Granted Patent B2

US 12,491,961 · App. 18/437,248 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Inventors: Sante Pelot (Freiburg, DE); David M. Haugen (Pacific Grove, CA); Wes Allinger (Santa Cruz, CA); Mario Galasso (Sandy Hook, CT); Andrew Laird (Los Gatos, CA)

Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.

B62K19/36B62J1/00B62J1/02B62J1/08G05B15/02G05D7/0635B62J2001/085G16H20/30

Abstract

Claims (28)

1 . A gear shifting system for a bicycle, said gear shifting system comprising:

a controller, wherein said controller is automatically configurable based on stored data corresponding to a real-time GPS input providing a GPS-derived location of said bicycle during operation of said bicycle;

an electromechanical gear shifter communication with said controller; and

a performance sensor in communication with said controller, wherein said electromechanical gear shifter automatically is configured to automatically shift a gear of said bicycle based upon a current GPS-derived location of said bicycle, such that a gear of said bicycle will match a stored value for said gear of said bicycle which occurred previously when said bicycle was at said current GPS-derived location of said bicycle.

2 . The gear shifting system of claim 1 , wherein said performance sensor is adapted to indicate one or more performance measure of a rider of said bicycle, said controller adapted to trigger electromechanical shifting of said electromechanical gear shifter to maintain a preset performance measure for said rider.

3 . The gear shifting system of claim 2 , wherein said controller stores a range or trigger point for said one or more performance measure, said range or trigger point providing a threshold for triggering said electromechanical shifting when said one or more performance measure is outside of said range or at said trigger point.

4 . The gear shifting system of claim 3 , wherein said controller is adapted such that, in use, when said one or more performance measure of said rider, or a combination of said one or more performance measure of said rider, falls above or below said trigger point, electromechanical shifting is triggered so as to provide automatic gear shifting for said rider to ensure said rider remains within said range for said one or more performance measure.

5 . The gear shifting system of claim 4 , wherein said controller comprises:

an input parameter receiver for receiving an input parameter from said performance sensor;

a threshold determiner for receiving an input value or range for said input parameter, for determining if a threshold has been met and/or exceeded, and for outputting a threshold determination;

a comparator for comparing said input parameter and said threshold determination determined by said threshold determiner; and

a signal generator connected to said electromechanical gear shifter and for generating a signal based on said comparing of said input parameter and said threshold determination by said comparator, signal for controlling said gear shifter.

6 . The gear shifting system of claim 5 , wherein in use, if said comparator indicates that said input parameter equals or exceeds said input value, said signal causes said electromechanical gear shifter to decrease a gear ratio of said bicycle by one shift.

7 . The gear shifting system of claim 5 , wherein in use, if said comparator indicates that said input parameter does not exceed said input value, said signal generator does not generate said signal.

8 . The gear shifting system of claim 7 , further comprising:

an adjustment knob configured for adjusting said input parameter that said input parameter receiver should receive.

9 . The gear shifting system of claim 8 , wherein said controller further comprises:

a stabilization time delay circuit that, in use, suspends further controller action for a predetermined amount of time to allow said input parameter to adjust based on a recent gear change.

10 . The gear shifting system of claim 9 , wherein said input parameter is selected from the group consisting of: rider heart rate, power and torque.

11 . The gear shifting system of claim 10 , wherein said controller is configurable by a mobile phone application and/or may output to said mobile phone application.

12 . The gear shifting system of claim 10 , wherein said controller is manually configurable.

13 . The gear shifting system of claim 4 , wherein said one or more performance measure is selected from the group consisting of: rider heart rate, power and torque.

14 . A bicycle and gear shifting system comprising:

a bicycle; and

a gear shifting system coupled to said bicycle, said gear shifting system comprising:

a controller, wherein said controller is automatically configurable based on stored data corresponding to a real-time GPS input providing a GPS-derived location of said bicycle during operation of said bicycle;

an electromechanical gear shifter communication with said controller; and

a performance sensor in communication with said controller, such that a gear of said bicycle will match a stored value for said gear of said bicycle which occurred previously when said bicycle was at said current GPS-derived location of said bicycle.

Continuity (19)

References Cited (400)