Today’s Patent – Suspension Enhancing Hub and Rear Derailleur Assembly

The said invention (US12292090B2) was invented by Evan Michael Choltco-Devlin, Mark Stephen Fitzsimmons, Wesley E. Allinger and patented by USPTO on July 17^th, 2024. Currently, it stands assigned to the Fox Factory Inc.

This invention relates to an electronic automatically decoupling hub assembly designed for vehicles, such as bicycles. The system includes an axle, a hub shell, and a cassette body assembly with teeth, all arranged around a bearing.

An inductor with one or more pawls selectively engages or disengages the cassette body’s teeth to switch between a force transfer state (engaged) and a freewheel state (disengaged). A controller manages the engagement by sending activation or deactivation signals to the inductor, either automatically based on sensor input (e.g., from an accelerometer or camera) or manually by the user. A seal retains the pawls, and an end cap prevents contaminants from entering the assembly.

The assembly enables seamless automatic or user-controlled gear engagement for efficient power transfer and coasting. The cassette body is coupled with a ratchet ring, and the system can operate with multiple pawls and teeth for enhanced performance. The modular structure allows positioning components on either the drive or non-drive side of the hub, offering adaptability for various applications while maintaining clean, sealed operation.