TWI875504B - Chain guide of bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

A chain guide of a bicycle includes an arm, a first wheel, and a second wheel. The first wheel is pivoted on the arm. The second wheel has a gear ring, a flexible member, and an axle. The gear ring has a hole at a center thereof and teeth at a circumference thereof. The flexible member is made of a flexible material, having an axial hole at a center thereof. The flexible member is fixed in the hole of the gear ring. The axle is inserted into the axial hole of the flexible member to pivot the second wheel on the arm. The second wheel is moved by a chain, and the flexible member is deformed when the chain is being switched between gear discs, and the second wheel is returned by a recovering force of the flexible member when the chain has completed the switching procedure.

Description

Bicycle chain guide

The present invention relates to bicycles, and in particular to a bicycle chain guide.

Generally, the speed changer of a bicycle is operated by the rider to make the chain shift between gears of different sizes, while the chain guide is installed on the rear derailleur. After the chain is shifted to gears of different sizes, the relative angle between the chain guide and the rear derailleur is changed to adjust the chain tension, so that the bicycle can still be transmitted smoothly after the gear shift.

However, the conventional method is of limited help in the smoothness of the chain switching. When the resistance of the chain is large when it is chained up and down, it will affect the smoothness of riding and even cause the failure of chaining up and down. In addition, when the chain is switched to a large-sized sprocket, the distance between a guide wheel of the chain guide and the large-sized sprocket is quite close, which will cause the chain surface of the chain to be skewed. The skewed chain surface can easily cause the failure of chaining up and down.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a bicycle chain guide that allows for a smoother gear shifting process.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned invention purpose, the present invention provides a bicycle guide chain device, which includes an arm; a first guide wheel, pivoted at one end of the arm; and a second guide wheel, pivoted at the other end of the arm; wherein the second guide wheel has a tooth ring, a flexible member and an axle; the tooth ring has a through hole in the center and a plurality of teeth on the outer periphery; the flexible member is made of a flexible material and has an axial hole in the center; the flexible member is fixed in the through hole of the tooth ring; the axle passes through the axial hole of the flexible member to pivot the second guide wheel on the arm.

Thus, a chain engaged with the teeth of the gear ring will act on the second guide wheel when shifting, causing the second guide wheel to move and causing the flexible member to deform; when the force of the chain is reduced, the flexible member will generate a restoring force to restore the second sprocket to its initial state.

In one embodiment, the side wall of the perforation of the gear ring has two flanges, and the outer periphery of the flexible member has a protrusion, which is located between the two flanges.

In one embodiment, the flexible member has a notch and at least one elastic rib, the at least one elastic rib is disposed in the notch, and its two ends are respectively connected to the side walls of the notch.

In one embodiment, the at least one elastic rib has a bent portion.

In one embodiment, a groove is provided on one side of the second guide wheel, and a wheel cover is accommodated in the groove, and the wheel axle passes through the wheel cover.

In one embodiment, the groove is larger than the wheel cover so that the wheel cover can move in the groove.

In one embodiment, the bottom of the groove has the flexible member.

In one embodiment, the second guide wheel further has two wheel covers, located on two sides of the second guide wheel, covering the flexible member.

In one embodiment, the diameter of the axle hole of the flexible member is larger than the diameter of the axle.

In one embodiment, a rolling member is further provided between the axial hole of the flexible member and the axle.

In one embodiment, a limiting groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rolling member, and a limiting protrusion is provided on the side wall of the shaft hole of the flexible member. When the rolling member is installed in the shaft hole, the limiting protrusion is accommodated in the limiting groove.

The bicycle chain guide provided by the present invention, through the action of the flexible member, allows the second guide wheel to produce a displacement at the moment of gear shifting, making the gear shifting process smoother and reducing the occurrence of chain disengagement and tooth slippage.

The following is a list of preferred embodiments based on the purpose, efficacy and structural configuration disclosed by the present invention, and is described in detail with accompanying drawings.

10: Arm

12: First guide wheel

14: Second guide wheel

16: First arm part

18: Second arm piece

20: Rings

22: Flexible parts

24:Piercing

26: Teeth

28: Open mouth

30: flange

32: Axle hole

34: Bump

36: Missing slot

38: Elastic ribs

40: Groove

42: Wheel cover

44:Through hole

46: Axle

48: Rolling parts

50: Limiting slot

52: Limiting bump

54:Chain

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of the second guide wheel of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a disassembled view of the second guide wheel of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a disassembled view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the second guide wheel, axle and wheel cover.

Figure 5 is a partial front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the movement of the second guide wheel during gear shifting.

Please refer to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a guide chain of a bicycle, which is connected to a rear derailleur (not shown), and includes an arm 10, a first guide wheel 12, and a second guide wheel 14. The arm 10 has a first arm member 16 and a second arm member 18. The first arm member 16 is an elongated plate for connecting to the rear derailleur. The second arm member 18 is generally parallel and side by side, connected to the first arm member 16, and is a predetermined distance away from the first arm member 16. The first guide wheel 12 and the second guide wheel 14 are located between the first arm member 16 and the second arm member 18, and are pivotally arranged on the first arm member 16 and the second arm member 18. The aforementioned arm 10 and the first guide wheel 12 are commonly used components, and their detailed structures are not described here.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the second guide wheel 14 has a tooth ring 20 and a flexible member 22. The tooth ring 20 has a through hole 24 in the center and a plurality of teeth 26 on the outer periphery. In addition, three openings 28 are provided below the teeth 26. Two flanges 30 are provided on the side wall of the through hole 24. The two flanges 30 are annular and are spaced a predetermined distance apart. The flexible member 22 is made of a flexible material and is a circular block. The flexible member 22 has an axial hole 32 in the center and an annular protrusion 34 on the outer periphery. A notch 36 is provided between the shaft hole 32 and the outer periphery, and a plurality of elastic ribs 38 are provided in the notch 36, and the two ends thereof are respectively connected to the opposite side walls of the notch 36. Each elastic rib 38 has a bent portion, so that the elastic ribs 38 are elastic. The flexible member 22 is provided in the through hole 24 of the gear ring 20, so that the protrusion 34 of the flexible member 22 is located between the two protrusions 30 of the gear ring 20, so that the flexible member 22 cannot be separated from the gear ring 20.

Please refer to FIG. 4. Since the thickness of the flexible member 22 is less than the depth of the through hole 24 of the gear ring 20, a circular groove 40 is formed on both sides of the second guide wheel 14, and the bottom of the two grooves 40 has the flexible member 22. A wheel cover 42 is respectively provided in the two grooves 40 to cover the flexible member 22. The two wheel covers 42 are circular plates with a through hole 44 in the center. The diameter of the two wheel covers 42 is smaller than the two grooves 40 and the diameter of the through hole 44 is smaller than the axial hole 32 of the flexible member 22, so that the wheel covers 42 can move in the grooves 40. A wheel axle 46, one end of which is connected to the first arm 16, and the other end of which passes through the through hole 44 of the wheel cover 42, the shaft hole 32 of the flexible member 22 and the through hole 44 of another wheel cover 42 in sequence, and is connected to the second arm 18, so that the second guide wheel 14 is pivoted on the support arm 10 and can rotate relative to the wheel axle 46. It should be particularly noted here that the diameter of the shaft hole 32 of the flexible member 22 is larger than the diameter of the wheel axle 46.

In this embodiment, a rolling member 48 is provided between the axle 46 and the flexible member 22. The rolling member 48 is annular and has a limiting groove 50 on its outer circumference. A limiting protrusion 52 is provided on the side wall of the shaft hole 32 of the flexible member 22. The rolling member 48 is installed in the shaft hole 32 of the flexible member 22 so that the limiting protrusion 52 is accommodated in the limiting groove 50, so that the rolling member 48 cannot be separated from the flexible member 22. The axle 46 passes through the rolling member 48, so that the rotation of the second guide wheel 14 is smoother. In this embodiment, the rolling member 48 is a bearing.

Please refer to FIG. 5 . When shifting gears, the chain passing the first guide wheel 12 will change the angle of the arm 10 (not shown), thereby adjusting the tension of the chain. At the moment of shifting gears, the chain 54 will press against the second guide wheel 14 at the point where it engages with the teeth 26 of the tooth ring 20, causing the second guide wheel 14 to move to the left as shown. At this time, the tooth ring will press against the flexible member 22, causing it to deform. The deformation of the flexible member 22 has two components: one is the deformation caused by the flexibility of the flexible member 22 itself, and the other is the deformation of the elastic ribs 38. The movement of the second guide wheel 14 can make the chain 54 smoother during the gear shifting process, reducing the occurrence of chain disengagement and tooth slippage. When the chain 54 completes the gear shifting, the force exerted on the second guide wheel 14 by the chain 54 disappears, and the flexible member 22 will generate a restoring force to push the second guide wheel 14 back to the initial state and continue to operate.

It should be specially pointed out here that the flexible member can be set not only on the second guide wheel (the guide wheel close to the transmission). In practice, the first guide wheel (the guide wheel far from the transmission) can also be provided with the flexible member, or both guide wheels of the guide chain can be provided with the flexible member.

The above embodiments are only for illustrative purposes to illustrate the technology and its effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can modify and change the above embodiments without violating the technical principles and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be as described below in the scope of the patent application.

14: Second guide wheel

16: First arm part

18: Second arm piece

20: Rings

22: Flexible parts

24:Piercing

26: Teeth

28: Open mouth

30: flange

32: Axle hole

34: Bump

36: Missing slot

38: Elastic ribs

42: wheel cover

44:Through hole

46: Axle

48: Rolling parts

50: Limiting slot

52: Limiting bump

Claims (9)

A bicycle guide chain device includes: an arm; a first guide wheel pivotally arranged at one end of the arm; and a second guide wheel pivotally arranged at the other end of the arm; wherein the second guide wheel has a tooth ring, a flexible member and an axle; the tooth ring has a through hole in the center and a plurality of teeth on the outer periphery; the flexible member is made of a flexible material and has an axle hole in the center; the flexible member is fixed in the through hole of the tooth ring; the axle passes through the flexible member The second guide wheel is pivoted on the support arm through the shaft hole; thereby, a chain engaged with the teeth of the gear ring will act on the second guide wheel during gear shifting, causing the second guide wheel to move and causing the flexible member to deform; when the force of the chain disappears, the flexible member will generate a restoring force to restore the second sprocket to its initial state; wherein the flexible member has a notch and at least one elastic rib, the at least one elastic rib is arranged in the notch, and its two ends are respectively connected to the side walls of the notch. A bicycle chain guide as described in claim 1, wherein the side wall of the through hole of the tooth ring has two flanges, and the outer periphery of the flexible member has a protrusion, and the protrusion is located between the two flanges. A bicycle chain guide as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic rib has a bent portion. A bicycle guide chain as described in claim 1, wherein a groove is provided on one side of the second guide wheel, and a wheel cover is accommodated in the groove, and the wheel axle passes through the wheel cover. A bicycle chain guide as described in claim 4, wherein the groove is larger than the wheel cover so that the wheel cover can move in the groove. A bicycle chain guide as described in claim 4, wherein the bottom of the groove has the flexible member. A bicycle chain guide as described in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the axle hole of the flexible member is larger than the diameter of the axle. A bicycle chain guide as described in claim 1, wherein a rolling member is provided between the axle hole of the flexible member and the wheel axle. A bicycle guide chain as described in claim 8, wherein a limiting groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rolling member, and a limiting protrusion is provided on the side wall of the shaft hole of the flexible member, and when the rolling member is installed in the shaft hole, the limiting protrusion is accommodated in the limiting groove.

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