Patent Description:
The engagement elements are engagement paws or engagement protrusions, wherein when a respective engagement element is an engagement paw, a single tooth is formed on the toothed ring. When the respective engagement element is an engagement protrusion, at least two teeth are formed on the toothed ring.

Furthermore, the respective tooth is formed on an outer wall or an inner wall of the toothed ring so as to engage with the respective engagement element.

The respective engagement element rotatably or linearly engages with the respective tooth.

<CIT> discloses a freewheel mechanism according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

The primary aspect of the present invention is to provide a freehub of a bicycle which contains the respective engagement element formed in a column shape, and the respective tooth has the arcuate face, such that the respective engagement element contacts with the respective tooth securely so as to enhance a driving force of the freehub.

Secondary aspect of the present invention is to provide a freehub of a bicycle which contains the respective engagement element engaged with the respective tooth to move linearly, and the linear direction of the respective chute is not parallel to the central axis of the rotary shaft, thus enhancing the driving force of the freehub.

Third aspect of the present invention is to provide a freehub of a bicycle which contains the respective engagement element moving linearly to engage with or remove from the respective tooth quickly.

Further aspect of the present invention is to provide a freehub of a bicycle which contains the respective engagement element moving linearly to engage with or to remove from the respective tooth, thus reducing a loss of the driving force of the freehub and avoiding interference between the respective engagement element and the respective tooth.

To obtain above-mentioned aspects, a freehub of a bicycle provided by the present invention according to claim <NUM> contains: a body, a receiving sleeve, a ratchet assembly, and a toothed ring.

The body is fitted and rotates on a rotary shaft.

The receiving sleeve is connected with a first end of the body and is fitted on the rotary shaft, and the receiving sleeve includes an accommodation holder, the receiving sleeve also including a fixing element corresponding to a second end of the body.

The ratchet assembly is arranged between the body and the receiving sleeve, and the ratchet assembly includes multiple chutes defined thereon and corresponding to the body. A central axis of a respective chute is not parallel to a central axis of the rotary shaft.

The toothed ring is fitted between the fixing element and the body, and the ratchet assembly further includes multiple teeth formed on the toothed ring opposite to the multiple chutes. Preferably, each respective tooth has an arcuate face.

The ratchet assembly further includes multiple engagement elements formed in a column shape, such that the multiple engagement elements abut against the multiple teeth, when the multiple engagement elements engage with the multiple teeth.

The ratchet assembly further includes multiple urging elements, and a respective urging element has at least one part that is in contact with a respective engagement element, wherein a respective urging element is configured to urge a respective engagement element to linearly move toward the respective tooth so as to engage with the respective tooth.

The fixing element is formed in a polygon shape, and the toothed ring has a polygonal orifice defined on a center thereof and fitted with the fixing element.

With reference to <FIG>, a freehub of a bicycle according to a first emdboimdnet of the present invention comprises: a body <NUM>, a receiving sleeve <NUM> connected with a first end of the body <NUM>, and a ratchet assembly <NUM> received in the receiving sleeve <NUM>.

The body <NUM> is fitted and rotates on a rotary shaft <NUM>.

The receiving sleeve <NUM> is connected with the first end of the body <NUM> and is fitted on the rotary shaft <NUM>, and the receiving sleeve <NUM> includes an accommodation holder <NUM> configured to accommodate a freewheel (not shown), the receiving sleeve <NUM> also includes a fixing element <NUM> corresponding to a second end of the body <NUM> and formed in a polygon shape.

The ratchet assembly <NUM> is mounted between the body <NUM> and the receiving sleeve <NUM>, and the ratchet assembly <NUM> includes multiple chutes <NUM> defined thereon and corresponding to the body <NUM>, wherein a central axis of a respective chute <NUM> is not parallel to a central axis <NUM> of the rotary shaft <NUM>, and the respective chute <NUM> has a linear direction <NUM>.

A toothed ring <NUM> is fitted between the fixing element <NUM> and the body <NUM>, and the toothed ring <NUM> has a polygonal orifice <NUM> defined on a center thereof and fitted with the fixing element <NUM>, wherein the ratchet assembly <NUM> further includes multiple teeth <NUM> formed on the toothed ring <NUM> opposite to the multiple chutes <NUM>, wherein a respective tooth <NUM> has an arcuate face <NUM> and a tilted face <NUM> connected with the arcuate face <NUM>.

The ratchet assembly <NUM> includes multiple engagement elements <NUM> formed in a column shape and corresponding to the multiple teeth <NUM>, such that the multiple engagement elements <NUM> abut against multiple arcuate faces <NUM> of the multiple teeth <NUM>, when the multiple engagement elements <NUM> engage with the multiple teeth <NUM>. The ratchet assembly <NUM> further includes multiple resilient elements <NUM>, wherein a respective resilient element <NUM> abuts against the respective chute <NUM> and a respective engagement element <NUM>, such that the respective engagement element <NUM> is urged by the respective resilient element <NUM> to linearly move toward the respective tooth <NUM> so as to engage with the respective tooth <NUM>, wherein the respective resilient element <NUM> is a spring <NUM>, and a first end of the spring <NUM> abuts against a first edge <NUM> of the respective engagement element <NUM> and a bottom of the respective chute <NUM>. The respective engagement element <NUM> has a peripheral fringe <NUM>, the first edge <NUM>, and a second edge <NUM> opposite to the first edge <NUM>, wherein the first edge <NUM> of the respective engagement element <NUM> contacts with the respective resilient element <NUM>, and the second edge <NUM> and a part of the peripheral fringe <NUM> are exposed outside the respective chute <NUM>. The linear direction <NUM> of the respective chute <NUM> is a linear moving direction of the respective engagement element <NUM>, and an inclined angle θ is defined between the linear moving direction of the respective engagement element <NUM> and the tilted face <NUM> of the respective chute <NUM>, wherein the inclined angle θ is <NUM> degrees. When the respective engagement element <NUM> engages with the respective tooth <NUM>, the part of the peripheral fringe <NUM> exposed outside the respective chute <NUM> contacts with the respective arcuate face <NUM>, and the second edge <NUM> exposed outside the respective chute <NUM> abuts against the tilted face <NUM>. When the respective engagement element <NUM> contacts with the tilted face <NUM>, the respective engagement element <NUM> rotates idly so that the tilted face <NUM> pushes the respective engagement element <NUM> toward the respective chute <NUM> linearly.

Thereby, the respective engagement element <NUM> moves linearly at the inclined angle θ to engage with or remove from the respective tooth <NUM> easily.

Referring to <FIG>, the respective engagement element <NUM> is pushed by the respective resilient element <NUM> to move toward the respective tooth <NUM>. When the receiving sleeve <NUM> is actuated, the receiving sleeve <NUM> rotates with the toothed ring <NUM> simultaneously. When the toothed ring <NUM> rotates and the respective engagement element <NUM> is engaged with the respective tooth <NUM>, the respective engagement element <NUM>, the ratchet assembly <NUM>, and the receiving sleeve <NUM> are driven by the toothed ring <NUM> to rotate forward to the bicycle, thus driving a wheel of the bicycle to rotate forward.

As shown in <FIG>, the respective engagement element <NUM> is forced by the respective resilient element <NUM> to move toward the respective tooth <NUM>, and when the receiving sleeve <NUM> stops rotation, the toothed ring <NUM> stops rotation with the receiving sleeve <NUM>, wherein the respective engagement element <NUM>, the ratchet assembly <NUM>, and the receiving sleeve <NUM> still rotate forward so that the respective engagement element <NUM> is pushed by the tilted face <NUM> to remove from the respective tooth <NUM>. After the respective engagement element <NUM> is not pushed by the tilted face <NUM>, the respective engagement element <NUM> moves backward to contact with a next tilted face <NUM>, such that the respective engagement element <NUM> engages with and removes from the respective tooth <NUM> repeatedly to make noise but not rotate idly, in the meantime, the wheel rotates forward.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the respective engagement element <NUM> engages with the respective tooth <NUM> and the wheel rotate backward so that the body <NUM> revolves backward and drives the respective engagement element <NUM>, the ratchet assembly <NUM>, and the receiving sleeve <NUM> to rotate backward, and the wheel rotates backward.

The freehub of a bicycle also has advantages as follows:.

With reference to <FIG>, in a second embodiment, the toothed ring <NUM> is screwed with the accommodation holder <NUM>, the respective resilient element <NUM> is a magnetic element <NUM> and is fixed on the respective engagement element <NUM>, wherein the toothed ring <NUM> is made of metal so that the respective magnetic element <NUM> attracts the toothed ring <NUM> magnetically, and the respective engagement element <NUM> moves to the respective tooth <NUM> linearly.

The receiving sleeve <NUM> has male threads formed thereon, and the toothed ring <NUM> has female threads formed thereon so as to screw with the male threads.

The respective resilient element <NUM> pushes the respective engagement element <NUM> magnetically so the respective engagement element <NUM> moves to the toothed ring <NUM> linearly. When the respective engagement element <NUM> engages with the arcuate face <NUM> of the respective tooth <NUM>, the receiving sleeve <NUM> and the body <NUM> revolve forward. When the respective engagement element <NUM> removes from the respective tooth <NUM>, the respective engagement element <NUM> does not engage with the arcuate face <NUM> of the respective tooth <NUM>, and the respective engagement element <NUM> rotates idly, hence the body <NUM> keeps rotation. Alternatively, when the respective engagement element <NUM> engages with the respective tooth <NUM>, the body <NUM> is driven to revolve backward so as to actuate the receiving sleeve <NUM> and the body <NUM> to move backward.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, in a third embodiment, the toothed ring <NUM> is integrally connected with the receiving sleeve <NUM>. The respective resilient element <NUM> includes a first magnetic protrusion <NUM> received in the respective chute <NUM>, and the respective resilient element <NUM> includes a second magnetic protrusion <NUM> fixed on the respective engagement element <NUM> of the respective chute <NUM>, wherein the first magnetic protrusion <NUM> repels the second magnetic protrusion <NUM> magnetically, such that the respective engagement element <NUM> moves to the respective tooth <NUM> automatically.

The respective tooth <NUM> is integrally formed in the receiving sleeve <NUM>, and the first magnetic protrusion <NUM> repels the second magnetic protrusion <NUM> magnetically so that the respective resilient element <NUM> pushes the respective engagement element <NUM> to move toward the toothed ring <NUM> linearly.

Claim 1:
A freehub of a bicycle comprising:
a body (<NUM>) fitted and rotating on a rotary shaft (<NUM>);
a receiving sleeve (<NUM>) connected with a first end of the body (<NUM>) and fitted on the rotary shaft (<NUM>), the receiving sleeve (<NUM>) including an accommodation holder (<NUM>), the receiving sleeve (<NUM>) also including a fixing element (<NUM>) corresponding to a second end of the body (<NUM>);
a ratchet assembly (<NUM>) arranged between the body (<NUM>) and the receiving sleeve (<NUM>), and the ratchet assembly (<NUM>) including multiple chutes (<NUM>) defined thereon and corresponding to the body (<NUM>), wherein a central axis of a respective chute (<NUM>) is not parallel to a central axis of the rotary shaft (<NUM>);
a toothed ring (<NUM>) fitted between the fixing element (<NUM>) and the body (<NUM>), and the ratchet assembly (<NUM>) further including multiple teeth (<NUM>) formed on the toothed ring (<NUM>) opposite to the multiple chutes (<NUM>), wherein each respective tooth (<NUM>) has an arcuate face (<NUM>);
the ratchet assembly (<NUM>) further including multiple engagement elements (<NUM>) formed in a column shape, such that the multiple engagement elements (<NUM>) abut against the multiple teeth (<NUM>), when the multiple engagement elements (<NUM>) engage with the multiple teeth (<NUM>);
wherein the ratchet assembly (<NUM>) further includes multiple urging elements (<NUM>), wherein a respective urging element (<NUM>) has at least one part that is in contact with a respective engagement element (<NUM>), wherein a respective urging element (<NUM>) is configured to urge a respective engagement element (<NUM>) to linearly move toward the respective tooth (<NUM>) so as to engage with the respective tooth (<NUM>),
characterized in that the fixing element (<NUM>) is formed in a polygon shape, and the toothed ring (<NUM>) has a polygonal orifice (<NUM>) defined on a center thereof and fitted with the fixing element (<NUM>).