IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,008,923
Granted Patent B2
US 9,008,923 · App. 13/857,405 · Granted Apr 14, 2015

Bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus

Inventors: Ryuichiro Takamoto (Osaka, JP); Yoshiyuki Kasai (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: Shimano Inc.
F16H61/0202B62M25/00B62M25/08B62M9/122B62M9/132
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,008,923
App. No.
13/857,405
Granted
Apr 14, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus for adjusting a bicycle derailleur includes a controller. The bicycle derailleur includes a base member adapted to be mounted to a bicycle, a movable member, a linkage coupled between the base member and the movable member, and an actuator configured to move the movable member of the bicycle derailleur among a plurality of derailleur positions. The controller is configured to control the actuator based on a travel value indicative of a travel distance of the movable member between adjacent derailleur positions to update the derailleur positions of the movable member.

Claims (45)

1. A bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus for adjusting a bicycle derailleur including a base member adapted to be mounted to a bicycle, a movable member, a linkage coupled between the base member and the movable member, and an actuator configured to move the movable member of the bicycle derailleur among a plurality of derailleur positions, the bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to obtain angular derailleur positions corresponding to an adjacent pair of the derailleur positions, which includes a current derailleur position of the movable member,

the controller being further configured to calculate a travel value which is indicative of a travel distance of the movable member between the adjacent pair of the derailleur positions, based on a difference between the angular derailleur positions corresponding to the adjacent pair of the derailleur positions;

the controller being further configured to control the actuator based on the travel value that was calculated, and to update the derailleur positions of the movable member based on the travel value that was calculated.

2. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to update the derailleur positions of the movable member by a tuning parameter calculated based on the travel value indicative of the travel distance of the movable member.

3. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the controller is configured to calculate the tuning parameter.

4. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising

a storage device configured to store the derailleur positions of the movable member, the derailleur positions corresponding to a plurality of sprockets, respectively.

5. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising

an input member configured to input an adjustment input,

the controller being configured to update one of the derailleur positions stored in the storage device based on the tuning parameter and the adjustment input inputted by the input member.

6. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the actuator has an output member that is rotatable and operatively coupled to the linkage, and

the controller is configured to determine a rotational value of the output member.

7. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the travel distance of the movable member between the adjacent derailleur positions is measured in a lateral direction of the bicycle while the bicycle derailleur is mounted on a bicycle frame of the bicycle.

8. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to calculate a plurality of tuning parameters for a plurality of shift stages of the bicycle derailleur based on a plurality of travel values indicative of a plurality of travel distances of the movable member between a plurality of adjacent pairs of the derailleur positions, respectively, and

the controller being further configured to update the derailleur positions of the movable member based on the tuning parameters, respectively.

9. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the adjacent pairs of the derailleur positions define the shift stages of the bicycle derailleur therebetween, respectively.

10. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the controller is further configured to calculate the tuning parameters for the shift stages of the bicycle derailleur by dividing the travel values indicative of the travel distances of the movable member between the adjacent pairs of the derailleur positions by a predetermined number, respectively.

11. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the controller is further configured to update the derailleur positions by adjustment amounts that are calculated by multiplying the tuning parameters by a number of adjustment steps, respectively.

12. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

the controller is further configured to store updated derailleur positions in a storage device.

13. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein

the controller is further configured to store the number of the adjustment steps in the storage device.

14. A bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus for adjusting a bicycle derailleur including a base member adapted to be mounted to a bicycle, a movable member, a linkage coupled between the base member and the movable member, and an actuator configured to move the movable member of the bicycle derailleur among a plurality of derailleur positions, the bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control the actuator based on a travel value indicative of a travel distance of the movable member between adjacent derailleur positions to update the derailleur positions of the movable member,

the controller being configured to update the derailleur positions of the movable member by a tuning parameter that is calculated based on the travel value indicative of the travel distance of the movable member,

the controller being further configured to calculate the tuning parameter by dividing the travel value indicative of the travel distance of the movable member by a predetermined number.

15. A bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus for adjusting a bicycle derailleur including a base member adapted to be mounted to a bicycle, a movable member, a linkage coupled between the base member and the movable member, and an actuator configured to move the movable member of the bicycle derailleur among a plurality of derailleur positions, the bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control the actuator based on a travel value indicative of a travel distance of the movable member between adjacent derailleur positions to update the derailleur positions of the movable member,

the controller being configured to update the derailleur positions of the movable member by a tuning parameter that is calculated based on the travel value indicative of the travel distance of the movable member,

the controller being further configured to calculate an updated one of the derailleur positions by multiplying the tuning parameter by a number of adjustment steps.

16. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising

an input member configured to input an adjustment input that indicates the number of adjustment steps.

17. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

the controller is further configured to store the updated one of the derailleur positions in a storage device.

18. The bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein

the controller is further configured to store the number of the adjustment steps in the storage device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2013
From: TAKAMOTO, RYUICHIRO; KASAI, YOSHIYUKI
To: SHIMANO INC.
Reel/Frame 030168/0293 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140303857A1 · Oct 9, 2014