Derailleur with damping assembly
View Patent ↗A bicycle rear derailleur including a base member and a movable member movably coupled to the base member. A chain guide assembly is rotatably connected to the movable member and a damper assembly is operatively disposed between the chain guide assembly and the movable member. The damper assembly includes a damper disposed in the movable member, and a one-way clutch disposed between the damper and the chain guide assembly. The one-way clutch is configured to permit damping when the chain guide assembly rotates in a first direction. The damper is disposed exteriorly of the one-way clutch.
1. A bicycle rear derailleur, comprising:
a base member;
a movable member movably coupled to the base member;
a chain guide assembly rotatably connected to the movable member; and
a damper assembly operatively disposed between the chain guide assembly and the movable member, the damper assembly including:
a damper disposed in the movable member, and
a one-way clutch disposed between the damper and the chain guide assembly, the one-way clutch configured to permit damping when the chain guide assembly rotates in a first direction, the damper disposed exteriorly of the one-way clutch.
2. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , wherein the one-way clutch engages the chain guide assembly when the chain guide assembly rotates in the first direction.
3. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 2 , wherein the damper dampens between the one-way clutch and the movable member.
4. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , wherein the movable member has a bore formed therein and the chain guide assembly includes a cage shaft rotatably disposed in the bore.
5. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 4 , wherein the bore is cylindrical.
6. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 5 , wherein the damper includes an annular friction element configured to be received in the cylindrical bore, and received exteriorly of the one-way clutch.
7. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 6 , wherein the annular friction element is deformed to apply frictional damping between the one-way clutch and the movable member.
8. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 7 , wherein the damper assembly further includes an adjuster disposed in the movable member and deforming the annular friction element.
9. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 8 , wherein the adjuster is threadably engaged in the movable member and operable to vary the amount of frictional damping between the movable member and the one-way clutch.
10. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 9 , wherein the adjuster includes a tool feature for permitting the operation of the adjuster with a tool.
11. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 4 , wherein the bore is at least partially tapered.
12. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 11 , wherein the damper assembly further includes a sleeve disposed exteriorly of the one-way clutch and the damper includes a friction element disposed in the at least partially tapered bore exteriorly of the sleeve.
13. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 12 , wherein the friction element is annular and cone-shaped.
14. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 13 , wherein the damper assembly further includes an adjuster disposed in the movable member and deforming the cone-shaped friction element.
15. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 14 , wherein the adjuster is threadably engaged in the movable member and operable to vary the amount of frictional damping between the movable member and the one-way clutch.
16. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , wherein the damper is formed of a material having low stiction.
17. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 16 , wherein the damper is formed of one of polyethylene, UHMW PE, and polyoxymethylene.
18. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , wherein the one-way clutch is a roller clutch.
19. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , further including a biasing member that biases the chain guide assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction.
20. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , wherein the damper directly contacts the one-way clutch.
21. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 1 , wherein the damper assembly is configured to be loaded in an axial direction to load the damper in a generally radial direction.
22. A bicycle rear derailleur, comprising:
a base member;
a movable member movably coupled to the base member;
a chain guide assembly rotatably connected to the movable member; and
a damper assembly operatively disposed between the chain guide assembly and the movable member, the damper assembly including:
a damper disposed in the movable member, and
a one-way clutch disposed between the chain guide assembly and the movable member and configured to permit damping when the chain guide assembly rotates in a first direction, wherein the damper assembly is configured to be loaded in an axial direction to load the damper in a generally radial direction.
23. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 22 , wherein the damper is disposed one of exteriorly and interiorly of the one-way clutch.
24. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 23 , wherein the one-way clutch engages the damper when the chain guide assembly rotates in the first direction.
25. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 24 , wherein the damper dampens between the movable member and the chain guide assembly.
26. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 22 , wherein the movable member has a bore formed therein and the chain guide assembly includes a cage shaft rotatably disposed in the bore.
27. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 26 , wherein the bore is cylindrical.
28. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 27 , wherein the damper includes a friction element configured to be received in the cylindrical bore, between the one-way clutch and the cage shaft.
29. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 28 , wherein the friction element is deformed to apply frictional damping between the one-way clutch and the cage shaft.
30. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 29 , wherein the damper assembly further includes an adjuster threadably disposed on the cage shaft and operable to deform the friction element.
31. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 30 , wherein the adjuster is operable to vary the amount of frictional damping.
32. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 26 , wherein the derailleur includes an adjuster that is disposed in the movable member to enclose the damper assembly.
33. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 26 , wherein the damper assembly further includes a friction element disposed exteriorly of the cage shaft and a sleeve disposed exteriorly of the friction element, the friction element and sleeve having corresponding tapered surfaces in facial engagement, and wherein the one-way clutch is disposed exteriorly of the sleeve.
34. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 22 , wherein the damper is formed of a material having low stiction.
35. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 34 , wherein the damper is formed of one of polyethylene, UHMW PE, and polyoxymethylene.
36. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 22 , wherein the one-way clutch is a roller clutch.
37. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 22 , further including a biasing member that biases the chain guide assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction.
38. The bicycle rear derailleur of claim 22 , wherein the damper directly contacts the one-way clutch.