Clad chainring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10746276-B2
Application number	US-201715815101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2014
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A bicycle chainring, including a generally annular body formed of at least an inner material, the inner material including a first side and a second side opposite the first side and a plurality of teeth disposed about a periphery of the body. At least some of the plurality of teeth are formed of both the inner material and an outer material, the outer material disposed on one or both of the first and second sides, the outer material having a greater wear resistance relative to the inner material and a thickness greater than 0.1 millimeter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sprocket for a bicycle drivetrain, comprising:
a generally annular body formed of at least an inner material, the inner material including a first side and a second side opposite the first side; and
a plurality of teeth disposed about a periphery of the body, at least some of the plurality of teeth formed of both the inner material and an outer material, the outer material disposed on both of the first and second sides, the outer material having a greater wear resistance relative to the inner material and a thickness greater than 0.1 millimeter, wherein the outer material of the first side and the second side comes into contact at the tip of at least one tooth,
wherein the inner material includes an aluminum alloy and the outer material includes an iron alloy.

2. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth include a first group of teeth and a second group of teeth, each of the teeth of the first group of teeth wider than each of the teeth of the second group of teeth.

3. The sprocket of claim 2 , wherein each of the first group of teeth is arranged between an adjacent pair of the second group of teeth.

4. The sprocket of claim 2 , wherein each of the first group of teeth is arranged between each of the second group of teeth in an alternating pattern.

5. The sprocket of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of teeth is an even number of teeth.

6. The sprocket of claim 5 , wherein the first group of teeth and the second group of teeth are equal in number.

7. The sprocket of claim 2 , wherein each of the first group of teeth include one or more protrusions.

8. The sprocket of claim 7 , wherein the protrusions are formed of the outer material.

9. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the outer material that is disposed on the first side and the outer material that is disposed on the second side of the inner material and form the plurality of teeth is equal in thickness.

10. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the sprocket is configured to operate as a chainring for the bicycle drivetrain.

11. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the outer material meets at the tip of the at least one tooth to contact at a shared face and terminates at a flat tip.

12. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the sprocket further comprises holes configured for attachment to a crank arm.

13. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the inner material is bonded to the outer material.

14. The sprocket of claim 13 , wherein inner material is bonded to the outer material with an epoxy.

15. The sprocket of claim 1 , wherein the inner material is brazed to the outer material.

16. A sprocket for a bicycle drivetrain, comprising:
a generally annular body formed of at least an inner material, the inner material including a first side and a second side opposite the first side; and
a plurality of teeth disposed about a periphery of the body, at least some of the plurality of teeth formed of both the inner material and an outer material, the outer material disposed on both of the first and second sides, the outer material having a greater wear resistance relative to the inner material and a thickness greater than 0.1 millimeter, wherein the outer material of the first side and the second side comes into contact at the tip of at least one tooth,
wherein the sprocket further comprises features to assist shifting operations.

17. The sprocket of claim 16 , wherein the features comprise at least one of a pin, a ramp, or a clearance.

18. A sprocket for a bicycle drivetrain, comprising:
a generally annular body formed of at least an inner material, the inner material including a first side and a second side opposite the first side; and
a plurality of teeth disposed about a periphery of the body, at least some of the plurality of teeth formed of both the inner material and an outer material, the outer material disposed on both of the first and second sides, the outer material having a greater wear resistance relative to the inner material and a thickness greater than 0.1 millimeter, wherein the outer material of the first side and the second side comes into contact at the tip of at least one tooth,
wherein the thickness of the outer material is greater than the thickness of the inner material.

Assignees

• Sram Llc

Inventors

• Wesling Kevin
• Medaglia Anthony

Classifications

• F16H55/30 Primary

  Chain-wheels · CPC title

• B62M9/10

  involving different-sized wheels, {e.g. rear sprocket chain wheels} selectively engaged by the chain, belt, or the like {(bicycle hubs rotatably arranged on axle B60B27/023)} · CPC title

• F16H55/06

  Use of materials; Use of treatments of toothed members or worms to affect their intrinsic material properties · CPC title