Change control device for a bicycle, particularly a mountain-bike or the like
AssigneeCampagnolo S.r.l.
InventorValentino Campagnolo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A speed change control device for a bicycle, particularly a "mountain-bike" comprises two actuating levers, respectively for controlling down-shifting of the bicycle chain on rear sprockets or front gears of smaller diameter and up-shifting of the chain on sprockets or gears of greater diameter. The control levers are movable in two planes parallel and closed to each other, which are arranged below the handlebar, out of the interference therewith, in the mounted condition of the device on the handlebar. The device further includes a return spring for the rotor on which the flexible control cable is wound, which exerts an action opposite to that of the return spring associated with the rear or front derailleur to which the control cable is connected.
Claims9
Speed change control device for a bicycle, comprising:
- a support body, to be fixed to the bicycle handlebar,
- a rotor rotatably mounted on the support body and provided with means for winding a flexible cable for controlling the speed change,
- indexing means for defining a plurality of stable positions of the rotor corresponding to the various speed ratios, said means comprising a toothed wheel fixed to the rotor and at least one resilient element carried by the support body and able to engage into vanes between the teeth of the toothed wheel,
- a pair of ratchet devices associated with said rotor and controlled by two respective control levers, for causing rotation of the rotor in two directions of rotation, respectively,
- wherein said control levers have handling ends which are movable in two parallel and adjacent planes which, when the device is mounted on the bicycle handlebar, are both arranged below the bicycle handlebar out of the interference with the latter,
- wherein between the support body and the rotor there are interposed spring means tending to exert on the rotor an action opposite to that exerted by a return spring of a derailleur through the control cable and
- wherein said spring means are constituted by a spiral spring arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and having end tails respectively anchored to said support body and said rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.