Bicycle electric rear derailleur

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239579-B2
Application number	US-201815899728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Feb 20, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A bicycle electric rear derailleur that has a support body configured to be mounted on a bicycle frame at an assembly of wheels coaxial with a hub of a rear wheel of the bicycle, a movable body, having a chain guide and linkage between the movable body and the support body. The linkage between the movable body and the support body comprises an inner connecting rod and an outer connecting rod. The ends of the rods are articulated to the support body and to the movable body to form an articulated parallelogram. A battery power supply unit is supported by one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle electric rear derailleur comprising:
a support body, configured to be mounted on a frame of a bicycle at an assembly of toothed wheels coaxial with a hub of a rear wheel of the bicycle,
a movable body, comprising a chain guide,
a linkage between the movable body and the support body, comprising an inner connecting rod and an outer connecting rod, having ends that are articulated to the support body and to the movable body to form an articulated parallelogram,
a battery power supply unit,
wherein the battery power supply unit is supported by one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod.

2. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein the battery power supply unit is supported by the inner connecting rod.

3. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein the battery power supply unit extends mainly:
between a plane defined by articulation axes (Z, X) of the connecting rods to the support body, and a plane defined by articulation axes (W, Y) of the connecting rods to the movable body and/or
between a plane defined by articulation axes (Z, W) of the inner connecting rod, and a plane defined by articulation axes (X, Y) of the outer connecting rod.

4. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein the battery power supply unit is seated in a compartment made in said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod.

5. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein the battery power supply unit is housed in a container supported by, but separate and distinct from, said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod.

6. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 4 , wherein the battery power supply unit is removably held in said compartment.

7. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 4 , wherein the battery power supply unit is inserted within said compartment, and the compartment is firmly closed, preferably in a sealed manner.

8. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 5 , wherein the container is fixed to said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod in a manner selected from the group consisting of:
through threaded coupling devices,
through a screw system and a slider device that defines a seating-and-extraction direction of the battery power supply unit, and
through co-moulding.

9. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 6 , wherein the battery power supply unit has a laterally projecting wall that, in a seated condition of the battery power supply unit, abuts on a mouth of said compartment, preferably sealing means being provided between the battery power supply unit and said compartment, more preferably the battery power supply unit being removably held in said compartment, through a strap.

10. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 4 , wherein on a bottom of said compartment there is provided at least one of:
an elastic element configured to bias the battery power supply unit in an exiting direction from the compartment, or
a threaded coupling between the battery power supply unit and said compartment.

11. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein at least said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod is made of composite material comprising a polymeric matrix with reinforcing fiber, and preferably comprises a metallic reinforcing element.

12. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 8 , wherein the container is fixed to said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod through co-moulding, said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod is made of metallic material and said container is made of plastic material.

13. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , comprising a charging port provided for removable connection of the battery power supply unit to a battery-charger or to a cable.

14. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 13 , wherein the charging port is supported onto and faces from an element selected from the group consisting of:
the support body,
said one of the inner connecting rod and the outer connecting rod, and
the movable body, preferably the chain guide.

15. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , comprising an electric motor or a geared motor comprising an electric motor, which controls the linkage to move the chain guide among the toothed wheels, preferably wherein the battery power supply unit is provided for the power supply of the electric motor and/or of at least some electric or electronic components of the derailleur, and more preferably wherein a flexible cable is provided, that connects a compartment or a container which houses the battery power supply unit and the support body.

16. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein the battery power supply unit comprises a pair of negative and positive electric contacts, a track of the negative electric contact being made longer than a track of the positive electric contact.

17. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 5 , wherein the battery power supply unit is removably held in said container.

18. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 5 , wherein the battery power supply unit is inserted within said container, and the container is firmly closed, preferably in a sealed manner.

19. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 17 , wherein the battery power supply unit has a laterally projecting wall that, in a seated condition of the battery power supply unit, abuts on a mouth of said container, preferably sealing means being provided between the battery power supply unit and said container, more preferably the battery power supply unit being removably held in said container, through a strap.

20. The bicycle electric rear derailleur according to claim 5 , wherein on a bottom of said container there is provided at least one of:
an elastic element configured to bias the battery power supply unit in an exiting direction from the container, or
a threaded coupling between the battery power supply unit and said container.

Assignees

• Campagnolo Srl

Inventors

• Pasqua Paolo
• Bernardele Davide

Classifications

• B62M9/122 Primary

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title

• B62M2025/006

  with auxiliary shift assisting means · CPC title

• B62M9/125

  Mounting the derailleur on the frame · CPC title

• B62M9/126 Primary

  Chain guides; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• B62M9/1242

  characterised by the linkage mechanisms · CPC title