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US 7,255,660 B2Granted
Actuator for a bicycle gear-shift
AssigneeCampagnolo S.r.l.
InventorGiuseppe Del Prà
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle gear-shift actuator having an articulated quadrilateral support with four connecting rods hinged together by four pin elements, and a motor member, having a variable length output shaft that travels along a drive axis between two opposite pin elements to move them for deforming the articulated quadrilateral. Preferably, the drive axis perfectly intersects the pin axis of at least one of the two pin elements.
Claims32
Actuator device for a bicycle gear-shift, comprising:
- an articulated quadrilateral with four connecting rods hinged together according to four pin axes by four pin elements, in which the first connecting rod is intended to be integrally fixed to the bicycle frame, the second connecting rod is opposite to the first connecting rod in the articulated quadrilateral and is intended to be fixed to a support for a gear-shift derailleur, in which the connecting rods have a substantial width in the direction of the pin axes, with such a width defining an internal space in the articulated quadrilateral, wherein the motor member is arranged inside such an internal space, in which the second pin element also comprises two opposite pins, each inserted in hinging holes formed in the connecting rods converging in the second pin element and in the pin portions of the nut screw;
- a motor member, having a variable length according to a drive axis and active between two opposite pin elements to move them towards and away from each other deforming the articulated quadrilateral, in which the motor member comprises an electric motor housed on a support mounted on a first of the pin elements, a screw arranged axially along the drive axis and put into rotation by the electric motor, a nut screw engaged with the screw and fixed to a second of the pin elements opposite the first, wherein the drive axis perfectly intersects the axis of the second pin element, in which the nut screw comprises two pin portions opposite each other and perpendicular to the nut screw;
- wherein the drive axis substantially intersects the pin axis of both the two pin elements between which the motor member is active, in which the drive axis perfectly intersects at least one of the pin axes of the two pin elements between which the motor member is active.
A bicycle gear-shift actuator comprising:
- an articulated quadrilateral support with four connecting rods hinged together by four pins which define;
- a motor member, having a variable length output shaft that traverses along a drive axis extending between two diagonally opposed pins and moves them toward and away from each other to deform the articulated quadrilateral support;
- and
- the drive axis substantially intersects each pin axis of the diagonal pins;
- wherein at least one of the two opposed pins comprises two axially coincidental pins, each hingedly connected to the connecting rods.
2 more elements
A bicycle gear-shift actuator comprising:
- an articulated quadrilateral support with four connecting rods hinged together by four pins which define;
- a motor member, having an output shaft that traverses along a drive axis extending along a line between two diagonally opposed pins and moves the pins toward and away from each other to deform the articulated quadrilateral support, the output shaft engaged to a bush rotatably engaged proximate to one of the opposed pins;
- and
- the drive axis substantially intersects each pin axis of the diagonal pins.
1 more element
Actuator device for a bicycle gear-shift, comprising:
- an articulated quadrilateral with four connecting rods hinged together according to four pin axes by four pin elements, in which the first connecting rod is intended to be integrally fixed to the bicycle frame, the second connecting rod is opposite to the first connecting rod in the articulated quadrilateral and is intended to be fixed to a support for a gear-shift derailleur;
- a motor member, having a variable length according to a drive axis and active between two opposite pin elements to move them towards and away from each other deforming the articulated quadrilateral;
- wherein the device comprises a mechanical fuse in the coupling between the motor element and the articulated quadrilateral.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.