Bicycle sprocket and bicycle sprocket assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9334014-B2
Application number	US-201414474275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2014
Priority date	Sep 1, 2014
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A bicycle sprocket has a rotational center axis. The bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body and a chain engagement structure. The sprocket body has an axial width defined in an axial direction parallel to the rotational center axis. The chain engagement structure is arranged on a radially outer periphery of the sprocket body. The chain engagement structure includes at least one shifting facilitation area and a plurality of chain-engaging teeth. The at least one shifting facilitation area is configured to facilitate changing gears. The plurality of chain-engaging teeth include at least two neighboring chain-engaging teeth each including a chain-engaging portion configured to engage with a bicycle chain. The chain-engaging portion has an axial chain-engaging width defined in the axial direction. The axial chain-engaging width is larger than the axial width of the sprocket body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle sprocket having a rotational center axis, the bicycle sprocket comprising:
a sprocket body having an axial width defined in an axial direction parallel to the rotational center axis; and
a chain engagement structure arranged on a radially outer periphery of the sprocket body, the chain engagement structure including:
at least one shifting facilitation area configured to facilitate changing gears; and
a plurality of chain-engaging teeth including at least two neighboring chain-engaging teeth each including a chain-engaging portion configured to engage with a bicycle chain, the chain-engaging portion having an axial chain-engaging width defined in the axial direction, the axial chain-engaging width being larger than the axial width of the sprocket body, the chain-engaging portion being configured to face a link plate of the bicycle chain in the axial direction.

2. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the at least one shifting facilitation area includes an axially recessed portion.

3. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the at least one shifting facilitation area includes a tooth-free gap from which an additional chain-engaging tooth is free between adjacent two of the plurality of chain-engaging teeth.

4. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the chain engagement structure includes, as the at least one shifting facilitation area, at least one downshifting facilitation area configured to facilitate shifting the bicycle chain from a neighboring smaller sprocket toward the bicycle sprocket, and
the neighboring smaller sprocket is adjacent to the bicycle sprocket without another sprocket and has a total number of teeth less than a total number of the plurality of chain-engaging teeth.

5. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the chain engagement structure includes, as the at least one shifting facilitation area, at least one upshifting facilitation area configured to facilitate shifting the bicycle chain from the bicycle sprocket toward a neighboring smaller sprocket, and
the neighboring smaller sprocket is adjacent to the bicycle sprocket without another sprocket and has a total number of teeth less than a total number of the plurality of chain-engaging teeth.

6. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the chain engagement structure includes, as the at least one shifting facilitation area,
at least one downshifting facilitation area configured to facilitate shifting the bicycle chain toward the bicycle sprocket from a neighboring smaller sprocket which is adjacent to the bicycle sprocket without another sprocket and which has a total number of teeth less than a total number of the plurality of chain-engaging teeth, and
at least one upshifting facilitation area configured to facilitate shifting the bicycle chain from the bicycle sprocket toward the neighboring smaller sprocket.

7. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the bicycle sprocket body includes a hub engagement portion configured to engage with a bicycle hub assembly.

8. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the chain-engaging portion is configured to partly engage with the link plate of the bicycle chain in a radial direction of the bicycle sprocket.

9. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the axial chain-engaging width is smaller than an axial inner distance defined between opposed inner link plates of the bicycle chain in the axial direction, and
a difference between the axial chain-engaging width and the axial inner distance is equal to or smaller than 0.2 mm in the axial direction.

10. The bicycle sprocket according to the claim 1 , wherein
the axial chain-engaging width is smaller than an axial inner distance defined between opposed inner link plates of the bicycle chain in the axial direction, and
a difference between the axial chain-engaging width and the axial inner distance is equal to or larger than 0.1 mm in the axial direction.

11. A bicycle sprocket assembly comprising:
a plurality of the bicycle sprockets according to claim 1 .

12. The bicycle sprocket assembly according to the claim 11 , further comprising:
a hub engagement structure configured to engage with a bicycle hub assembly.

13. A bicycle sprocket assembly having a rotational center axis, the bicycle sprocket assembly comprising:
a first sprocket including:
a first sprocket body; and
a first chain engagement structure arranged on a radially outer periphery of the first sprocket body, the first chain engagement structure including:
at least one first shifting facilitation area configured to facilitate changing gears; and
a plurality of first chain-engaging teeth, at least one of the plurality of first chain-engaging teeth including a first chain-engaging portion configured to engage with a bicycle chain, the first chain-engaging portion having a first axial chain-engaging width defined in an axial direction parallel to the rotational center axis; and

a second sprocket including:
a second sprocket body; and
a second chain engagement structure arranged on a radially outer periphery of the second sprocket body, the second chain engagement structure including:
at least one second shifting facilitation area configured to facilitate changing gears; and
a plurality of second chain-engaging teeth, at least one of the plurality of second chain-engaging teeth including a second chain-engaging portion configured to engage with the bicycle chain, the second chain-engaging portion having a second axial chain-engaging width defined in the axial direction, the first axial chain-engaging width being different from the second axial chain-engaging width, a total number of the plurality of second chain-engaging teeth being smaller than a total number of the plurality of first chain-engaging teeth.

14. The bicycle sprocket assembly according to the claim 13 , wherein
the second axial chain-engaging width is larger than the first axial chain-engaging width.

15. The multiple bicycle sprocket assembly according to the claim 13 , wherein
the first sprocket body has a first axial width defined in the axial direction, and
the first axial chain-engaging width is larger than the first axial width of the first sprocket body.

16. The multiple bicycle sprocket assembly according to the claim 13 , wherein
the second sprocket body has a second axial width defined in the axial direction, and
the second axial chain-engaging width is larger than the second axial width of the second sprocket body.

17. A bicycle sprocket assembly having a rotational center axis, the bicycle sprocket assembly comprising:
a first sprocket including:
a first sprocket body; and
a first chain engagement structure arranged on a radially outer periphery of the first sprocket body, the first chain engagement structure including:
at least one first shifting facilitation area configured to facilitate changing gears; and
a plurality of first chain-engaging teeth, at least one of the plurality of first chain-engaging teeth including a first chain-engaging portion configured to engage with a bicycle chain, the first chain-engaging portion having a first axial chain-engaging width defined in an axial direction parallel to the rotational center axis;

a second sprocket including:
a second sprocket body; and
a second chain engagement structure arranged on a radially outer periphery of the second sprocket body, the second chain engagement structure including:
at least o

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Fukunaga Yasufumi

Classifications

• B62M9/10 Primary

  involving different-sized wheels, {e.g. rear sprocket chain wheels} selectively engaged by the chain, belt, or the like {(bicycle hubs rotatably arranged on axle B60B27/023)} · CPC title

• F16H55/30

  Chain-wheels · CPC title

• F16H55/08

  Profiling · CPC title

• B62M9/12 Primary

  the chain, belt, or the like being laterally shiftable {, e.g. using a rear derailleur} · CPC title