Bicycle derailleur gear, particularly a front derailleur gear, with improved reliability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676446-B2
Application number	US-201414191524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bicycle derailleur gear, particularly a front derailleur gear, with improved reliability that comprises a kinematic mechanism in the form of a four-bar linkage with a base body and a mobile body connected together through a pair of connecting rods hinged to the base body and to the mobile body at four pin elements, the mobile body carrying a chain guide, the four-bar linkage-kinematic mechanism being associated with derailleur gear actuation means suitable for deforming the four-bar linkage-kinematic mechanism so as to determine a displacement of the mobile body with respect to the base body and consequently a displacement of the chain guide, the derailleur gear actuation means being of the motorized type and comprising a motor casing and an outlet shaft that projects directly from said motor casing and characterized in that the actuation means command a translation in the axial direction of the outlet shaft with respect to the motor casing and are mounted between distinct components of the four-bar linkage-kinematic mechanism through interposition of at least one tilting interface about a fifth pin element substantially parallel to the pin elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Bicycle derailleur gear comprising a kinematic mechanism in the form of a four-bar linkage with a base body and a mobile body connected together through a pair of connecting rods hinged to said base body and to said mobile body at four pin elements, said mobile body carrying a chain guide, said four-bar linkage-kinematic mechanism being associated with derailleur gear actuation means suitable for deforming said four-bar linkage-kinematic mechanism so as to determine a displacement of said mobile body with respect to said base body and consequently a displacement of said chain guide, said derailleur gear actuation means being of the motorised type and comprising a motor casing and an outlet shaft that projects directly from said motor casing, wherein said actuation means command a translation in the axial direction of said outlet shaft within said motor casing; and said actuation means are mounted between distinct components of said four-bar linkage-kinematic mechanism through interposition of at least one tilting interface about a fifth pin element substantially parallel to said pin elements.

2. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation means are arranged between said base body and a connecting rod of said pair of connecting rods, said translation in the axial direction of said outlet shaft determining a mutual rotation between said base body and said connecting rod about a pin element of said four pin elements arranged between said base body and said connecting rod.

3. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation means comprise a motor element capable of directly producing a translating displacement of said outlet shaft.

4. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation means comprise a motor element of the rotary type provided with a primary outlet shaft associated with a transmission kinematically arranged between said primary motor shaft and said outlet shaft in order to determine said translation in the axial direction of said outlet shaft, said rotary motor element, said primary motor shaft and said transmission being enclosed in said motor casing.

5. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 1 , wherein said outlet shaft is immobile in rotation with respect to said motor casing.

6. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 5 , wherein a free end of said outlet shaft is connected to said connecting rod in a rotary manner about a sixth pin element substantially parallel to said pin elements.

7. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one tilting interface comprises a support shell of said motor casing constrained in a tilting manner to said base body at said fifth pin element.

8. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one tilting interface is arranged between a free end of said outlet shaft and said connecting rod.

9. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one tilting interface comprises an intermediate articulation element hinged to said free end of said outlet shaft at said fifth pin element and to said connecting rod at a sixth pin element.

10. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 6 , wherein said sixth pin element is made on an actuation arm of said connecting rod fixedly connected to it.

11. Bicycle derailleur gear according to claim 9 , wherein between said outlet shaft and said intermediate articulation element a clearance recovery spring is arranged.

Assignees

• Campagnolo Srl

Inventors

• Pasqua Paolo
• Bortoli Alberto

Classifications

• B62M9/132 Primary

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title

• B62M9/134 Primary

  Mechanisms for shifting laterally · CPC title