US 12,220,943 B2
Driving mechanism of bicycle free-coaster hub
George French, Sheffield (GB)
Assigned to TEDDY FORMOSA CO., LTD., Taichung (TW); and BEAR CORPORATION, Norwalk, CA (US)
Filed by TEDDY FORMOSA CO., LTD., Taichung (TW); and BEAR CORPORATION, Norwalk, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/882,804.
Claims priority of application No. 110131498 (TW), filed on Aug. 25, 2021; application No. 110212252 (TW), filed on Oct. 18, 2021; and application No. 111203381 (TW), filed on Apr. 1, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0066122 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B60B 27/04 (2006.01); B60B 27/00 (2006.01); B60B 27/02 (2006.01); B60B 35/12 (2006.01); B62M 11/16 (2006.01); F16D 41/28 (2006.01); F16D 41/30 (2006.01); F16D 41/34 (2006.01); F16H 1/28 (2006.01)
CPC B60B 27/047 (2013.01) [B60B 27/0021 (2013.01); B60B 27/023 (2013.01); B60B 35/125 (2013.01); B62M 11/16 (2013.01); F16D 41/28 (2013.01); F16D 41/30 (2013.01); F16D 41/34 (2013.01); F16H 1/28 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A driving mechanism of a bicycle free-coaster hub, the hub including a hub axle and a hub shell disposed coaxially about the hub axle, the driving mechanism disposed within a cavity defined by the hub axle and the hub shell, the driving mechanism comprising:
a driving assembly comprising a sprocket having a plurality of sprocket teeth projecting radially relative to the hub axle, a drive sleeve projecting axially from the sprocket and a central cylindrical axle opening defined by the sprocket and the drive sleeve for being passed therethrough by the hub axle;
a clutch assembly including an output clutch unit disposed on the cavity of the hub shell and an input clutch unit coupled to the drive sleeve to form a clutching or engaging state with the output clutch unit;
an epicyclic gear assembly including:
a sun gear having a disk coupled to the output clutch unit and a gear portion extending axially from the disk, the disk and the gear portion defining a first axle hole for being passed therethrough by the hub axle to allow the sun gear to rotate around the hub axle;
a ring gear mounted in the cavity of the hub shell;
a plurality of planet gears;
a planet gear carrier having a second axle hole for being passed therethrough by the hub axle to allow the planet gear carrier to rotate around the hub axle, and a plurality of gear arms, each of the planet gears positioned on each of the planet gear arms in a way that it can rotate around each of the planet gear arms and is engaged respectively with the ring gear and the gear portion of the sun gear;
a resisting member disposed between the sun gear and the hub axle to apply resistance to the rotation of the sun gear;
a forward drag member disposed between the ring gear and the sun gear to apply drag to the sun gear; and
a reverse drag member disposed between the planet gear carrier and the hub axle to apply drag to the planet gear carrier.