Gear-Change Device for a Multi-Ratio Gear-Change Hub for Bicycles or the Like

The invention relates to a gear-change device for a multi-ratio gear-change hub for bicycles or the like.

It has been known to actuate multi-ratio gearchange hubs of bicycles by means of a gear-change device which comprises a stepping device (Fed. German Patent Specification No. 1,033,063). This gear-change device fulfils all operational requirements and is likewise secure in operation, but comprises a relatively large number of components. Although these in fact are made as sheet metal parts, nevertheless the expense as a whole for such a gear-change device is not without significance. The invention is directed toward reducing at least the constructional expense for a gear-change device for a multi-ratio hub without reducing the number of the changeable gear ratios.

The gear-change device according to the invention controls the gears of the multi-ratio drive hub through a gear-change cable consisting of a cable sheath and a draw cable movable in the cable sheath. The drive hub comprises a return spring which exerts a return force upon the draw cable. The gear-change device comprises a basic body and a gear-change lever mounted pivotably on the basic body. The gear-change lever is provided at a distance from its pivot axis with a securing element for the draw cable. A detent lever is mounted pivotably on the basic body axially parallel with the gear-change lever with spacing from the cable sheath and the pivot axis of the gear-change lever.

The gear-change lever is detainable in several pivotable positions by means of a ratchet device with mutually complementary detent elements on the gear-change lever and the detent lever. The improvement according to the invention is characterized in that the detent lever reaches to the cable sheath and comprises a support element for supporting the cable sheath movably in relation to the basic body.

The invention provides a gear-change device which has only very few parts and can be produced at favorable price, and also renders it possible to increase the number of gear ratios to be controlled.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The FIGURE shows, in slightly diagrammatic form, a plan view of a gear-change device according to the invention for multi-ratio gear-change hubs of a bicycle or the like. The gear-change device is shown in gear position 4, and further gear settings of the gear-change lever are shown in chain lines.

In the FIGURE, 1 designates a housing part with which there is associated a lid part (not shown here). A journal 1a serving for the pivotable mounting of a gear-change lever 2 is provided standing perpendicularly of the plane of a housing part 1. A further journal 1c, equipped for the pivotable mounting of a ratchet pawl 3, is provided with its axis parallel to that of the journal 1a. The above-mentioned components, namely the housing part 1, the gear-change lever 2 and the ratchet pawl 3, are preferably manufactured as synthetic plastics injection molding, and the bearing journals 1a and 1c and a stop 1d, to be described later, are formed integrally onto the housing part 1.

The gear-change lever 2 comprises a hub-like middle part 2a of approximately circular disc form which is formed as winding body for a gear-change cable, and for this purpose is provided with a cable groove 2b extending around a portion of its circumference. In the middle part 2a there is provided an arcuate slot 2d in which there is received a perpendicularly standing journal 1b secured in the housing part 1a and serving to limit the range of pivoting of the gear-change lever 2.

Furtheremore, the middle part 2a of the gear-change lever 2 is equipped to receive a cable nipple 6 on the end of a gear-change draw cable 5 which loops around the middle part 2a of the gear-change lever in the cable groove 2b.

The gear-change draw cable 5 itself is guided over its free length in a cable sheath 4 the end of which is supported on the ratchet pawl 3, which is provided for this purpose with a support face 3a. As the FIGURE shows, the ratchet pawl 3 is provided in its upper region with a slot 3b for the reception of the gear-change draw cable 5, which enters the cable groove 2b approximately tangentially.

The middle part 2a of the gear-change lever 2 has detents 2c on the circumference, facing the ratchet pawl 3. The detents 2c are made somewhat in the form of curved teeth, each with a short steep flank in the pulling direction of the gear-change draw cable 5 and an arcuate long transition surface with decreasing radius to the next steep flank.

The ratchet pawl 3 lies with a detent nose 3c opposite to these detents 2c and engages under the return force of the sheath 4 of the change-speed draw cable 5 to engage in one of the detents 2c. As may clearly be seen from the FIGURE, on the ratchet pawl 3 there is provided, preferably in one piece, a spring tongue 3d which, on radial deflection of the pawl as a result of shifting of the gear-change lever 2, rests resiliently against a fixed stop rib 1d on the housing part 1. On inward bending of the spring tongue 3d as a result of abutment on the journal 1d and simultaneous further movement of one of the detents 2c beneath the detent nose 3c, the end of the spring tongue 3d abuts against the pawl. The spring tongue 3d is expediently bent over at its free end, for example in the form of a rolled-in end 3e. This spring tongue end can also be angled. In every case the special configuration of the free end of the spring tongue 3d serves to limit the inward deflection of the spring tongue 3d in an outward pivoting of the ratchet pawl 3.

The already-mentioned lid part (not shown here) of the gear-change base or housing part 1 can be screwed to the latter, snapped on or even welded. The lid part expediently also consists of an injection-moldable synthetic plastics material. The housing part 1 is fittable by means of a clip (not illustrated here) within reach of the bicycle user, preferably on the handle bar.

As already mentioned, the gear-change device is of very simple construction and has only two movable parts. The return force of the gear-change draw cable sheath is used to press the ratchet pawl 3 against the detents 2c. Thus the detent force is always adapted to the applied gear-change draw cable tension.

If the gear-change draw cable 5 is blocked, for example by force-effected locking of the gear elements in the gear-change hub, until the force-effected locking is released the ratchet pawl 3 is not resiliently stressed against the detents 2c. In the changing of the gears by manual disengagement and overstepping of a detent 2c the gear-change lever 2 can easily jump over one or even more detents 2c. This inconvenience is prevented by the spring tongue 3d with special formation of the tongue end 3e, provided on the ratchet pawl 3. In overstepping of the ratchet pawl 3 the middle part of the spring tongue 3d abuts on the rib or stop 1d and the end part 3e rests on the body of the ratched pawl 3. When the radially highest point of each detent 2c moves past the detent nose 3c of the ratchet pawl 3, the spring tongue 3d abutting with the nose 3e is additionally flexed. The pressure point generated in this way prevents unintentional over-stepping of several gear-change detents 2c.

The above-mentioned form of each gear-change detent 2c ensures that after the pressure point of the spring tongue 3d is overcome the tongue relaxes again and the gear-change lever 2 cannot remain with its gear-change detent 2c in the pressure point as explained above. The entire pivot range of the gear-change lever 2 is determined by the arcuate slot 2d, surrounding the journal 1b, in the lever 2.

Regarding the above-described gear-change device, modified embodiments are possible; thus it is conceivable to form and arrange the ratchet pawl 3 not pivotably but displaceably. The gear-change detents 2c provided on the gear-change lever 2 can have concave, convex or spherical form. The detent effect can also be obtained by means of a detent ball or roll.

Finally a reversal of the system is also possible in a manner in which the gear-change detents are now provided on the radially pivotable ratchet pawl, while the detent nose is fitted on the middle part or hub of the gear-change lever.

It is possible to make the gear-change detents similar to one another, as shown, but it is also possible to make them with different steepnesses from one another in order to permit the detent effect or the further stepping movement to proceed with different forces.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.