US 12,227,262 B2
Mid-sprocket assembly
Evan Michael Choltco-Devlin, North Vancouver (CA)
Assigned to Fox Factory, Inc., Duluth, GA (US)
Filed by Fox Factory, Inc., Duluth, GA (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/706,042.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/776,983, filed on Dec. 7, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0172198 A1, Jun. 4, 2020
Int. Cl. B62M 11/06 (2006.01); B62M 1/36 (2013.01); B62M 9/00 (2006.01); B62M 9/06 (2006.01); B62M 6/40 (2010.01)
CPC B62M 11/06 (2013.01) [B62M 9/06 (2013.01); B62M 1/36 (2013.01); B62M 6/40 (2013.01); B62M 2009/005 (2013.01); B62M 2009/007 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mid-sprocket assembly comprising:
an input shaft to receive an input force,
the input shaft having a plurality of input shaft gears coupled therewith; and
a countershaft having a plurality of countershaft gears coupled therewith,
at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears selectively and axially engaged to receive the input force from at least one of the plurality of input shaft gears and provide an output force to a drive wheel of a vehicle;
a shifting mechanism, the shifting mechanism comprising:
a shifting shaft within the mid-sprocket assembly, the shifting shaft coupleable with at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears on the countershaft, said shifting shaft further comprising:
a plurality of shift rings coupled therewith, the plurality of shift rings interspersed within said plurality of countershaft gears, the plurality of shift rings having varying spaces and space angles, each of the plurality of shift rings comprising:
a shift ring cam pin hole,
the shift ring cam pin hole to receive a cam pin, the cam pin to couple at least one of the plurality of shift rings with the input shaft via an input shaft cam pin hole on said input shaft; and
a shifter located away from said mid-sprocket assembly, the shifter communicatively coupled with the shifting shaft, a manipulation of the shifter causes the shifting shaft to select one of said at least one of said plurality of countershaft gears to engage with said at least one of the plurality of input shaft gears wherein each of said plurality of shift rings has a pawl geometry which is configured such that, when one of said plurality of shift rings is under load, said one of said plurality of shift rings will have a natural resting state of disengagement in order to facilitate shifting when under load.