Apparatus for adjusting a position of a bicycle control device

• US 7,547,263 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Original Assignee: Shimano Inc
• Inventors: Takamoto, Ryuichiro, Fukuda, Masahiko, Fujii, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Charles; Marcus
• Application Number:
  US10/907,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 474 69- 71, 474/78, 474 80- 82, 280/238, 280259-260, 482 8- 9, 482/63, 482900-902, 180205-207, 701 51- 57
• US Class Current: 474/70
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 25/08 with electrical or fluid transmitting systems

Abstract

An apparatus for adjusting a position of a bicycle control device comprises a memory that stores a plurality of operating position values corresponding to a plurality of operating positions, a manually operated adjustment value providing unit that provides an adjustment value, and an updating unit. The updating unit provides a first updated operating position value from a first operating position value from the plurality of operating position values based on the adjustment value, and the updating unit provides a second updated operating position value from a different second operating position value from the plurality of operating position values based on the adjustment value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adjusting positions of a bicycle control device that moves to a plurality of operating positions, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a memory for storing a plurality of operating position values corresponding to the plurality of operating positions;

an adjustment value providing unit that provides an adjustment value; and

an updating unit;

wherein the updating unit provides a first updated operating position value from a first operating position value based on the adjustment value; and

wherein the updating unit provides a second updated operating position value from a different second operating position value based on the adjustment value.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the adjustment value is not one of the plurality of operating position values.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of operating position values correspond to a plurality of derailleur positions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the updating unit stores the first updated operating position value and the second updated operating position value in the memory.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the updating unit provides updated operating position values for all of the plurality of operating position values based on the adjustment value used to provide the first updated operating position value.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the updating unit stores all of the updated operating position values in the memory.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the adjustment value providing unit comprises a position setting unit for the bicycle control device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the adjustment value providing unit is mounted to a brake lever assembly.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the adjustment value comprises an adjustment movement value.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the adjustment value providing unit comprises a manually operated electrical switch.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the adjustment value comprises an adjustment movement value, and wherein the adjustment value is incremented upon operation of the switch.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the adjustment value is incremented upon each of a plurality of operations of the switch.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the adjustment value is incremented based on a length of a time period of operation of the switch.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of operating position values correspond to a plurality of derailleur positions, and wherein the adjustment movement value corresponds to an adjustment movement of the derailleur.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising:

at least one of an upshift switch and a downshift switch for the derailleur; and

a gear shift controller;

wherein the gear shift controller moves the derailleur to one of the plurality of operating positions in an upshift direction in response to operation of the upshift switch; and

wherein the gear shift controller moves the derailleur to one of the plurality of operating positions in a downshift direction in response to operation of the downshift switch.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the switch comprises

an operating member;

an upshift switch; and

a downshift switch;

wherein the operating member moves from a neutral position to an upshift position to operate the upshift switch; and

wherein the operating member moves from the neutral position to a downshift position to operate the downshift switch.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the adjustment movement value corresponds to an adjustment movement of the derailleur in an upshift direction when the switch moves from the neutral position to the upshift position, and wherein the adjustment movement value corresponds to an adjustment movement of the derailleur in a downshift direction when the switch moves from the neutral position to the downshift position.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an operating mode setting unit, wherein the operating mode setting unit sets the apparatus into a normal mode in which the bicycle control device is controlled to move to selected ones of the plurality of operating positions, and wherein the operating mode setting unit sets the apparatus into an adjustment mode in which the bicycle control device is controlled to move a distance less than a distance between first and second operating positions.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the plurality of operating position values correspond to a plurality of derailleur positions, wherein the adjustment value providing unit further comprises at least one of an upshift switch and a downshift switch for a derailleur, and further comprising:

a gear shift controller; and

an adjustment controller;

wherein, when the apparatus is in the normal mode;

the gear shift controller moves the derailleur to one of the plurality of derailleur positions in an upshift direction in response to operation of the upshift switch; and

the gear shift controller moves the derailleur to one of the plurality of derailleur positions in a downshift direction in response to operation of the downshift switch; and

wherein, when the apparatus is in the adjustment mode;

the adjustment controller moves the derailleur an adjustment distance in an upshift direction in response to operation of the upshift switch; and

the adjustment controller moves the derailleur an adjustment distance in a downshift direction in response to operation of the downshift switch.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein, when the at least one of the upshift switch and the downshift switch is operated for a first time interval, the operating mode setting unit switches the apparatus from one of the normal mode and the adjustment mode to the other one of the normal mode and the adjustment mode.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the operating mode setting unit sets the apparatus to the normal mode when the at least one of the upshift switch and the downshift switch is not operated during a second time interval.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the operating mode setting unit comprises a mode switch separate from the at least one of the upshift switch and the downshift switch to set the apparatus to the normal mode and to the adjustment mode.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the operating mode setting unit sets the apparatus to the normal mode when the mode switch is not operated during a time interval.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a number indicating unit that indicates a number of the plurality of operating positions; and

wherein the updating unit stores in the memory an operating position value for each of the plurality of operating positions in response to the number indicating unit.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the updating unit automatically provides an updated operating position value for each of plurality of operating position values.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the updating unit provides the first updated operating position value and the second updated operating position value by performing a mathematical operation on the corresponding first operating position value and second operating position value with a same value.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the updating unit provides the first updated operating position value and the second updated operating position value by adding or subtracting the same value to the first operating position value and to the second operating position value.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the updating unit automatically provides an updated operating position value for each of plurality of operating position values by adding or subtracting the same value to each of the plurality of operating position values.