Electrically operated transmission gear system for bicycles
First Claim
1. An electrically operated transmission gear system for a bicycle, comprising:
- a transmission gear unit including a plurality of transmission gear, an endless chain, and a guide for guiding said endless chain into driving mesh with one of said transmission gears at a time;
an electrically operated gearshifting mechanism including a reversible motor, a takeup reel actuatable by said reversible motor, and a wire joined to said takeup reel and said guide for displacing the latter in response to rotation of said takeup reel to shift said endless chain into driving mesh with one of said transmission gears;
means for measuring the speed at which the bicycle is running and/or the speed of rotation of a crank gear of the bicycle with which said endless chain is in mesh;
means for detecting which transmission gear is in mesh with said endless chain;
an arithmetic unit for deriving a proper range signal from an output from one of said measuring and detecting means and for comparing said proper range signal with an output from the other means to determine whether the transmission gear with which said endless chain is in mesh is proper or not;
a gear position display for displaying an output signal from said arithmetic unit to indicate that the transmission gear held in mesh with said endless chain is too low a transmission gear, too high a transmission gear, or in a proper range;
a gear designation switch;
means for controlling operation of said reversible motor in response to an output signal from said gear designation switch to bring said endless chain into driving mesh with a designated transmission gear;
a source of DC electric power for powering said reversible motor and said arithmetic unit; and
a switch for turning on and off said source of DC electric power;
whereby gearshifting for the bicycle can manually be controlled properly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically operated transmission gear system for a bicycle includes a plurality of transmission gears selectively drivable by an endless chain trained around a pedal-driven crank gear, a reversible motor, a takeup reel drivable thereby, and a wire connected at one end to the takeup reel and at the other end to a chain guide for shifting the endless chain into driving mesh with one of the transmission gears at a time. The transmission gear system also includes means for measuring the speed of travel of the bicycle and/or the speed of rotation of the crank gear, means for detecting a transmission ear with which the endless chain is in driving mesh, and an arithmetic unit for deriving a proper speed range from one of the measuring and detecting means and for comparing an output from the other means with the proper speed range as derived to determine whether the transmission gear held in mesh wish the endless chain is proper or not, whereby gear-shifting for the bicycle can properly controlled.
119 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electrically operated transmission gear system for a bicycle, comprising:
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a transmission gear unit including a plurality of transmission gear, an endless chain, and a guide for guiding said endless chain into driving mesh with one of said transmission gears at a time; an electrically operated gearshifting mechanism including a reversible motor, a takeup reel actuatable by said reversible motor, and a wire joined to said takeup reel and said guide for displacing the latter in response to rotation of said takeup reel to shift said endless chain into driving mesh with one of said transmission gears; means for measuring the speed at which the bicycle is running and/or the speed of rotation of a crank gear of the bicycle with which said endless chain is in mesh; means for detecting which transmission gear is in mesh with said endless chain; an arithmetic unit for deriving a proper range signal from an output from one of said measuring and detecting means and for comparing said proper range signal with an output from the other means to determine whether the transmission gear with which said endless chain is in mesh is proper or not; a gear position display for displaying an output signal from said arithmetic unit to indicate that the transmission gear held in mesh with said endless chain is too low a transmission gear, too high a transmission gear, or in a proper range; a gear designation switch; means for controlling operation of said reversible motor in response to an output signal from said gear designation switch to bring said endless chain into driving mesh with a designated transmission gear; a source of DC electric power for powering said reversible motor and said arithmetic unit; and a switch for turning on and off said source of DC electric power;
whereby gearshifting for the bicycle can manually be controlled properly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification