Bicycle disc brake hub

Abstract

A bicycle disc brake hub is basically provided with a hub axle and a hub shell rotatably disposed about the hub axle. The hub shell has a pair of flanges with a tubular portion extending between the flanges, and a rotor attachment portion configured to prevent an inside diameter of a disc brake rotor from increasing when the diameter of the hub axle increases. The rotor attachment portion is provided in the vicinity of a first shell end of the hub shell, and has a smaller outside diameter than the outside diameter of the tubular portion. A rotor of a disc brake device is attached to the rotor attachment portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bicycle equipped with bicycle disc brake hubs in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a front hub in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the left side of the front hub illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the right side of the front hub illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the front hub illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 showing a rotor being attached to the front hub;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the attachment tool used for attaching rotor to the front hub as illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a front hub in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a front hub in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view the front hub in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a front hub in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a front hub in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a front hub in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bicycle disc brake hub comprising: a hub axle including a first axle end and a second axle end with and a center axis extending between the first and second axle ends;a hub shell including a tubular portion rotatably disposed on the hub axle, a first shell end with a first flange disposed at a first tubular end of the tubular portion, and a second shell end with a second flange disposed at a second tubular end of the tubular portion; anda rotor attachment portion disposed at the first shell end, the rotor attachment portion having a maximum outside diameter that is less than a maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

2. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 1, wherein the first shell end is rotatably supported on the first axle end by a first bearing,the second shell end is rotatably supported on the second axle end by a second bearing, andthe hub shell has an internal passage with the hub axle, the first bearing and the second bearing disposed therein, with the internal passage being configured and dimensioned such that the first and second bearings are installed into the internal passage of the hub shell from the second shell end of the hub shell.

3. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 2, wherein the hub shell further includes a spacer disposed in the internal passage between the first and second bearings to maintain separation between the first and second bearings.

4. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 3, wherein the internal passage of the hub shell includes an inner peripheral surface with first bearing engagement surface engaging the first bearing and a second bearing engagement surface engaging the second bearing, with the second bearing engagement surface having a greater inside diameter than the first bearing engagement surface.

5. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 4, wherein the second bearing has a greater outside diameter than the first bearing.

6. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 4, wherein the hub shell further includes an intermediate member disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the second bearing and the second bearing engagement surface of the hub shell, and the first and second bearings have outside diameters that are equal.

7. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate member is formed integrally with the spacer.

8. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 1, wherein the rotor attachment portion includes that has a plurality of protuberances circumferential spaced apart to define splines with a bottom diameter that is less than the maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

9. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 1, wherein the rotor attachment portion comprises a rotor attachment flange portion with a plurality of circumferential spaced apart bolt threading portions, and a rotor centering portion located on a side of the rotor attachment flange portion that is opposite to the first flange, the rotor centering portion having a smaller outside diameter than the maximum outside diameter the tubular portion.

10. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 2, wherein the rotor attachment portion includes that has a plurality of protuberances circumferential spaced apart to define splines with a bottom diameter that is less than the maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

11. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 2, wherein the rotor attachment portion comprises a rotor attachment flange portion with a plurality of circumferential spaced apart bolt threading portions, and a rotor centering portion located on a side of the rotor attachment flange portion that is opposite to the first flange, the rotor centering portion having a smaller outside diameter than the maximum outside diameter the tubular portion.

12. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 3, wherein the rotor attachment portion includes that has a plurality of protuberances circumferential spaced apart to define splines with a bottom diameter that is less than the maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

13. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 3, wherein the rotor attachment portion comprises a rotor attachment flange portion with a plurality of circumferential spaced apart bolt threading portions, and a rotor centering portion located on a side of the rotor attachment flange portion that is opposite to the first flange, the rotor centering portion having a smaller outside diameter than the maximum outside diameter the tubular portion.

14. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 4, wherein the rotor attachment portion includes that has a plurality of protuberances circumferential spaced apart to define splines with a bottom diameter that is less than the maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

15. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 4, wherein the rotor attachment portion comprises a rotor attachment flange portion with a plurality of circumferential spaced apart bolt threading portions, and a rotor centering portion located on a side of the rotor attachment flange portion that is opposite to the first flange, the rotor centering portion having a smaller outside diameter than the maximum outside diameter the tubular portion.

16. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 5, wherein the rotor attachment portion includes that has a plurality of protuberances circumferential spaced apart to define splines with a bottom diameter that is less than the maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

17. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 5, wherein the rotor attachment portion comprises a rotor attachment flange portion with a plurality of circumferential spaced apart bolt threading portions, and a rotor centering portion located on a side of the rotor attachment flange portion that is opposite to the first flange, the rotor centering portion having a smaller outside diameter than the maximum outside diameter the tubular portion.

18. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 6, wherein the rotor attachment portion includes that has a plurality of protuberances circumferential spaced apart to define splines with a bottom diameter that is less than the maximum outside diameter of the tubular portion.

19. The bicycle disc brake hub according to claim 6, wherein the rotor attachment portion comprises a rotor attachment flange portion with a plurality of circumferential spaced apart bolt threading portions, and a rotor centering portion located on a side of the rotor attachment flange portion that is opposite to the first flange, the rotor centering portion having a smaller outside diameter than the maximum outside diameter the tubular portion.