Patent ID: 7585240

Claim:
A bicycle sprocket assembly comprising: a first sprocket assembly including a first mounting portion with a first radially innermost end having a first splined inner bore for mounting on a freewheel of a bicycle hub, and a first chain engaging portion with a plurality of first teeth; and a second sprocket assembly including a second mounting portion with a second radially innermost end having a second splined inner bore for mounting on the freewheel of the bicycle hub, and a second chain engaging portion with a plurality of second teeth that are fewer in total number than a total number of the first teeth of the first sprocket assembly, at least one of the first and second mounting portions having a plurality of space maintaining projections extending axially towards but axially spaced apart from an adjacent one of the first and second sprocket assemblies with at least some of the space maintaining projections having free ends that are axially spaced from the adjacent one of the first and second sprocket assemblies by a predetermined distance that is less than half the distance between opposing axial faces of the adjacent sprocket assembly and the one of the first and second sprocket assemblies to which the one of the first and second mounting portions having the space maintaining projections is attached to limit relative deflection between the first and second sprocket assemblies, with the space maintaining projections being located radially outward of the first and second splined inner bores of the first and second radially innermost ends of the first and second mounting portions of the first and second sprocket assemblies with the bicycle sprocket assembly assembled.