IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,926,394
Granted Patent B2
US 11,926,394 · App. 17/017,692 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Bicycle derailleur

Inventor: Akihiro Hasegawa (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHIMANO INC.
B62M9/06B60L53/16B60L53/80B62J43/13B62J43/20B62M6/40B60L2200/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,926,394
App. No.
17/017,692
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bicycle derailleur comprises a derailleur body, a charging port, a charging-port cover, and a cover connector. The charging port is configured to be detachably connected to a charging cable to charge an electric power source. The charging-port cover is configured to be detachably attached to the charging port. The charging-port cover has a detachment state in which the charging-port cover is detached from the derailleur body to allow connection between the charging port and the charging cable. The cover connector is configured to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body in the detachment state.

Claims (95)

1. A bicycle derailleur comprising:

a derailleur body including a motor unit;

a charging port configured to be detachably connected to a charging cable to charge an electric power source;

a charging-port cover configured to be detachably attached to the charging port, the charging-port cover having a detachment state in which the charging-port cover is detached from the derailleur body to allow connection between the charging port and the charging cable; and

a cover connector configured to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body in the detachment state, wherein

the motor unit includes a housing attached to a base member of the derailleur body,

the charging port is provided on the housing, and

the charging port protrudes from the housing.

2. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein

the charging-port cover has an attachment state in which the charging-port cover is attached to the derailleur body to cover the charging port, and

the cover connector is configured to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body in at least the detachment state.

3. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein

the charging-port cover is made of a first material,

the cover connector is made of a second material, and

the second material is different from the first material.

4. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 3 , wherein

the second material is softer than the first material.

5. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 3 , wherein

the second material includes an elastic material.

6. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein

the cover connector is configured to be detachably coupled to the derailleur body.

7. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein

the cover connector includes a connector body extending from the charging-port cover to the derailleur body.

8. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 7 , wherein

the connector body includes a longitudinal axis and a connector end provided farthest from the charging-port cover along the longitudinal axis.

9. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 8 , wherein

the connector body includes an opening provided between the charging-port cover and the connector end.

10. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 9 , wherein

the opening has an elongated shape extending along the longitudinal axis.

11. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 9 , wherein

a first distance defined between the opening and the connector end along the longitudinal axis is shorter than a second distance between the opening and the charging-port cover along the longitudinal axis.

12. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 8 , wherein

the connector body has a strip shape extending along the longitudinal axis.

13. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 8 , wherein

the cover connector includes a first protrusion protruding from the connector body away from the longitudinal axis.

14. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 13 , wherein

the cover connector includes a second protrusion protruding from the connector body away from the longitudinal axis and the first protrusion.

15. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 14 , wherein

at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is closer to the connector end than to the charging-port cover.

16. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein

the cover connector includes a connector body extending from the charging-port cover to the derailleur body, and

the connector body includes an opening extending through the connector body.

17. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 1 , wherein

the charging-port cover includes a recess, and

the recess is configured to accommodate the charging port in a case where the charging-port cover is attached to the charging port.

18. A bicycle derailleur comprising:

a derailleur body;

a charging port configured to be detachably connected to a charging cable to charge an electric power source; and

a charging-port cover configured to be detachably attached to the charging port, the charging-port cover having a detachment state in which the charging-port cover is detached from the derailleur body to allow connection between the charging port and the charging cable, and

a cover connector configured to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body in the detachment state, wherein

the derailleur body includes a first member and a second member configured to be attached to the first member, and

the cover connector is configured to be at least partly provided between the first member and the second member to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body.

19. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 18 , wherein

at least one of the first member and the second member includes a coupling groove provided on the at least one of the first member and the second member, and

the cover connector is configured to be at least partly provided in the coupling groove to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body.

20. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 19 , wherein

the coupling groove includes

a first groove including an opening provided on an outer surface of the derailleur body, the first groove having a first width defined in a width direction, and

a second groove connected to the first groove, the second groove having a second width defined in the width direction, and

the second width of the second groove is larger than the first width of the first groove.

21. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 20 , wherein

the cover connector is configured to be at least partly provided in the second groove to couple the charging-port cover to the derailleur body.

22. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 18 , further comprising

a motor configured to generate rotational force, wherein

the second member includes an accommodation space, and

the motor is at least partly provided in the accommodation space.

23. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 18 , wherein

the derailleur body includes a third member which is a separate member from the second member, and

the second member is at least partly covered by the first member and the third member.

24. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 18 , wherein

the derailleur body includes a base member and a movable member configured to be movably coupled to the base member, and

one of the base member and the movable member includes the first member.

25. A bicycle derailleur comprising:

an electric terminal made of a first conductive material, the electric terminal including a terminal surface configured to be contactable with an external electric terminal to receive electric power from the external electric terminal;

a component body including a conductive part made of a second conductive material; and

a terminal protector made of a third conductive material, the terminal protector being a separate member from the component body and including

a contact part configured to be contactable with the conductive part of the component body; and

a protector body spaced apart from the electric terminal and provided closer to the terminal surface than the contact part.

26. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 25 , further comprising

a motor unit having an accommodation space, wherein

the electric terminal is provided to at least one of the component body and the motor unit.

27. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 26 , wherein

the motor unit is at least partially covered by the component body.

28. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 26 , wherein

the motor unit includes

a housing having the accommodation space,

a motor at least partly provided in the accommodation space,

a circuit board at least partly provided in the accommodation space, and

a gear structure at least partly provided in the accommodation space.

29. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 28 , wherein

the contact part is configured to be contactable with the housing.

30. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 25 , wherein

the terminal protector is provided to avoid overlapping with the terminal surface as viewed in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the terminal surface.

31. The bicycle derailleur according to claim 25 , further comprising

an electric connecting portion configured to be electrically connected to an electric power source.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2020
From: HASEGAWA, AKIHIRO
To: SHIMANO INC.
Reel/Frame 053909/0806 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220081064A1 · Mar 17, 2022