Bicycle component, bicycle and method

• US 10,343,741 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dt Swiss Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dt Swiss Inc.
• Inventors: Walthert, Martin, Wendel, Valentin, Battlogg, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kyung J
• Application Number:
  US15/158,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20160339990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/12 Cycles; Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/202 Piston speed; Relative velocity between vehicle body and wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/176 Radio or audio sensitive means, e.g. Ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/30 Height or ground clearance
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/04 Means for informing, instructing or displaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/202 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4152 for sensing longitudinal inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/044 Suspensions with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/04 for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/06 with telescopic fork, e.g. including auxiliary rocking arms
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/08 for front wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/286 the shock absorber being connected to the chain-stay via a linkage mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/30 pivoted on pedal crank shelf B62K25/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/46 allowing control from a distance , i.e. location of means for control input being remote from site of valves, e.g. on damper external wall attachment of valve units to cylinders F16F9/325
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/50 Special means providing automatic damping adjustment, i.e. self-adjustment of damping by particular sliding movements of a valve element, other than flexions or displacement of valve discsF16F9/53 takes precedence; Special means providing self-adjustment of spring characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/53 : Means for adjusting damping characteristics by varying fluid viscosity, e.g. electromagnetically F16F13/30 takes precedence; brakes comprising a medium with electrically or magnetically controlled friction F16D57/002; electrorheological fluids per se C10M171/001; magnetorheological fluids per se H01F1/447

Abstract

A bicycle component for an at least partially human-powered bicycle has a shock absorber device. The shock absorber device includes a damper device which can be controlled by a control device. A detection device is provided with a sensor device for receiving a signal. The sensor device is arranged on at least one component of the bicycle which is pivoted in the case of a steering movement. The detection device is suitable for detecting, and is designed to detect, the difficulty in the terrain as a function of the acquired signal, and is configured to control the damper device as a function of the detected difficulty in the terrain, with the result that a damping property of the damper device can be adjusted by way of a signal of the detection device.

Claims

1. A bicycle component for an at least partially human-powered bicycle, comprising:

a control device;

a shock absorber device having at least one damper device to be controlled by said control device;

a detection device with at least one sensor device and a receiver unit for a contactless acquisition of a detection signal;

said sensor device being disposed such that said sensor device is pivoted at least partially on occasion of a steering movement of the bicycle;

said detection device being configured for detecting a future difficulty in a terrain within a close range as a function of the detection signal and configured for controlling said shock absorber device as a function of a detected future difficulty in the terrain within the close range, and wherein at least one damping property of said shock absorber device is adjusted by way of an output signal of said detection device; and

said control device being configured for adjusting said damper device to a harder setting, up to a point at which the future difficulty in the terrain is reached.

2. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said damper device comprises at least a first damper chamber and at least a second damper chamber which are coupled to one another via at least one controllable damping valve, and wherein said damping valve is assigned a field-generating device to be controlled by said detection device and for generating and controlling a field strength in at least one damping duct of said damping valve, and wherein a field-sensitive rheological medium is provided in said damping duct.

3. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein, in order to control said damper device, said detection device is configured for taking into account only difficulties in the terrain in a predefined close range of less than 10 meters.

4. The bicycle component according to claim 3 wherein said detection device is configured for classifying a type of route and for predefining and the close range as a function of the type of route.

5. The bicycle component according to claim 4, wherein said detection device is configured to classify the type of route as a function of a frequency and intensity of the difficulties in the terrain being traveled over.

6. The bicycle component according to claim 3, wherein said detection device is configured for predefining the close range as a function of a velocity of the bicycle, and wherein the close range extends over a distance which the bicycle travels in one second at the velocity.

7. The bicycle component according to claim 3, wherein said detection device is configured to set the damping property of said damper device in less than 30 ms seconds owing to a detected difficulty in the terrain in the close range.

8. The bicycle component according to claim 3, wherein said sensor device is mounted on a mounting device so as to be pivotable, with the result that a transmission angle and/or reception angle with respect to the ground is adjusted and/or wherein a horizontal width and/or a length and/or a shape of the close range can be adjusted.

9. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said detection device is configured for deriving a probability value for travel over a detected difficulty in the terrain, and for adjusting said shock absorber device as a function of a detected difficulty in the terrain when the probability value exceeds a predetermined probability.

10. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said detection device is configured for determining a level of the difficulty in the terrain above the ground and/or an angle of at least one region of the difficulty in the terrain with respect to the ground, and for taking into account the angle when controlling the damper device.

11. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said detection device is configured, in controlling the damper device, for taking into account at least one preset limiting value for maximum and/or minimum damping.

12. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said shock absorber device comprises at least a first damper device assigned to a front wheel of the bicycle and at least a second damper device assigned to a rear wheel of the bicycle, and wherein said detection device is configured for setting the second damper device with a delay with respect to said first damper device.

13. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said damper device is assigned at least one sensor module for detecting a damper load factor, and wherein said detection device is configured for reading out said sensor module and configured for registering the damper load factor as a result of a setting of a damper property which has been made in response to a detected difficulty in the terrain, and said detection device is suitable for adapting a control of said damper device when the registered damper load factor deviates from a predefined measure of the damper load factor.

14. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises at least one memory device for recording the detected difficulties in the terrain.

15. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device is mounted on at least one component of the bicycle which is pivoted in the case of a steering movement.

16. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device is disposed spaced apart from the bicycle on at least one mounting device, and wherein a distance between said sensor device and the bicycle does not exceed a radius of a front wheel of the bicycle.

17. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device is a sensor selected from the group consisting of an ultrasound sensor, an infrared sensor and a radar sensor.

18. The bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein said detection device is configured for controlling at least two said shock absorber devices.

19. The bicycle component according to claim 1, which comprises at least one angle sensor for detecting a steering lock.

20. A method of operating a bicycle component of an at least partially human-powered bicycle having at least one shock absorber device with at least one damper device, the method comprising:

acquiring a detection signal with a sensor of a detection device;

pivoting the sensor device on occasion of a steering movement of the bicycle;

acquiring with the sensor a detection signal of terrain information forward of the bicycle;

determining a difficulty in a terrain being traveled based on the detection signal;

controlling the damper device by way of at least one control device as a function of the detected difficulty in the terrain, and adjusting at least one damping property of the damper device as a function of the detected difficulty in the terrain; and

upon detecting the difficulty in the terrain and up to a point when the difficulty in the terrain is reached, adjusting the damper device to a harder setting.

21. The method according to claim 20, which comprises emitting at least one signal with the detection device, and receiving and acquiring as the detection signal at least one reflection, originating from the terrain, of the emitted signal.