Sensor wheel and disc brake apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524741-B2
Application number	US-202016931342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 16, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A sensor wheel for a human-powered vehicle comprises a wheel body and an attachment part. The wheel body is configured to be rotatable relative to a vehicle body of the human-powered vehicle about a rotational axis along with a rotational hub of the human-powered vehicle. The wheel body includes a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotational axis. The attachment part is configured to be operatively coupled to the rotational hub. At least one opening of the plurality of openings has a radial length defined radially with respect to the rotational axis. The radial length is equal to or larger than 8 mm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor wheel for a human-powered vehicle, comprising:
a wheel body configured to be rotatable relative to a vehicle body of the human-powered vehicle about a rotational axis along with a disc brake rotor of a disc brake apparatus of the human-powered vehicle, the wheel body including a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotational axis; and
an attachment part configured to be operatively coupled to a rotational hub of the human-powered vehicle,
at least one opening of the plurality of openings having a radial length defined radially with respect to the rotational axis, the disc brake rotor including a friction surface configured to be in contact with a brake pad of a disc brake caliper of the disc brake apparatus, the radial length being larger than a radial width of the friction surface defined radially with respect to the rotational axis.

2. The sensor wheel according to claim 1 , wherein
the radial length is equal to or larger than 8 mm.

3. A sensor wheel for a human-powered vehicle, comprising:
a wheel body configured to be rotatable relative to a vehicle body of the human-powered vehicle about a rotational axis along with a rotational hub of the human-powered vehicle, the wheel body including a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotational axis; and
an attachment part configured to be operatively coupled to the rotational hub,
at least one opening of the plurality of openings having a radial length defined radially with respect to the rotational axis, the at least one opening of the plurality of openings having a circumferential length defined in the circumferential direction, a ratio of the radial length to the circumferential length being equal to or larger than 4, wherein
the circumferential length is an inner circumferential length defined at a radially inner end of the at least one opening of the plurality of openings,
the at least one opening of the plurality of openings has an outer circumferential length defined in the circumferential direction at a radially outer end of the at least one opening of the plurality of openings, and
the outer circumferential length is larger than the inner circumferential length.

4. The sensor wheel according to claim 3 , wherein
the radial length is equal to or larger than 8 mm.

5. The sensor wheel according to claim 3 , wherein
the wheel body is configured to be rotatable about the rotational axis along with a disc brake rotor of a disc brake apparatus of the human-powered vehicle,
the disc brake rotor includes a friction surface configured to be in contact with a brake pad of a disc brake caliper of the disc brake apparatus, and
the radial length is larger than a radial width of the friction surface defined radially with respect to the rotational axis.

6. The sensor wheel according to claim 3 , wherein
the ratio of the radial length to the circumferential length is equal to or larger than 6.

7. A disc brake apparatus for a human-powered vehicle, comprising:
a disc brake rotor; and
a sensor wheel comprising:
a wheel body configured to be rotatable relative to a vehicle body of the human-powered vehicle about a rotational axis along with a rotational hub of the human-powered vehicle, the wheel body including a plurality of openings spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotational axis; and
an attachment part configured to be operatively coupled to the rotational hub,

at least one opening of the plurality of openings having a radial length defined radially with respect to the rotational axis, the radial length being equal to or larger than 8 mm, wherein
the disc brake rotor includes an internal engagement structure configured to be operatively directly coupled to the rotational hub separately from the attachment part of the sensor wheel, and
the attachment part is configured to be operatively directly coupled to the rotational hub at a location overlapping and directly adjacent to a location at which the internal engagement structure is configured to be operatively directly coupled to the rotational hub when viewed in direction parallel to the rotational axis.

8. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the radial length is equal to or larger than 12 mm.

9. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the radial length is equal to or larger than 15.5 mm.

10. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the at least one opening of the plurality of openings has an elongated shape extending radially with respect to the rotational axis as viewed along the rotational axis.

11. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the at least one opening of the plurality of openings has a longitudinal axis extending radially with respect to the rotational axis as viewed along the rotational axis.

12. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the longitudinal axis of the at least one opening of the plurality of openings extends radially outwardly from the rotational axis as viewed along the rotational axis.

13. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the radial length is defined along the longitudinal axis.

14. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the wheel body has an annular shape and includes an inner periphery, and
the attachment part is provided to the inner periphery of the wheel body.

15. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the attachment part has a concavo-convex shape configured to be engaged with the rotational hub.

16. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the wheel body includes an outer periphery,
the wheel body has an outer radial width defined radially from the outer periphery of the wheel body to the at least one opening of the plurality of openings,
the at least one opening of the plurality of openings has an outer circumferential length defined in the circumferential direction at a radially outer end of the at least one opening of the plurality of openings, and
the outer circumferential length is larger than the outer radial width of the wheel body.

17. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the wheel body has a radius radially defined from the rotational axis to an outer periphery of the wheel body, and
a ratio of the radial length to the radius of the wheel body is equal to or larger than 0.2.

18. The disc brake apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a detector configured to detect passing of the plurality of openings.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Nakai Mototsugu
• Kuwayama Kazuya
• Habara Ryosuke

Classifications

• B62L1/005

  constructional features of brake elements, e.g. fastening of brake blocks in their holders · CPC title

• B62L3/02

  for control by a hand lever (hand levers for control of cycles in general B62K23/06) · CPC title

• B62J45/423 Primary

  on or besides the wheel · CPC title

• B62J45/413

  Rotation sensors · CPC title

• B62L1/10

  by the elements moving substantially parallel to the wheel axis · CPC title