Bar-end electric actuation device of a bicycle gearshift

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958058-B2
Application number	US-201313868475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2013
Priority date	Apr 23, 2012
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

The bar-end electric actuation device of a bicycle gearshift, comprising a body suitable for being mounted at an end of handlebars facing forwards in the direction of travel (X) of the bicycle and a first and a second electric actuation member acting on respective electrical contacts which are mounted in the body and are suitable for controlling gearshifting, upwards and downwards respectively. The first and the second electric actuation member are faced by said body according to a respective facing direction, angularly spaced apart by an angle (α) that is between 60° and 130°. Moreover, the body is suitable for being positioned externally around the end of the handlebars, leaving free access to the inside of the end itself.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Bar-end electric actuation device of a bicycle gearshift, comprising: a body configured for being mounted at a forward facing free end of handlebars extending in a direction of travel (X) of said bicycle, said body extending forward in said direction of travel (X) when mounted, and two electric actuation members acting on respective electrical contacts which are mounted in said body for controlling gear shifting, upward or downward respectively, wherein said two electric actuation members are mounted on said body with respective facing directions that are perpendicular to a respective surface tangent to said body at a respective electric actuation member, said facing directions are angularly spaced apart by an angle (α) comprised between 60° and 130°; wherein a first one of said two electric actuation members faces upwardly and substantially perpendicular to said direction of travel (X) of said bicycle, and the first one of said two electric actuation members is more forward in said direction of travel (X) of said bicycle than a second one of said two electric actuation members.

2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said angle (α) is comprised between 75 and 110°.

3. Device according to claim 1 , wherein one of said facing directions faces laterally, and substantially perpendicular to said direction of travel (X) of said bicycle.

4. Device according to claim 1 , wherein one of said facing directions faces in said direction of travel (X) of said bicycle.

5. Device according to claim 1 , wherein one of said facing directions faces downwards, and substantially perpendicular to said direction of travel (X) of the bicycle.

6. Device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said electric actuation members is actuated from a neutral position to an actuation position according to a respective actuation direction by acting against a respective spring.

7. Device according to claim 6 , wherein one of said electric actuation members is mounted on said body to slide in the respective actuation direction.

8. Device according to claim 6 , wherein one of said electric actuation members is mounted on said body to rotate about a respective pin arranged so that said respective actuation direction substantially coincides with a respective facing direction of said body.

9. Device according to claim 6 , wherein one of said electric actuation members is mounted on said body to rotate about a respective pin arranged so that said respective actuation direction is substantially perpendicular to a respective facing direction of said body.

10. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said body further comprises a band for locking said device onto said end of said handlebars.

11. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said body further comprises an expander for mounting in said end of said handlebars, and said expander comprising splayable sectors and a free angular space.

12. Device according to claim 1 further comprising a brake lever, rotatably supported by said body.

13. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said angle (α) is comprised between 85 and 100°.

14. Bar-end electric actuation device of a bicycle gearshift, comprising a body with a central opening extending between axial ends of the body that is configured to be mounted at an open tubular end of handlebars facing forwards in a direction of travel (X) of said bicycle and electric actuation members mounted on said body, each of said electric actuation members are configured to control gear shifting, upwards and downwards respectively, wherein said body defines a cylindrical through seat having an axis that, when the device is mounted on the open tubular end of the handlebars, extends in said direction of travel (X) of the bicycle, said cylindrical seat being configured to allow a positioning of said body on said open tubular end of said handlebars and retain free, uninterrupted access through a central opening of said body to an inside of said open tubular end.

15. Device according to claim 14 , wherein said body extends in a direction of said axis of said cylindrical through seat substantially as far as said cylindrical through seat.

16. Device according to claim 14 , wherein said body extends in a direction of said axis of said cylindrical through seat substantially farther than said cylindrical through seat, so as to be cantilevered.

17. A combination comprising:
forward facing bicycle handlebars with a forward facing free end extending in a direction of travel (X) of a bicycle; and,
an electric actuation device for controlling a bicycle gear shift, said device having a body configured for mounting at the forward facing free end of said handlebars and extending forward in said direction of travel (X) when mounted, and
two electric actuation members that are mounted on said body in respective facing directions that are perpendicular to a respective surface tangent to said body at a respective electric actuation member, wherein said facing directions are angularly spaced apart by an angle (α) comprised between 60° and 130°; wherein said electric actuation members act on respective electrical contacts that control upward or downward gear shifting, wherein a first one of said two electric actuation members faces upwardly and substantially perpendicular to said direction of travel (X) of said bicycle, and the first one of said two electric actuation members is more forward in said direction of travel (X) of said bicycle than a second one of said two electric actuation members.

Assignees

• Campagnolo Srl

Inventors

• Burato Luca
• Valle Maurizio

Classifications

• B62M25/08

  with electrical or fluid transmitting systems · CPC title

• B62K27/08 Primary

  Resilient car-body suspension on frame · CPC title

• Y10T74/2003

  Electrical actuator · CPC title

• B62K23/02

  hand actuated (arrangements of controls on handle-bars of engine-driven cycles B62K11/14) · CPC title

• H01H2009/066

  having switches mounted on a control handle, e.g. gear shift lever · CPC title