Patent · US Active

Bicycle gearbox having segmented sprockets

US11572131B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
33References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 2020
Grant dateFeb 7, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 21, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16H9/24
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A gearbox may include a drive spindle and several interconnected gear clusters arranged in a housing. A first of the gear clusters is coaxially fastened to the spindle, and has an outboard gear and an inboard gear. The first gear cluster drives a belt to operate one or more of the other gear clusters, and the inboard gear is physically divided into a plurality of segments. A shifting system for the gearbox includes an actuator configured to urge the segments of the inboard gear of the first gear cluster into and out of the plane of the belt, such that a gear ratio of the gearbox is changeable without displacing the belt out of the plane.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.