Granted Patent B2

US 12,227,262 · App. 16/706,042 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Inventor: Evan Michael Choltco-Devlin (North Vancouver, CA)

Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.

B62M11/06B62M9/06B62M1/36B62M6/40B62M2009/005B62M2009/007

Abstract

Claims (86)

1. A mid-sprocket assembly comprising:

an input shaft to receive an input force,

the input shaft having a plurality of input shaft gears coupled therewith; and

a countershaft having a plurality of countershaft gears coupled therewith,

at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears selectively and axially engaged to receive the input force from at least one of the plurality of input shaft gears and provide an output force to a drive wheel of a vehicle;

a shifting mechanism, the shifting mechanism comprising:

a shifting shaft within the mid-sprocket assembly, the shifting shaft coupleable with at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears on the countershaft, said shifting shaft further comprising:

a plurality of shift rings coupled therewith, the plurality of shift rings interspersed within said plurality of countershaft gears, the plurality of shift rings having varying spaces and space angles, each of the plurality of shift rings comprising:

a shift ring cam pin hole,

the shift ring cam pin hole to receive a cam pin, the cam pin to couple at least one of the plurality of shift rings with the input shaft via an input shaft cam pin hole on said input shaft; and

a shifter located away from said mid-sprocket assembly, the shifter communicatively coupled with the shifting shaft, a manipulation of the shifter causes the shifting shaft to select one of said at least one of said plurality of countershaft gears to engage with said at least one of the plurality of input shaft gears wherein each of said plurality of shift rings has a pawl geometry which is configured such that, when one of said plurality of shift rings is under load, said one of said plurality of shift rings will have a natural resting state of disengagement in order to facilitate shifting when under load.

2. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drive wheel of the vehicle is a rear wheel of the vehicle.

3. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an output shaft to receive the output force from at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears;

a chainring coupled with the output shaft; and

a chain rotatably coupled with the chainring,

the chain to transfer the output force from the chainring to the drive wheel of the vehicle.

4. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an output shaft to receive the output force from at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears;

a belt cog coupled with the output shaft; and

a belt rotatably coupled with the belt cog,

the belt to transfer the output force from the belt cog to the drive wheel of the vehicle.

5. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

each of the plurality of countershaft gears having a countershaft pawl interface on one side thereof; and

each of the plurality of shift rings further comprising:

a shift pawl interface on at least one side thereof,

said shift pawl interface of at least one of said plurality of shift rings engages with said countershaft pawl interface of one countershaft gear to engage said countershaft with said input shaft.

6. A method of transmitting a force received from a drive component to a drive wheel of a vehicle via a mid-sprocket assembly, the method comprising:

receiving an input force from a drive component to at least one input shaft gear of an input shaft,

the input shaft having a plurality of input shaft gears coupled therewith;

transferring the input force from the input shaft to at least one countershaft gear of a countershaft,

the countershaft having a plurality of countershaft gears coupled therewith;

generating an output force from the countershaft, the output force generated from the input force transferred from the input shaft;

providing a shifting shaft within the mid-sprocket assembly; and

communicatively coupling a shifter with the shifting shaft, the shifter located away from said mid-sprocket assembly; and

manipulating the shifter causes the shifting shaft to engage with said input shaft and said countershaft;

providing an input shaft cam pin hole on said input shaft;

providing a countershaft pawl interface on one side of each of the plurality of countershaft gears; and

coupling a plurality of shift rings with the shifting shaft, the plurality of shift rings interspersed within said plurality of countershaft gears, the plurality of shift rings having varying spaces and space angles,

each of the plurality of shift rings comprising:

a shift ring cam pin hole,

utilizing a cam pin to couple at least one of the plurality of shift rings with said input shaft;

each of the plurality of shift rings further comprising:

a shift pawl interface on at least one side thereof; and

utilizing said shift pawl interface to engage with said countershaft pawl interface thereby coupling at least one of the plurality of shift rings with at least one of said plurality of countershaft gears; and

providing the output force to a drive wheel of a vehicle, wherein each of said plurality of shift rings has a pawl geometry which is configured such that, when one of said plurality of shift rings is under load, said one of said plurality of shift rings will have a natural resting state of disengagement in order to facilitate shifting when under load.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein transferring the input force further comprises:

selectively and axially engaging at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears with at least one of the plurality of input shaft gears; and

transferring the input force to one of the plurality of countershaft gears from one of the plurality of input shaft gears.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the drive wheel of the vehicle is a rear wheel of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising

providing the output force from the countershaft to an output shaft;

coupling a chainring with the output shaft;

providing a chain to couple the chainring with the drive wheel; and

utilizing the chain to transfer the output force from the chainring to the drive wheel of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising

providing the output force from the countershaft to an output shaft;

coupling a belt cog with the output shaft;

providing a belt to couple the belt cog with the drive wheel; and

utilizing the belt to transfer the output force from the belt cog to the drive wheel of the vehicle.

11. A mid-sprocket assembly comprising:

an input shaft to receive an input force,

the input shaft having a plurality of input shaft gears coupled therewith; and

a countershaft having a plurality of countershaft gears coupled therewith,

at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears selectively and axially engaged to receive the input force from at least one of the plurality of input shaft gears and provide an output force;

an output shaft to receive the output force from at least one of the plurality of countershaft gears, and transfer the output force to a drive wheel of a vehicle;

a shifting shaft within the mid-sprocket assembly;

a shifter located away from said mid-sprocket assembly, the shifter communicatively coupled with the shifting shaft,

a manipulation of the shifter causes the shifting shaft to engage with one of said plurality of countershaft gears;

wherein said shifting shaft further comprises:

a plurality of shift rings coupled therewith, the plurality of shift rings interspersed within said plurality of countershaft gears, the plurality of shift rings having varying spaces and space angles,

each of the plurality of shift rings comprising:

a shift ring cam pin hole, the shift ring cam pin hole to receive a cam pin, the cam pin to couple at least one of the plurality of shift rings with the input shaft via an input shaft cam pin hole on said input shaft, wherein each of said plurality of shift rings has a pawl geometry which is configured such that, when one of said plurality of shift rings is under load, said one of said plurality of shift rings will have a natural resting state of disengagement in order to facilitate shifting when under load.

12. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:

a chainring coupled with the output shaft; and

a chain rotatably coupled with the chainring,

the chain to transfer the output force from the chainring to the drive wheel of the vehicle.

13. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:

a belt cog coupled with the output shaft; and

a belt rotatably coupled with the belt cog,

the belt to transfer the output force from the belt cog to the drive wheel of the vehicle.

14. The mid-sprocket assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:

each of the plurality of countershaft gears having a countershaft pawl interface on one side thereof; and

each of the plurality of shift rings further comprising:

a shift pawl interface on at least one side thereof,

said shift pawl interface of at least one of said plurality of shift rings engages with said countershaft pawl interface of one countershaft gear to engage said countershaft with said input shaft.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (288)