Automatic gear changing system
First Claim
1. In combination with a multi-speed bicycle having at least one front chain wheel, a plurality of rear transmission sprockets, an endless chain trained around the front chain wheel and one of the plurality of rear transmission sprockets and a gear changing assembly adjacent the rear transmission sprockets and from which a rear derailleur cable extends, an automatic gear changing system for selectively derailing the chain from one rear transmission sprocket to another transmission sprocket, comprising:
- a main housing member for mounting to the bicycle;
a selectively actuated drive motor enclosed within the main housing member;
a linear actuator threaded shaft disposed within the main housing member which is selectively actuated by the drive motor for rotational motion therein to mechanically initiate chain derailment and transmission gear changing;
a linear actuator stub mounted to the linear actuator threaded shaft so that the selective rotatable motion of the linear actuator threaded shaft engages the linear actuator stub and causes a predetermined linear reciprocable movement of the linear actuator stub within the main housing member;
cable attachment means for attaching the rear derailleur cable to the linear actuator stub;
position indicating means circumjacent a portion of the linear actuator threaded shaft and the linear actuator stub and in which discrete voltage changes are induced by the linear movement of the linear actuator stub interacting with the electromagnetic field of the position indicating means whereby output signals are produced corresponding to the discrete voltage changes; and
a microprocessor mounted to the bicycle for monitoring the amount of power available to the drive motor and for evaluating the output signals produced by the position indicating means in order to initiate, control, and terminate the automatic derailing of the chain from one rear transmission sprocket to another rear transmission sprocket so that automatic gear shifting occurs.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic electromechanical gear changing system for automatically derailing the endless chain of a multi-speed bicycle from one rear transmission sprocket to another rear transmission sprocket to effect rear transmission gear shifting. The automatic gear changing system includes a main housing member mounted to a down tube of the bicycle, a handlebar-mounted console which displays various system parameters for the rider (type of program in use by system, speed, gear, battery level, trip miles), and a microprocessor unit disposed within the console for initiating, controlling, and terminating transmission gear shifting of the endless chain on the rear transmission sprockets. The main housing member encloses a drive motor, a linear actuator threaded shaft which is actuated for rotational motion by the drive motor, a linear actuator stub mounted upon the shaft and selectively engaged by the shaft for linear reciprocal movement within the housing member, and a cable attachment for attaching an end of the rear derailleur cable to the stub so that selective linear movement of the stub shifts the derailleur cable and causes the derailment of the chain from one sprocket to another sprocket. Embedded in each housing member is an inductance coil which encompasses a portion of both the stub and the shaft, and the linear movement of the stub within the housing induces voltage changes in the coil which correspond to specific gears of the bicycle. Such voltage changes are interpreted by the mpu to initiate, control and terminate automatic gear shifting.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. In combination with a multi-speed bicycle having at least one front chain wheel, a plurality of rear transmission sprockets, an endless chain trained around the front chain wheel and one of the plurality of rear transmission sprockets and a gear changing assembly adjacent the rear transmission sprockets and from which a rear derailleur cable extends, an automatic gear changing system for selectively derailing the chain from one rear transmission sprocket to another transmission sprocket, comprising:
-
a main housing member for mounting to the bicycle; a selectively actuated drive motor enclosed within the main housing member; a linear actuator threaded shaft disposed within the main housing member which is selectively actuated by the drive motor for rotational motion therein to mechanically initiate chain derailment and transmission gear changing; a linear actuator stub mounted to the linear actuator threaded shaft so that the selective rotatable motion of the linear actuator threaded shaft engages the linear actuator stub and causes a predetermined linear reciprocable movement of the linear actuator stub within the main housing member; cable attachment means for attaching the rear derailleur cable to the linear actuator stub; position indicating means circumjacent a portion of the linear actuator threaded shaft and the linear actuator stub and in which discrete voltage changes are induced by the linear movement of the linear actuator stub interacting with the electromagnetic field of the position indicating means whereby output signals are produced corresponding to the discrete voltage changes; and a microprocessor mounted to the bicycle for monitoring the amount of power available to the drive motor and for evaluating the output signals produced by the position indicating means in order to initiate, control, and terminate the automatic derailing of the chain from one rear transmission sprocket to another rear transmission sprocket so that automatic gear shifting occurs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. In combination with a multi-speed bicycle having a plurality of front chain wheels, a plurality of rear transmission sprockets, an endless chain trained around the front chain wheels and the rear transmission sprockets, a gear changing assembly adjacent the rear transmission sprockets, a front gear changing assembly adjacent the front chain wheels and from which a front derailleur cable extends, an automatic gear changing system for selectively derailing the chain from one rear transmission sprocket to another transmission sprocket and from one chain wheel to another chain wheel, comprising:
-
a second housing member for mounting to the bicycle; a selectively actuated drive motor enclosed within the second housing member; a linear actuator threaded shaft disposed within the second housing member which is selectively actuated by the drive motor for rotational motion therein to mechanically initiate chain derailment from one front chain wheel to an adjacent front chain wheel for front gear changing; a linear actuator stub mounted to the linear actuator threaded shaft so that the selective rotatable motion of the linear actuator threaded shaft engages the linear actuator stub and causes a predetermined linear reciprocable movement of the linear actuator stub within the second housing member; cable attachment means for attaching the front derailleur cable to the linear actuator stub; position indicating means circumjacent a portion of the linear actuator threaded shaft and the linear actuator stub and in which discrete voltage changes are induced by the linear movement of the linear actuator stub interacting with the electromagnetic field of the position indicating means whereby output signals are produced corresponding to the discrete voltage changes; and a microprocessor mounted to the bicycle for monitoring the amount of power available to the drive motor and for evaluating the output signals produced by the position indicating means in order to initiate, control, and terminate the automatic derailing of the chain from one front chain wheel to another front chain wheel so that automatic front gear shifting occurs.
-
Specification