Human-powered vehicle wheel unit and human-powered vehicle wheel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11628685-B2
Application number	US-202016832338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2020
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A human-powered vehicle wheel unit adapted to be attached to a human-powered vehicle hub. The wheel unit includes an accommodation portion and a first engagement portion. The accommodation portion is configured to accommodate at least part of the human-powered vehicle hub. The first engagement portion is provided on the accommodation portion. The first engagement portion is configured to transmit rotation of the human-powered vehicle hub to the accommodation portion through engagement with a second engagement portion provided on a flange projecting from an outer circumferential portion of a hub shell of the human-powered vehicle hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A human-powered vehicle wheel unit adapted to be attached to a human-powered vehicle hub, the human-powered vehicle wheel unit comprising:
an accommodation portion configured to accommodate at least part of the human-powered vehicle hub;
a first engagement portion provided on the accommodation portion, the first engagement portion being configured to transmit rotation of the human-powered vehicle hub to the accommodation portion through engagement with a second engagement portion provided on a flange projecting from an outer circumferential portion of a hub shell of the human-powered vehicle hub; and
a plurality of spokes,
the accommodation portion further including a plurality of spoke engagement portions engaged with the spokes, the plurality of spokes not being directly coupled to the human-powered vehicle hub.

2. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion includes a plurality of projections projecting in an axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub, and
the other one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion includes a plurality of holes or a plurality of recesses engaged with the projections.

3. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the accommodation portion includes a first portion and a second portion that is attached to the first portion.

4. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 3 , wherein
the first portion and the second portion are aligned in an axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub,
the first portion includes a first wall configured to contact a first end surface of the human-powered vehicle hub in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub,
the second portion includes a second wall configured to contact a second end surface of the human-powered vehicle hub in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub, and
the second portion is attached to the first portion in a state in which at least part of the human-powered vehicle hub is accommodated in the accommodation portion so that the accommodation portion restricts movement of the human-powered vehicle hub relative to the accommodation portion in the axial direction.

5. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 4 , wherein
the projections are provided on each of the first portion and the second portion.

6. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the projections are provided on each of the first wall of the first portion and the second wall of the second portion.

7. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 6 , wherein
a number of the projections provided on the first wall and a number of the projections provided on the second wall are each included in a range of 10 or greater to 25 or less.

8. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 6 , wherein
the projections are provided on each of the first wall and the second wall in a circumferential direction of the human-powered vehicle hub.

9. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 8 , wherein
the projections are provided on the first wall with a phase in a circumferential direction of the wheel unit differing from that of the projections provided on the second wall.

10. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the projections are provided on each of the first wall and the second wall along a circle having a diameter included in a range of 50 millimeters or greater to 300 millimeters or less.

11. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 10 , wherein
the projections are provided on each of the first wall and the second wall along a circle having a diameter included in a range of 50 millimeters or greater to 120 millimeters or less.

12. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the first wall and the second wall are spaced apart by a distance included in a range of 40 millimeters or greater to 70 millimeters or less.

13. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the first portion further includes a circumferential wall that is continuous with the first wall and surrounds an outer circumferential portion of the human-powered vehicle hub, and
the second portion is attached to an end of the circumferential wall on a side opposite to the first wall in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub.

14. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 13 , wherein
the projections are spaced apart from the circumferential wall.

15. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 13 , wherein
the circumferential wall includes a large diameter portion having an inner diameter defining a first inner diameter and a small diameter portion having an inner diameter defining a second inner diameter that is smaller than the first inner diameter.

16. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the second portion is configured to be separable into a first segment and a second segment.

17. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 5 , further comprising
one or more attaching members that attach the first portion and the second portion,
wherein a number of the one or more attaching members is less than a number of the projections.

18. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 17 , wherein
the attaching members are provided on the accommodation portion outward from the first engagement portion with respect to a radial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub.

19. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 17 , wherein
the attaching members are less in number than the spoke engagement portions.

20. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the projections are a plurality of pin members extending in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub.

21. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 20 , wherein
the pin members each have a diameter of 1 millimeter or greater and 5 millimeters or less.

22. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 20 , wherein
the pin members each have an axial length of 1 millimeter or greater and 20 millimeters or less.

23. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 20 , wherein
the pin members are formed integrally with the accommodation portion.

24. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 2 wherein
the spoke engagement portions are equal in number to the projections.

25. The human-powered vehicle wheel unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the accommodation portion includes a first portion and a second portion attached to the first portion,
the first portion and the second portion are aligned in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub,
the first portion includes a first wall configured to contact a first end surface of the human-powered vehicle hub in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub,
the second portion includes a second wall configured to contact a second end surface of the human-powered vehicle hub in the axial direction of the human-powered vehicle hub,
the second portion is attached to the first portion in a state in which at least part of the human-powered vehicle hub is to be accommodated in the accommodation portion so that

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Takashi

Classifications

• B60B27/0052

  the element being a brake disc · CPC title

• B60B1/041

  of bicycle wheels (bicycle rims characterised by means for attaching spokes B60B21/062) · CPC title

• B60B1/042

  Attaching spokes to hub · CPC title

• B60B27/023 Primary

  specially adapted for bicycles · CPC title

• B62L1/06

  the wheel rim being engaged · CPC title