Bicycle electric device
AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorToshio Tetsuka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle electric device is basically provided to a bicycle crank assembly. The bicycle electric device includes an indicator a process and at least one of a position sensor and a strain sensor configured to be provided on the bicycle crank assembly. The indicator is configured to generate a user signal indicating that a crank arm of the bicycle crank assembly is at a predetermined angular position. The position sensor the strain sensor are configured to be provided on the bicycle crank assembly to detect information of the crank arm. The processor is configured to process information detected by the at least one of the position sensor and the strain sensor to calculate angular force information of the crank arm.
Claims23
A bicycle electric device provided to a bicycle crank assembly comprising:
- an indicator configured to generate a user signal indicating that a crank arm of the bicycle crank assembly is at a predetermined position with respect to a bicycle frame;
- at least one of a position sensor and a strain sensor configured to be provided on the bicycle crank assembly to detect information of the crank arm, the position sensor being configured to detect the predetermined position of the crank arm with respect to the bicycle frame, the predetermined position being a position in which the indicator is activated to begin generating the user signal;
- and
- a processor configured to process information detected by the at least one of the position sensor and the strain sensor to calculate angular force information of the crank arm that is at least one of a tangential force that is applied to the crank arm and a radial force that is applied to the crank arm.
A method for determining a crank angle, the method comprising:
- reaching a predetermined angular position that is determined by a position sensor, the position sensor detecting the predetermined angular position of the crank arm with respect to the bicycle frame;
- measuring an angle of the crank arm using an external device while the crank arm is in a predetermined angular position,
- transmitting information with respect to the angle of the crank arm from the external device to a bicycle component having the crank arm and a storage device;
- rotating the crank arm which is mounted to a bicycle to the predetermined angular position;
- and
- receiving an indication indicating from an indicator that the crank arm is at the predetermined angular position, the predetermined angular position being a position in which the indicator generates the indication.
A method for determining an angle of a bicycle crank arm, the method comprising:
- measuring at least one of a pedaling force and a pedaling torque applied to a bicycle crank assembly;
- and
- comparing the at least one of the pedaling force and the pedaling torque to a pre-stored relationship relating to the pedaling torque and a crank angle of the bicycle crank arm to thereby determine an angle of the bicycle crank arm that is independent of a bicycle frame, the determining being based on the at least one of the pedaling force and the pedaling torque without an angle detector installed on the bicycle crank assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.