OK, so, technically this new Lauf Cycles rear hub design may have “1000’s” of factors of engagement per rotation, however which may as effectively be infinite. Also referred to as instantaneous.
Both approach, the impact is that the hub will have interaction so shortly that it’ll really feel fast, and it does this with a really intelligent staggered, probably “elastic” pawl design that additionally softens engagement and will be situated all through the hub’s total shell.
Oh, and it does all of this with out magnets or springs.
How Lauf’s hub design works
The fundamental premise makes use of built-in pawls (701) made on an internal ring, every primarily it’s personal spring with a toothed hook on the finish to interact with the tooth (105) on the drive ring (102).
Nonetheless, it may additionally place the pawls on the outer ring and put the drive ring on the internal floor:
The pawls are staggered to interact at totally different factors within the hubs rotation, successfully creating extra factors of engagement with fewer-but-larger tooth. That is what number of present hubs work, often having two or three pawls engaged at any cut-off date. For hubs that don’t want ultra-quick engagement, the pawls could possibly be wider (Fig. 5b).
For faster engagement, a second set of pawls could possibly be offset from the primary set (blue & orange picture on proper). Or…
…they may even use three units for even quicker engagement (Fig.12). Alternatively, they may use two or three rings in sync to extend energy as a result of, admittedly, these pawls must be fairly skinny to suit into a standard hub design. Assuming that’s what Lauf has in thoughts, let’s keep on that monitor for a second.
Stretchy, Wavy Pawls
One other tactic for bettering complete engagement and energy is to make use of a wavy form, permitting every pawl to “stretch” barely, simply sufficient such that one set engages first, then they stretch till the second set engages, then these stretch till a 3rd set engages.
The profit to that is that you’ve got extra engagement all the best way across the hub, decreasing lateral stresses between the cassette and freehub and hub shell.
And, assuming you apply an excessive amount of torque, that wavy design permits the pawl to breakaway earlier than it snaps. No, that may not be nice for you, however it might theoretically protect your hub. Nonetheless, check out Fig. 13 above for a second, after which scroll down…
Hundreds of Pawls, Full-Width Freehub Our bodies
What in the event you crammed all the hub shell with rows of pawls, offering a large quantity of contact space, every barely staggered but in addition capable of stretch to permit different rows of pawls to additionally have interaction?
Not solely would this create insanely quick engagement, however it might present insanely stable engagement, too. Lauf says this additionally gives a a lot larger tolerance for pawls and ratchets being out of sync, which they are saying usually are as a consequence of real-world manufacturing limitations.
And, as a result of it permits for a full-width freehub physique that’s primarily a second axle, it might make all the meeting much more strong, too. Figures 15-20 present a wide range of design choices the place a number of rows of pawls slot in numerous locations and permit for a greater variety of freehub-to-hub shell interfaces.
Lauf additionally says the “stretch” of every pawl permits your energy to return on steadily (nonetheless in a short time, thoughts you), which eliminates that loud KLUNK, notably on hubs with decrease engagement speeds. This will truly cut back put on and tear in your drivetrain, too.
Whereas Lauf is thought for his or her bikes and forks, they’re at all times tinkering. Their doubtless aim is to license this design slightly than develop into a hub model, too, however we’ve been stunned by them earlier than, so who is aware of?
