TWI687344B - Bicycle front derailleur - Google Patents

Abstract

A bicycle front derailleur includes a fixing component, a linkage assembly, a chain guiding component, a press component and a driving module. The fixing component is configured to be fixed to a bicycle frame, and the fixing component has two first pivot parts and a second pivot part. The linkage assembly includes a first link and a second link. The first link has two third pivot parts and a fourth pivot part. The two third pivot parts are respectively and pivotally disposed on the two first pivot parts. The second link has a fifth pivot part and a sixth pivot part. The fifth pivot part is pivotally disposed on the second pivot part. The chain guiding component has a seventh pivot part and an eighth pivot part. The fourth pivot part is pivotally disposed on the seventh pivot part, and the sixth pivot part is pivotally disposed on the eighth pivot part. The press component presses against the first link, and the two first pivot parts are located on a same side of the press component. The driving module is configured to drive the press component to rotate the first link.

Description

Bicycle front derailleur

The invention relates to a bicycle front derailleur, in particular to a bicycle front derailleur with two pivoting parts of the fixing member located on the same side of the output arm.

In recent years, the bicycle market has developed vigorously. Whether it is a competitive high-end bicycle or a popular bicycle as a walking tool and leisure entertainment, consumers have loved it, prompting manufacturers to pay more attention to the needs of users for bicycle functions. The body materials and equipment functions are constantly improved. Generally speaking, the bicycle system is provided with a front chainring and a rear flywheel, and a chain is hung to connect the two. The user steps on the pedal to rotate the front chainring, and drives the rear flywheel to rotate through the chain, and drives the rear wheel to advance the bicycle. In addition, bicycles are often equipped with a transmission for the user to adjust the degree of effort for pedaling. Specifically, the bicycle transmission includes a front derailleur and a rear derailleur, which are used to control the position of the chain on the front sprocket and the rear flywheel, respectively. The gear ratio of the front chainring and the rear flywheel is adjusted by shifting gears, so as to achieve the purpose of adjusting the degree of labor saving of pedaling.

In the past, as an example, in addition to the conventional mechanical front derailleur, many bicycles also gradually adopted electronic front derailleur. The electronic front derailleur uses the motor as a power source to drive the output arm to drive the four links of the front derailleur, and the chain guide member is driven by the four links to toggle the chain to switch gears. However, in the current common electronic front derailleur, the output arm is located between the two pivots of one of the links, so that in the process of disassembling the output arm, this link must be pivoted with the other link Only a detailed solution at the joint can remove the output arm, which increases the complexity of disassembling the output arm.

The present invention is to provide a bicycle front derailleur, thereby solving the problem of increasing the complexity of disassembling the output arm caused by the output arm being located between the two pivotal portions of one of the connecting rods in the prior art.

A bicycle front derailleur disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for being fixed to a frame, and includes a fixing member, a connecting rod assembly, a chain guide member, an output arm, and a driving module. The fixing member is used for fixing to the vehicle frame, and the fixing member has two first pivotal portions and at least one second pivotal portion. The link assembly includes a first link and a second link. The first link has two third pivotal portions and a fourth pivotal portion. The two third pivotal parts are respectively pivotally arranged on the two first pivotal parts. The second link has at least a fifth pivotal portion and at least a sixth pivotal portion. The fifth pivotal portion is pivotally disposed on the second pivotal portion. The chain guide member has at least a seventh pivotal portion and at least an eighth pivotal portion. The fourth pivotal portion is pivotally disposed on the seventh pivotal portion, and the sixth pivotal portion is pivotally disposed on the eighth pivotal portion. The output arm abuts the first link, and the two first pivotal portions are located on the same side of the output arm. The driving module is used to drive the output arm to drive the first link to pivot.

According to the bicycle front derailleur disclosed in the above embodiment, since the two first pivoting portions of the fixing member are located on the same side of the output arm, rather than between the two first pivoting portions, during the disassembly of the output arm, The output arm can be removed only by removing some components between the fixed member and the pivotal connection of the first link. Therefore, the arrangement of the second pivoting portion of the second fixing member on the same side of the output arm reduces the complexity of removing the output arm.

The above description of the content of the present invention and the description of the following embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention, and provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bicycle front derailleur and a frame disclosed according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially exploded schematic view of the bicycle front derailleur of FIG. 1. 3 is a schematic front view of the bicycle front derailleur of FIG. 1.

This embodiment discloses a bicycle front derailleur 1 for fixing to a frame 2 of a bicycle. In order to facilitate the subsequent description of the components of the bicycle front derailleur 1, the relative positions of the different sides of the bicycle front derailleur 1 in the overall bicycle are first defined. One side of the bicycle front derailleur 1 adjacent to the bicycle brake shift handle is the front side, and one side of the bicycle front derailleur 1 adjacent to the rear wheel of the bicycle is the rear side, and the side of the bicycle front derailleur 1 away from the front gear 3 is the upper side .

Next, the bicycle front derailleur 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The bicycle front derailleur 1 includes a fixed member 10, a link assembly 20, four pivot posts 31, 32, 33, 34, a chain guide member 40, an output arm 50, a first elastic member 60 and a second Elastic member 70.

The fixing member 10 is used for fixing to the vehicle frame 2 of its own. The fixing member 10 has two first pivot portions 11 and 12 and two second pivot portions 13 and 14. The link assembly 20 includes a first link 21 and a second link 22. The first link 21 has two third pivot portions 211 and 212 and a fourth pivot portion 213. The two third pivotal portions 211 and 212 are pivotally disposed on the two first pivotal portions 11 and 12 through the pivotal post 31, and the two first pivotal portions 11, 12 and the second third pivotal portions 211 and 212 are staggered arrangement. The second link 22 has two fifth pivot portions 221 and 222 and two sixth pivot portions 223 and 224. The second and fifth pivoting portions 221 and 222 are pivotally disposed on the second and second pivoting portions 13 and 14 through the pivoting post 32, respectively. The chain guide member 40 has two seventh pivot portions 41 and 42 and two eighth pivot portions 43 and 44. The second and seventh pivotal portions 41 and 42 are respectively pivotally disposed at opposite ends of the fourth pivotal portion 213 of the first link 21 through the pivotal pole 33, and the second and eighth pivotal portions 43 and 44 are transmitted through the pivotal pole 34 They are respectively pivoted on the second and second pivoting portions 223 and 224 of the second link 22. The chain guide member 40 is used to move the bicycle chain from the small plate 4 of a front chainring 3 to the large plate 5 or from the large plate 5 to the small plate 4.

In this embodiment, the second pivot portions 13, 14, the fifth pivot portions 221, 222, the sixth pivot portions 223, 224, the seventh pivot portions 41, 42 and the eighth pivot portions 43, 44 The number is two, but not limited to this. In other embodiments, the number of the second pivotal portion, the fifth pivotal portion, the sixth pivotal portion, the seventh pivotal portion, and the eighth pivotal portion may all be one.

The output arm 50 is sleeved on the pivot post 31, and the output arm 50 abuts the first link 21. The two first pivot portions 11 and 12 are located on the same side of the output arm 50, and the output arm 50 is located between the first pivot portion 11 and the third pivot portion 211. The first elastic member 60 is sleeved on the pivot post 34 and is located between the sixth pivot portion 223 and the eighth pivot portion 44. The two opposite ends of the first elastic member 60 abut the chain guide member 40 and the second link 22 respectively, and the first elastic member 60 exerts an elastic force to move the chain guide member 40 toward the frame 2. The second elastic member 70 is sleeved on the pivot post 31 and is located between the first pivot portion 11 and the third pivot portion 212, and the opposite ends of the second elastic member 70 abut the output arm 50 and the first connection respectively杆21. Thereby, the elastic force exerted by the second elastic member 70 on the output arm 50 can cause the output arm 50 to normally abut against the first link 21 under no external force.

The bicycle front derailleur 1 of this embodiment further includes a driving module 80, a battery assembly 90, a first terminal 100, a circuit board assembly 110, a second terminal 120, a third terminal 130, and a first cable 140 and a second cable 150.

The driving module 80 includes a base 81, a power source 82 and a transmission component 83. The base 81 is fixed to the fixing member 10. The power source 82 is, for example, a motor, and the transmission component 83 is, for example, a gear set and includes a plurality of gears 831. The power source 82 and part of the gear 831 are disposed in the base 81, and one of the gears 831 is located outside the base 81. The gears 831 are connected to each other, and the power source 82 and the output arm 50 are respectively connected to two of the gears 831.

The battery assembly 90 includes a battery holder 91, a battery 92 and a battery cover 93. The battery holder 91 is fixed to the base 81 of the driving module 80 and indirectly disposed on the fixing member 10, and the battery holder 91 has a receiving groove 911. The first terminal 100 is disposed in the receiving slot 911. The battery 92 is detachably installed in the accommodating groove 911 and surrounded by the battery holder 91, and the battery 92 is electrically connected to the first terminal 100. The battery cover 93 is detachably disposed on the battery holder 91, and the battery cover 93 and the battery holder 91 together cover the battery 92, so that the battery 92 is not exposed.

The circuit board assembly 110 includes a circuit board holder 1101 and a circuit board 1102. The circuit board 1102 is fixed to the circuit board holder 1101. The circuit board holder 1101 is detachably mounted on the base 81 of the driving module 80 and indirectly disposed on the fixing member 10, and the circuit board 1102 and the battery 92 are located on opposite sides of the base 81. That is, the battery 92 is located on the front side of the bicycle front derailleur 1, and the circuit board 1102 is located on the rear side of the bicycle front derailleur 1. Both the second terminal 120 and the third terminal 130 are provided and electrically connected to the circuit board 1102. The first cable 140 is, for example, a flexible cable. The first cable 140 passes through the base 81, and one end of the first cable 140 is electrically connected to the first terminal 100, and the other end of the first cable 140 is detachably electrically connected to the second terminal 120. The second cable 150 is, for example, a flexible cable. One end of the second cable 150 is electrically connected to the power source 82, and the other end of the second cable 150 is detachably electrically connected to the third terminal 130. The battery 92 is electrically connected to the power source 82 through the first terminal 100, the first cable 140, the second terminal 120, the circuit board 1102, the third terminal 130, and the second cable 150 to provide power to the power source 82.

In this embodiment, in addition to supplying power from the power source 82 via the battery 92, an external power source (not shown) can also be electrically connected to the first terminal 100 to supply power required by the power source 82. For example, when the bicycle front derailleur 1 is installed on an electric bicycle, a power source that provides power for the electric bicycle may be connected to the first terminal 100 by a cable to provide power required by the power source 82.

In addition, since the first terminal 100 is also located on the front side of the front derailleur 1 of the bicycle, when the power supply for powering the electric bicycle is provided in front of the front derailleur 1 of the bicycle, it is advantageous for the cable to connect the first terminal 100 and provide the Power supply.

In this embodiment, the circuit board 1102 has an antenna 1103. The antenna 1103 is used to receive the wireless shift signal sent by the brake shift knob of the bicycle. In detail, please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 together. 4 is a schematic side view of FIG. 1. 5 is a schematic side view of the chain guide member of FIG. 4 being moved.

First, in the case where the chain guide member 40 corresponds to the small plate 4 of the front chainring 3, when the infinite shift signal received by the antenna 1103 is an upshift signal, the circuit board 1102 drives the power source 82, and the power source 82 is transmitted to the output arm 50 through these gears 831, so that the output arm 50 rotates relative to the fixed member 10 in the direction D1 in FIG. At this time, the rotating output arm 50 will push against the first link 21, so that the first link 21 pivots relative to the fixing member 10 and drives the chain guide member 40 to move away from the frame 2 in the direction D2, so that the chain The guide member 40 moves to the position corresponding to the large plate 5 of the front gear 3 as shown in FIG. 5. In this way, the bicycle chain can move from the small plate 4 to the large plate 5 to complete the gear shift of the bicycle front derailleur 1.

On the contrary, when the infinite shift signal received by the antenna 1103 is a reverse gear signal, the circuit board 1102 drives the power source 82, and the power source 82 rotates the output arm 50 in the reverse direction D1 through the gears 831. At this time, the output arm 50 will allow a space for the first link 21 to swing toward the frame 2, and the elastic force of the first elastic member 60 drives the chain guide member 40 to move in the reverse direction D2. In this way, the chain of the bicycle can move the small disk 4 from the large disk 5 to complete the gear shift of the front derailleur 1 of the bicycle.

In this embodiment, since the two first pivot portions 11 and 12 of the fixing member 10 are located on the same side of the output arm 50, rather than between the two first pivot portions 11, 12, the output arm 50 is removed During the process, the output arm 50 can be removed only by removing some of the components between the pivotal connection between the fixing member 10 and the first link 21. Therefore, the arrangement of the second pivotal portions 11 and 12 of the fixing member 10 on the same side of the output arm 50 reduces the complexity of removing the output arm 50.

In addition, since the battery cover 93 of the battery assembly 90 can be separated from the battery holder 91 and the battery 92 is detachably installed on the battery holder 91, the battery cover 93 only needs to be separated from the battery holder 91 when the battery 92 is exhausted , And remove the battery 92 from the battery holder 91, the battery 92 can be replaced. Therefore, compared to the conventional method of replacing the battery by separating the entire battery assembly from the fixing member, the method of replacing the battery 92 from the battery holder 91 in this embodiment improves the convenience of replacing the battery 92.

Furthermore, the circuit board holder 1101 can be detachably mounted on the base 81, so that the circuit board 1102 can be separated from the base 81 along with the circuit board holder 1101, which facilitates the detection and maintenance of the circuit board 1102.

In addition, the arrangement of the output arm 50 between the first pivot portion 11 and the third pivot portion 211 is not intended to limit the present invention. In other embodiments, the output arm may be located between the first pivot portion 12 and the third pivot portion 212. Or, please refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic front view of a bicycle front derailleur disclosed according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment discloses a bicycle front derailleur 1a. The bicycle front derailleur 1a of this embodiment is similar to the bicycle front derailleur 1 shown in FIG. 1, and only the differences between the two will be described below, and the similarities between the two will not be repeated.

In the bicycle front derailleur 1a of this embodiment, the two third pivotal portions 211a, 212a of the first link 21a are located between the two first pivotal portions 11a, 12a of the fixing member 10a, and the two third pivotal portions The portions 211a and 212a and the two first pivot portions 11a and 12a are located on the same side of the output arm 50a.

In the above embodiments, the arrangement of the battery and the circuit board on the opposite sides of the base is not intended to limit the present invention. Please refer to Figures 7-9. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a bicycle front derailleur disclosed according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 8 is a partially exploded schematic view of FIG. 7. 9 is a schematic front view of FIG. 7.

This embodiment discloses a bicycle front derailleur 1b. The bicycle front derailleur 1b of this embodiment is similar to the bicycle front derailleur 1 shown in FIG. 1, and only the differences between the two will be described below, and the similarities between the two will not be repeated.

In the bicycle front derailleur 1b of this embodiment, the battery holder 91b of the battery assembly 90b is fixed to the base 81b of the drive module 80b and indirectly provided to the fixing member 10b. The battery holder 91b has two accommodating grooves 911b and 912b facing different directions and communicating with each other. A part of the first terminal 100b is located in the accommodating groove 911b, and another part of the first terminal 100b is located in the accommodating groove 912b. The battery 92b is detachably installed in the accommodating groove 911b of the battery holder 91b and is surrounded by the battery holder 91b, and the long axis P1 of the battery 92b is parallel to the pivot axes of the second and third pivot portions 211b and 212b of the first link 21b Line P2. The battery cover 93b is detachably disposed on the battery holder 91b, and the battery cover 93b and the battery holder 91b together cover the battery 92b, so that the battery 92b is not exposed. The circuit board 1102b of the circuit board assembly 110b is fixed to the circuit board holder 1101b, and the second terminal 120b and the third terminal 130b are provided and electrically connected to the circuit board 1102b. The circuit board holder 1101b is detachably mounted on the battery holder 91b and indirectly disposed on the fixing member 10b, and the circuit board 1102b is located in the accommodating groove 912b, and the second terminal 120b is detachably electrically connected through the first cable 140b The first terminal 100b. The third terminal 130b is detachably electrically connected to the power source 82b through the second cable 150b that is passed through the battery holder 91b and the base 81b. In this embodiment, the circuit board 1102b and the battery 92b are located on two adjacent sides of the base 81b, and the battery 92b is farther from the chain guide member 40b than the circuit board 1102b. That is, the circuit board 1102b is located on the front side of the bicycle front derailleur 1b, and the battery 92b is located on the upper side of the bicycle front derailleur 1b.

In terms of the overall bicycle, the circuit board 1102b is located on the front side of the front derailleur 1b of the bicycle. When the bicycle front derailleur 1b is installed on the frame 2, the circuit board 1102b is closer to the bicycle brake shift handle, so the brake can be shortened. The wireless shift signal sent by the shift knob is sent to the path of the antenna 1103b to improve the signal transmission quality.

In addition, the long axis P1 of the battery 92b is parallel to the pivot axis P2 of the second and third pivot portions 211b and 212b of the first link 21b to prevent the length of the battery 92b from increasing the length of the overall bicycle front derailleur 1b. Maintain the aesthetics of the bicycle front derailleur 1b.

In the above embodiments, when the battery power is exhausted, the battery is replaced by replacement, but not limited to this. In other embodiments, an exposed USB charging port may be provided on the circuit board to allow the external power supply to charge the battery via the USB cable. Wherein, the USB charging port, the second terminal and the third terminal may be located on the same side of the circuit board, or the USB charging port and the second terminal are respectively located on different sides of the circuit board.

According to the bicycle front derailleur of the above embodiment, since the two first pivotal portions of the fixing member are located on the same side of the output arm, rather than between the two first pivotal portions, in the process of disassembling the output arm, only the The part of the element between the fixed member and the pivotal connection of the first link can be removed to remove the output arm. Therefore, the arrangement that the second pivotal portion of the second fixing member is located on the same side of the output arm reduces the complexity of removing the output arm.

In addition, since the battery cover of the battery assembly can be detached from the battery holder and the battery can be detachably installed in the battery holder, when the battery power is exhausted, it is only necessary to separate the battery cover from the battery holder 91 and remove the battery from the battery holder Take out, you can replace the battery. Therefore, compared with the conventional method of replacing the battery by separating the entire battery assembly from the fixing member, this embodiment improves the convenience of battery replacement by replacing the battery from the battery holder.

In addition, the circuit board seat can be detached from the base, so that the circuit board can be separated from the base together with the circuit board seat, which is conducive to the detection and maintenance of the circuit board.

Although the present invention is disclosed as the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with similar arts can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of patent protection for inventions shall be subject to the scope defined in the patent application scope attached to this specification.

1, 1a, 1b: bicycle front derailleur 2: frame 3: front chainring 4: small plate 5: Market 10, 10a, 10b: fixed member 11, 12, 11a, 12a: the first pivot 13, 14: Second pivot 20: connecting rod assembly 21, 21a, 21b: the first link 211, 212, 211a, 212a, 211b, 212b: third pivot 213: Fourth pivot 22: Second link 221, 222: Fifth pivot 223, 224: Sixth pivot 31, 32, 33, 34: Pivot post 40, 40b: Chain guide member 41, 42: The seventh pivot 43, 44: Eighth pivot 50, 50a: output arm 60: The first elastic piece 70: second elastic piece 80, 80b: drive module 81, 81b: base 82, 82b: power source 83: Transmission components 831: Gear 90, 90b: battery assembly 91, 91b: battery holder 911, 911b, 912b: accommodating slot 92, 92b: battery 93, 93b: battery cover 100, 100b: the first terminal 110, 110b: circuit board assembly 1101, 1101b: circuit board holder 1102, 1102b: circuit board 1103, 1103b: antenna 120, 120b: second terminal 130, 130b: the third terminal 140, 140b: the first cable 150, 150b: second cable D1, D2: direction P1: Long axis P2: axis

FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a bicycle front derailleur and frame disclosed according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially exploded schematic view of the bicycle front derailleur of FIG. 1. 3 is a schematic front view of the bicycle front derailleur of FIG. 1. 4 is a schematic side view of FIG. 1. 5 is a schematic side view of the chain guide member of FIG. 4 being moved. 6 is a schematic front view of a bicycle front derailleur disclosed according to a second embodiment of the invention. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a bicycle front derailleur disclosed according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 8 is a partially exploded schematic view of FIG. 7. 9 is a schematic front view of FIG. 7.

1: Bicycle front derailleur

2: frame

3: front chainring

4: small plate

5: Market

10: fixed member

20: connecting rod assembly

40: Chain guide member

70: second elastic piece

80: drive module

90: battery pack

110: circuit board assembly

Claims (10)

A bicycle front derailleur suitable for being fixed to a frame, comprising: a fixing member for fixing to the frame, the fixing member having two first pivotal portions and at least one second pivotal portion; a link assembly , Including; a first link with two third pivotal portions and a fourth pivotal portion, the two third pivotal portions are respectively pivotally disposed on the two first pivotal portions; and a second link, Having at least one fifth pivotal portion and at least one sixth pivotal portion, at least one fifth pivotal portion is pivotally disposed on the at least one second pivotal portion; a chain guide member having at least one seventh pivotal portion Part and at least one eighth pivotal part, the fourth pivotal part is pivotally arranged on the at least one seventh pivotal part, the at least one sixth pivotal part is pivotally arranged on the at least one eighth pivotal part; an output The arm abuts against the first link, the two first pivoting portions are located on the same side of the output arm; and a driving module is used to drive the output arm to drive the first link to pivot. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 1 of the patent application scope further includes a battery assembly and a circuit board assembly. The battery assembly includes a battery holder and a battery. The battery holder has an accommodating groove, and the battery is installed in In the accommodating groove, the circuit board assembly includes a circuit board seat and a circuit board, the circuit board is fixed to the circuit board seat, the battery seat and the circuit board seat are disposed on the fixing member, the battery and the circuit board Located on two different sides of the driving module, the battery is electrically connected to the circuit board, and the circuit board is electrically connected to the driving module. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the battery and the circuit board are respectively located on opposite sides of the drive module. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the battery and the circuit board are respectively located on two adjacent sides of the driving module, and the battery is farther from the chain guide member than the circuit board. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 4 of the patent application, wherein the long axis of the battery is parallel to the pivot axes of the two and third pivotal portions of the first link. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 2 of the patent scope, wherein the battery assembly further includes a battery cover, the battery is detachably installed in the accommodating groove, and the battery cover is detachably installed in the battery holder , And wrap the battery together with the battery holder. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the circuit board seat is detachably provided on the fixing member. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 1 of the patent scope further includes a first elastic member disposed between the at least one sixth pivotal portion and the at least one eighth pivotal portion, and The two opposite ends of the first elastic member abut the chain guide member and the second link, respectively. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein the two first pivotal portions and the two third pivotal portions are staggered, and the output arm is located in one of the first pivotal portion and one of the two Between the third pivotal parts. The bicycle front derailleur as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the two third pivotal portions are located between the two first pivotal portions.

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