Rear wheel axle, as well as bicycle frame and rear wheel for a bicycle

Abstract

A bicycle includes a transmission having two switchable drives between a driver body on which rear sprockets are positioned and a wheel hub of a rear wheel. The bicycle has actuation elements for switching between drives and operating elements for operating the actuation elements. The bicycle includes only a single front sprocket. The actuation elements are embodied in an electrical version and the operating elements are electrically coupled to the actuation elements. By advantageously selecting the drives of the driver between the cassette housing and wheel hub, a front derailleur may be omitted. The driver allows operation with only little energy, since the chain need not be shifted. consequently, the actuation elements require little energy for changing the drive between the crank axle and the wheel hub of the bicycle, so that it is pre-eminently suitable for these actuation elements and their operation to be executed as an electrical version.

1 . A bicycle, comprising:
 a frame with each of a front fork, a rear fork, and an axle housing;   a front wheel and a rear wheel fitted respectively to the front and rear forks;   a drive axle bearing-mounted in the axle housing,   a front sprocket; and   a rear axle assembly, including:
 a wheel hub, 
 a rear sprocket for driving a driver body in rotation, 
 the driver body being connected to the wheel hub via a transmission, for driving the wheel hub in rotation, 
 the transmission including at least two drives between the driver body and the wheel hub, said transmission provided with an electric actuator of the transmission for switching between the at least two drives, the wheel hub and the transmission being positioned on a wheel axle of the rear wheel, and 
 a generator or current generating means configured to convert motion energy to electric current, and connected to the electric actuator to provide electric energy for the switching, 
 both the electric actuator and the generator or current generating means being housed within the hub shell and/or the driver body; and 
   a chain threaded around the front and rear sprockets.   
     
     
         2 . The bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein a storage element for storing electrical energy is connected to the wheel axle. 
     
     
         3 . The bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein seen in axial direction of the wheel axle, the transmission is positioned outside rear wheel spoke flanges. 
     
     
         4 . The bicycle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating means configured for operating the electric actuator.   
     
     
         5 . The bicycle of  claim 4 , wherein the operating means include operating buttons and/or operating levers. 
     
     
         6 . The bicycle of  claim 4 , wherein the operating means are wirelessly coupled to the actuation means. 
     
     
         7 . The bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel axle comprises two separate axle parts,
 where the wheel hub is positioned on a first one of the two axle parts and the transmission is positioned on a second one of the two axle parts, and   where an axle shaft is inserted only through the first axle part and the second axle part, and is connected to the rear fork.   
     
     
         8 . The bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the bicycle comprises only a single front sprocket. 
     
     
         9 . The bicycle of  claim 1 , wherein the rear axle assembly comprises a plurality of rear sprockets. 
     
     
         10 . The bicycle of  claim 4 , wherein the bicycle further comprises an electrically actuated rear derailleur, and the operating means are further electrically coupled to further actuation means of the rear derailleur. 
     
     
         11 . The bicycle of  claim 4 , wherein the operating means comprise an operating button which is fitted to the handlebars of the bicycle, and also comprise a display or indicator that shows the gear selected by the transmission. 
     
     
         12 . A rear axle assembly, including:
 a wheel hub;   a rear sprocket for driving a driver body in rotation;   the driver body being connected to the wheel hub via a transmission, for driving the wheel hub in rotation;   the transmission including at least two drives between the driver body and the wheel hub, said transmission provided with an electric actuator of the transmission for switching between the at least two drives, the wheel hub and the transmission being positioned on a wheel axle of the rear wheel; and   a generator or current generating means configured to convert motion energy to electric current, and connected to the electric actuator to provide electric energy for the switching,   wherein both the electric actuator and the generator or current generating means are housed within the hub shell and/or the driver body.   
     
     
         13 . The rear axle assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a storage element for storing electrical energy within the hub shell and/or the driver body. 
     
     
         14 . The rear axle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein seen in axial direction of the wheel axle, the transmission is positioned outside rear wheel spoke flanges. 
     
     
         15 . The rear axle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the wheel axle comprises two separate axle parts, where the wheel hub is positioned on a first one of the two axle parts and the transmission is positioned on a second one of the two axle parts, 
     
     
         16 . The rear axle assembly of  claim 15 , wherein an axle shaft is inserted only through the first axle part and the second axle part, and is configured to be connected to a rear fork of a bicycle. 
     
     
         17 . The rear axle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the rear axle assembly comprises a plurality of rear sprockets.