Rear derailleur for bicycle

• US 7,527,571 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Original Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Inventors: Shahana, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): King; Bradley T
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWES, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/208,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 474/80, 474/81, 474/82
• US Class Current: 474/82
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 9/1248 characterised by the use of biasing means, e.g. springs; Arrangements thereof

Abstract

The rear bicycle derailleur guides a chain to one of a plurality of rear sprockets. The rear derailleur includes a base member, a linkage assembly, a movable member, a chain guide, a biasing member, and a biasing member connection structure. The base member is mounted to the bicycle frame. The linkage assembly is rotatably linked to the base member and the movable member. The movable member is capable of movement toward or away from the frame by rotation of the linkage assembly. The chain guide is pivotally linked to the movable member. The biasing member biases the movable member relative to the base member. The biasing member connection structure attaches the biasing member in either of two different biasing states to selectively bias the movable member toward or away from the frame.

Claims

1. A bicycle rear derailleur comprising:

a base member configured and arranged to be mounted to a rear part of a bicycle frame;

a linkage assembly pivotally coupled to the base member;

a movable member pivotally coupled to the linkage assembly such that the movable member is capable of movement toward and away from the bicycle frame;

a chain guide pivotally coupled to the movable member;

a biasing member arranged to bias the movable member relative to the base member;

a biasing member connection structure configured and arranged to selectively mount the biasing member to the rear derailleur in a first biasing state when the biasing member is coupled in a first biasing position and a second biasing state when the biasing member is coupled in a second biasing position, the biasing member being arranged to bias the movable member away from the bicycle frame in the first biasing state and the biasing member being arranged to bias the movable member toward the bicycle frame in the second biasing state; and

an inner wire connection structure arranged and configured to attach an inner wire of a shift cable thereto, the inner wire connection structure being movably arranged to be mounted in a first inner wire latching position when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the first biasing state and to be mounted in a second inner wire latching position when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the second biasing state, with the first and second inner wire latching positions being different mounting locations with respect to the linkage assembly.

2. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 1, wherein

the linkage assembly includes an inner link member and an outer link member located further from the bicycle frame than the inner link member, each of the inner and outer link members being pivotally coupled to both the base member and the movable member.

3. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the inner and outer link members are spaced from each other to form an internal area of the linkage assembly therebetween, and the biasing member is disposed outside of the internal area of the linkage assembly.

4. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the inner and outer link members are spaced from each other to form an internal area of the linkage assembly therebetween, and the biasing member is disposed within the internal area of the linkage assembly.

5. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the biasing member is a coil spring having a first end, a second end, and a coil component disposed between the first and second ends;

and

the biasing member connection structure includes a first latching component provided at the base member that is arranged and configured to attach the first end of the coil spring thereto, and

a second latching component provided at the movable member that is arranged and configured to selectively attach the second end of the coil spring thereto in an inner position to achieve the first biasing state when the biasing member is in the first biasing position and in an outer position that is farther away from the bicycle frame than the inner position to achieve the second biasing state when the biasing member is in the second biasing position.

6. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the biasing member is a coil spring having a first end, a second end, and a coil component disposed between the first and second ends;

and

the biasing member connection structure includes a first latching component provided at the movable member that is arranged and configured to attach the second end of the coil spring thereto, and

a second latching component provided at the base member that is arranged and configured to selectively attach the first end of the coil spring thereto in an outer position to achieve the first biasing state when the biasing member is in the first biasing position and an inner position that is closer to the bicycle frame than the outer position to achieve the second biasing state when the biasing member is in the second biasing position.

7. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 5, wherein

the second latching component includes a pivoting member having a proximal end pivotally mounted at a location between the inner position and the outer position, and a distal end with a spring connector that is movable between the inner and outer positions.

8. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 7, wherein

the second latching component further includes a pair of stopper members provided at the movable member to limit movement of the pivoting member when the distal end of the pivoting member is located in the inner and outer positions.

9. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 5, wherein

the inner and outer link members are pivotally coupled to the base member at inner and outer base pivot points, and the first latching component is disposed between the inner and outer pivot points.

10. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the biasing member is a coil spring having a first end, a second end, and a coil component disposed between the first and second ends;

and

the biasing member connection structure includes a first latching component provided at the base member that is arranged and configured to selectively attach the first end of the coil spring thereto in a third position to achieve the second biasing state when the biasing member is in the second biasing position and a fourth position that is farther away from the bicycle frame than the third position to achieve the first biasing state when the biasing member is in the first biasing position, and

a second latching component is provided at the movable member that is arranged and configured to selectively attach the second end of the coil spring thereto in a first position to achieve the first biasing state when the biasing member is in the first biasing position and in a second position that is farther away from the bicycle frame than the first position to achieve the second biasing state when the biasing member is in the second biasing position.

11. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 10, wherein

the inner and outer link members are pivotally coupled to the base member at inner and outer base pivot points, and the third position is disposed at the inner base pivot point and the fourth position is disposed at the outer base pivot point, and

the inner and outer link members are pivotally coupled to the movable member at inner and outer movable pivot points, and the first position is disposed at the inner movable pivot point and the second position is disposed at the outer movable pivot point.

12. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 10, wherein

at least one of the first and second latching components includes a pivoting member having a proximal end pivotally mounted at a location between the respective third and fourth positions or the respective first and second positions, and a distal end with a spring connector that is movable between the respective third and fourth positions or the respective first and second positions.

13. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 12, wherein

the at least one of the first and second latching components with the pivoting member further includes a pair of stopper members provided at the respective base member or the respective movable member to limit movement of the pivoting member when the distal end of the pivoting member is located in the respective third and fourth positions or the respective first and second positions.

14. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the biasing member is a coil spring having a first end, a second end, and a coil component disposed between the first and second ends;

and

the biasing member connection structure includes a first latching component provided at the base member that is arranged and configured to attach the first end of the coil spring thereto, and

a second latching component that is arranged and configured to selectively attach the second end of the coil spring thereto in an inner position at the inner link member to achieve the first biasing state when the biasing member is in the first biasing position and in an outer position at the outer link member to achieve the second biasing state when the biasing member is in the second biasing position.

15. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the biasing member is a coil spring having a first end, a second end, and a coil component disposed between the first and second ends;

and

the biasing member connection structure includes a first latching component provided at the movable member that is arranged and configured to attach the second end of the coil spring thereto, and

a second latching component that that is arranged and configured to selectively attach the first end of the coil spring thereto in an outer position at the outer link member to achieve the first biasing state when the biasing member is in the first biasing position and an inner position at the inner link member to achieve the second biasing state when the biasing member is in the second biasing position.

16. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 1, wherein

the inner wire connection structure is removably attached to the linkage assembly.

17. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 16, wherein

the inner wire connection structure is attached to the outer link member when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the first biasing state, and the inner wire connection structure is attached to the inner link member when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the second biasing state.

18. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 1, further comprising

an outer casing connection structure arranged and configured to hold an outer casing of a shift cable, the outer casing connection structure being arranged and configured to hold the outer casing in a first outer latching position when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the first biasing state and being arranged and configured to hold the outer casing in a second outer latching position when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the second biasing state.

19. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 18, wherein

the outer casing connection structure includes an outer holding member that is removably attached to the base member, the outer holding member being attached at the first outer latching position when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the first biasing state and being attached at the second outer latching position when the biasing member is mounted to the rear derailleur in the second biasing state.

20. The bicycle rear derailleur according to claim 2, wherein

the inner link member is pivotally coupled to the base member by a first inner pivot pin and pivotally coupled to the movable member by a second inner pivot pin, and the outer link member is pivotally coupled to the movable member by a first outer pivot pin and pivotally coupled to the movable member by a second outer pivot pins, and

at least one of the first pivot pins and second pivot pins are detachably mounted to the inner link member and the outer link member using a removable anti-slip member.