Bottom bracket gear mechanism of planetary design for a bicycle or a pedelec

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12296919-B2
Application number	US-202418665767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2024
Priority date	May 17, 2023
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A bottom bracket planetary gear mechanism for a bicycle or a pedelec includes a gear mechanism shifting group having first and second planetary gear sets and first, second, and fifth shifting elements. A second element of the first gear set is connected to a first shaft, a first element of the first gear set is connected via a fourth shaft to a first element of the second gear set, and a third element of the first gear set is fixable via a second shaft and a first shifting element. The third element of the first gear set is connected via the second shaft to a second element of the second gear set. A third element of the second gear set is fixable via a third shaft and a second shifting element. A fifth shifting element blocks the first and second gear sets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bottom bracket gear mechanism for a bicycle or a pedelec ( 1 ), comprising:
a gear mechanism input shaft (WAn) as a drive;
a gear mechanism output shaft (WAb) as an output;
a multi-step main gear mechanism ( 3 );
a gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ), comprising:
a first planetary gear set (RS 1 ), a second element of the first planetary gear set (RS 1 ) being connected to a first shaft (W 1 );
a second planetary gear set (RS 2 ), a first element of the first planetary gear set (RS 1 ) being connected via a fourth shaft (W 4 ) to a first element of the second planetary gear set (RS 2 ), a third element of the first planetary gear set (RS 1 ) being connected via a second shaft (W 2 ) to a second element of the second planetary gear set (RS 2 );
a first shifting element (B 1 ), the first shifting element (B 1 ) being a brake, the third element of the first planetary gear set (RS 1 ) being fixable via the second shaft (W 2 ) and the first shifting element (B 1 );
a second shifting element (B 2 ), the second shifting element (B 2 ) being another brake, a third element of the second planetary gear set (RS 2 ) being fixable via a third shaft (W 3 ) and the second shifting element (B 2 ); and
a fifth shifting element (K 1 I , K 1 II , K 1 III , K 1 IV , K 1 V , K 1 VI ), the fifth shifting element (K 1 I , K 1 II , K 1 III , K 1 IV , K 1 V , K IV ) being a clutch or a freewheel, two shafts of the first, second, third, and fourth shafts (W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , W 4 ) being connectable by blocking of the first planetary gear set (RS 1 ) and the second planetary gear set (RS 2 ) by the fifth shifting element (K 1 I , K 1 II , K 1 III , K 1 IV , K 1 V , K IV ).

2. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ) is connected upstream or downstream of the multi-step main gear mechanism ( 3 ).

3. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the two shafts includes the third shaft (W 3 ) and the fourth shaft (W 4 ).

4. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the two shafts includes the second shaft (W 2 ) and the fourth shaft (W 4 ).

5. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the two shafts includes the second shaft (W 2 ) and the third shaft (W 3 ).

6. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the two shafts includes the first shaft (W 1 ) and the second shaft (W 2 ).

7. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the two shafts includes the first shaft (W 1 ) and the fourth shaft (W 4 ).

8. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the two shafts includes the first shaft (W 1 ) and the third shaft (W 3 ).

9. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the multi-step main gear mechanism ( 3 ) comprises at least one additional planetary gear set (RS 3 , RS 4 ) and at least two additional shifting elements (B 3 , B 4 , K 2 , K 3 ).

10. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 9 , wherein the at least one additional planetary gear set (RS 3 , RS 4 ) comprises:
a third planetary gear set (RS 3 );
a fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ), a second element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being connected to the gear mechanism input shaft (WAn) or to the fourth shaft (W 4 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ), a first element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being connected to a second element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ), a third element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being connected to the gear mechanism output shaft (WAb) or to the first shaft (W 1 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ), and wherein the at least two additional shifting elements (B 3 , B 4 , K 2 , K 3 ) comprises:
a third shifting element (B 3 ), the third shifting element (B 3 ) being a brake, a first element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) being fixable via the third shifting element (B 3 );
a fourth shifting element (B 4 ), the fourth shifting element (B 4 ) being a brake, a third element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) is fixable via the fourth shifting element (B 4 );
a sixth shifting element (K 2 ), the sixth shifting element (K 2 ) being a clutch or a freewheel, the first element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) being connectable to the gear mechanism input shaft (WAn) or to the fourth shaft (W 4 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ) via the sixth shifting element (K 2 ); and
a seventh shifting element (K 3 ), the seventh shifting element (K 3 ) being a clutch or a freewheel, the third element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) being connectable to the gear mechanism output shaft (WAb) or to the first shaft (W 1 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ) via the seventh shifting element (K 3 ).

11. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 9 , wherein the at least one additional planetary gear set (RS 3 , RS 4 ) comprises:
a third planetary gear set (RS 3 ), a second element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) being connected to the gear mechanism input shaft (WAn) or to the fourth shaft (W 4 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ), a third element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) being connected to the gear mechanism output shaft (WAb) or to the first shaft (W 1 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 );
a fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ), a first element of the third planetary gear set (RS 3 ) being connected to a second element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 );
wherein the at least two additional shifting elements (B 3 , B 4 , K 2 , K 3 ) comprises:
a third shifting element (B 3 ), the third shifting element (B 3 ) being a brake, a first element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being fixable via the third shifting element (B 3 );
a fourth shifting element (B 4 ), the fourth shifting element (B 4 ) being a brake, a third element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being fixable via the fourth shifting element (B 4 );
a sixth shifting element (K 2 ), the sixth shifting element (K 2 ) being a clutch or a freewheel, the first element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being connectable to the gear mechanism output shaft (WAb) or to the first shaft (W 1 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ) via the sixth shifting element (K 2 ); and
a seventh shifting element (K 3 ), the seventh shifting element (K 3 ) being a clutch or a freewheel, the third element of the fourth planetary gear set (RS 4 ) being connectable to the gear mechanism input shaft (WAn) or to the fourth shaft (W 4 ) of the gear mechanism shifting group ( 4 ) via the seventh shifting element (K 3 ).

12. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 9 , wherein at least one planetary gear set of the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, or the at least one additional planetary gear set (RS 1 , RS 2 , RS 3 , RS 4 ) is a minus planetary gear set or a minus multi-step planetary gear set, a first element of the at least one planetary gear set being a sun gear (SR 1 , SR 2 , SR 3 , SR 4 ), a second element of the at least one planetary gear set being a planetary gear carrier (PT 1 , PT 2 , PT 3 , PT 4 ), and a third element of the at least one planetary gear set being a ring gear (HR 1 , HR 2 , HR 3 , HR 4 ).

13. The bottom bracket gear mechanism of claim 9 , wherein at least one planetary gear set of the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, or the at least one additional planetary gear set (RS 1 , RS 2 , RS 3 , RS 4 ) is a plus planetary gear set, a first element of the at least one planetary gear set being a sun gear (SR 1 , SR 2 , SR 3 , SR 4 ), a second element of the a

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen
• Friedrichshafen Ag

Inventors

• Beck Stefan
• Wechs Michael
• Kutter Fabian
• Martin Thomas
• Radic Mladjan
• Riedisser Thomas
• Doepfert Hagen

Classifications

• F16H2200/2041

  with four engaging means · CPC title

• F16H2200/2071

  using three freewheel mechanism · CPC title

• F16H2200/0078

  the gear ratio comprising twelve or more forward speeds · CPC title

• F16H2200/2012

  with four sets of orbital gears · CPC title

• F16H2200/2007

  with two sets of orbital gears · CPC title