Patent ID: 7946659

Claim:
A thru-axle system for installing a wheel on a hub disposed between a pair of dropouts of a frame or fork, comprising: an axle ( 10 ) having an axle portion ( 11 ) for extending between dropouts and for supporting a wheel on a hub ( 60 ), said axle portion ( 11 ) comprising first and second opposite ends; the first end of the axle portion ( 11 ) having a longitudinal centerline ( 3 ) and at least one radially protruding shoulder ( 12 ) for transmitting a force acting parallel to the direction of the longitudinal centerline ( 3 ); the second end of the axle portion ( 11 ) having a thread ( 16 ) for engaging a threaded sleeve ( 5 ) to secure the second end to one of the dropouts; at least one bushing ( 20 ) disposed between the radially protruding shoulder of the first end of the axle portion and the other dropout, the bushing having a central bore with first and second inner diameters, the first inner diameter large enough to admit the radially protruding shoulder of the first end of the axle and the second diameter large enough to admit the axle portion of the axle, a junction of said first and second diameters providing an annular wall ( 23 ) for engaging the radial shoulder of the axle; the bushing ( 20 ) further comprising an external conically shaped tapered surface ( 22 ) facing the other dropout for transmitting an axial force acting on the radial shoulder of the axle to the bushing and from the bushing to the first dropout.