Shimano Inc.

Koshi Tabe

Toshio Tetsuka

Masahiro Yamanaka

Takanori Kanehisa

Shingo Shiraishi

Satoshi Shahana

Etsuyoshi Watarai

Atsuhiro Emura

Tetsuya Hino

Yusuke Nishimoto

Hideya Inoue

Yasuhiro Yahata

Etuyoshi Watarai

Tesuya Hino

A bicycle chainring is formed from a first member and an second member. The first member includes a center rotational axis, a crank attachment portion with a plurality of chainring attachment openings and an annular tooth portion with a plurality of chain engaging gear teeth. The second member disposed around the center rotational axis and is fixedly attached to overlie at least one of the crank attachment portion and the annular tooth portion to reinforce the first member without obstructing access to the chainring attachment openings.

Bicycle chainring

A bicycle bottom bracket assembly is provided with a pair of bearing support members, and a pair of axle bearings so that the bottom bracket assembly is configured and arranged to be mounted into a hanger part of a bicycle frame. The hanger part has opposite open ends. The bearing support members are press-fitted into opposite open ends of the hanger part. The bearings are retained in the bearing support members such that the bearings are disposed inside of the hanger part with outer races of each of the bearings engaging one of the bearing support members. A crank axle is rotatably supported within the hanger part by inner races of the bearings with a first axial end portion of the crank axle being disposed at one end of the hanger part and a second axial end portion of the crank axle being disposed at the other end of the hanger part.

Bicycle bottom bracket assembly

An assisting apparatus for using power from a rotating member to assist the operation of a bicycle transmission includes a mounting unit; an input transmission member coupled to the mounting unit, wherein the input transmission member moves to at least a neutral position, to an upshift position and to a downshift position; and an output transmission member coupled to the mounting unit, wherein the output transmission member moves to at least a first output position and a second output position. A rotating member engaging member moves between a rotating member engaging position and a rotating member disengaging position, and a motion transmitting mechanism transmits motion from the rotating member engaging member to the output transmission member. A switching mechanism moves the rotating member engaging member to the rotating member engaging position when the input transmission member is in at least one of the upshift position and the downshift position.

Assisting apparatus for changing speeds in a bicycle transmission

A bicycle hub is provided with spoke openings that extend into the interior of the hub. The bicycle hub basically has a hub axle, a hub body and a seal arranged in the hub body. The hub axle has a center axis extending between a first end and a second end. The hub body has an interior passageway with the hub axle being rotatably supported therein. The hub body also has a set of first spoke openings circumferentially arranged around one end of the hub body and a set of second spoke openings circumferentially arranged around the other end of the hub body. The spoke openings of the hub body are arranged for use with tangential bicycle spokes having a straight section and a bent end with an enlarged head such that straight section extends at an angle of about 95&deg; relative to the bent end. A first seal is arranged in the interior passageway of the hub body and adjacent the first spoke openings to isolate the first spoke openings from the hub axle. A second seal is arranged in the interior passageway of the hub body and adjacent the second spoke openings to isolate the second spoke openings from the hub axle. Preferably, the seals is arranged in the interior passageway of the hub body to form first and second isolated spaces of the interior passageway below the first and second spoke openings.

Bicycle hub with spoke seal

A bicycle hub is provided for use with tangential bicycle spokes. The bicycle hub includes a hub axle and a hub body. The hub axle has a set of spoke openings. The spoke openings are circumferentially arranged around the hub body and extend between the external and internal surfaces. Each of the spoke openings has an enlarged insertion portion and a retaining portion. An internal head receiving seat is preferably located adjacent each of the retaining portions. An internal abutment is preferably arranged between each of the insertion portions and each of the head receiving seats. The external surface, the head receiving seats and the abutments are configured to retain the bent ends of the spokes. The external surface preferably has a flute portion extending from each of the retaining portions. The retaining portions and the flute portions are configured to retain the bent ends of the spokes.

Bicycle hub

A bicycle brake disc hub is provided for use with tangential bicycle spokes. The bicycle hub basically has a hub axle and a hub body with a brake rotor attachment portion integral formed therewith as a one-piece, unitary member. The hub axle has a center axis extending between a first end and a second end. The hub body has an interior passageway with the hub axle being rotatably supported therein. The hub body also has a set of first spoke openings circumferentially arranged around the hub body. The brake rotor attachment portion is located at a first end section of the center tubular portion. The first spoke openings are located adjacent the brake rotor attachment portion. The first spoke openings extend through the first end section of the center tubular portion of the hub body. The brake rotor attachment portion having a plurality of through bores. The through bores receive a bolt therethrough with a nut coupled the end of the bolt

Bicycle hub for disc brake

A bicycle hub is provided for use with tangential bicycle spokes having a straight section and a bent end with an enlarged head such that straight section extends at an angle of about 95&deg; relative to the bent end. The bicycle hub basically has a hub axle and a hub body. The hub axle has a center axis extending between a first end and a second end. The hub body has an interior passageway with the hub axle being rotatably supported therein. The hub body also has a set of first spoke openings circumferentially arranged around the hub body. Each of the first spoke openings having an insertion portion with a large width that permits the enlarged head of a tangential spoke to pass therethrough and a retaining portion with a width that is smaller than the width of the insertion portion to retain the enlarged head of the tangential spoke therein. Each of the retaining portions of the first spoke openings is defined by a cylindrical surface with a center longitudinal axis that is angled such that said center longitudinal axis of each of the retaining portions does not pass through the center axis of the hub axle.

Bicycle hub for tangential spokes

A bicycle hub is provided with spoke openings that extend into the interior of the hub. The bicycle hub basically has a hub axle, a hub body and seals arranged in the hub body. The hub axle has a center axis extending between a first end and a second end. The hub body has an interior passageway with the hub axle being rotatably supported therein. The hub body also has first and second spoke openings circumferentially arranged around the ends of the hub body. A first seal is arranged in the interior passageway of the hub body and adjacent the first spoke openings to isolate the first spoke openings from the hub axle. A seal support is located beneath the first seal to prevent radial inward movement of the first seal. A second seal is arranged in the interior passageway of the hub body and adjacent the second spoke openings to isolate the second spoke openings from the hub axle. Preferably, the spoke opening covers are located in grooves of the hub body to seal the insertion portions of the first and second spoke openings.

A ratchet mechanism for a bicycle hub includes a first hub member and a second hub member, wherein the first hub member and the second hub member are rotatable relative to each other. A pawl is supported by the first hub member, a ratchet tooth is supported by the second hub member, and a biasing mechanism is provided for biasing the pawl toward the ratchet tooth. A pawl control mechanism is responsive to relative rotation of the first hub member and the second hub member for allowing the pawl to contact the ratchet tooth when the first hub member and the second hub member rotate relative to each other in one direction and for preventing the pawl from contacting the ratchet tooth when the first hub member and the second hub member rotate relative to each other in an opposite direction.

Pawl noise dampening mechanism for a bicycle freewheel

A bicycle hub transmission includes a hub axle, a driver rotatably mounted to the hub axle, a slave rotatably mounted to the hub axle, a power transmitting mechanism disposed between the driver and the slave for changing a rotational speed of the driver and for communicating rotational power from the driver to the slave, a clutch mechanism for selectively engaging and disengaging the slave and the driver, and a clutch switching mechanism for controlling the clutch. The clutch switching mechanism includes a weight member that moves radially outwardly in response to centrifugal force created by rotation of the weight member around the hub axle, a control member operatively coupled to the clutch mechanism and rotatable about the hub axle in response to movement of the weight member between an engaging position for causing the clutch mechanism to engage the driver and the slave and a disengaging position for causing the clutch mechanism to disengage the driver and the slave, a weight support coupled to the slave and rotatably mounted relative to the hub axle for carrying the weight member and the control member, and a cylindrical bolt disposed coaxially with the hub axle for coupling the weight support to the slave.

Bicycle hub transmission with a cylindrical bolt for coupling a weight

A bicycle hub transmission includes a hub axle, a driver rotatably mounted to the hub axle, a slave rotatably mounted to the hub axle, a power transmitting mechanism disposed between the driver and the slave for changing a rotational speed of the driver and for communicating rotational power from the driver to the slave, a clutch mechanism for selectively engaging and disengaging the slave and the driver, and a clutch switching mechanism for controlling the operation of the clutch. The clutch switching mechanism includes an elongated weight member having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end pivots radially outwardly around the first end in response to centrifugal force created by rotation of the weight member around the hub axle. A control member is operatively coupled to the clutch mechanism and is rotatable about the hub axle between an engaging position for causing the clutch to engage the driver and the slave and a disengaging position for disengaging the driver and the slave. An interlocking member is coupled to the weight member in a position spaced apart from the first end of the weight member toward the second end of the weight member and coupled to the control member for rotating the control member in response to radially outward movement of the second end of the weight member. The weight member may be coupled for rotation with the driver or the slave as appropriate for the application. In either case the interlocking member may be formed as a link member having a first end connected to the control member and a second end connected to the weight member at the second end of the weight member to maximize movement of the control member in response to pivoting of the weight member.

Automatic bicycle hub transmission using flyweights

A bicycle hub transmission includes a hub axle, a driver rotatably mounted to the hub axle, and a slave rotatably mounted to the hub axle. The driver includes a first driving member and a second driving member axially aligned with the first driving member and nonrotatably coupled to the first driving member, wherein the slave is at least partially disposed within the second driving member. At least one of the first driving member and the second driving member define a housing space, and a power transmitting mechanism is disposed at least partially in the housing space for changing a rotational speed of the driver and for communicating rotational power from the driver to the slave.

Bicycle hub transmission having a two-piece driver

A bicycle hub includes a hub axle, a spacer disposed over an outer periphery of the hub axle, a hub shell, and a bearing disposed between the spacer and the hub shell for rotatably supporting the hub shell on the hub axle. The bearing is of the type including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling members disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring. To prevent dirt, sand and other foreign matter from entering the bearings, a seal is disposed between the spacer and the hub shell laterally outwardly of the bearing.

A one-way clutch includes an internal rotary member and an external rotary member, wherein a surface of the internal rotary member and a surface of the external rotary member define a clutch member space so that a width of the clutch member space varies from a wider portion to a narrower portion. A clutch member is disposed in the clutch member space so that (i) relative rotation between the internal rotary member and the external rotary member is inhibited when the clutch member is disposed in the narrower portion of the clutch member space; and (ii) relative rotation between the internal rotary member and the external rotary member is allowed when the clutch member is disposed in the wider portion of the clutch member space. A clutch member support is provided for supporting the clutch member within the clutch member space, and a coupling member is provided for increasing a coupling force between the clutch member support and one of the internal rotary member or external rotary member when the clutch rotates in a drive direction.

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Osaka, Japan

Koshi Tabe