Patent ID: 7617920

Claim:
A bicycle freewheel comprising: an inner tubular member configured to be coupled to a bicycle hub; an outer tubular member arranged around an outer side circumference of the inner tubular member, with an internal circumferential surface of the outer tubular member having a plurality of ratchet teeth; at least one bearing assembly disposed between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member to rotatably couple the outer tubular member to the inner tubular member such that the outer tubular member rotates freely with respect to the inner tubular member; a clutch pawl disposed on the outer side circumference of the inner tubular member and freely movable between an engagement position in which the clutch pawl engages the ratchet teeth and a disengagement position in which the clutch pawl is disengaged from the ratchet teeth; at least one biasing member applying an urging force to the clutch pawl to urge the clutch pawl toward the engagement position; and a one-piece, unitary pawl-retracting member with a fixed diameter disposed between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member with the pawl-retracting member including an annular base portion with an annular surface having a fixed outer diameter, the annular surface of the annular base portion of the pawl-retracting member being frictionally engaged with the internal circumferential surface of the outer tubular member to rotate with the outer tubular member between a pawl-retracting position in which the pawl-retracting member maintains the clutch pawl in the disengagement position and a pawl-releasing position in which the pawl-retracting member releases the clutch pawl to move to the engagement position.