Electric generator for bicycles

• US 5,895,991 A
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sram Deutschland GmbH (SRAM International Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sram Deutschland GmbH (SRAM International Corp.)
• Inventors: Butz, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US09/080,029
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 310/75 C, 310/67 A, 362/193
• US Class Current: 310/75.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/10 Gear drives B62J6/12 takes precedence

Abstract

An electric generator assembly for supplying power to electrical devices on a bicycle. The electrical generator assembly includes a gearwheel fixedly secured and rotatively coupled to a bicycle wheel proximate a hub axis of the bicycle wheel, a rotor housing, an annular stator disposed within the rotor housing, and a rotor disposed concentrically within the annular stator. The electric generator assembly further includes an arm extending from the rotor housing and configured for detachable attachment with a portion of the bicycle frame proximate the hub axis of the bicycle wheel. The rotor is driven by a rotor-driving gear disposed outside the rotor housing. The rotor-driving gear is configured to mesh with an output gear of a gear train for transmitting power from the bicycle wheel. An input pinion, configured to mesh with the gearwheel, is rotatively coupled to the input gear of the gear train. A gearbox, dimensioned to house at least the gear train and the rotor-driving gear, includes a pivot bearing for hingedly connecting the gearbox to the rotor housing, so that the input pinion can be selectively engaged with the gearwheel mounted to the bicycle wheel by selectively pivoting the gearbox relative to the rotor housing.

Claims

1. An electric generator assembly for supplying power to electrical devices on a bicycle, the bicycle having a frame and a wheel, the wheel having a hub axis, the generator assembly comprising:

a gearwheel fixedly securable to the bicycle wheel along the hub axis of the bicycle wheel;

a rotor disposed at a distance from the hub axis of the bicycle wheel;

gear means for transmitting power between the rotor and the wheel so that the rotor is rotatable at a speed faster than that of the wheel, the gear means including an input pinion configured to mesh with the gearwheel; and

a gearbox for housing the gear means, the gearbox including means for pivotably connecting the gearbox to the rotor such that the input pinion is selectively engaged with and disengaged from the gearwheel by pivoting the gearbox relative to the rotor.

2. The electric generator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a rotor housing for housing the rotor, the rotor housing configured for detachable attachment to the bicycle frame along the hub axis of the wheel.

3. The electric generator assembly of claim 2, further comprising a cam rotatably mounted to one of the gearbox and the rotor housing, and a reset spring mounted between the gearbox and the rotor housing for resiliently urging the input pinion toward the gearwheel, wherein the cam has a disengagement position in which the gearwheel and the input pinion are disengaged from each other through rotation of the cam in a direction which causes the gearbox to pivot against a resilient force of the reset spring.

4. The electric generator assembly of claim 3, wherein the cam has an engagement position in which the reset spring is permitted to resiliently urge the input pinion to engage with the gearwheel through rotation of the cam.

5. The electric generator assembly of claim 2, wherein the gearbox has a pivoting area and the means for pivotably connecting the rotor to the gearbox comprises a pivot bearing which includes a bayonet closure and a bayonet profile, the bayonet profile having a mounting position, located outside the pivoting area of the gearbox, for interlockable engagement with the bayonet closure.

6. The electric generator assembly of claim 2, further comprising an arm extending from the rotor housing for attachment to the bicycle frame along the hub axis of the wheel.

7. The electric generator assembly of claim 6, further comprising axial nuts, wherein the arm is configured to be clamped between a fork of the frame and a hub of the bicycle wheel by the axial nuts.

8. The electric generator assembly of claim 6, wherein the gearbox and the rotor housing are made of a plastic material.

9. The electric generator assembly of claim 6, wherein the arm includes an attachment bracket at a clamping point proximate the hub axis, the attachment bracket being made of an electrically conductive material.

10. The electric generator assembly of claim 3, further comprising a switch connected to the cam for manual rotation of the cam.

11. The electric generator assembly of claim 3, further comprising a remote control cable connected to the cam so that the cam can be rotated remotely.