Electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles
An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles includes a supporting body fixed to a handlebar of a bicycle, a supporting body, a pair of electric switches to control the gear change carried by the supporting body, and a gear change lever that can be manually operated to control a first of said switches. The gear change lever comprises a first part connected to the supporting body so as to consent shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position, and a second part hinged to the first part.
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The present invention relates to an electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles.
More precisely, the invention relates to a control device of the type comprising:
-
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a brake control lever hinged to the supporting body,
- a pair of electric switches to control gear change carried by the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches.
A control device of the type specified above is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,277 by the same Applicant, which describes an electric control device provided with two switches positioned in a supporting body fixed to the handlebar of a bicycle. A first switch is operated by a gear change lever positioned immediately behind the brake control lever and a second switch is operated by a push button positioned on a side wall of the supporting body. The two electric switches may be used to operate in opposite directions an electric motor associated with a derailleur for bicycles. Operation of the derailleur motor in a first direction shifts the chain in a first direction, for example towards higher speed gears and operation in the opposite direction shifts the chain in the opposite direction, for example towards lower speed gears.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,036 describes an electric control device for a bicycle including a gear change switch supported by the brake lever. A second gear change switch may be positioned near the brake lever. This solution is less advantageous than the one in which both switches are positioned on the supporting body, as it is necessary to take an electric connection to the brake lever which pivots in relation to the supporting body.
The object of the present invention is to provide an electric control device of an improved type which is ergonomic, of simple construction and more functional than prior art devices.
According to the present invention, this object is attained by a control device with the characteristics contained in claim 1.
The present invention shall now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided purely as a non-limiting example, in which:
With reference to
The control device 10 comprises a supporting body 12 provided with means of conventional type for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar 14. The control device 10 comprises a brake control lever 16 hinged to the supporting body 12 by means of a pivot pin 18. One end 20 of a brake control cable 22 is fixed in a conventional manner to a top portion of the brake control lever 16. As can be seen in
The supporting body 12 carries a pair of electric switches to control gear change, indicated with 24 and 26 in
The first switch 24 is provided for operating an electric motor for gear change (not shown) in a first direction for example to shift the chain towards higher speed gears (or upshifting). The second switch 26 is provided for operating the same gear change motor in the opposite direction, for example to shift the chain towards lower speed gears (or downshifting). The control device 10 may be used irrespectively to control the front derailleur or the rear derailleur of a bicycle. Therefore, in the control device positioned on the right side of the handlebar of the bicycle (normally used to control the rear derailleur) the switch 24 controls shift towards lower speed gears (that is towards gears with a larger number of teeth) and the switch 26 controls shift towards higher speed gears (gears with a smaller number of teeth). On the contrary, in the control device positioned on the left side of the handlebar, usually destined to control the front derailleur, the situation is reversed so that the switch 24 controls shift towards higher speed gears (towards a sprocket wheel with a larger number of teeth) and the switch 26 controls shift towards lower speed gears (towards a sprocket wheel with a smaller number of teeth).
In the embodiment according to
The control device 10 comprises a gear change lever (or control lever) 38 connected in a pivoting manner to the supporting body 12 and positioned immediately behind the brake control lever 16. The lever 38 is composed of two separate parts hinged together an upper part 40 hinged to the supporting body 12 around a first axis 42 and a lower part 44 hinged to the upper part 40 around a second axis 46. The two pivotal axes 42, 46 are orthogonal or substantially orthogonal in relation to each other. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the first axis 42 extends along a substantially orthogonal direction in relation to the pivotal axis 18 of the brake control lever 16 and, consequently, the second pivotal axis 46 is parallel or substantially parallel in relation to the pivotal axis 18 of the brake control lever 16. Alternatively, this layout could be inverted so that the upper part 40 of the lever 38 is hinged to the supporting body 12 around an axis parallel or substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the brake control lever while the lower part 44 of the lever 38 is hinged to the upper part 40 around an axis orthogonal to the pivotal axis of the brake control lever.
In the embodiment shown in
As can be seen by comparing
In the variant shown in
The gear change lever 38 may be associated with a check device that limits the pivoting stroke of the lever 38, to avoid damages to the switch 24 in the case in which the lever 38 is pushed against the switch with excessive force. This check device may be produced as described in the Italian patent application no. TO2000A000540 by the same Applicant.
The described embodiments perform the upshifting and the downshifting by means of two levers (the control lever 38 and the push button lever 80). In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, both said functions can be performed by a single lever.
As shown in
The control lever 38 can operate both the switches 24 and 26 also in the embodiments in accordance with
As a further alternative of the present invention, as schematically indicated in
Naturally, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the constructional details and embodiments may vary widely in relation to what is described and illustrated herein purely as an example, without however departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one switch.
2. A control lever according to claim 1, wherein said at least two directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.
3. A control lever according to claim 1, wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch.
4. A control lever according to claim 1, wherein said movement in the first direction for operating said first switch is performed by a first lever part and said movement in a second direction having no influence on said first switch is performed by a second lever part.
5. A control lever according to claim 3, wherein said movement in a third direction for bringing said lever into operating contact with said second switch is performed by a first lever part.
6. A control lever according to claim 5, wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to said first lever part.
7. A control lever according to claim 6, wherein said first lever part is fixed to a supporting body of said bicycle.
8. A control lever according to claim 6, wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a pivoting axis.
9. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one switch;
- wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch;
- wherein said movement in a third direction for bringing said lever into operating contact with said second switch is performed by a first lever part;
- wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to said first lever part;
- wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a first axis; and
- wherein said first lever part acts on said first switch by pivoting around a second axis in the first direction, wherein the first axis and the second axis are offset from each other.
10. A control lever according to claim 9, wherein said first lever part acts on said second switch by pivoting around said second axis in a second direction.
11. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one switch,
- wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch,
- wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to a first lever part,
- wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a first axis,
- wherein said first lever part acts on said second switch by pivoting around said second axis in a second direction, and
- wherein said second axis is substantially perpendicular with respect to said first axis.
12. A control lever according to claim 9 further comprising an articulation pin about which the control lever articulates, and a head on said pin for operating said first switch.
13. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one switch, comprising an articulation pin having a head for operating said first switch,
- wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch,
- wherein said movement in a third direction for bringing said lever into operating contact with said second switch is performed by a first lever part,
- wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to said first lever part,
- wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a first axis,
- wherein said first lever part acts on said first switch by pivoting around a second axis in the first direction, and
- wherein said articulation pin has two opposite heads for operating, respectively, said first and said second switches, respectively.
14. A control lever according to claim 9 further comprising a torsional spring relatively associated between the first lever part and the second lever part.
15. A control lever according to claim 8, wherein the first lever part comprises an elastically deformable element.
16. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said cuntrul lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one switch;
- wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch;
- wherein said movement in a third direction for bringing said lever into operating contact with said second switch is performed by a first lever part;
- wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to said first lever part;
- wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a first axis;
- wherein the first axis and the second axis are offset from each other; and
- wherein the first lever part acts on said first switch by a means for sliding the first lever part.
17. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one switch;
- wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch;
- wherein said movement in a third direction for bringing said lever into operating contact with said second switch is performed by a first lever part;
- wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to said first lever part;
- wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a first axis;
- wherein the first axis and the second axis are offset from each other; and
- wherein the first lever part acts on said first switch by means of elastic means for biasing the first lever part away from the first switch.
18. A control lever according to claim 3, wherein the lever is provided with at least one operating portion for operating at least one of said switches.
19. A control lever according claim 18, wherein a second lever part is provided with at least one operating portion for operating at least one of said switches.
20. A control lever according to claim 1, wherein said at least one switch controls the gear change of a bicycle.
21. A control lever according to claim 1, wherein said lever is positioned behind a bicycle brake lever.
22. A control lever according to claim 21, wherein said second movement which does not influence the switch is the braking movement of the brake lever.
23. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising a supporting body provided with means for fixing the supporting body to a bicycle handlebar and a first switch for controlling an upshift of a gear and a second switch for controlling a down shift of a gear, wherein both of said electric switches are operated by a single lever attached to the support body.
24. Electric control device according to claim 23, wherein said single lever presents a central rest position in which none of said electric switches is operated.
25. Electric control device according to claim 24, wherein said single lever operates one of said electric switches when moved in a first direction and operates the other of said electric switches when moved in the substantially opposed direction.
26. Electric control device according to claim 23, wherein said single lever is hinged on said supporting body.
27. Electric control device according to claim 23, wherein said single lever is hinged on a bicycle brake control lever.
28. Electric control device according to claim 23, wherein said single lever is a control lever positioned behind a bicycle brake control lever.
29. Electric control device according to claim 26, wherein said single lever is a push button lever positioned substantially perpendicular to a brake control lever of the bicycle.
30. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising: a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar, a pair of electric switches to control the gear change, carried by the supporting body, and a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches, wherein the gear change lever comprises: a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first switch, and a a second part hinged to the first part about a pin, with the first part and second parts contacting a torsion spring that is mounted on the pin.
31. Device according to claim 30, wherein said first part is hinged to the supporting body around an axis orthogonal or substantially orthogonal in relation to a pivotal axis of the pin.
32. Device according to claim 30, wherein said first part comprises an elastically deformable element.
33. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising:
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a pair of electric switches to control the gear change, carried by the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches.
- wherein the gear change lever comprises:
- a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first switch, and
- a second part hinged to the first part,
- wherein said first part comprises an elastically deformable element comprising a metal lamina with a base fixed to the supporting body and an elastically deformable branch hinged to which is the second part.
34. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising:
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a pair of electric switches to control the gear change, carried by the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches,
- wherein the gear change lever comprises:
- a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first switch, and
- a second part hinged to the first part,
- wherein said first part comprises a block mounted slibably in relation to the supporting body along a rectilinear direction.
35. Device according to claim 34, wherein said block is mounted slidably on guide means carried by the supporting body.
36. Device according to claim 35 further comprising elastic means tending to push said block towards a rest position.
37. An elastic control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising:
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a pair of electric switches to control the gear change, carried by the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches,
- wherein the gear change lever comprises:
- a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first switch, and p1 a second part hinged to the first part about a pin, with the first part and second parts contacting a torsion spring that is mounted on the pin,
- wherein said first part is hinged to the supporting body around an axis orthogonal or substantially orthogonal in relation to a pivotal axis of the pin, and
- wherein one of said axes is parallel or substantially parallel to and offset from the pivotal axis of a brake control lever.
38. Device according to claim 37, wherein the pivotal axis between the first and the second part is parallel or substantially parallel to a pivotal axis of the bicycle brake control lever.
39. Device according to claim 30, wherein the pin has at least one head facing and capable of contacting at least one of said switches.
40. Device according to claim 30, wherein the second part of the gear change lever has an operating portion facing and capable of contacting at least one of said switches.
41. Device according to claim 30, wherein the first part of the gear change lever has an operating portion facing and capable of contacting at least one of said switches.
42. Device according to claim 30 further comprising a return spring operatively positioned between the supporting body and the first part of the gear change lever.
43. Device according to claim 42 further comprising a second return spring operatively positioned between the first and the second part of the gear change lever.
44. Device according to claim 30, further comprising a third electric switch suitable to control operation of a cycle computer.
45. Device according to claim 30, wherein said electric switches are mounted on a supporting plate in contact with the supporting body.
46. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising:
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a pair of electric switches to control the gear change, carried by the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches,
- wherein the gear change lever comprises:
- a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first switch, and
- a second part hinged to the first part,
- wherein said electric switches are positioned and mounted on opposite faces of a supporting plate in turn mounted on the supporting body.
47. Device according to claim 30, wherein said gear change lever is movable in a first direction to operate a first switch and in a second direction to operate a second switch.
48. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising:
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a pair of electric switches to control the gear change, carried by the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said switches,
- wherein the gear change lever comprises:
- a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first switch, and
- a second part hinged to the first part about a pin, with the first part and second parts contacting a torsion spring that is mounted un the pin;
- wherein said switches are mounted on opposite sides with respect to the gear change lever.
49. Device according to claim 48, wherein said switches are mounted on respective plates facing each other.
50. Device according to claim 30, wherein said gear control lever is positioned behind a brake control lever hinged to the supporting body.
51. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable rotatable about in at least two directions separate axes, independently of the brake lever, and positioned so that movement in rotation of said control lever about a first direction axis brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one switch, while movement rotation of said control lever about in a second direction axis has no operating influence on said at least one switch, and movement in rotation about said second direction axis does not move said at least one switch.
52. An electric control device for a motor-driven derailleur for bicycles, comprising:
- a supporting body provided with means for fixing it to a bicycle handlebar,
- a pair of electric switches to control a gear change, fixed to the supporting body, and
- a gear change lever that can be operated manually to control at least one of said pair of switches,
- wherein the gear change lever comprises:
- a first part connected to the supporting body in order to allow shift of the gear change lever between a position at rest and an operating position of said first at least one of said pair of switches, and
- a second part hinged to the first part about a pin, wherein movement of the second part about an axis of the pin has no effect on either of the pair of switches.
53. A control lever attached to a support body, mounted on a bicycle handlebar adjacent to a brake lever, for operating at least one a first switch of a bicycle electric device, said control lever is movable in at least two directions, and positioned so that movement in a first direction brings said lever into operating contact with said at least one first switch and movement in a second direction has no operating influence on said at least one first switch, comprising an articulation pin having a head for operating said first switch,
- wherein said lever is movable in a third direction and positioned so that movement of the lever in a third direction brings said lever into operating contact with a second switch,
- wherein said movement in said third direction for bringing said lever into operating contact with said second switch is performed by a first lever part,
- wherein a second lever part is movable with respect to said first lever part,
- wherein said second lever part is articulated on said first lever part around a first axis,
- wherein said first lever part acts on said first switch by pivoting around a second axis in the first direction, and
- wherein said articulation pin has two opposite heads for operating at least one of said first and said second switches.
54. A control lever attached to a support body mounted on a bicycle handlebar, said support body including a brake lever arranged adjacent to said control lever, said control lever being rotatable about at least two separate axes, independently of the brake lever, for operating at least one switch associated with a bicycle electric device, and said at least one switch is fixed in position relative to said support body so that rotation of said control lever about one of said at least two separate axes brings said control lever into operating contact with said at least one switch and rotation about another of said at least two separate axes has no operating influence on, and does not move, said at least one switch.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 2, 2006
Date of Patent: Jul 10, 2012
Assignee: Campagnolo S.r.l. (Vicenza)
Inventor: Giuseppe Dal Pra′ (Zane Vicenza)
Primary Examiner: Rodney H Bonck
Attorney: Volpe and Koenig, P.C.
Application Number: 11/366,984
International Classification: B62M 25/08 (20060101); B62M 25/04 (20060101); B62M 25/00 (20060101);