Bicycle derailleur and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284017-B2
Application number	US-201213362682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2012
Priority date	Dec 15, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A front derailleur for use on devices such as bicycles includes a moveable chain guide for engaging a chain and able to cause the chain to be moved between two or more chainrings. The guide includes a first discrete alignment indicator and a second discrete alignment indicator for aligning the derailleur.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front derailleur for a bicycle having a frame member and a plurality of chainrings, one of the chainrings defining a chainring plane, the front derailleur comprising:
a mount attachable to the frame member;
a moveable chain guide separate from the mount, the moveable chain guide including inner and outer cage plates;
a linkage coupling the moveable chain guide to the mount; and
first and second discrete alignment indicators disposed on the moveable chain guide, the first and second discrete alignment indicators located between the inner and outer cage plates, the derailleur moveable to position the first and second discrete alignment indicators within, a target plane to indicate an aligned position of the moveable chain guide relative to the one of the chainrings, wherein the target plane is one of coincident with or parallel to the chainring plane.

2. The front derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein the front derailleur is arcuately moveable.

3. The front derailleur according to claim 2 , wherein the front derailleur is rotatably moveable.

4. The derailleur according to claim 2 , wherein the frame member is a seat tube.

5. The front derailleur according to claim 2 , wherein the frame member is a fixture attached to a seat tube.

6. The front derailleur according to claim 2 , wherein the first discrete alignment indicator is disposed at or near a front end of the chain guide and the second discrete alignment indicator is disposed at or near a rear end of the chain guide.

7. The front derailleur according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second discrete alignment indicators include one of marks, ridges, grooves, pointers, colored zones, dots, openings, tolerance zones, and lines.

8. The front derailleur according to claim 2 , wherein the moveable chain guide includes an inner cage plate spaced apart from an outer cage plate, inner cage plate including a third discrete alignment indicator disposed on an inner surface thereof.

9. The front derailleur according to claim 8 , wherein the derailleur is moveable to position the third discrete alignment indicator to indicate a vertical aligned position of the moveable chain guide relative to an outer perimeter of the one of the chainrings.

10. The front derailleur according to claim 9 , wherein the third discrete alignment indicator is arcuate.

11. The front derailleur according to claim 9 , wherein the third discrete alignment indicator is a mark.

12. The front derailleur according to claim 9 , wherein the third discrete alignment indicator is configured to indicate a range of vertical alignment of the moveable chain guide relative to an outer perimeter of the one of the chainrings.

13. A method of aligning a front derailleur of a bicycle having a frame member and a plurality of chainrings, one of the plurality of chainrings defining a chainring plane, wherein the front derailleur includes a mount attachable to the frame member, a moveable chain guide coupled to the mount by a linkage and including inner and outer cage plates, and first and second discrete alignment indicators disposed on the moveable chain guide, the first and second discrete alignment indicators located between the inner and outer cage plates, the method comprising:
mounting the front derailleur to the frame member with the mount;
moving the front derailleur to position the first discrete alignment indicator and the second discrete alignment indicator within a target plane to indicate an aligned position of the moveable chain guide relative to the one of the chainrings, wherein the target plane is one of coincident with or parallel to the chainring plane; and
fixing the front derailleur in the aligned position.

14. The front derailleur according to claim 13 , wherein the front derailleur is arcuately moveable.

15. The front derailleur according to claim 14 , wherein the front derailleur is rotatably moveable.

Assignees

• Jordan Brian
• Santurbane Mark V
• Sram Llc

Inventors

• Jordan Brian
• Santurbane Mark V

Classifications

• B62M9/131

  Front derailleurs · CPC title

• B62M9/1344

  limiting or positioning the movement · CPC title

• B62M9/134

  Mechanisms for shifting laterally · CPC title

• B62M9/1342 Primary

  characterised by the linkage mechanisms · CPC title