course of connection to the motor assembly.

(9) As can be seen in FIG. 2, the connection piece 11 which has a plastic housing is formed in two parts with a plug part 16, which is connected to the cable 12, and a socket part 17. An aperture 18 or 19 serves for rotationally fixed mounting on the correspondingly flattened shaft 4 (flattened portion not shown in FIG. 1). The socket part 17 has socket parts 20 which are connected to corresponding conductor sections. Projecting pins (not shown) are accordingly formed in the plug part 16.

(10) The housing can be encapsulated entirely with insulating material, with the conductors which are laid in the housing being incorporated.

(11) As can further be seen in FIG. 2, the plug part 16 has a cover 22 which is connected to the other plug part by means of screws 21. After the cover 22 is removed, the cores of the cable 12 can be soldered to corresponding connection points of the plug part 16. When the cover 22 is screw-connected to the other part 16, the sheathing of the cable 12 is simultaneously clamped by means of an attachment 23 which extends at a right angle in relation to the plugging axis, and the cable 12 is therefore advantageously relieved of strain.