Bicycle hub assembly and bicycle control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479441-B2
Application number	US-201615245131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A bicycle hub assembly includes a hub shell including a braking surface. A coaster brake shoe is accommodated in the hub shell and cooperates with the braking surface to generate braking force. A motor is accommodated in the hub shell and configured to be controlled for at least changing or maintaining a gear ratio.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bicycle hub assembly, comprising: a hub shell including a braking surface; a hub driver directly or indirectly coupled to a driving member and rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the hub driver is rotated in the first direction when a pedal is rotated in a forward travelling direction, and wherein the hub driver is rotated in the second direction when the pedal is rotated in a direction opposite to the forward travelling direction; a coaster brake shoe accommodated in the hub shell to cooperate with the braking surface to generate braking force; and a transmission device arranged inside the hub shell to convey rotation of the hub driver in the first direction to the hub shell at a selected gear ratio, wherein the transmission device includes a motor accommodated in the hub shell and an epicyclic rotor mechanism directly or indirectly coupled to each of the hub driver, the coaster brake shoe, and the motor; the motor is configured to change a gear ratio of a rotation speed of the hub driver to a rotation speed of the hub shell when driving the motor in accordance with pedaling in the forward travelling direction.

2. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is arranged remotely from the coaster brake shoe in an axial direction of the hub shell.

3. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is arranged concentrically with a central axis of the hub shell.

4. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor is directly or indirectly coupled to a controller,
the motor is rotated at controlled motor speed in accordance with a gear ratio request signal from the controller to change the gear ratio in a stepped or stepless manner or maintain a selected gear ratio if the bicycle is being propelled with pedaling, and
the motor is stopped in accordance with a rotation-stop signal from the controller if the bicycle is stopped.

5. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a power supply conductor electrically connecting the motor with a battery or a generator.

6. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a hub axle at least partially covered with the hub shell,
wherein the coaster brake shoe is configured to be pressed against the braking surface by a rotary motion of the transmission device caused by rotation of the hub driver in the second direction to generate frictional braking force.

7. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the motor and the coaster brake shoe are arranged at opposite sides of the epicyclic rotor mechanism in an axial direction of the hub axle.

8. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a first one-way clutch coupled to a first location on the epicyclic rotor mechanism, wherein
when the hub driver is rotated in the first direction, the first one-way clutch stops conveying the rotation of the hub driver in the first direction to the coaster brake shoe so that the coaster brake shoe does not generate frictional braking force, and
when the hub driver is rotated in the second direction, the first one-way clutch permits conveying the rotation of the hub driver in the second direction to the coaster brake shoe via the epicyclic rotor mechanism so that the coaster brake shoe generates frictional braking force.

9. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the epicyclic rotor mechanism includes
a sun rotor arranged coaxially with the hub axle,
a plurality of planetary rotors coupled to the sun rotor,
a carrier rotatably supporting the plurality of planetary rotors, and
a ring rotor coupled to the plurality of planetary rotors,
wherein the motor includes a rotary shaft coupled to the sun rotor.

10. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the rotary shaft of the motor is coupled to the sun rotor to rotate integrally with the sun rotor.

11. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the ring rotor is coupled to the hub driver to rotate integrally with the hub driver.

12. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 10 , wherein when the hub driver is rotated in the second direction, the motor is controlled to generate and apply electromagnetic braking force to the sun rotor or to allow free rotation of the rotary shaft.

13. A bicycle hub assembly, comprising:
a hub shell including a braking surface;
a hub driver;
a coaster brake shoe accommodated in the hub shell to cooperate with the braking surface to generate braking force;
a motor accommodated in the hub shell and configured to change a gear ratio of a rotation speed of the hub driver to a rotation speed of the hub shell;
a hub axle at least partially covered with the hub shell,
the hub driver directly or indirectly coupled to a driving member and rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the hub driver is rotated in the first direction when a pedal is rotated in a forward travelling direction, and wherein the hub driver is rotated in the second direction when the pedal is rotated in a direction opposite to the forward travelling direction; and
a transmission device arranged inside the hub shell to convey rotation of the hub driver in the first direction to the hub shell at a selected gear ratio,
wherein the coaster brake shoe is configured to be pressed against the braking surface by a rotary motion of the transmission device caused by rotation of the hub driver in the second direction to generate frictional braking force,
wherein the transmission device includes the motor,
wherein the transmission device includes an epicyclic rotor mechanism directly or indirectly coupled to each of the hub driver, the coaster brake shoe, and the motor,
the bicycle hub assembly further comprising a first one-way clutch coupled to a first location on the epicyclic rotor mechanism,
wherein when the hub driver is rotated in the first direction, the first one-way clutch stops conveying the rotation of the hub driver in the first direction to the coaster brake shoe so that the coaster brake shoe does not generate frictional braking force,
wherein when the hub driver is rotated in the second direction, the first one-way clutch permits conveying the rotation of the hub driver in the second direction to the coaster brake shoe via the epicyclic rotor mechanism so that the coaster brake shoe generates frictional braking force,
wherein the epicyclic rotor mechanism includes
a sun rotor arranged coaxially with the hub axle,
a plurality of planetary rotors coupled to the sun rotor,
a carrier rotatably supporting the plurality of planetary rotors, and
a ring rotor coupled to the plurality of planetary rotors,
wherein the motor includes a rotary shaft coupled to the sun rotor,
the first one-way clutch is coupled to the ring rotor and the carrier to convey rotation of the hub driver in the second direction to the coaster brake shoe via the first one-way clutch and the carrier and not to convey rotation of the hub driver in the first direction to the carrier.

14. The bicycle hub assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising a second one-way clutch coupled to a second location on the epicyclic rotor mechanism, the second location is different from the first location in an axial direction of the hub axle, wherein the second one-way clutch is configured to convey rotation of the hub driver in the first direction to the hub shell via the second one-way clutch and the carrier and not to convey rotation of the hub driver in the second directi

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Takashi

Classifications

• B62M25/08

  with electrical or fluid transmitting systems · CPC title

• B62M11/16

  built in, or adjacent to, the ground-wheel hub · CPC title

• B62M6/65

  with axle and driving shaft arranged coaxially · CPC title

• B62M6/50 Primary

  characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof · CPC title

• B62L5/10

  the brakes being actuated through coacting cams and balls or rollers {located in the rear wheel hub} · CPC title