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Automatic gear changing system

  • US 5,551,315 A
  • Filed: 02/03/1994
  • Issued: 09/03/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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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.

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