Bicycle Multi-Gear Cassette
A bicycle multi-gear cassette mountable to a wheel hub driver mechanism that includes truncated conical shell having a first opening proximate a small shell base and a second opening proximate a large shell base. The openings are coaxial with an axis of the shell. A plurality of toothed sprockets having different numbers of teeth are disposed on the shell and extend radially of the central axis. A torque load transmitting profile is configured on the shell proximate one of the small and large shell bases. A radial load transmitting profile is configured on the shell proximate one of the small and large shell bases. The shell, sprockets, and the load transmitting profiles embody a single piece. The torque load transmitting profile forms a featureless contact surface for frictional engagement with the hub driver mechanism.
1 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette mountable to a wheel hub, the cassette comprising:
a truncated conical shell having a first opening proximate a small shell base and a second opening proximate a large shell base, the openings coaxial with an axis of the shell;
a plurality of toothed sprockets having different numbers of teeth disposed on the shell and extending radially of the central axis;
a torque load transmitting profile configured on the shell proximate one of the small and large shell bases; and
a radial load transmitting profile configured on the shell proximate one of the small and large shell bases,
wherein the shell, sprockets, and the load transmitting profiles embody a single piece,
wherein the torque load transmitting profile forms a featureless contact surface for frictional engagement with the wheel hub.
2 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the radial load transmitting profile is configured on the shell proximate the large shell base, the cassette further comprising:
a cap member extending radially of the central axis coupled to the radial load transmitting profile proximate the large shell base,
the cap member including a third opening coaxial with the shell axis for receiving the wheel hub,
a second radial load transmitting profile configured at the third opening for transmitting radial load to the wheel hub,
the first opening proximate the small shell base configured for receiving the wheel hub,
a third radial load transmitting profile configured at the first opening for transmitting radial load to the wheel hub.
3 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 2 , wherein the torque load transmitting profile is configured on the shell proximate the large shell base, the cap member further comprising:
a second torque load transmitting profile configured at the third opening for transmitting torque load to the wheel hub.
4 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 2 , wherein the shell, sprockets, loading transmitting profiles and cap member embody a single piece.
5 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the truncated conical shell comprises:
a plurality of coaxial annular cylinders of variable diameter extending along an axis;
a plurality of coaxial annular discs of variable diameter extending radially of the axis; and
the cylinders and discs alternatingly arranged in a stepped sequence.
6 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 5 , wherein the torque load transmitting profile is configured on one of the discs and cylinders, and the radial load transmitting profile is configured on one of the discs and cylinders.
7 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 5 , wherein one of the plurality of annular cylinders has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a base of an adjoining sprocket and one of the plurality of annular discs has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the base of the adjoining sprocket.
8 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the truncated conical shell comprises a plurality of cone segments tapering relative to the shell axis.
9 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 8 , wherein a plurality of the cone segments form an angle greater than 45 degrees relative to the shell axis.
10 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 9 , wherein one of the plurality of cone segments has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a base of an adjoining sprocket.
11 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the shell has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a base of one of the plurality of sprockets.
12 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette mountable to a wheel hub, the cassette comprising:
truncated conical shell means having a first opening proximate a small shell base and a second opening proximate a large shell base, the openings coaxial with an axis of the shell means;
a plurality of toothed sprockets having different numbers of teeth disposed on the shell means and extending radially of the central axis;
torque load transmitting profile means configured on the shell means proximate one of the small and large shell bases; and
radial load transmitting profile means configured on the shell means proximate one of the small and large shell bases,
wherein the shell means, sprockets, and the load transmitting profile means embody a single piece,
wherein the torque transmitting profile means forms a featureless contact surface for frictional engagement with the wheel hub.
13 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 12 , wherein the radial load transmitting profile means is configured on the shell means proximate the larger shell base, the cassette further comprising:
cap member means extending radially of the central axis coupled to the radial load transmitting profile means proximate the large shell base,
the cap member means including a third opening coaxial with the shell axis for receiving the wheel hub,
second radial load transmitting profile means configured at the third opening for transmitting radial load to the wheel hub,
the first opening proximate the small shell base configured for receiving the wheel hub, and
third radial load transmitting profile means configured at the first opening for transmitting radial load to the wheel hub.
14 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 13 , wherein the torque transmitting profile means is configured on the shell means proximate the large shell base, the cap member further comprising:
second torque load transmitting profile means configured at the third opening for transmitting torque load to the wheel hub.
15 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 13 , wherein the shell means, sprockets, loading transmitting means and cap member means embody a single piece.
16 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the wheel hub includes a hub driver mechanism.
17 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 16 , wherein the radial load transmitting profile is configured on the shell proximate the large shell base, the cassette further comprising:
a cap member extending radially of the central axis coupled to the radial load transmitting profile proximate the large shell base,
the cap member including a third opening coaxial with the shell axis for receiving the hub driver mechanism,
a second radial load transmitting profile configured at the third opening for transmitting radial load to the hub driver mechanism,
the first opening proximate the small shell base configured for receiving the hub driver mechanism,
a third radial load transmitting profile configured at the first opening for transmitting radial load to the hub driver mechanism.
18 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 17 , wherein the torque load transmitting profile is configured on the shell proximate the large shell base, the cap member further comprising:
a second torque load transmitting profile configured at the third opening for transmitting torque load to the hub driver mechanism.
19 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 17 , wherein the shell, sprockets, loading transmitting profiles and cap member embody a single piece.
20 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 16 , wherein the truncated conical shell comprises:
a plurality of coaxial annular cylinders of variable diameter extending along an axis;
a plurality of coaxial annular discs of variable diameter extending radially of the axis; and
the cylinders and discs alternatingly arranged in a stepped sequence.
21 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 20 , wherein the torque load transmitting profile is configured on one of the discs and cylinders, and the radial load transmitting profile is configured on one of the discs and cylinders.
22 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 20 , wherein one of the plurality of annular cylinders has a thickness smaller than a thickness of a base of an adjoining sprocket and one of the plurality of annular discs has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the base of the adjoining sprocket.
23 . A bicycle multi-gear cassette according to claim 16 , wherein the truncated conical shell comprises a plurality of cone segments tapering relative to the shell axis.