Linear derailleur mechanism
AssigneeYeti Design, LLC
InventorPeter Zawistowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A derailleur system is provided that moves the derailleur cage in a substantially rectilinear path. The derailleur is mounted to a frame having a gear cassette mounted thereon. The gear cassette includes an axis of rotation. The derailleur includes a drive member engaging the gear cassette. The derailleur is positioned on the frame adjacent the gear cassette, and including a spatial linkage having a stationary link, a floating link, and a cage assembly having two pulleys each defining an axis of rotation. The drive member engages each of the pulleys. The path of the floating link is substantially linear through substantially its entire range of motion and variously aligns at least one of the pulleys with the gear cassette.
Claims20
A bicycle comprising:
- a frame having a gear cassette and a wheel mounted thereon, the gear cassette having an axis of rotation;
- a drive member engaging the gear cassette;
- a derailleur positioned on the frame adjacent the gear cassette, with the derailleur having a cage assembly having at least one pulley defining an axis of rotation and the drive member engaging the at least one pulley, wherein the derailleur also includes a spatial linkage including a floating link having a path that is substantially linear through substantially its entire range of motion, with the path having at least one component of the direction of the path in substantially the same direction as the gear cassette axis or a wheel axis.
A derailleur for a bicycle that includes a rear wheel axis, the derailleur comprising:
- a stationary link and a floating link, the floating link having a path that is substantially linear through substantially all of the floating link's range of motion and is substantially parallel with the wheel axis, wherein
- the floating link is operable to move a drive member which is operable to engage a gear cassette, wherein
- the stationary link is operable to be positioned on a frame having the gear cassette mounted thereon, the gear cassette having an axis of rotation, wherein
- the stationary link is positioned on the frame adjacent the gear cassette and the stationary link and a floating link form a linkage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.