Patent attributes
A wheel hub assembly for a bicycle is disclosed. The wheel hub assembly may comprise a hub shell for a wheel and coupled to a hub body with an axle by a ratchet mechanism and configured to provide an engaged state where the hub body/axle and the hub shell/wheel rotate together and a disengaged state where the hub body/axle may rotate independently relative to hub shell/wheel; the ratchet mechanism may comprise a set of ratchet rings configured with a set of teeth and sets/groups of pawls configured to engage/disengage the teeth of a ratchet ring; ratchet rings may be configured/installed in the hub body in an aligned condition or an offset condition; when ratchet rings are configured in an offset condition the ratchet mechanism may be configured to facilitate a generally more responsive transition between the disengaged state and the engaged state for the hub body/axle and hub shell/wheel. The wheel hub assembly may comprise a hub shell/wheel and a free hub body/axle coupled by a ratchet mechanism comprising at least one ratchet ring with gear teeth configured to engage a corresponding set/group of pawls so that the wheel and hub body/axle may engage in a power-transmission state such as for forward driven movement; the ratchet mechanism with ratchet rings/pawls may disengage in a free-wheel state. The ratchet mechanism may comprise a ratchet ring arrangement with multiple sets of ratchet rings; with each ratchet ring in offset the number of effective gear teeth per cycle of rotation of the ratchet ring arrangement is greater than the number of gear teeth on each separate ratchet ring; the number of effective gear teeth able to be engaged (e.g. by pawls having a shape/profile to engage from one direction and disengage from one direction with gear teeth during rotation) provides variation of performance characteristics for the wheel hub assembly. A configuration with fewer effective gear teeth may allow for larger gears and greater durability/strength; a configuration with multiple pawls/pawl sets may allow for wider load distribution within the ratchet mechanism; a configuration with multiple offset ratchet rings may allow for improved responsiveness (e.g. within fewer degrees of rotation); a configuration with multiple aligned ratchet rings may allow for greater durability/strength and wider load distribution within the ratchet mechanism. The ratchet mechanism of the wheel hub assembly may be configured for a wide variety of applications, including road biking, mountain biking, electronic bikes. The wheel hub assembly is provided in a compact form/design to allow configuration in a variety of arrangements which can accommodated a variety of different ratchet mechanism configurations (e.g. ratchet ring/pawl combinations).
