Bicycle shifting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815522-B2
Application number	US-201514956717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A bicycle shifting apparatus comprises a shifting controller. The shifting controller is configured to control one of a front shifting device and a rear shifting device to change one of a front shift position and a rear shift position in response to a user input. The shifting controller is configured to control the other of the front shifting device and the rear shifting device to change the other of the front shift position and the rear shift position with a delay time period in conjunction with the one of the front shifting device and the rear shifting device in response to the user input. The shifting controller is configured to change the delay time period based on at least one of a gear ratio, the rear shift position, and a current rotational speed of a bicycle crank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle shifting apparatus comprising:
a shifting controller configured to control a front shifting device and a rear shifting device to change a gear ratio defined based on a front shift position of the front shifting device and a rear shift position of the rear shifting device,
the shifting controller being configured to control one of the front shifting device and the rear shifting device to change one of the front shift position and the rear shift position in response to a user input,
the shifting controller being configured to control the other of the front shifting device and the rear shifting device to change the other of the front shift position and the rear shift position with a delay time period in conjunction with the one of the front shifting device and the rear shifting device in response to the user input, and
the shifting controller being configured to change the delay time period based on at least one of the gear ratio, the rear shift position, and a current rotational speed of a bicycle crank.

2. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shifting controller includes a storage device configured to store at least one reference time period as the delay time period, and
the at least one reference time period is defined based on at least one of the gear ratio, the rear shift position, and a rotational speed of the bicycle crank.

3. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the shifting controller includes a time-period selector configured to select, as the delay time period, one of the at least one reference time period based on the current rotational speed of the bicycle crank.

4. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the at least one reference time period includes a plurality of reference time periods,
the storage device is configured to store a first reference table and a second reference table,
the first reference table includes a first reference time period of the plurality of reference time periods,
the second reference table includes a second reference time period of the plurality of reference time periods, and
the second reference time period is different from the first reference time period.

5. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the rear shifting device has a first shift position range and a second shift position range,
at least one of the first shift position range and the second shift position range includes a plurality of shift positions,
the at least one reference time period includes
a first reference time period configured to be set based on the first shift position range, and
a second reference time period configured to be set based on the second shift position range, and

the second reference time period is different from the first reference time period.

6. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the rear shifting device has a first shift position and a second shift position as the rear shift position,
the at least one reference time period includes
a first reference time period configured to be set based on the first shift position, and
a second reference time period configured to be set based on the second shift position, and

the second reference time period is different from the first reference time period.

7. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shifting controller is configured to output a first shifting signal to the front shifting device to change the front shift position in response to the user input, and
the shifting controller is configured to output a second shifting signal to the rear shifting device to change the rear shift position in response to the user input after a lapse of the delay time period from a timing at which the shifting controller outputs the first shifting signal.

8. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the front shifting device is configured to change the front shift position to downshift in response to the first shifting signal, and
the rear shifting device is configured to change the rear shift position to upshift in response to the second shifting signal.

9. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shifting controller is configured to output a first shifting signal to the front shifting device to change the front shift position in response to the user input,
the shifting controller is configured to output a second shifting signal to the rear shifting device to change the rear shift position in response to the user input, and
the second shifting signal includes a delay-time signal indicating the delay time period.

10. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the rear shifting device is configured to change the rear shift position after a lapse of the delay time period indicated by the delay-time signal from a timing at which the rear shifting device receives the second shifting signal.

11. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the front shifting device is configured to change the front shift position to downshift in response to the first shifting signal, and
the rear shifting device is configured to change the rear shift position to upshift after a lapse of the delay time period indicated by the delay-time signal from a timing at which the rear shifting device receives the second shifting signal.

12. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the rear shifting device has a low gear position and a top gear position as the rear shift position,
the shifting controller is configured to set a minimum time period as the delay time period based on the low gear position,
the shifting controller is configured to set a maximum time period as the delay time period based on the top gear position, and
the maximum time period is longer than the minimum time period.

13. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shifting controller includes a time-period selector configured to select a maximum time period as the delay time period when the current rotational speed of the bicycle crank is equal to a first rotational speed,
the time-period selector is configured to select a minimum time period as the delay time period when the current rotational speed of the bicycle crank is equal to a second rotational speed,
the first rotational speed is smaller than the second rotational speed, and
the maximum time period is longer than the minimum time period.

14. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shifting controller is configured to set the delay time period to be different in accordance with the rear shift position and the current rotational speed.

15. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shifting controller includes a storage device configured to store shift-map information,
the shift-map information includes combinations of
the front shift position of the front shifting device,
the rear shift position of the rear shifting device, and
a shifting action to be performed at the front shift position and the rear shift position in response to a single input command defined as the user input, and

the shifting controller is configured to control the front shifting device and the rear shifting device based on the shift-map information in response to the single input command.

16. The bicycle shifting apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein
the shifting controller is configured to control one of the front shifting device and t

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Tachibana Hiroshi
• Fujii Kazuhiro
• Mizutani Yuta
• Nishi Keijiro
• Kataoka Yuki
• Takamoto Ryuichiro
• Kato Ayumi

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• B62M9/132

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title

• B62M9/123

  changing gears automatically · CPC title

• B62M25/08

  with electrical or fluid transmitting systems · CPC title

• B62M9/122 Primary

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title