Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080252037 | Mounting System For An Internal Bicycle Transmission - A bicycle transmission assembly that is mountable to a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle frame. The bicycle transmission assembly includes an input crank assembly, an output chainring, a planetary gear mechanism, a control system and a mounting system. The planetary gear mechanism is mounted coaxially about an axis of the bottom bracket shell and provides a plurality of transmission paths. The control system is operatively connected to the planetary gear mechanism for selecting one of the transmission paths. The mounting system mounts the planetary gear mechanism and the control system to the bottom bracket shell. The mounting system includes at least one attachment point disposed on at least one frame boss extending radially outwardly from the bottom bracket shell. The control system is mounted nonrotatably to the at least one attachment point. | 10-16-2008 |
20080254929 | Mounting System for an Internal Bicycle Transmission - A bicycle transmission assembly that is mountable to a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle frame. The bicycle transmission generally includes an input crank assembly, an output chainring, a planetary gear mechanism, a control system and a mounting system. The output chainring engages a bicycle drive chain that includes a plurality of chain links. The planetary gear mechanism includes a ring gear and provides a plurality of transmission paths. The planetary gear mechanism is mounted coaxially about the shell axis. The control system is operatively connected to the planetary gear mechanism for selecting one of the plurality of transmission paths. The mounting system mounts the planetary gear mechanism and the control system to the bottom bracket shell. At least one chain link overlaps the ring gear as viewed along the shell axis. The at least one chain link engages the output chainring. | 10-16-2008 |
20080300096 | Bicycle Transmission - A bicycle transmission assembly that is mountable to a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle frame. The bicycle transmission assembly includes an input crank assembly, an output chainring, a planetary gear mechanism, a control system and a mounting system. The input crank assembly is mounted to a rotatable crank axle mounted to the bottom bracket shell. The planetary gear mechanism is mounted to the bottom bracket shell and provides a plurality of transmission paths. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear, a ring gear and a locking element operatively connecting the sun gear and the ring gear. The control system is operatively connected to the planetary gear mechanism for selecting one of the transmission paths. | 12-04-2008 |
20090260476 | Pawl for a Planetary Gear Mechanism - A pawl for controlling the rotation of a gear in a planetary gear mechanism. The pawl includes a nose and first and second pivot axes. The nose is engageable with the gear. The pawl is rotatable about the first pivot axis between a first mode permitting rotation of the gear in a first direction and a second direction and a second mode preventing rotation of the gear in the first direction. The pawl is rotatable about the second pivot axis to permit rotation of the gear in the second direction while the pawl is the second mode. | 10-22-2009 |
20100083788 | Bicycle Control Device - A bicycle control device includes a lever for actuating a brake control mechanism and a shift control mechanism in a cable-release direction and a cable-pull direction. The lever is rotatable about a brake axis to actuate the brake control mechanism and rotatable about a shift axis to actuate the shift control mechanism in the cable-release direction and in the cable-pull direction. The bicycle control device is configured to not displace the shift control mechanism upon actuation of the brake control mechanism. | 04-08-2010 |
20100170731 | Drive System for Driving a Vehicle Wheel - A drive system driving a vehicle wheel at various speeds. The drive system generally includes a transmission assembly configured to drive the vehicle wheel in a forward direction and a motor rotatable in a first direction and a second direction and configured to drive the transmission assembly. The transmission assembly is configured to operate in a first operating mode when the motor is rotating in the first direction to provide at least one first wheel speed in the forward direction. The transmission assembly is configured to operate in a second operating mode when the motor is rotating in the second direction to provide at least one second wheel speed in the forward direction. | 07-08-2010 |
20120157250 | Bicycle Derailleur and Method - A front derailleur for use on devices such as bicycles is movable about a yaw axis while it moves laterally. The front derailleur may include a linkage in between a mount and a cage, with the linkage pivoting about two non-parallel axes. The front derailleur may include a linkage in between the mount and the cage that has links of different effective lengths. The front derailleur may include a single link and a cam. | 06-21-2012 |
20120160625 | Hydraulic Brake Lever - A control assembly is mountable to a handlebar. The control assembly features a housing mountable to the handlebar and a brake actuation mechanism including a brake lever pivotally connected to a housing. The brake lever defines a fluid cavity inside the brake lever such that the fluid cavity pivots with the lever relative to the housing. A piston is provided in the fluid cavity and also pivots with the lever relative to the housing. Actuation of the lever causes the piston to move in the fluid cavity to provide compressive force to a fluid. The fluid cavity is in fluid communication with a hydraulic line. | 06-28-2012 |
20120181120 | Bicycle Brake - A bicycle brake actuated by a control cable has a first main brake arm and a second main brake arm mounted for pivotable movement with respect to the first main brake arm. A first transfer brake arm is pivotally connected to the first main brake arm, and a second transfer brake arm is pivotally connected to the first transfer brake arm and pivotally connected to the second main brake arm. The first main brake arm has a cable guide for receiving the control cable. The first transfer brake arm has a cable anchor for receiving the control cable, the control cable extending between the cable guide and the cable anchor. The first main brake arm and second main brake arm each support a brake shoe and apply braking force to a wheel when actuated. | 07-19-2012 |
20120235332 | Control Assembly For A Bicycle Shock Absorber - A control assembly for an in-line bicycle shock absorber can include a control member rotatably mounted to a housing of the shock absorber, the control member having an interior bore, and with one end of the bore being closed and another end of the bore being open. The control assembly also includes a piston slidably mounted within the interior bore of the control member. The control member is rotated to adjust a first characteristic of the shock absorber and the piston is displaced within the interior bore to adjust a second characteristic of the shock absorber. | 09-20-2012 |
20130029795 | Bicycle Derailleur and Method - A front derailleur for use on devices such as bicycles includes a moveable chain guide for engaging a chain and able to cause the chain to be moved between two or more chainrings. The guide includes a first discrete alignment indicator and a second discrete alignment indicator for aligning the derailleur. | 01-31-2013 |
20130061705 | BICYCLES WITH ELECTRONIC SHIFTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Electronic shifting systems, mechanisms and methods of using the systems to operate a bicycle that allows front and rear gear changer mechanisms to be controlled with only two switches. The switches can be arranged so that each hand is only required to operate one switch to shift the bicycle. | 03-14-2013 |
20130112510 | Hydraulic Rim Brake - A hydraulically actuated rim brake with a pair of brake arms. Both brake arms may rotate about a common axis, which is the axis of a single bolt that mounts the assembly to the bicycle. The system has one piston slidably disposed in a piston cylinder. The piston's cylinder may be formed in one of the two brake arms. Actuation of the piston in the cylinder causes movement of both brake arms. | 05-09-2013 |
20130203532 | Derailleur With Damping Assembly - A bicycle rear derailleur including a base member and a movable member movably coupled to the base member. A chain guide assembly is rotatably connected to the movable member and a damper assembly is operatively disposed between the chain guide assembly and the movable member. The damper assembly includes a damper disposed in the movable member, and a one-way clutch disposed between the damper and the chain guide assembly. The one-way clutch is configured to permit damping when the chain guide assembly rotates in a first direction. The damper is disposed exteriorly of the one-way clutch. | 08-08-2013 |
20140087901 | REAR DERAILLEUR - An embodiment of the invention provides an electromechanical rear derailleur for a bicycle including a base member that is configured to be coupled to a frame member of a bicycle. The derailleur includes a movable member and a link mechanism that movably couples the movable member to the base member. A motor is positioned at the movable member to move the movable member. | 03-27-2014 |
20140102237 | ELECTRONIC SHIFTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - The invention provides a wireless control system for a bicycle, including at least one shift actuator generating an input signal when actuated and a master control unit transmitting a shift signal responsive to the input signal. At least one electromechanical gear changer is provided and includes a gear changer control unit. The gear changer control unit receives the shift signal from the master control unit and controls the at least one electromechanical gear changer corresponding to the received shift signal. The gear changer control unit listens for the shift signal during a part of an awake mode cycle time, the master control unit transmitting the shift signal for a message duration time which is greater than the awake mode cycle time. | 04-17-2014 |
20140114538 | FRONT GEAR CHANGER - An electromechanical front gear changer for a bicycle is provided, the bicycle having a chain, including a base member attachable to the bicycle. A linkage is movably coupled to the base member. A chain guide is movably coupled to the linkage for contacting the chain. A motor is supported by the base member. A gear transmission is driven by the motor to move the linkage. A CPU is provided for controlling the motor and a power supply is supported by the base member to power the motor and the CPU. | 04-24-2014 |
20140171242 | BICYCLE DERAILLEUR AND METHOD - A front derailleur for use on devices such as bicycles is movable about a yaw axis while it moves laterally. The front derailleur may include a linkage in between a mount and a cage, with the linkage pivoting about two non-parallel axes. The front derailleur may include a linkage in between the mount and the cage that has links of different effective lengths. The front derailleur may include a single link and a cam. | 06-19-2014 |
20150033896 | BICYCLES WITH ELECTRONIC SHIFTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Electronic shifting systems, mechanisms and methods of using the systems to operate a bicycle that allows front and rear gear changer mechanisms to be controlled with only two switches. The switches can be arranged so that each hand is only required to operate one switch to shift the bicycle. | 02-05-2015 |
20150073625 | ELECTRONIC SHIFTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - The invention provides a wireless control system for a bicycle, including at least one shift actuator generating an input signal when actuated and a master control unit transmitting a shift signal responsive to the input signal. At least one electromechanical gear changer is provided and includes a gear changer control unit. The gear changer control unit receives the shift signal from the master control unit and controls the at least one electromechanical gear changer corresponding to the received shift signal. The gear changer control unit listens for the shift signal during a part of an awake mode cycle time, the master control unit transmitting the shift signal for a message duration time which is greater than the awake mode cycle time. | 03-12-2015 |