Bicycles with electronic shifting systems and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic shifting system for a bicycle, comprising:
- a first switch mechanism;
a second switch mechanism;
a control unit in communication with and responsive to signals from the first and second switch mechanisms;
a rear gear shift mechanism in communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, wherein actuating only the first switch mechanism sends a first signal to the control unit which is configured, in response to the first signal, to send a first command signal to perform only a rear gear shift mechanism upshift, and wherein actuating only the second switch mechanism sends a second signal to the control unit which is configured, in response to the second signal, to send a second command signal to perform only a rear gear shift mechanism downshift; and
a front gear shift mechanism in communication with and responsive to the command signals from the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine when both the first switch mechanism and the second switch mechanism are actuated concurrently and responsively sends a front shift command signal to perform only a front gear shift operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic shifting systems, mechanisms and methods of using the systems to operate a bicycle that allows front and rear gear changer mechanisms to be controlled with only two switches. The switches can be arranged so that each hand is only required to operate one switch to shift the bicycle.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. An electronic shifting system for a bicycle, comprising:
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a first switch mechanism; a second switch mechanism; a control unit in communication with and responsive to signals from the first and second switch mechanisms; a rear gear shift mechanism in communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, wherein actuating only the first switch mechanism sends a first signal to the control unit which is configured, in response to the first signal, to send a first command signal to perform only a rear gear shift mechanism upshift, and wherein actuating only the second switch mechanism sends a second signal to the control unit which is configured, in response to the second signal, to send a second command signal to perform only a rear gear shift mechanism downshift; and a front gear shift mechanism in communication with and responsive to the command signals from the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine when both the first switch mechanism and the second switch mechanism are actuated concurrently and responsively sends a front shift command signal to perform only a front gear shift operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 37)
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5. A method of shifting a bicycle with an electronic gear shifting system, wherein the electronic gear shifting system includes a first switch mechanism, a second switch mechanism, a control unit in communication with and responsive to signals from the first and second switch mechanisms, a front gear shift mechanism and a rear gear shift mechanism, the front and rear gear shift mechanisms in communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, comprising the steps of:
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actuating only the first switch mechanism to perform only a rear gear shift mechanism upshift with the rear gear shift mechanism; actuating only the second switch mechanism to perform only a rear gear shift mechanism downshift with the rear gear shift mechanism; and actuating both the first and second switch mechanisms concurrently to cause the front gear shift mechanism to perform only a front gear shift operation. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 38)
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10. A method of shifting a bicycle with an electronic gear shifting system, wherein the electronic gear shifting system includes a first switch mechanism, a second switch mechanism, a control unit in operative communication with and responsive to signals from the first and second switch mechanisms, and a front gear shift mechanism in operative communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, comprising:
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monitoring with the control unit if one of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated; sensing when one of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated; determining if the other of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated if the one of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated; generating a front shift command signal with the control unit if the first and second switches are determined to be actuated concurrently; and performing only a front gear shift operation with the front gear shift mechanism responsive to the front shift command signal, wherein the electronic gear shifting system further includes a rear gear shift mechanism in operative communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, further including; determining which of the first and second switches is actuated if it is determined that only one of the first and second switches is actuated; generating a rear shift command signal with the control unit indicative of said determining of which of the first and second switches is actuated; and performing only one of a rear gear shift mechanism upshift operation or a rear gear shift mechanism downshift operation with the rear gear shift mechanism according to the rear shift command signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 39)
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19. A method of shifting a bicycle with an electronic gear shifting system, wherein the electronic gear shifting system includes a first switch mechanism and a second switch mechanism, a control unit in operative communication with and responsive to the first and second switch mechanisms, and a front gear shift mechanism and a rear gear shift mechanism in operative communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, comprising:
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determining with the control unit if only a single one of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated; determining which of the single one of the first and second switch mechanism is actuated; performing one of a rear gear shift mechanism downshift operation or a rear gear shift mechanism upshift operation with the rear gear shift mechanism dependent upon which one of the first and second switch mechanisms is determined to be actuated; and performing a front gear shift operation if the other of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated concurrently with the one of the first and second switch mechanisms before a predetermined amount of time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of shifting a bicycle with an electronic gear shifting system, wherein the electronic gear shifting system includes a first switch mechanism and a second switch mechanism, a control unit in operative communication with and responsive to the first and second switch mechanisms, and a front gear shift mechanism and a rear gear shift mechanism in operative communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, comprising:
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reading a state of each of the first and second switch mechanisms with the control unit; determining if either of the first and second switch mechanisms has changed from a non-actuated state since said reading step; performing a front gear shift operation if both the first and second switch mechanisms have changed to an actuated state; storing a rear shift value in the control unit indicative of the state of the first and second switch mechanisms if only one of the first and second switch mechanisms has changed to an actuated state; rereading the state of each of the first and second switch mechanisms with the control unit; generating a rear shift command based on the rear shift value after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed if the state of the first and second switch mechanisms has not changed since said storing of the rear shift value; and performing a rear gear shift operation based on the rear shift command. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of shifting a bicycle with an electronic gear shifting system, wherein the electronic gear shifting system includes a first switch mechanism and a second switch mechanism, a control unit in operative communication with and responsive to the first and second switch mechanisms, and a front gear shift mechanism and a rear gear shift mechanism in operative communication with and responsive to command signals from the control unit, comprising:
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reading and storing a state of the first and second switch mechanisms with the control unit; determining if the state of either of the first and second switch mechanisms has changed from a non-actuated state since a previous said reading step; performing a front gear shift operation and setting the shift value to null if both the first and second switch mechanisms have changed to an actuated state since a previous said reading step; if only one of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated and a predetermined amount of time has not expired, storing the state of the first and second switch mechanisms as the shift value indicative of which of the first and second switch mechanisms is actuated and reread until either; a) both switch mechanisms are actuated, in which case performing a front gear shift operation, b) the one of the first and second switch mechanisms is changed from an actuated state to a non-actuated state since a previous said reading step and the predetermined amount of time has not been exceeded, in which case checking the stored shift value with the control unit and performing a rear gear shift operation according to the stored shift value, or c) the predetermined amount of time has been exceeded, in which case checking the stored shift value with the control unit and performing a rear gear shift operation according to the stored shift value; and setting the shift value to null after completion of the front gear shift operation or the rear gear shift operation. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification