Title of Invention	BICYCLE HUB
Abstract	A bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatably mounted in the frame; a fIrst tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearing disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the fIrst tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member; and brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and configured to limit the maximum damping force of the brake.

Title of Invention

BICYCLE HUB

Abstract

A bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatably mounted in the frame; a fIrst tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearing disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the fIrst tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member; and brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and configured to limit the maximum damping force of the brake.

Full Text	The present invention relates to a bicycle hub, and more particularly to a bicycle hub for rotatably mounting a spoked wheel on a bicycle frame provided with brakes. [ 0002 ] [Prior Art ] A hub, which serves as a bicycle axle, comprises a hub axle detachably and nonrotatably mounted in a bicycle fork (frame), a tubular hub shell (outer shell) rotatably mounted on the hub axle, and bearings for rotatably supporting the hub shell on the hub axle. A pair of hub flanges are also formed along the external peripheries of the two ends of the hub shell to allow wheel spokes to be attached. [ 0003 ] Generator mechanisms serving as power supplies for illumination purposes are known to be provided inside the hub shells of the bicycle hubs thus configured. Incorporating such generator mechanism into the hub shell provides higher generation efficiency and reduces wheel rotation loss in comparison with the generation of power by generators in contact with the wheel rim (annular metal portion for securing the tire). [0004 ] In addition, brakes for restricting the relative rotation of the hub shell and hub axle in a bicycle hub are sometimes mounted on the bicycle frame, so in some commercially available products the interior of the hub shell accommodates a brake force adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the damping force of the brake, and the resulting arrangement is used as a bicycle hub. A bicycle hub containing such a brake force adjusting mechanism may, for example, be operated using the frictional resistance of a clutch, and when considerable brake damping force is applied, the clutch is caused to slip, preventing excessive damping force from being exerted. Wheel locking can thus be prevented by adjusting the maximum damping force of the brake. [0005 ] [ Problems Which the Invention Is Intended to Solve ] As noted above, conventional bicycle hubs include those in which the hub shell contains a generator mechanism, and those in which the hub shell contains a brake force adjusting mechanism. It would be convenient to combine such power generating and brake force adjusting functions in a single bicycle wheel. However, attempts to endow a single wheel with both these functions result in the use of two bicycle hubs, each provided with one of the aforementioned functions and configured such that a pair of left and right hub flanges provided at the two ends of the hub shell are attached to wheel spokes in the manner described above. For this reason, adopting one of the hubs as the bicycle hub makes it impossible to attach the other bicycle hub and leaves no choice but to select either the generating function or the brake force adjusting function. [0006 ] An object of the present invention is to provide both a generating function and a brake force adjusting function to a bicycle hub mounted such that a spoked wheel can rotate relative to the bicycle frame. Another convenient feature would be to be able to outfit the bicycle frame with a brake for restricting the relative rotation of the hub shell and the hub axle of a bicycle hub when this hub shell contains a generator mechanism. A structure in which the hub shell and the structural members constituting the brake are directly or indirectly connected together is commonly adopted for brake mounting, and meshing mechanisms are often adopted for such connection. When a meshing mechanism is adopted in this manner, appropriate materials and hardening treatments must be selected, and selecting such materials and hardening treatments for the entire hub shell results in higher manufacturing costs. [0007 ] Another object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle hub for rotatably mounting a spoked wheel relative to a bicycle frame, wherein this bicycle hub has a generating function, can mesh with the brake, and can be manufactured at a lower cost. [0008 ] [ Means Used to Solve the Above-Mentioned Problems ] The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 1 is a hub whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have substantial bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake. This bicycle hub comprises a hub axle, a first tubular member, a second tubular member, bearings, a generator mechanism, and a brake force adjusting mechanism. The hub axle is nonrotatably mounted in the bicycle frame. The first tubular member is a member shaped as a tube and provided with a first hub flange. The first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side, that is, on the right or left side). The second tubular member has a second hub flange and forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member. The second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side, that is, on the left or right side). The bearings are disposed between the hub axle and the outer shell composed of the first and second tubular members. The generator mechanism is housed in the first tubular member and is designed to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member. The brake force adjusting mechanism is housed in the second tubular member and is designed to limit the maximum damping force of the brake. [0009 ] According to the present invention, the first hub flange of the first tubular member containing a generator mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right), and the second hub flange of the second tubular member containing a brake force adjusting mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left). This arrangement allows the generator mechanism to be housed in the first tubular member, and the brake force adjusting mechanism to be housed in the second tubular member, with the outer shell composed of the two tubular members secured to the spokes of the bicycle wheel by the two hub flanges. Specifically, a conventional bicycle hub is configured such that a generator mechanism or a brake force adjusting mechanism is disposed inside a tubular hub shell (outer shell) provided with a pair of hub flanges at the two ends thereof, so mounting either of these makes it impossible to mount the other. By contrast, the proposed hub is configured such that a tubular member containing either mechanism is attached with the aid of a single hub flange to one of the two sides (left or right) on which the inner ends of spokes are located, making it possible to provide a single bicycle wheel with two mechanisms. [0010] Thus, the bicycle hub pertaining to the present invention possesses both the generating function of a generator mechanism and the brake force adjusting function of a brake force adjusting mechanism, and can be attached to a single type of wheel spoke. The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 2 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in invention I, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member. In addition, the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises a brake-side member and a fi-ictional coupler. The brake-side member is secured to the structural members of the bicycle brake such that rotation relative to the bicycle frame is impossible when the brake is actuated. The frictional coupler is used to form a frictional link between the second tubular member and the brake-side member. [0011 ] In the generator mechanism thus configured, the inside stator is fixed to the hub axle and does not rotate with the rotation of the bicycle wheel, whereas the outside rotor is fixed to the first tubular member and rotates with the bicycle wheel. Consequently, the inside stator and outside rotor rotate relative to each other and generate electricity with the rotation of the bicycle wheel. The brake force adjusting mechanism, on the other hand, is configured such that the brake-side member is locked in place relative to the structural members of the brake by meshing or the like when the brake is actuated. Thus, the brake members cannot rotate relative to the bicycle frame, and the rotation damping force applied to the bicycle wheel by the brake is transmitted to the second tubular member interlocked with the wheel spokes by means of a frictional coupler. For this reason, slipping occurs in the frictional coupler connecting the brake-side member and the second tubular member, and part of the rotation damping force is absorbed without being transmitted to the second tubular member when the brake is applied in an emergency and a significant rotation damping force is transmitted to the brake-side member, This arrangement makes it possible to avoid situations in which a bicycle wheel locks up and skids on the road surface because of excessively hard braking. [0012] The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 3 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second tubular members have different diameters. In this arrangement, the seemingly obvious condition that the two tubular members constituting the outer shell need to have matching diameters is abandoned and different diameters are selected for the first and second tubular members, making it possible to set the diameter of the first tubular member to a level suitable for housing the generator mechanism, and the diameter of the second tubular member to a level suitable for housing the brake force adjusting mechanism. [ 0013 ] The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 4 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second tubular members are made of different materials. In this arrangement, the seemingly obvious condition that the two tubular members constituting the outer shell need to be made of common materials is abandoned and different materials are selected, for the first and second tubular members, making it possible to reduce the cost of the first tubular member and to construct the second tubular member (which needs to have comparatively high hardness or strength in order to be able to transmit the rotation damping force from the brake to the bicycle wheel) from a material that meets the necessary requirements. [0014] The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 5 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 4, wherein the frictional coupler of the brake force adjusting mechanism has a first frictional member and a second frictional member in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member. The first frictional member is in nonrotational meshing engagement with the brake-side member. The second frictional member is in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member. The material of the second tubular member is harder than the material of the first tubular member. [0015] In this arrangement, the rotation damping force exerted by the brake on the bicycle wheel is transmitted from the brake-side member to the second tubular member via the first and second fiictional members. For this reason, the second tubular member must have sufficient hardness to mesh with the second frictional member and to transmit the rotation damping force. The first tubular member, on the other hand, is primarily designed for accommodating power generation members and does not need to be as hard as the second tubular member, which transmits the rotation damping force from the brake by means of meshing. In view of this, the second tubular member is allowed to fulfill its function and the first tubular member is made less expensive as a result of the fact that the hardness of the material for the second tubular member is set above the hardness of the material for the first tubular member in accordance with the present invention. [0016] The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 6 is a hub whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have substantial bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake. This bicycle hub comprises a hub, a first tubular member, a second tubular member, bearings, and a generator mechanism. The hub axle is nonrotatably mounted in the bicycle frame. The first tubular member is a member shaped as a tube and provided with a first hub flange. The first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side, that is, on the right or left side). The second tubular member has a second hub flange and forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member. The second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side, that is, on the left or right side). The bearings are disposed between the hub axle and the outer shell composed of the first and second tubular members. The generator mechanism is housed in the first tubular member and is designed to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member. The second tubular member has meshing portions. The meshing portions of the second tubular member are designed to directly or indirectly mesh with the structural members of the brake. The second tubular member provided with the meshing portions is harder than the first hibular member. [0017] In the present invention, the first hub flange of the first tubular member containing a generator mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (right or left), and the second hub flange of the second tubular member for meshing with the structural members of the brake is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (left or right), Such an arrangement entails dividing the outer shell into a second tubular member (which is required to be sufficiently hard to be able to mesh with the structural members of the brake) and a first tubular member (which is not subject to this requirement). The second tubular member is therefore made harder than the first tubular member. [0018] As a result, the second tubular member is the only structural member of the outer shell that has a hardness requirement and is more expensive to manufacture, with the first tubular member incurring lower material or processing costs. Consequently, the entire bicycle hub can be manufactured at a lower cost than when all the tubular members constituting the outer shell are made of expensive high-hardness members. [0019] The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 7 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 6, further comprising a brake force adjusting mechanism. The brake force adjusting mechanism is housed in the second tubular member and is designed to limit the maximum damping force of the brake. The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 8 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 7, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member. In addition, the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises a brake-side member, a first frictional member, and a second frictional member in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member. The brake-side member is secured to the structural members of the brake such that rotation relative to the bicycle frame is impossible when the brake is actuated. The first frictional member is in nonxotational meshing engagement with the brake-side member. The second frictional member is in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member. [0020] In the generator mechanism thus configured, the inside stator is fixed to the hub axle and does not rotate with the rotation of the bicycle wheel, whereas the outside rotor is fixed to the first tubular member and rotates with the bicycle wheel. Consequently, the inside stator and outside rotor rotate relative to each other and generate electricity with the rotation of the bicycle wheel. in this arrangement, the rotation damping force exerted by the brake on the bicycle wheel is transmitted from the brake-side member to the second tubular member via the first and second frictional members when the brake is actuated. Slipping occurs between the first and second frictional members connecting the brake-side member and the second tubular member, and part of the rotation damping force is absorbed without being transmitted to the second tubular member when the brake is applied,in an emergency and a significant rotation damping force is transmitted to the brake-side member. In other words, the maximum damping force of the brake can be limited. This arrangement makes it possible to avoid situations in which a bicycle wheel locks up and skids on the road surface because of excessively hard braking. [ 0021 I In this brake force adjusting mechanism, the rotation damping force exerted by the brake on the bicycle wheel is transmitted to the second tubular member via the second frictional members, so the second tubular member must be sufficiently hard to be able to mesh with the second frictional member and to transmit the rotation damping force. The first tubular member, on the other hand, is primarily designed for accommodating power generation members and does not need to be as hard as the second tubular member, which transmits the rotation damping force from the brake by means of meshing. In view of this, the second tubular member is allowed to fulfill its function and the first tubular member is made less expensive as a result of the fact that the hardness of the material for the second tubular member is set above the hardness of the material for the first tubular member in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly the present invention provides a bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatably mounted in the frame; a first tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearing disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the first tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member; and brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and configured to limit the maximum damping force of the brake, [ Embodirnents of the Invention] Figs. 2-5 depict the front hub (bicycle hub) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The front hub 1 is mounted on the bicycle 101 shown in Fig. 1. The bicycle 101 comprises a fi-ame 102 (which has a front wheel fork 98), a handle 104, a drive unit 105 (composed of a chain, pedals, and the like), a front wheel (bicycle wheel) 106 having spokes 99, and a rear wheel 107. The front hub 1 shown in Fig. 3 combines a generating function and a brake force adjusting function. The front hub 1 is attached to the front wheel fork 98 and the front wheel 106 of the bicycle 101. Further mounting a roller brake 80 allows generated power to be fed to the headlight, taiilight, and the like, with part of the excessive braking force (rotation damping force) produced by the roller brake 80 being absorbed by the front hub 1. The front hub 1 is fixed to the front wheel fork 98 on the right and left sides of a hub axle 10, and the spokes 99 are fixed to two hub flanges 11a and 12a, as shown in Fig. 2. The axis 0-0 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is the axis of rotation of the front wheel 106 of the bicycle. The front hub 1 comprises the hub axle 10, a first tubular member 11, a second tubular member 12, two bearings 13 and 14, a dynamo {generator mechanism) 30, and abrake modulator {brake force adjusting mechanism) 40, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. [ 0025 ] The two ends of the hub axle 10 are fixed by adjustment nuts 2 or cam levers 3 to the end portions of the front wheel fork 98. The tubular core yoke 35 or stator yokes 31 and 32 of the dynamo 30 (see below) are fixed to the hub axle 10. The first tubular member 11 is a member that serves as an enclosure for the dynamo 30. The material is aluminum alloy die cast Type 5 (ADC5}. [0026 ] The first tubular member 11 comprises a first annular hub flange 11 a, a first cylindrical component 1 lb, an annular sloping component 11c, and a mating tubular component lid, as shown in Fig. 5, The first hub flange 11a is provided with a plurality of openings that correspond to the diameter of the spokes 99. The openings are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The spokes 99 are fixed in these openings such that the inner ends of the spokes are disposed on the right (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 2. [ 0027 ) The first cylindrical component 1 lb is a cylindrical section extending from the internal peripheral end of the first hub flange 1 la to the left side (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 5. The cap 36 of the dynamo 30 is mounted on the intemal peripheral surface of the first cylindrical component 1 lb. The annular sloping component 1 1c extends from the left end of the first cylindrical component 11b to the interior on the left side (when viewed from the back). The cylindrical mating tubular component Ud extends from the intemal peripheral end of the annular sloping component 1 11c to the left side (when viewed from the back). [ 0028] Together with the second tubular member 12, the first tubular member 11 constitutes the outer shell (shell) of the front hub 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The second tubular member 12 serves as an enclosure for the brake module 40, and is forged from an aluminum alloy. The second tubular member 12 is heat-treated to a hardness of HRB 55 or greater. The second tubular member 12 is thus made harder than the first tubular member 11. [0029] The second tubular member 12 comprises a second annular hub flange 12a, and a second cylindrical component 12b extending from the internal peripheral end of the second hub flange 12a to the right side (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 5. The external peripheral portion of the second hub flange 12a is provided with a plurality of openings that correspond to the diameter of the spokes 99. The openings are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The spokes 99 are fixed in these openings such that the inner ends of the spokes are disposed on the left side (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 2. [0030 ] The second cylindrical component 12b is a cylindrical section extending from the internal peripheral end of the second hub flange 12a to the right side (when viewed from the back). Serrations (meshing portions) 12d for engaging a plurality of teeth on the hub-side friction plate 43 of the below-described brake module 40 are provided to the internal peripheral surface of the second cylindrical component 12b. In addition, the right-side portion (when viewed from the back) of the second cylindrical component l2b serves as a mating tubular component 12c, and the tubular members 11 and 12 are rendered nonrotatable by causing the internal peripheral surface of the mating tubular component 12c to engage the external peripheral surface of the mating tubular component 11 d of the first tubular member 11. [ 00311] The diameter of the second cylindrical component 12b of the second tubular member 12 is less than the diameter of the first cylindrical component 1 lb of the first tubular member 11 because this arrangement is sufficient for accommodating the brake module 40, as shown in Fig. 5. The bearing 13 comprises a plurality of balls 13a, a ball race 13b for supporting these balls 13a, and a cup I3c. The ball race 13b is fixed to the hub axle 10, and the cup 13c is fixed to the internal peripheral portion of the cap 36 of the below-described dynamo 30. The bearing 13 is configured such that the cap 36 of the dynamo 30 and the first tubular member 11 mounted on the cap 36 are rotatably supported on the hub axle 10. [0032 ] The bearing 14 comprises a plurality of balls 14a, a ball race I4b for supporting these balls 14a, and the annular cup 41 (see below) of the brake module 40. The ball race Mb is fixed to the hub axle 10, and the bearing 14 rotatably supports the annular cup 41 and the second tubular member 12 on the hub axle 10, The dynamo 30 primarily comprises an inside stator and an outside rotor. Power generated by the dynamo 30 can be drawn from a connector 39 (see Figs. 3 and 4). [0033 ] (Inside Stator) The inside stator primarily comprises two stator yokes 31 and 32, a bobbin 34 with a wound coil 33, and a tubular core yoke 35, as shown in Fig. 5. When assembled together, the stator yokes 31 and 32, the bobbin 34, and the tubular core yoke 35 fonn a unified inside stator This inside stator is fixed to the hub axle 10 and forms a whole with the fi-ont wheel fork 98 when the bicycle is ridden. [ 0034 ] The stator yokes 31 and 32 consist of disk portions and claws. Fourteen claws are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, and these claws extend along the 0-0 axis from the external peripheral ends of the disk portions of the stator yokes 31 and 32. When assembled, the claws of the two stator yokes 31 and 32 are spaced at regular intervals and are aligned at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. Permanent magnets 37 (see below) are positioned facing each claw at radially external positions in relation to the claws. In addition, the disk portions of the stator yokes 31 and 32 have round holes for accommodating the hub axle 10, and slits extending radially outward from the round holes. [ 0035 ] The bobbin 34 is an annular member made of resin. Grooves for winding and supporting the coil 33 are formed in the external peripheral portion thereof, and stepped notches for mating with the tubular core yoke 35 are formed in the internal peripheral portion thereof. The tubular core yoke 35, composed of 12 split-piece assemblies, is mounted on the inside of the bobbin 34 in engagement with the notches in the internal peripheral portion of the bobbin 34. Each of the split-piece assemblies constituting the tubular core yoke 35 is obtained by fitting together four separate pieces shaped as rectangular sheets. When the twelve split-piece assemblies are fitted into the notches in the internal peripheral portion of the bobbin 34, these split-piece assemblies form the tubular core yoke 35. This yoke has an internal space that has a square cross section and allows the hub axle 10 to pass through the center thereof. In this tubular core yoke 35, the separate pieces are stacked parallel to the direction of the 0-0 axis. [0036 ] {Outside Rotor) The outside rotor primarily comprises the aforementioned first tubular member 11 and cap 36. The two are combined together when the cap 36 is fitted onto the first tubular member 11. The monolithic outside rotor is rotatably supported on the hub axle 10 by the bearing 13. The cap 36 is provided with a permanent magnet 37, which is composed of four magnet pieces divided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, as shown in Fig. 5. The permanent magnet 37 is magnetized such that the N- and S-poles thereof are disposed alternately at regular intervals, and each of the resulting 28 poles lies opposite a claw of the stator yokes 31 and 32. The brake module 40, which is a mechanism disposed inside the second cylindrical component 12b of the second tubular member 12, comprises an annular cup (brake-side member) 41, three brake-side friction plates (first frictional members) 42, three hub-side fiiction plates (second friction plates) 43, a conical spring washer 44, and a nut 45. [0038 ] The annular cup 41 primarily comprises a circular disk component 41a, a left projection 41b, and an inside tubular component 41c. The material is carbon steel. The annular cup 41 is carburized, quenched, and tempered. The extemal peripheral portion of the circular disk component 4Ia fits into the annular notch provided to the left internal peripheral end of the second tubular member 12. The left projection 4lb is a cylindrical section extending from the circular disk component 41a to the left (when viewed from the back), and the extemal peripheral portion at the end thereof is provided with an 18-tooth serrated portion 41d. The inside tubular component 41c is a tubular component extending from the internal peripheral end of the circular disk component 4Ia to the right (when viewed from the back), and the extemal peripheral portion thereof is provided with three notches 41e. [0039 ] A plurality of balls 14a are held between the annular cup 41 and the ball race 14b, forming part of a bearing 14. The annular cup 41 and the second tubular member 12 are rotatably supported on the hub axle 10 by the bearing 14, The three brake-side friction plates 42 are washers whose three internal peripheral projections fit into the three notches 41 e of the armular cup 41. These brake-side friction plates 42 are disposed between the three hub-side friction plates 43 and between the conical spring washer 44 and the hub-side friction plates 43 on the right side (when viewed from the back). I 0040 ] The external peripheral portions of the three hub-side friction plates 43 are provided with a plurality of teeth for engaging the serrations 12d on the internal peripheral portion of the second tubular member 12. These hub-side friction plates 43 are disposed between the three brake-side friction plates 42 and between the circular disk component 41a of the annular cup 41 and the brake-side friction plates 42 on the left side (when viewed from the back). The conical spring washer 44 urges the friction plates 42 and 43 toward the circular disk component 41 a of the annular cup 41 in a state in which the right side thereof (when viewed from the back) is pressed against the nut 45, the friction plates 42 and 43 are held between each other, and torque is transmitted between the two types of components 42 and 43. ( 0041 ] The nut 45 is fixed by being screwed onto the tip (right end) of the inside tubular component 41c of the annular cup 41. The aforementioned front hub 1 is configured on the assumption that a roller brake 80 is mounted on the front wheel 106 and front hub 1. A brief description of the roller brake 80 follows. [ 0042 ] The roller brake 80 comprises a casing 81, a rocking member 82, an annular cam 83, a plurality of rollers 84, brake shoes 85, a brake drum 86, and a cooling fm 87 (see Figs. 6 and 7). The roller brake 80 is set on the hub axle 10 such that the end portion of the brake drum 86 meshes with the serrated portion 41d of the annular cup 41 of the brake module 40, and the attachment component 81 a of the casing 81 is fixed in the front wheel fork 98. During the setting of the roller brake SO, the outer cable of a brake wire 109 (see Fig. l)is secured in the outer holder 81b of the casing 81, and the inner cable is connected to the connection tool 82a provided to the rocking member 82. [0043 ] The rocking member 82 is pivotably supported relative to the casing 81, and is caused to pivot relative to the casing 81 when the inner cable of the brake wire 109 is pulled or released. The annular cam 83, which is connected to the rocking member 82, rotates through a prescribed angle in conformity with the pivoting of the rocking member 82. [ 0044 ] The rollers 84 are disposed while kept in contact with the external surface of the annular cam 83 (external peripheral side of the annular cam 83), and are caused to move radially while rotating in accordance with the rotation of the annular cam 83. The rollers 84 are housed in a roller case for suppressing any shifting in position in the circumferential direction, and are thus prevented from moving in the circumferential direction while allowed to make radial movements. A plurality of brake shoes 85 are spread out in the circumferential direction on the external peripheral side of the rollers 84, and these shoes are pushed radially outward or retracted inward in accordance with the radial movement of the rollers 84. The brake shoes 85 are prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction. [ 0045) The external peripheral portion of the brake drum 86 is disposed around the outside of the brake shoes 85, and the internal peripheral portion of the drum is provided with teeth for meshing with the serrated portion 41d of the annular cup 41 of the brake module 40. The brake drum 86 can rotate in relation to the casing 81. The cooling fm 87 is a large annular fin in contact with the external peripheral surface of the brake drum 86, steeply widening therefrom toward its external periphery. The cooling fm 87 acts to prevent the brake drum 86 or the components inside the casing 81 from overheating, allowing the grease inside the casing SI to perform stably for a long time and preventing the brake from seizing during long descents. [ 0046 ] Following is a description of the manner in which the dynamo 30 in the front hub 1 generates electricity. When the spokes 99 rotate in relation to the front wheel fork 98 of a traveling bicycle 101, the outside rotor, which is fixed to the spokes 99 and allowed to rotate by the bearing 13 in relation to the inside stator fixed to the front wheel fork 98, rotates in relation to the inside stator. The permanent magnet 37 rotates in the process, passing outside the claws of the stator yokes 31 and 32. I 0047 ] The individual claws of the stator yokes 31 and 32 are thereby affected such that when one claw receives an N-pole magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 37, another claw receives an S-pole magnetic flux, and when one claw receives an S-pole magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 37, another claw receives an N-pole magnetic flux. In other words, rotating the permanent magnet 37 and making it pass outside the individual claws of the stator yokes 31 and 32 create two repeating states: a first state in which the stator yoke 31 is an N-pole and the stator yoke 32 is an S-pole, and a second state in which the stator yoke 31 is an S-pole and the stator yoke 32 is an N-pole. An alternating magnetic flux is thus generated in the direction of the 0-0 axis in the tubular core yoke 35 magnetically linking the two yokes 31 and 32 with each other. Current is induced in the coil 33 and power is generated by the alternating magnetic flux in the coil 33. [0048 ] The action of the roller brake 80 and the brake module 40 in the front hub 1 will now be described. The rocking member 82 of the roller brake 80 is pivoted when the rider pulls on the inner cable of the brake wire 109 by actuating the brake. This causes the annular cam 83 to rotate and the rollers 84 to move radially outward. As this happens, the brake shoes 85 are pushed outside and pressed against the brake drum 86. The rotation of the brake drum 86 is thereby impeded. The rotation damping force exerted by the brake drum 86 is transmitted by the annular cup 41 (which meshes with the brake drum 86 by means of the serrated portion 41 d) to the brake module 40. When the rotation of the annular cup 41 is damped, the damped rotation is transmitted via the brake-side friction plates 42 and the hub-side friction plates 43 to the second tubular member 12, which is linked to the annular cup 41 in the direction of rotation, When this happens, a rotation damping force acts on the first tubular member 11 (which, together with the second tubular member 12, constitutes the outer shell), and braking is applied to the rotation of the front wheel 106 fixed to the hub flanges 1 la and 12a with the aid of the spokes 99. [0050] A case in which the rider performs hard emergency braking will now be considered. In this case, the brake shoes 85 and the brake drum 86 are brought with considerable force against each other, and the rotation damping force exerted by the brake drum 86 on the annular cup 41 reaches a maximum. When, however, excessive rotation damping force is applied to the annular cup 41, the brake-side friction plates 42 and the hub-side friction plates 43 slip in relation to each other, and the rotation damping force is transmitted to the second tubular member 12 in partially absorbed form. Consequently, the rotation damping force (braking torque) applied to the front wheel 106 is prevented from reaching the level at which the front wheel 106 is locked, and the front wheel 106 is prevented from skidding on the road surface. [0051] (1) The front hub 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the first hub flange 11 a of a first tubular member 11 containing a dynamo 30 is attached to spokes 99 whose inner ends are disposed on the right (when viewed from the back), and the second hub flange 12a of a second tubular member 12 containing a brake module 40 is attached to spokes 99 whose inner ends are disposed on the left (when viewed from the back). For this reason, an outer shell composed of the two tubular members 11 and 12 can be attached to the spokes 99 by the two hub flanges 11a and 12a, the dynamo 30 can be disposed inside the first tubular member 11, and the brake module 40 can be disposed inside the second tubular member 12. [0052] Specifically, a conventional bicycle hub is configured such that a dynamo or a brake module Is disposed inside a tubular hub shell (outer shell) provided with a pair of hub flanges at the two ends thereof, so mounting either of these makes it impossible to mount the other. By contrast, the front hub 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the tubular member 11 or 12 containing a dynamo 30 or a brake module 40 is attached with the aid of a single hub flange 1 la or I2a to the spokes 99 whose inner ends are disposed on the left or right. It is therefore possible to provide a single bicycle wheel (front wheel 106) with both the dynamo 30 and the brake module 40. [0053] (2) In the front hub 1 of the present embodiment, the first tubular member 11 is made of aluminum alloy die cast Type 5 (ADC5), and the second tubular member 12 is forged from an aluminum alloy. In addition, the second tubular member 12 alone is heat-treated, and the hardness of the second tubular member 12 is set to HRB 55 or greater. In other words, the second tubular member 12 is harder than the first tubular member 11. [ 0054 ] Such an approach reduces the cost of the first tubular member 11 and results in a minimal cost increase for the second tubular member 12, which is provided with the serrations 12d for transmittintg rotation dam.ping force from the roller brake 80 via the brake module 40. Total manufacturing costs can thus be reduced by dividing the outer shell of the front hub 1 into a first tubular member 11 located closer to the dynamo 30, and a second tubular member 12 located closer to the brake module 40, and selecting materials with matching characteristics for the two members. [ 0055 ] [ Other Embodiments ] (A) In the above embodiment, the present invention was adapted to a front hub 1 for supporting the front wheel 106, but the present invention is also applicable to a bicycle hub for supporting a rear wheel 107. (B) The mating portion (portion corresponding to the serrations 41d) of the brake module 40 can be modified to allow various brakes (such as those defined in JIS D-9414) for damping hub components to be mounted. This modification represents another embodiment of the present invention. Another option is to provide the hub with both a generating function and a brake force adjusting function, and to attach the hub to the front wheel fork 98 and spokes 99 of a bicycle wheel (front wheel 106) in the same manner as in the past. [0056 ] (C) A meshing-type brake module can be adopted in addition to the frictiona! brake module 40 used in the above-described embodiment. The meshing-type brake module comprises a meshing-type clutch and a spring designed to engage and urge the clutch and to set the torque when the clutch is disengaged. [0057 ] [ Merits of the Invention ] According to the present invention, the first hub flange of a first tubular member containing a generator mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right), and the second hub flange of a second tubular member containing a brake force adjusting mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), making it possible to house the generator mechanism inside the first tubular member and to house the brake force adjusting mechanism inside the second tubular member while allowing an outer shell composed of the two tubular members to be secured to the spokes of the bicycle wheel by means of the two hub flanges. In this specific configuration, a tubular member containing either mechanism can be attached with the aid of a single hub flange to the inner ends of the spokes on the left or right side, so a single bicycle wheel can be provided with both mechanisms. [ Brief Description of the Drawings ] [ Figure 1 ] A schematic of a bicycle having a front hub in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [ Figure 2 ] A cross section of the front hub and a roller brake. [ Figure 3 ] A cross section of the front hub as a separate arrangement. [ Figure 4 ) A right-side view of the front hub as a separate arrangement. [ Figure 5 ] A fragmentary expanded cross-sectional view of the front hub. [Figure 6 ] Aside view of the roller brake." [ Figure 7 ] A fragmentary expanded cross-sectional view of the front hub and roller brake. [ Key to Symbols ] 1: front hub (bicycle hub) 1O: hub axle 11; first tubular member 11a: first hub flange 12: second tubular member 12d: serrations (meshing portions) 12a: second hub flange 13,14: bearings 30: dynamo (generator mechanism) 40: brake module (brake force adjusting mechanism) 41: annular cup (brake-side member) 42: brake-side friction plate (frictional coupler; first frictional member) 43: hub-side friction plate (frictional coupler; second frictional member) 80: roller brake (brake) 86: brake drum (structural member of brake) 98: front wheel fork (frame) 99: spoke 101: bicycle 106: front wheel (bicycle wheel) WE CLAIM: 1. A bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatabJy mounted in the frame; a first tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearing disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the first tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member; and brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and configured to limit the maximum damping force of the brake. 2. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member; and the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises . brake-side member secured to the structural members of the brake such that rotation relative to the frame is impossible when the brake is actuated, and a frictional coupler for formmg a frictional link between the second tubular member and the brake-side member. 3. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second tubular members have different diameters. 4. A bicycle hub as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second tubular members are made of different materials. 5. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frictional coupler of the brake force adjusting mechanism has a first frictional member in nonrotational meshing engagement with the brake-side member, and a second frictional member in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member and in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member; and the material of the second tubular member is harder than the material of the first tubular member. 6. A bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatably mounted in the frame; a first tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearings disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the first tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the fu"st tubular member, wherein the second tubular member is harder than the first tubular member and has meshing portions for directly or indirectly meshing with the structural members of the brake. 7. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and is provided to limit the maximum damping force of the brake. 8. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 7, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member; and the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises a brake-side member secured to the structural members of the brake such that rotation relative to the frame is impossible when the brake is actuated, a first frictional member in nonrotationa! meshing engagement with the brake-side member, and a second frictional member in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member and in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member. 9. A bicycle hub substantially us herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a bicycle hub, and more particularly to a bicycle hub for rotatably mounting a spoked wheel on a bicycle frame provided with brakes.
[ 0002 ] [Prior Art ]
A hub, which serves as a bicycle axle, comprises a hub axle detachably and nonrotatably mounted in a bicycle fork (frame), a tubular hub shell (outer shell) rotatably mounted on the hub axle, and bearings for rotatably supporting the hub shell on the hub axle. A pair of hub flanges are also formed along the external peripheries of the two ends of the hub shell to allow wheel spokes to be attached.
[ 0003 ]
Generator mechanisms serving as power supplies for illumination purposes are known to be provided inside the hub shells of the bicycle hubs thus configured. Incorporating such generator mechanism into the hub shell provides higher generation efficiency and reduces wheel rotation loss in comparison with the generation of power by generators in contact with the wheel rim (annular metal portion for securing the tire).
[0004 ]
In addition, brakes for restricting the relative rotation of the hub shell and hub axle in a bicycle hub are sometimes mounted on the bicycle frame, so in some

commercially available products the interior of the hub shell accommodates a brake force adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the damping force of the brake, and the resulting arrangement is used as a bicycle hub. A bicycle hub containing such a brake force adjusting mechanism may, for example, be operated using the frictional resistance of a clutch, and when considerable brake damping force is applied, the clutch is caused to slip, preventing excessive damping force from being exerted. Wheel locking can thus be prevented by adjusting the maximum damping force of the brake.
[0005 ]
[ Problems Which the Invention Is Intended to Solve ]
As noted above, conventional bicycle hubs include those in which the hub shell contains a generator mechanism, and those in which the hub shell contains a brake force adjusting mechanism.
It would be convenient to combine such power generating and brake force adjusting functions in a single bicycle wheel. However, attempts to endow a single wheel with both these functions result in the use of two bicycle hubs, each provided with one of the aforementioned functions and configured such that a pair of left and right hub flanges provided at the two ends of the hub shell are attached to wheel spokes in the manner described above. For this reason, adopting one of the hubs as the bicycle hub makes it impossible to attach the other bicycle hub and leaves no choice but to select either the generating function or the brake force adjusting function.
[0006 ]
An object of the present invention is to provide both a generating function and a brake force adjusting function to a bicycle hub mounted such that a spoked wheel can rotate relative to the bicycle frame.
Another convenient feature would be to be able to outfit the bicycle frame with a brake for restricting the relative rotation of the hub shell and the hub axle of a bicycle hub when this hub shell contains a generator mechanism. A structure in which the hub shell and the structural members constituting the brake are directly or indirectly connected together is commonly adopted for brake mounting, and meshing mechanisms are often adopted for such connection. When a meshing mechanism is adopted in this manner, appropriate materials and hardening treatments must be selected, and selecting such

materials and hardening treatments for the entire hub shell results in higher manufacturing costs.
[0007 ]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle hub for rotatably mounting a spoked wheel relative to a bicycle frame, wherein this bicycle hub has a generating function, can mesh with the brake, and can be manufactured at a lower cost.
[0008 ]
[ Means Used to Solve the Above-Mentioned Problems ]
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 1 is a hub whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have substantial bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake. This bicycle hub comprises a hub axle, a first tubular member, a second tubular member, bearings, a generator mechanism, and a brake force adjusting mechanism. The hub axle is nonrotatably mounted in the bicycle frame. The first tubular member is a member shaped as a tube and provided with a first hub flange. The first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side, that is, on the right or left side). The second tubular member has a second hub flange and forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member. The second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side, that is, on the left or right side). The bearings are disposed between the hub axle and the outer shell composed of the first and second tubular members. The generator mechanism is housed in the first tubular member and is designed to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member. The brake force adjusting mechanism is housed in the second tubular member and is designed to limit the maximum damping force of the brake.
[0009 ]
According to the present invention, the first hub flange of the first tubular member containing a generator mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right), and the second hub flange of the second tubular member containing a brake force adjusting mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left). This arrangement allows the generator mechanism to be housed in the first tubular member, and the brake force adjusting mechanism to be housed in the second tubular member, with the outer shell composed of

the two tubular members secured to the spokes of the bicycle wheel by the two hub
flanges. Specifically, a conventional bicycle hub is configured such that a generator mechanism or a brake force adjusting mechanism is disposed inside a tubular hub shell (outer shell) provided with a pair of hub flanges at the two ends thereof, so mounting either of these makes it impossible to mount the other. By contrast, the proposed hub is configured such that a tubular member containing either mechanism is attached with the aid of a single hub flange to one of the two sides (left or right) on which the inner ends of spokes are located, making it possible to provide a single bicycle wheel with two mechanisms.
[0010]
Thus, the bicycle hub pertaining to the present invention possesses both the generating function of a generator mechanism and the brake force adjusting function of a brake force adjusting mechanism, and can be attached to a single type of wheel spoke.
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 2 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in invention I, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member. In addition, the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises a brake-side member and a fi-ictional coupler. The brake-side member is secured to the structural members of the bicycle brake such that rotation relative to the bicycle frame is impossible when the brake is actuated. The frictional coupler is used to form a frictional link between the second tubular member and the brake-side member.
[0011 ]
In the generator mechanism thus configured, the inside stator is fixed to the hub axle and does not rotate with the rotation of the bicycle wheel, whereas the outside rotor is fixed to the first tubular member and rotates with the bicycle wheel. Consequently, the inside stator and outside rotor rotate relative to each other and generate electricity with the rotation of the bicycle wheel.
The brake force adjusting mechanism, on the other hand, is configured such that the brake-side member is locked in place relative to the structural members of the brake by meshing or the like when the brake is actuated. Thus, the brake members cannot rotate relative to the bicycle frame, and the rotation damping force applied to the bicycle wheel by the brake is transmitted to the second tubular member interlocked with the

wheel spokes by means of a frictional coupler. For this reason, slipping occurs in the frictional coupler connecting the brake-side member and the second tubular member, and part of the rotation damping force is absorbed without being transmitted to the second tubular member when the brake is applied in an emergency and a significant rotation damping force is transmitted to the brake-side member, This arrangement makes it possible to avoid situations in which a bicycle wheel locks up and skids on the road surface because of excessively hard braking.
[0012]
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 3 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second tubular members have different diameters.
In this arrangement, the seemingly obvious condition that the two tubular members constituting the outer shell need to have matching diameters is abandoned and different diameters are selected for the first and second tubular members, making it possible to set the diameter of the first tubular member to a level suitable for housing the generator mechanism, and the diameter of the second tubular member to a level suitable for housing the brake force adjusting mechanism.
[ 0013 ]
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 4 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second tubular members are made of different materials.
In this arrangement, the seemingly obvious condition that the two tubular members constituting the outer shell need to be made of common materials is abandoned and different materials are selected, for the first and second tubular members, making it possible to reduce the cost of the first tubular member and to construct the second tubular member (which needs to have comparatively high hardness or strength in order to be able to transmit the rotation damping force from the brake to the bicycle wheel) from a material that meets the necessary requirements.

[0014]
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 5 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 4, wherein the frictional coupler of the brake force adjusting mechanism has a first frictional member and a second frictional member in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member. The first frictional member is in nonrotational meshing engagement with the brake-side member. The second frictional member is in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member. The material of the second tubular member is harder than the material of the first tubular member.
[0015]
In this arrangement, the rotation damping force exerted by the brake on the bicycle wheel is transmitted from the brake-side member to the second tubular member via the first and second fiictional members. For this reason, the second tubular member must have sufficient hardness to mesh with the second frictional member and to transmit the rotation damping force. The first tubular member, on the other hand, is primarily designed for accommodating power generation members and does not need to be as hard as the second tubular member, which transmits the rotation damping force from the brake by means of meshing. In view of this, the second tubular member is allowed to fulfill its function and the first tubular member is made less expensive as a result of the fact that the hardness of the material for the second tubular member is set above the hardness of the material for the first tubular member in accordance with the present invention.
[0016]
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 6 is a hub whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have substantial bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake. This bicycle hub comprises a hub, a first tubular member, a second tubular member, bearings, and a generator mechanism. The hub axle is nonrotatably mounted in the bicycle frame. The first tubular member is a member shaped as a tube and provided with a first hub flange. The first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side, that is, on the right or left side). The second tubular member has a second hub flange and forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member. The second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes (spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side, that is, on the left or right side). The bearings are disposed between the hub axle

and the outer shell composed of the first and second tubular members. The generator mechanism is housed in the first tubular member and is designed to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member. The second tubular member has meshing portions. The meshing portions of the second tubular member are designed to directly or indirectly mesh with the structural members of the brake. The second tubular member provided with the meshing portions is harder than the first hibular member.
[0017]
In the present invention, the first hub flange of the first tubular member containing a generator mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (right or left), and the second hub flange of the second tubular member for meshing with the structural members of the brake is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (left or right), Such an arrangement entails dividing the outer shell into a second tubular member (which is required to be sufficiently hard to be able to mesh with the structural members of the brake) and a first tubular member (which is not subject to this requirement). The second tubular member is therefore made harder than the first tubular member.
[0018]
As a result, the second tubular member is the only structural member of the outer shell that has a hardness requirement and is more expensive to manufacture, with the first tubular member incurring lower material or processing costs. Consequently, the entire bicycle hub can be manufactured at a lower cost than when all the tubular members constituting the outer shell are made of expensive high-hardness members.
[0019]
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 7 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 6, further comprising a brake force adjusting mechanism. The brake force adjusting mechanism is housed in the second tubular member and is designed to limit the maximum damping force of the brake.
The bicycle hub pertaining to invention 8 is a modification of the bicycle hub set forth in claim 7, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member. In addition, the brake

force adjusting mechanism comprises a brake-side member, a first frictional member, and a second frictional member in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member. The brake-side member is secured to the structural members of the brake such that rotation relative to the bicycle frame is impossible when the brake is actuated. The first frictional member is in nonxotational meshing engagement with the brake-side member. The second frictional member is in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member.
[0020]
In the generator mechanism thus configured, the inside stator is fixed to the hub axle and does not rotate with the rotation of the bicycle wheel, whereas the outside rotor is fixed to the first tubular member and rotates with the bicycle wheel. Consequently, the inside stator and outside rotor rotate relative to each other and generate electricity with the rotation of the bicycle wheel.
in this arrangement, the rotation damping force exerted by the brake on the bicycle wheel is transmitted from the brake-side member to the second tubular member via the first and second frictional members when the brake is actuated. Slipping occurs between the first and second frictional members connecting the brake-side member and the second tubular member, and part of the rotation damping force is absorbed without being transmitted to the second tubular member when the brake is applied,in an emergency and a significant rotation damping force is transmitted to the brake-side member. In other words, the maximum damping force of the brake can be limited. This arrangement makes it possible to avoid situations in which a bicycle wheel locks up and skids on the road surface because of excessively hard braking.
[ 0021 I
In this brake force adjusting mechanism, the rotation damping force exerted by the brake on the bicycle wheel is transmitted to the second tubular member via the second frictional members, so the second tubular member must be sufficiently hard to be able to mesh with the second frictional member and to transmit the rotation damping force. The first tubular member, on the other hand, is primarily designed for accommodating power generation members and does not need to be as hard as the second tubular member, which transmits the rotation damping force from the brake by means of meshing. In view of this, the second tubular member is allowed to fulfill its function and the first tubular

member is made less expensive as a result of the fact that the hardness of the material for the second tubular member is set above the hardness of the material for the first tubular member in accordance with the present invention.
Accordingly the present invention provides a bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatably mounted in the frame; a first tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearing disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the first tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member; and brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and configured to limit the maximum damping force of the brake,
[ Embodirnents of the Invention]
Figs. 2-5 depict the front hub (bicycle hub) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The front hub 1 is mounted on the bicycle 101 shown in Fig. 1. The bicycle 101 comprises a fi-ame 102 (which has a front wheel fork 98), a handle 104, a drive unit 105 (composed of a chain, pedals, and the like), a front wheel (bicycle wheel) 106 having spokes 99, and a rear wheel 107.

The front hub 1 shown in Fig. 3 combines a generating function and a brake force adjusting function. The front hub 1 is attached to the front wheel fork 98 and the front wheel 106 of the bicycle 101. Further mounting a roller brake 80 allows generated power to be fed to the headlight, taiilight, and the like, with part of the excessive braking force (rotation damping force) produced by the roller brake 80 being absorbed by the front hub 1.
The front hub 1 is fixed to the front wheel fork 98 on the right and left sides of a hub axle 10, and the spokes 99 are fixed to two hub flanges 11a and 12a, as shown in
Fig. 2. The axis 0-0 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is the axis of rotation of the front wheel 106 of the bicycle.
The front hub 1 comprises the hub axle 10, a first tubular member 11, a second tubular member 12, two bearings 13 and 14, a dynamo {generator mechanism) 30, and abrake modulator {brake force adjusting mechanism) 40, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

[ 0025 ]
The two ends of the hub axle 10 are fixed by adjustment nuts 2 or cam levers 3 to the end portions of the front wheel fork 98. The tubular core yoke 35 or stator yokes 31 and 32 of the dynamo 30 (see below) are fixed to the hub axle 10.

The first tubular member 11 is a member that serves as an enclosure for the dynamo 30. The material is aluminum alloy die cast Type 5 (ADC5}.
[0026 ]
The first tubular member 11 comprises a first annular hub flange 11 a, a first cylindrical component 1 lb, an annular sloping component 11c, and a mating tubular component lid, as shown in Fig. 5,
The first hub flange 11a is provided with a plurality of openings that correspond to the diameter of the spokes 99. The openings are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The spokes 99 are fixed in these openings such that the inner ends of the spokes are disposed on the right (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 2.
[ 0027 )
The first cylindrical component 1 lb is a cylindrical section extending from the internal peripheral end of the first hub flange 1 la to the left side (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 5. The cap 36 of the dynamo 30 is mounted on the intemal peripheral surface of the first cylindrical component 1 lb.
The annular sloping component 1 1c extends from the left end of the first cylindrical component 11b to the interior on the left side (when viewed from the back). The cylindrical mating tubular component Ud extends from the intemal peripheral end of the annular sloping component 1 11c to the left side (when viewed from the back).

[ 0028]
Together with the second tubular member 12, the first tubular member 11 constitutes the outer shell (shell) of the front hub 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The second tubular member 12 serves as an enclosure for the brake module 40, and is forged from an aluminum alloy. The second tubular member 12 is heat-treated to a hardness of HRB 55 or greater. The second tubular member 12 is thus made harder than the first tubular member 11.
[0029]
The second tubular member 12 comprises a second annular hub flange 12a, and a second cylindrical component 12b extending from the internal peripheral end of the second hub flange 12a to the right side (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 5.
The external peripheral portion of the second hub flange 12a is provided with a plurality of openings that correspond to the diameter of the spokes 99. The openings are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The spokes 99 are fixed in these openings such that the inner ends of the spokes are disposed on the left side (when viewed from the back), as shown in Fig. 2.
[0030 ]
The second cylindrical component 12b is a cylindrical section extending from the internal peripheral end of the second hub flange 12a to the right side (when viewed from the back). Serrations (meshing portions) 12d for engaging a plurality of teeth on the hub-side friction plate 43 of the below-described brake module 40 are provided to the internal peripheral surface of the second cylindrical component 12b. In addition, the right-side portion (when viewed from the back) of the second cylindrical component l2b serves as a mating tubular component 12c, and the tubular members 11 and 12 are rendered nonrotatable by causing the internal peripheral surface of the mating tubular component 12c to engage the external peripheral surface of the mating tubular component 11 d of the first tubular member 11.

[ 00311]
The diameter of the second cylindrical component 12b of the second tubular member 12 is less than the diameter of the first cylindrical component 1 lb of the first tubular member 11 because this arrangement is sufficient for accommodating the brake module 40, as shown in Fig. 5.

The bearing 13 comprises a plurality of balls 13a, a ball race 13b for supporting these balls 13a, and a cup I3c. The ball race 13b is fixed to the hub axle 10, and the cup 13c is fixed to the internal peripheral portion of the cap 36 of the below-described dynamo 30. The bearing 13 is configured such that the cap 36 of the dynamo 30 and the first tubular member 11 mounted on the cap 36 are rotatably supported on the hub axle 10.
[0032 ]
The bearing 14 comprises a plurality of balls 14a, a ball race I4b for supporting these balls 14a, and the annular cup 41 (see below) of the brake module 40. The ball race Mb is fixed to the hub axle 10, and the bearing 14 rotatably supports the annular cup 41 and the second tubular member 12 on the hub axle 10,

The dynamo 30 primarily comprises an inside stator and an outside rotor. Power generated by the dynamo 30 can be drawn from a connector 39 (see Figs. 3 and 4).
[0033 ] (Inside Stator)
The inside stator primarily comprises two stator yokes 31 and 32, a bobbin 34 with a wound coil 33, and a tubular core yoke 35, as shown in Fig. 5. When assembled together, the stator yokes 31 and 32, the bobbin 34, and the tubular core yoke 35 fonn a unified inside stator This inside stator is fixed to the hub axle 10 and forms a whole with the fi-ont wheel fork 98 when the bicycle is ridden.

[ 0034 ]
The stator yokes 31 and 32 consist of disk portions and claws. Fourteen claws are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, and these claws extend along the 0-0 axis from the external peripheral ends of the disk portions of the stator yokes 31 and 32. When assembled, the claws of the two stator yokes 31 and 32 are spaced at regular intervals and are aligned at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. Permanent magnets 37 (see below) are positioned facing each claw at radially external positions in relation to the claws. In addition, the disk portions of the stator yokes 31 and 32 have round holes for accommodating the hub axle 10, and slits extending radially outward from the round holes.
[ 0035 ]
The bobbin 34 is an annular member made of resin. Grooves for winding and supporting the coil 33 are formed in the external peripheral portion thereof, and stepped notches for mating with the tubular core yoke 35 are formed in the internal peripheral portion thereof.
The tubular core yoke 35, composed of 12 split-piece assemblies, is mounted on the inside of the bobbin 34 in engagement with the notches in the internal peripheral portion of the bobbin 34. Each of the split-piece assemblies constituting the tubular core yoke 35 is obtained by fitting together four separate pieces shaped as rectangular sheets. When the twelve split-piece assemblies are fitted into the notches in the internal peripheral portion of the bobbin 34, these split-piece assemblies form the tubular core yoke 35. This yoke has an internal space that has a square cross section and allows the hub axle 10 to pass through the center thereof. In this tubular core yoke 35, the separate pieces are stacked parallel to the direction of the 0-0 axis.
[0036 ] {Outside Rotor)
The outside rotor primarily comprises the aforementioned first tubular member 11 and cap 36. The two are combined together when the cap 36 is fitted onto the first tubular member 11. The monolithic outside rotor is rotatably supported on the hub axle 10 by the bearing 13.

The cap 36 is provided with a permanent magnet 37, which is composed of four magnet pieces divided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, as shown in Fig. 5. The permanent magnet 37 is magnetized such that the N- and S-poles thereof are disposed alternately at regular intervals, and each of the resulting 28 poles lies opposite a claw of the stator yokes 31 and 32.

The brake module 40, which is a mechanism disposed inside the second cylindrical component 12b of the second tubular member 12, comprises an annular cup (brake-side member) 41, three brake-side friction plates (first frictional members) 42, three hub-side fiiction plates (second friction plates) 43, a conical spring washer 44, and a nut 45.
[0038 ]
The annular cup 41 primarily comprises a circular disk component 41a, a left projection 41b, and an inside tubular component 41c. The material is carbon steel. The annular cup 41 is carburized, quenched, and tempered. The extemal peripheral portion of the circular disk component 4Ia fits into the annular notch provided to the left internal peripheral end of the second tubular member 12. The left projection 4lb is a cylindrical section extending from the circular disk component 41a to the left (when viewed from the back), and the extemal peripheral portion at the end thereof is provided with an 18-tooth serrated portion 41d. The inside tubular component 41c is a tubular component extending from the internal peripheral end of the circular disk component 4Ia to the right (when viewed from the back), and the extemal peripheral portion thereof is provided with three notches 41e.
[0039 ]
A plurality of balls 14a are held between the annular cup 41 and the ball race 14b, forming part of a bearing 14. The annular cup 41 and the second tubular member 12 are rotatably supported on the hub axle 10 by the bearing 14,
The three brake-side friction plates 42 are washers whose three internal peripheral projections fit into the three notches 41 e of the armular cup 41. These brake-side friction

plates 42 are disposed between the three hub-side friction plates 43 and between the conical spring washer 44 and the hub-side friction plates 43 on the right side (when viewed from the back).
I 0040 ]
The external peripheral portions of the three hub-side friction plates 43 are provided with a plurality of teeth for engaging the serrations 12d on the internal peripheral portion of the second tubular member 12. These hub-side friction plates 43 are disposed between the three brake-side friction plates 42 and between the circular disk component 41a of the annular cup 41 and the brake-side friction plates 42 on the left side (when viewed from the back).
The conical spring washer 44 urges the friction plates 42 and 43 toward the circular disk component 41 a of the annular cup 41 in a state in which the right side thereof (when viewed from the back) is pressed against the nut 45, the friction plates 42 and 43 are held between each other, and torque is transmitted between the two types of components 42 and 43.
( 0041 ]
The nut 45 is fixed by being screwed onto the tip (right end) of the inside tubular component 41c of the annular cup 41.

The aforementioned front hub 1 is configured on the assumption that a roller brake 80 is mounted on the front wheel 106 and front hub 1. A brief description of the roller brake 80 follows.
[ 0042 ]
The roller brake 80 comprises a casing 81, a rocking member 82, an annular cam 83, a plurality of rollers 84, brake shoes 85, a brake drum 86, and a cooling fm 87 (see Figs. 6 and 7). The roller brake 80 is set on the hub axle 10 such that the end portion of the brake drum 86 meshes with the serrated portion 41d of the annular cup 41 of the brake module 40, and the attachment component 81 a of the casing 81 is fixed in the front wheel fork 98. During the setting of the roller brake SO, the outer cable of a brake

wire 109 (see Fig. l)is secured in the outer holder 81b of the casing 81, and the inner cable is connected to the connection tool 82a provided to the rocking member 82.
[0043 ]
The rocking member 82 is pivotably supported relative to the casing 81, and is caused to pivot relative to the casing 81 when the inner cable of the brake wire 109 is pulled or released.
The annular cam 83, which is connected to the rocking member 82, rotates through a prescribed angle in conformity with the pivoting of the rocking member 82.
[ 0044 ]
The rollers 84 are disposed while kept in contact with the external surface of the annular cam 83 (external peripheral side of the annular cam 83), and are caused to move radially while rotating in accordance with the rotation of the annular cam 83. The rollers 84 are housed in a roller case for suppressing any shifting in position in the circumferential direction, and are thus prevented from moving in the circumferential direction while allowed to make radial movements.
A plurality of brake shoes 85 are spread out in the circumferential direction on the external peripheral side of the rollers 84, and these shoes are pushed radially outward or retracted inward in accordance with the radial movement of the rollers 84. The brake shoes 85 are prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction.
[ 0045)
The external peripheral portion of the brake drum 86 is disposed around the outside of the brake shoes 85, and the internal peripheral portion of the drum is provided with teeth for meshing with the serrated portion 41d of the annular cup 41 of the brake module 40. The brake drum 86 can rotate in relation to the casing 81.
The cooling fm 87 is a large annular fin in contact with the external peripheral surface of the brake drum 86, steeply widening therefrom toward its external periphery. The cooling fm 87 acts to prevent the brake drum 86 or the components inside the casing 81 from overheating, allowing the grease inside the casing SI to perform stably for a long time and preventing the brake from seizing during long descents.

[ 0046 ]

Following is a description of the manner in which the dynamo 30 in the front hub 1 generates electricity.
When the spokes 99 rotate in relation to the front wheel fork 98 of a traveling bicycle 101, the outside rotor, which is fixed to the spokes 99 and allowed to rotate by the bearing 13 in relation to the inside stator fixed to the front wheel fork 98, rotates in relation to the inside stator. The permanent magnet 37 rotates in the process, passing outside the claws of the stator yokes 31 and 32.
I 0047 ]
The individual claws of the stator yokes 31 and 32 are thereby affected such that when one claw receives an N-pole magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 37, another claw receives an S-pole magnetic flux, and when one claw receives an S-pole magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 37, another claw receives an N-pole magnetic flux. In other words, rotating the permanent magnet 37 and making it pass outside the individual claws of the stator yokes 31 and 32 create two repeating states: a first state in which the stator yoke 31 is an N-pole and the stator yoke 32 is an S-pole, and a second state in which the stator yoke 31 is an S-pole and the stator yoke 32 is an N-pole. An alternating magnetic flux is thus generated in the direction of the 0-0 axis in the tubular core yoke 35 magnetically linking the two yokes 31 and 32 with each other. Current is induced in the coil 33 and power is generated by the alternating magnetic flux in the coil 33.
[0048 ]

The action of the roller brake 80 and the brake module 40 in the front hub 1 will now be described.
The rocking member 82 of the roller brake 80 is pivoted when the rider pulls on the inner cable of the brake wire 109 by actuating the brake. This causes the annular cam 83 to rotate and the rollers 84 to move radially outward. As this happens, the brake shoes 85 are pushed outside and pressed against the brake drum 86. The rotation of the brake drum 86 is thereby impeded.

The rotation damping force exerted by the brake drum 86 is transmitted by the annular cup 41 (which meshes with the brake drum 86 by means of the serrated portion 41 d) to the brake module 40. When the rotation of the annular cup 41 is damped, the damped rotation is transmitted via the brake-side friction plates 42 and the hub-side friction plates 43 to the second tubular member 12, which is linked to the annular cup 41 in the direction of rotation, When this happens, a rotation damping force acts on the first tubular member 11 (which, together with the second tubular member 12, constitutes the outer shell), and braking is applied to the rotation of the front wheel 106 fixed to the hub flanges 1 la and 12a with the aid of the spokes 99.
[0050]
A case in which the rider performs hard emergency braking will now be considered. In this case, the brake shoes 85 and the brake drum 86 are brought with considerable force against each other, and the rotation damping force exerted by the brake drum 86 on the annular cup 41 reaches a maximum. When, however, excessive rotation damping force is applied to the annular cup 41, the brake-side friction plates 42 and the hub-side friction plates 43 slip in relation to each other, and the rotation damping force is transmitted to the second tubular member 12 in partially absorbed form. Consequently, the rotation damping force (braking torque) applied to the front wheel 106 is prevented from reaching the level at which the front wheel 106 is locked, and the front wheel 106 is prevented from skidding on the road surface.
[0051]

(1)
The front hub 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the first hub flange 11 a of a first tubular member 11 containing a dynamo 30 is attached to spokes 99 whose inner ends are disposed on the right (when viewed from the back), and the second hub flange 12a of a second tubular member 12 containing a brake module 40 is attached to spokes 99 whose inner ends are disposed on the left (when viewed from the back). For this reason, an outer shell composed of the two tubular members 11 and 12 can be attached to the spokes 99 by the two hub flanges 11a and 12a, the dynamo 30 can be

disposed inside the first tubular member 11, and the brake module 40 can be disposed inside the second tubular member 12.
[0052]
Specifically, a conventional bicycle hub is configured such that a dynamo or a brake module Is disposed inside a tubular hub shell (outer shell) provided with a pair of hub flanges at the two ends thereof, so mounting either of these makes it impossible to mount the other. By contrast, the front hub 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the tubular member 11 or 12 containing a dynamo 30 or a brake module 40 is attached with the aid of a single hub flange 1 la or I2a to the spokes 99 whose inner ends are disposed on the left or right. It is therefore possible to provide a single bicycle wheel (front wheel 106) with both the dynamo 30 and the brake module 40.
[0053] (2)
In the front hub 1 of the present embodiment, the first tubular member 11 is made of aluminum alloy die cast Type 5 (ADC5), and the second tubular member 12 is forged from an aluminum alloy. In addition, the second tubular member 12 alone is heat-treated, and the hardness of the second tubular member 12 is set to HRB 55 or greater. In other words, the second tubular member 12 is harder than the first tubular member 11.
[ 0054 ]
Such an approach reduces the cost of the first tubular member 11 and results in a minimal cost increase for the second tubular member 12, which is provided with the serrations 12d for transmittintg rotation dam.ping force from the roller brake 80 via the brake module 40.
Total manufacturing costs can thus be reduced by dividing the outer shell of the front hub 1 into a first tubular member 11 located closer to the dynamo 30, and a second tubular member 12 located closer to the brake module 40, and selecting materials with matching characteristics for the two members.

[ 0055 ]
[ Other Embodiments ]
(A)
In the above embodiment, the present invention was adapted to a front hub 1 for supporting the front wheel 106, but the present invention is also applicable to a bicycle hub for supporting a rear wheel 107.
(B)
The mating portion (portion corresponding to the serrations 41d) of the brake module 40 can be modified to allow various brakes (such as those defined in JIS D-9414) for damping hub components to be mounted. This modification represents another embodiment of the present invention. Another option is to provide the hub with both a generating function and a brake force adjusting function, and to attach the hub to the front wheel fork 98 and spokes 99 of a bicycle wheel (front wheel 106) in the same manner as in the past.
[0056 ] (C)
A meshing-type brake module can be adopted in addition to the frictiona! brake module 40 used in the above-described embodiment. The meshing-type brake module comprises a meshing-type clutch and a spring designed to engage and urge the clutch and to set the torque when the clutch is disengaged.
[0057 ]
[ Merits of the Invention ]
According to the present invention, the first hub flange of a first tubular member containing a generator mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right), and the second hub flange of a second tubular member containing a brake force adjusting mechanism is secured to spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), making it possible to house the generator mechanism inside the first tubular member and to house the brake force adjusting mechanism inside the second tubular member while allowing an outer shell composed of the two tubular members to be secured to the spokes of the bicycle wheel by means of the two hub flanges. In this specific configuration, a tubular member containing either mechanism

can be attached with the aid of a single hub flange to the inner ends of the spokes on the left or right side, so a single bicycle wheel can be provided with both mechanisms.
[ Brief Description of the Drawings ]
[ Figure 1 ] A schematic of a bicycle having a front hub in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[ Figure 2 ] A cross section of the front hub and a roller brake.
[ Figure 3 ] A cross section of the front hub as a separate arrangement.
[ Figure 4 ) A right-side view of the front hub as a separate arrangement.
[ Figure 5 ] A fragmentary expanded cross-sectional view of the front hub.
[Figure 6 ] Aside view of the roller brake."
[ Figure 7 ] A fragmentary expanded cross-sectional view of the front hub and roller brake.
[ Key to Symbols ]
1: front hub (bicycle hub)
1O: hub axle
11; first tubular member
11a: first hub flange
12: second tubular member
12d: serrations (meshing portions)
12a: second hub flange
13,14: bearings
30: dynamo (generator mechanism)
40: brake module (brake force adjusting mechanism)
41: annular cup (brake-side member)
42: brake-side friction plate (frictional coupler; first frictional member)
43: hub-side friction plate (frictional coupler; second frictional member)
80: roller brake (brake)
86: brake drum (structural member of brake)
98: front wheel fork (frame)
99: spoke

101: bicycle
106: front wheel (bicycle wheel)

WE CLAIM:
1. A bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatabJy mounted in the frame; a first tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearing disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the first tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the first tubular member; and brake force adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and configured to limit the maximum damping force of the brake.
2. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member; and the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises . brake-side member secured to the structural members of the brake such that rotation relative to the frame is impossible when the brake is actuated, and a frictional coupler for formmg a frictional link between the second tubular member and the brake-side member.
3. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second tubular members have different diameters.

4. A bicycle hub as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second tubular members are made of different materials.
5. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frictional coupler of the brake force adjusting mechanism has a first frictional member in nonrotational meshing engagement with the brake-side member, and a second frictional member in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member and in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member; and the material of the second tubular member is harder than the material of the first tubular member.
6. A bicycle hub, whereby a bicycle wheel whose spokes have bilateral symmetry in the direction of travel is rotatably mounted in a bicycle frame provided with a brake, said bicycle hub comprising a hub axle nonrotatably mounted in the frame; a first tubular member in which a first hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on one side (left or right); a second tubular member in which a second hub flange is secured to the inner ends of spokes whose inner ends are disposed on the other side (right or left), and which forms an outer shell together with the first tubular member; bearings disposed between the outer shell and the hub axle; characterized in that a generator mechanism housed in the first tubular member and configured to generate electricity by the relative rotation of the hub axle and the fu"st tubular member, wherein the second tubular member is harder than the first tubular member and has meshing portions for directly or indirectly meshing with the structural members of the brake.

7. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a brake force
adjusting mechanism housed in the second tubular member and is provided to limit
the maximum damping force of the brake.
8. A bicycle hub as claimed in claim 7, wherein the generator mechanism comprises an inside stator fixed to the hub axle, and an outside rotor fixed to the first tubular member; and the brake force adjusting mechanism comprises a brake-side member secured to the structural members of the brake such that rotation relative to the frame is impossible when the brake is actuated, a first frictional member in nonrotationa! meshing engagement with the brake-side member, and a second frictional member in nonrotatable meshing engagement with the second tubular member and in a facing arrangement with the first frictional member.
9. A bicycle hub substantially us herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

0045-mas-2001 abstract-duplicate.pdf

0045-mas-2001 abstract.jpg

0045-mas-2001 abstract.pdf

0045-mas-2001 claims-duplicate.pdf

0045-mas-2001 claims.pdf

0045-mas-2001 correspondences-others.pdf

0045-mas-2001 correspondences-po.pdf

0045-mas-2001 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

0045-mas-2001 description (complete).pdf

0045-mas-2001 drawings-duplicate.pdf

0045-mas-2001 drawings.pdf

0045-mas-2001 form-1.pdf

0045-mas-2001 form-19.pdf

0045-mas-2001 form-3.pdf

0045-mas-2001 form-5.pdf

0045-mas-2001 others.pdf

0045-mas-2001 petition.pdf

« Previous Patent

Next Patent »

Patent Number

216694

Indian Patent Application Number

45/MAS/2001

PG Journal Number

17/2008

Publication Date

25-Apr-2008

Grant Date

18-Mar-2008

Date of Filing

16-Jan-2001

Name of Patentee

SHIMANO INC

Applicant Address

77, OIMATSU-CHO 3-CHO, SAKAI-SHI, OSAKA,

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	MINORU ITOU	887-8, KAMIOKAEDA, KIKUGAWA-CHO, TOYOURA-GUN, YAMAGUCHI,

PCT International Classification Number

B62J 6/12

PCT International Application Number

N/A

PCT International Filing date

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1	2000-21609	2000-01-31	Japan