Bicycle transmission apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487268-B2
Application number	US-201414566588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A bicycle transmission apparatus comprises a controller configured to control at least one transmission device in accordance with a transmission route in response to a shift signal. The controller is configured to adjust the transmission route based on bicycle information relating to a running condition of a bicycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle transmission apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to control at least one transmission device in accordance with a transmission route in response to a shift signal, the controller being configured to select one of a plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route based on bicycle information relating to a running condition of a bicycle.

2. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a bicycle-information obtaining device configured to obtain the bicycle information.

3. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bicycle information includes a cadence indicating a rotational speed of a crank of the bicycle, and
the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route based on the cadence.

4. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller selects one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the cadence is lower than a reference cadence, and
the controller selects another of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the cadence is higher than the reference cadence.

5. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bicycle information includes a torque applied from a rider to a crank of the bicycle, and
the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route based on the torque.

6. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller selects one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the torque is larger than a reference torque, and
the controller selects another of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the torque is smaller than the reference torque.

7. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bicycle information includes an amount of energy applied from a rider to a crank of the bicycle, and
the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route based on the amount of energy.

8. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller selects one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the amount of energy is lower than a reference amount of energy, and
the controller selects another of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the amount of energy is higher than the reference amount of energy.

9. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one transmission device includes a first transmission device and a second transmission device.

10. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the first transmission device comprises a front derailleur, and
the second transmission device comprises a rear derailleur.

11. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
each of the plurality of predetermined routes provided as the transmission route includes a combination of
a gear position of the first transmission device,
a gear position of the second transmission device, and
a transmission action to be performed at the gear position of the first transmission device and the gear position of the second transmission device in at least one of the first transmission device and the second transmission device in response to the shift signal.

12. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the transmission action includes
a first transmission action to be performed at the gear position of the first transmission device and the gear position of the second transmission device in the first transmission device in response to the shift signal, and
a second transmission action to be performed at the gear position of the first transmission device and the gear position of the second transmission device in the second transmission device in response to the shift signal.

13. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the first transmission device and the second transmission device in accordance with the transmission route in response to a single shift signal provided as the shift signal.

14. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operating device configured to generate the shift signal, wherein
the operating device includes
a first upshift switch configured to generate a first upshift signal as the shift signal in response to an upshift input operation from a user, and
a first downshift switch configured to generate a first downshift signal as the shift signal in response to a downshift input operation from the user.

15. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the at least one transmission device in accordance with the transmission route in response to the first upshift signal, and
the controller is configured to control the at least one transmission device in accordance with the transmission route in response to the first downshift signal.

16. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller includes a memory configured to store the plurality of predetermined routes.

17. A bicycle transmission apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to control at least one transmission device in accordance with a transmission route in response to a shift signal, the controller being configured to select one of a plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route based on bicycle information relating to a running condition of a bicycle,
the bicycle information including a geographical location of the bicycle, and
the controller being configured to select one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route based on the geographical location.

18. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein
the controller selects one of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where a geographical feature of the geographical location does not satisfy a reference condition, and
the controller selects another of the plurality of predetermined routes as the transmission route in a case where the geographical feature of the geographical location satisfies the reference condition.

19. The bicycle transmission apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a bicycle-information obtaining device configured to obtain the bicycle information, wherein
the bicycle-information obtaining device includes a global positioning system receiver configured to receive signals from a global positioning system to obtain the geographical location of the bicycle.

20. A bicycle transmission apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to control at least one transmission device in accordance with a transmission route in response to a shift signal, the controller being configured to adjust the transmission route based on bicycle information relating to a running condition of a bicycle,
the controller having a first shifting mode and a second shifting mode,
in the first shifting mode, the controller being configured to control the at least one transmission device in accordance with the transmission rout

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Fukao Kazutaka
• Yamaguchi Souta
• Miki Yoshimitsu
• Ikemoto Hideki
• Fukuda Masahiko

Classifications

• F16H2059/0221

  for selecting modes, e.g. sport, normal, economy · CPC title

• F16H59/14

  Inputs being a function of torque or torque demand · CPC title

• F16H59/70

  dependent on the ratio established · CPC title

• F16H2059/147

  Transmission input torque, e.g. measured or estimated engine torque · CPC title

• F16H59/38

  of gearing elements · CPC title