Suspension enhancing hub and rear derailleur assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428279-B2
Application number	US-201916694732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

An electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly is disclosed herein. The decoupling hub assembly has an axle and a hub shell rotationally positioned about the axle. A controller provides automatic activation/deactivation signals to an inductor. The decoupling hub assembly has a bearing rotationally positioned about the axle and a cassette body assembly, having a plurality of teeth, rotationally positioned about the bearing. One or more pawls are provided to engage with at least some of the teeth of the cassette body assembly and a seal is used to contain the pawls within the decoupling hub assembly. A cassette body assembly is coupled with the ratchet ring and an end cap is used to prevent a contaminant from entering into the decoupling hub assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly comprising:
an axle;
a hub shell rotationally positioned about the axle;
a bearing rotationally positioned about the axle;
a cassette body assembly rotationally positioned about the bearing, the cassette body assembly having at least one tooth therein;
an inductor comprising at least one pawl to selectively engage or disengage with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly,
a selective disengagement of the at least one pawl from the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly will cause the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly to enter a freewheel state, and
a selective engagement of the at least one pawl with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly will cause the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly to enter a force transfer state;
a controller to provide at least one automatic signal to the inductor,
the at least one automatic signal causing the inductor to engage or disengage the at least one pawl with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly; and
at least one sensor to provide an input to the controller, the input causing the controller to automatically provide the at least one automatic signal to the inductor, where the sensor is selected from a group of sensors consisting of: an accelerometer, an optical detection device, and an image capturing device.

2. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the hub shell rotationally positioned about the axle on a non-drive side of said electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly; and
the bearing rotationally positioned about the axle on a drive side of said electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly.

3. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the controller to provide at least one automatic activation signal; and
the inductor to receive the at least one automatic activation signal and engage the at least one pawl with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly.

4. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the controller to provide at least one automatic deactivation signal; and
the inductor to receive the at least one automatic deactivation signal and disengage the at least one pawl from the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly.

5. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the controller to provide a plurality of automatic activation signals;
the controller to provide a plurality of automatic deactivation signals; and
the inductor to receive the plurality of automatic activation signals and the plurality of automatic deactivation signals and engage or disengage the at least one pawl with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly in accordance therewith.

6. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the cassette body assembly having a plurality of teeth therein; and
the inductor comprising a plurality of pawls, the plurality of pawls to selectively engage or disengage with at least two of the plurality of teeth of the cassette body assembly.

7. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal to contain the at least one pawl within the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly;
a ratchet ring; and
an end cap coupled with the cassette body assembly, the end cap configured to prevent entry of contaminant into the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly.

8. An electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly comprising:
an axle;
a hub shell rotationally positioned about the axle;
a bearing rotationally positioned about the axle;
a cassette body assembly rotationally positioned about the bearing, the cassette body assembly having at least one tooth therein;
an electromagnet comprising at least one pawl to selectively engage or disengage with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly, where in a normal state, the at least one pawl is selectively engaged with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly such that the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly is in a force transfer state;
a controller to provide at least one automatic deactivation signal to the electromagnet, the at least one automatic deactivation signal causing the electromagnet to disengage the at least one pawl from the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly such that the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly enters into a freewheel state; and
at least one sensor to provide an input to the controller, the input causing the controller to automatically provide the automatic deactivation signal to the electromagnet,

the sensor selected from a group of sensors consisting of: an accelerometer, an optical detection device, and an image capturing device.

9. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
the hub shell rotationally positioned about the axle on a non-drive side of said electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly; and
the bearing rotationally positioned about the axle on a drive side of said electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly.

10. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
the controller to provide at least one automatic activation signal; and
the electromagnet to receive the at least one automatic activation signal and return to the normal state where the at least one pawl is selectively engaged with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly.

11. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 8 further comprising:
the controller to provide a plurality of automatic activation signals;
the controller to provide a plurality of automatic deactivation signals; and
the electromagnet to receive the plurality of automatic activation signals and the plurality of automatic deactivation signals and engage or disengage the at least one pawl with the at least one tooth of the cassette body assembly in accordance therewith.

12. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
the cassette body assembly having a plurality of teeth therein; and
the electromagnet comprising a plurality of pawls, the plurality of pawls to selectively engage or disengage with at least two of the plurality of teeth of the cassette body assembly.

13. The electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a seal to contain the at least one pawl within the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly;
a ratchet ring; and
an end cap coupled with the cassette body assembly, the end cap configured to prevent entry of contaminant into the electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly.

14. An electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly comprising:
an axle;
a hub shell rotationally positioned about the axle;
a bearing rotationally positioned about the axle;
a cassette body assembly rotationally positioned about the bearing, the cassette body assembly having at least one tooth therein;
a controller to provide at least one automatic activation signal and at least one automatic deactivation signal; and
an inductor comprising at least one pawl, the inductor to receive the at least one automatic activation signal and the at least one automatic deactivation signal from the controller;
the automatic activation signal causing the inductor to enter a selective engaged state, the sele

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Choltco-Devlin Evan Michael
• Fitzsimmons Mark Stephen
• Allinger Wesley E

Classifications

• F16D2500/1107

  Vehicles · CPC title

• F16D2121/20

  using electromagnets · CPC title

• F16D27/09

  and with interengaging jaws or gear-teeth · CPC title

• F16D41/26

  with provision for altering the action · CPC title

• F16D48/064 Primary

  Control of electrically or electromagnetically actuated clutches (F16D48/062, F16D48/068 take precedence) · CPC title