Drive arrangement for a bicycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12359699-B2
Application number	US-202418918652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2024
Priority date	Oct 19, 2023
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A drive arrangement for a bicycle includes a pawl freewheel, the pawl freewheel having a first ring, at least two pawls movably mounted on the first ring, and a second ring having a toothing. The at least two pawls are unevenly spaced in the circumferential direction on the first ring. The drive arrangement further includes at least one sensor device configured to detect a deformation of the first ring of the pawl freewheel due to an applied drive force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive arrangement for a bicycle, comprising:
a pawl freewheel ( 14 ), the pawl freewheel ( 14 ) comprising:
a first ring ( 30 );
at least two pawls ( 34 ) movably mounted on the first ring ( 30 ), the at least two pawls ( 34 ) being unevenly spaced in a circumferential direction on the first ring ( 30 ); and
a second ring ( 32 ) having a toothing ( 36 );
at least one sensor device ( 28 ) configured to detect a deformation of the first ring ( 30 ) of the pawl freewheel ( 14 ) due to an applied drive force; and
wherein the at least one sensor device ( 28 ) is configured to detect the deformation of the first ring ( 30 ) in a region defined between the at least two pawls ( 34 ) in the circumferential direction.

2. The drive arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first ring ( 30 ) is an inner ring, and the second ring ( 32 ) is an outer ring.

3. The drive arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first ring ( 30 ) is an outer ring, and the second ring ( 32 ) is an inner ring.

4. The drive arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the toothing ( 36 ) of the second ring ( 32 ) is continuous in the circumferential direction.

5. The drive arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the drive arrangement has at least a first pawl region ( 40 ) and a second pawl region ( 42 ),
wherein the at least two pawls ( 34 ) includes at least two first pawls ( 34 ) in the first pawl region ( 40 ) and at least one second pawl ( 34 ) in the second pawl region ( 42 ),
wherein a distance in the circumferential direction between the at least two first pawls ( 34 ) of the first pawl region ( 40 ) differs from a distance in the circumferential direction between the first pawl region ( 40 ) and the second pawl region ( 42 ).

6. The drive arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the at least one second pawl ( 34 ) in the second pawl region ( 42 ) includes at least two second pawls ( 34 ),
wherein a distance in the circumferential direction between the at least two second pawls ( 34 ) of the second pawl region ( 42 ) differs from the distance in the circumferential direction between the first pawl region ( 40 ) and the second pawl region ( 42 ).

7. The drive arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the at least two first pawls ( 34 ) in the first pawl region ( 40 ) are evenly spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction on the first ring ( 30 ) and the at least two second pawls ( 34 ) of the second pawl region ( 42 ) are evenly spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction on the first ring ( 30 ).

8. The drive arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the first pawl region ( 40 ) and the second pawl region ( 42 ) are evenly spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction on the first ring ( 30 ).

9. The drive arrangement of claim 5 , wherein a force transmission region of each of the first pawl region ( 40 ) and the second pawl region ( 42 ) is symmetric with a detection region of the at least one sensor device ( 28 ).

10. The drive arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pedal crankshaft ( 10 ); and
an output shaft ( 16 ), the pawl freewheel ( 14 ) connecting the pedal crankshaft ( 10 ) to the output shaft ( 16 ).

11. A bicycle, comprising the drive arrangement of claim 1 , and an output element drivable by the drive arrangement.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Lauhoff Jakob
• Holder Kevin
• Löchte Oliver
• Pagel Janik
• Neumann Finn

Classifications

• B62M11/02

  of unchangeable ratio · CPC title

• B62M1/36

  with rotary cranks, e.g. with pedal cranks (B62M1/34 takes precedence; combined with reciprocating levers B62M1/26; cranks which can be immobilised as foot rests B62M5/00) · CPC title

• B62J45/41

  characterised by the type of sensor · CPC title

• B62M6/50

  characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof · CPC title

• F16D2300/18

  Sensors; Details or arrangements thereof · CPC title