Patents by Inventor Marcus Auer

Marcus Auer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9944351
    Abstract: A shifting assembly for shifting a roller chain between a plurality of front chain wheels for a bicycle that includes a smaller chain wheel, a larger chain wheel and a chain derailleur having a channel on an inner guide plate. The channel has an elevation that comes into contact with a chain rise rivet on the larger chain wheel in the state of starting to shift the roller chain from the smaller chain wheel to the adjacent larger chain wheel, viewed in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the chain wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Braun, Marcus Auer, Markus Engel
  • Publication number: 20150274256
    Abstract: A shifting assembly for shifting a roller chain between a plurality of front chain wheels for a bicycle that includes a smaller chain wheel, a larger chain wheel and a chain derailleur having a channel on an inner guide plate. The channel has an elevation that comes into contact with a chain rise rivet on the larger chain wheel in the state of starting to shift the roller chain from the smaller chain wheel to the adjacent larger chain wheel, viewed in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the chain wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: SRAM DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Braun, Marcus Auer, Markus Engel
  • Patent number: 9132885
    Abstract: A derailleur is configured to be mounted to a bicycle frame. The derailleur includes a clamp mountable to the bicycle frame. The clamp includes a first end having a threaded portion receiving a clamp fastener for tightening of the clamp about the bicycle frame. A base member is connected to the clamp and includes a bore receiving the clamp fastener. A chain guide receives and laterally displaces a chain. First and second link members pivotably connect the base member and the chain guide. One of the link members includes an opening aligned with the bore such that the clamp fastener passes through the opening and into the bore of the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventor: Marcus Auer
  • Patent number: 8663043
    Abstract: A device for guiding and supporting the cable for actuating a front derailleur for bicycles. The device provides the cable guide parts with alternative cable routing paths, wherein the cable guide parts are securely connected to the connecting arm. The cable clamping screw for clamping the control cable is housed in a space saving manner in an opening in the cable guide part, wherein a direct transfer of the actuating forces to the connecting arm is possible with small frictional losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus Auer, Thorsten Hamisch
  • Patent number: 8574105
    Abstract: A front derailleur that includes a variable attachment to a mounting socket of a bicycle frame. The front derailleur includes a base member, a chain cage, a parallelogram and an attachment member. The base member includes first and second pivot points and at least two attachment points. The parallelogram includes two parallelogram arms, each having first and second ends. The first ends are pivotable about the first and second pivot points of the base member and the second ends support the chain cage. The attachment member connects the base member to the mounting socket of the bicycle frame through one of the at least two attachment positions. The base member also includes a contact surface for mating with the mounting socket. The different attachment positions allow the position of the front derailleur to be adapted to a standard or compact set of chainrings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Marcus Auer
  • Publication number: 20110224037
    Abstract: A device for guiding and supporting the cable for actuating a front derailleur for bicycles. The device provides the cable guide parts with alternative cable routing paths, wherein the cable guide parts are securely connected to the connecting arm. The cable clamping screw for clamping the control cable is housed in a space saving manner in an opening in the cable guide part, wherein a direct transfer of the actuating forces to the connecting arm is possible with small frictional losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus AUER, Thorsten HAMISCH
  • Patent number: 7789351
    Abstract: A flexible clamping insert for adapting the clamping contour of a clamping device to correspond to an outer contour of a bicycle frame. The clamping insert includes a mounting section, a pivoting section and a biasing section connecting the mounting section and the pivoting section. The clamping insert is formed as one piece from a flexible material. The mounting section includes at least one attachment feature for securing the mounting section to a fixed clamping arm of the clamping device. The mounting and pivoting sections have a concave contour and the biasing section has a convex, resulting in the clamping insert, in the uninstalled state, having a C-shaped contour. When installed on the clamping device, the biasing section biases the pivoting section toward an open position, resulting in the pivoting arm to open and allow the clamping insert and device to be mounted on to the bicycle frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Marcus Auer
  • Publication number: 20100081527
    Abstract: A derailleur is configured to be mounted to a bicycle frame. The derailleur includes a clamp mountable to the bicycle frame. The clamp includes a first end having a threaded portion receiving a clamp fastener for tightening of the clamp about the bicycle frame. A base member is connected to the clamp and includes a bore receiving the clamp fastener. A chain guide receives and laterally displaces a chain. First and second link members pivotably connect the base member and the chain guide. One of the link members includes an opening aligned with the bore such that the clamp fastener passes through the opening and into the bore of the base member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Marcus Auer
  • Publication number: 20060258494
    Abstract: A front derailleur that includes a variable attachment to a mounting socket of a bicycle frame. The front derailleur includes a base member, a chain cage, a parallelogram and an attachment member. The base member includes first and second pivot points and at least two attachment points. The parallelogram includes two parallelogram arms, each having first and second ends. The first ends are pivotable about the first and second pivot points of the base member and the second ends support the chain cage. The attachment member connects the base member to the mounting socket of the bicycle frame through one of the at least two attachment positions. The base member also includes a contact surface for mating with the mounting socket. The different attachment positions allow the position of the front derailleur to be adapted to a standard or compact set of chainrings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Marcus Auer
  • Patent number: 7117762
    Abstract: A rotatable handgrip shifting device (10) that is mountable on a bicycle handlebar and connected to a bicycle gear changing mechanism by a cable within a tube and reversibly operable at discrete shift points corresponding to the gears of the bicycle gear changing mechanism. The shifting device (10) includes a handgrip (34) rotatable about the handlebar, a spool (30) rotatable with the handgrip (34) and a housing (12) that secures the shifting device (10) to the handlebar. The housing (12) includes a gear display (18) denoting a plurality of discrete shift points of the gear changing mechanism. A flexible member (40) includes at one end a pointer (44) and a spool tab (42) at another end. The pointer (44) is reciprocally displaceable along the gear display (18) in response to rotation of the handgrip (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: SRAM Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Florczyk, Marcus Auer, Christian Buettner, Hung-I Chen
  • Publication number: 20060029465
    Abstract: A flexible clamping insert for adapting the clamping contour of a clamping device to correspond to an outer contour of a bicycle frame. The clamping insert includes a mounting section, a pivoting section and a biasing section connecting the mounting section and the pivoting section. The clamping insert is formed as one piece from a flexible material. The mounting section includes at least one attachment feature for securing the mounting section to a fixed clamping arm of the clamping device. The mounting and pivoting sections have a concave contour and the biasing section has a convex, resulting in the clamping insert, in the uninstalled state, having a C-shaped contour. When installed on the clamping device, the biasing section biases the pivoting section toward an open position, resulting in the pivoting arm to open and allow the clamping insert and device to be mounted on to the bicycle frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: SRAM DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Marcus Auer
  • Publication number: 20050172752
    Abstract: A rotatable handgrip shifting device (10) that is mountable on a bicycle handlebar and connected to a bicycle gear changing mechanism by a cable within a tube and reversibly operable at discrete shift points corresponding to the gears of the bicycle gear changing mechanism. The shifting device (10) includes a handgrip (34) rotatable about the handlebar, a spool (30) rotatable with the handgrip (34) and a housing (12) that secures the shifting device (10) to the handlebar. The housing (12) includes a gear display (18) denoting a plurality of discrete shift points of the gear changing mechanism. A flexible member (40) includes at one end a pointer (44) and a spool tab (42) at another end. The pointer (44) is reciprocally displaceable along the gear display (18) in response to rotation of the handgrip (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Inventors: Raymond Florczyk, Marcus Auer, Christian Buettner, Hung-I Chen
  • Patent number: 6681652
    Abstract: A gear selection device for a variable gear mechanism, especially for a bicycle gear drive mechanism, with a control device, which acts via a force-transmitting element on the variable gear mechanism; with an actuating device with a rotatable actuating element for manual actuation of the control device; and with a display device with an indicator element, which can move along an arc to display the engaged gear selected via the actuating device. The angular movement of the actuating device or control device is transmitted via a transmission device to the display device in such a way that the arc through which the indicator element of the display device passes is smaller than the arc through which the actuating element of the actuating device passes as the same time. This improves the readability of the display device and also improves the ergonomics of the gear selection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus Auer, Martin Assel
  • Patent number: 6631655
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shifter for actuating at least one gear mechanism of a bicycle including a housing, a gripping element for actuating the shifter, and a movable element for exerting tension on and/or for releasing a gear transfer means. The movable element has a pawl which engages in a set of latching teeth in the housing. The gripping element has a lifter which disengages the pawl from the latching teeth during a shifting operation in the release direction. A driver on the gripping part preloads a spring on the movable element during a shifting operation in the release direction which urges the movable element in the release direction. The advantage of a shifter for bicycle gear mechanisms according to the present invention is to be found in that, by simple means, it becomes possible to shift gears, especially in the release direction, quickly and independently of the preload being exerted on the movable element by the gear mechanism via the transfer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Blaschke, Marcus Auer
  • Publication number: 20010031682
    Abstract: A gear selection device for a variable gear mechanism, especially for a bicycle gear drive mechanism, with a control device, which acts via a force-transmitting element on the variable gear mechanism; with an actuating device with a rotatable actuating element for manual actuation of the control device; and with a display device with an indicator element, which can move along an arc to display the engaged gear selected via the actuating device. The angular movement of the actuating device or control device is transmitted via a transmission device to the display device in such a way that the arc through which the indicator element of the display device passes is smaller than the arc through which the actuating element of the actuating device passes as the same time. This improves the readability of the display device and also improves the ergonomics of the gear selection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventors: Marcus Auer, Martin Assel
  • Publication number: 20010023621
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shifter for actuating at least one gear mechanism of a bicycle including a housing, a gripping element for actuating the shifter, and a movable element for exerting tension on and/or for releasing a gear transfer means. The movable element has a pawl which engages in a set of latching teeth in the housing. The gripping element has a lifter which disengages the pawl from the latching teeth during a shifting operation in the release direction. A driver on the gripping part preloads a spring on the movable element during a shifting operation in the release direction which urges the movable element in the release direction. The advantage of a shifter for bicycle gear mechanisms according to the present invention is to be found in that, by simple means, it becomes possible to shift gears, especially in the release direction, quickly and independently of the preload being exerted on the movable element by the gear mechanism via the transfer element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Applicant: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Blaschke, Marcus Auer
  • Patent number: 6009771
    Abstract: A device for switching a chain on different sprockets of a pedal bearing mounted to a seat tube of a frame of a bicycle. The chain switching device includes a cage which can be economically manufactured in a plurality of constructions and readily mounted on different bicycle frames with different angles between a seat tube and a chain brace in order to achieve optimum operating angles with appropriately modified cages. The different cage constructions are manufactured from a single sheet metal blank and have brackets arranged at different positions and of different lengths which are formed by appropriately positioning their bending edges to attach the cage to a parallel guide device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: SRAM Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Desenclos, Arndt Gockisch, Marcus Auer, Raymond Florczyk