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US-12617492-B1 - Electronic derailleur

US12617492B1US 12617492 B1US12617492 B1US 12617492B1US-12617492-B1

Abstract

An electronic derailleur mounted on a frame of a bicycle includes a base portion for connecting to the frame, a movable portion, a first linkage, a second linkage, four pivot shafts, and a battery unit. The movable portion is movable relative to the base portion. Both the first linkage and the second linkage are pivotally connected to the base portion and the movable portion. The base portion, the movable portion, the first linkage, and the second linkage are pivotally connected as a four-bar linkage for moving the movable portion relative to the base portion. The pivot shafts are disposed between the base portion and the second linkage, between the second linkage and the movable portion, between the movable portion and the first linkage, and between the first linkage and the base portion, respectively. One of the pivot shafts has a battery cavity for housing the battery unit.

Inventors

  • Shang-Feng Lin
  • CHANG-CHUN KAO
  • Ruei-Yo Lin

Assignees

  • TIEN HSIN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20250226

Claims (11)

  1. 1 . An electronic derailleur, mounted on a frame of a bicycle, comprising: a base portion, configured to connect to the frame of the bicycle; a movable portion, movable relative to the base portion; a first linkage, pivotally connected to the base portion and the movable portion; a second linkage, pivotally connected to the base portion and the movable portion, wherein the base portion, the movable portion, the first linkage, and the second linkage are pivotally connected as a four-bar linkage for moving the movable portion relative to the base portion; four pivot shafts, located between the base portion and the second linkage, between the second linkage and the movable portion, between the movable portion and the first linkage, and between the first linkage and the base portion, respectively, wherein one of the four pivot shafts has a battery cavity; and a battery unit, disposed in the battery cavity.
  2. 2 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pivot shaft having the battery cavity is defined as a first pivot shaft, and the first pivot shaft is located between the base portion and the second linkage, or between the first linkage and the base portion.
  3. 3 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pivot shaft having the battery cavity is defined as a first pivot shaft, the first pivot shaft is a tubular body and has the battery cavity formed therein, and the battery cavity has an opening.
  4. 4 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a control module, wherein the control module is electrically connected to the battery unit; the pivot shaft having the battery cavity is defined as a first pivot shaft; the control module is relatively fixed to the base portion, the movable portion, the first linkage, or the second linkage adjacent to the first pivot shaft.
  5. 5 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the control module comprises a casing, a circuit board, and a charging interface; the casing encases the circuit board; the circuit board is electrically connected to the battery unit; an end of the charging interface is connected to the circuit board, and another end of the charging interface passes through the casing to be exposed outward.
  6. 6 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first pivot shaft is disposed between the first linkage and the base portion, and the first pivot shaft and the control module are positioned at the first linkage.
  7. 7 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a battery assembly, wherein the battery assembly comprises a battery housing and the battery unit; the battery housing is disposed in the battery cavity of the first pivot shaft; the battery unit is disposed in the battery housing; an end of the battery housing has an end cap protruding from an opening of the battery cavity; the casing of the control module has a perforation; the end cap of the battery housing is secured in the perforation.
  8. 8 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the end cap has a terminal opening for a terminal of the battery unit to be exposed outward; the circuit board comprises a contact for being connected to the terminal of the battery unit.
  9. 9 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a first pivoting ring and a second pivoting ring are disposed coaxially at an end of the base portion adjacent to the first linkage; a third pivoting ring and a fourth pivoting ring are disposed coaxially at an end of the first linkage adjacent to the base portion; the first pivot shaft is disposed in the first pivoting ring, the second pivoting ring, the third pivoting ring, and the fourth pivoting ring.
  10. 10 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first pivot shaft has a positioning portion, and the positioning portion is disposed between the third pivoting ring of the first linkage and the control module; the electronic derailleur comprises at least one positioning member for fixing the control module and the first linkage to each other.
  11. 11 . The electronic derailleur as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first pivot shaft has a stop member, and the stop member is configured to limit a displacement of the first pivot shaft relative to the first pivoting ring, the second pivoting ring, the third pivoting ring, or the fourth pivoting ring.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to a rear transmission for a bicycle, and more particularly to an electronic derailleur. Description of Related Art A battery of conventional electronic derailleur is usually attached directly to an external surface of a four-bar linkage. Although such arrangement is simple in structure, the battery is exposed outward and is susceptible to impact from foreign objects or external forces, resulting in damage to the battery assembly. Additionally, such arrangement increases the volume of the overall derailleur, which adversely affects the appearance and operation flexibility of the bicycle. Therefore, how to provide an electronic derailleur that not only could effectively reduce the influence of external impacts on the battery, but also could improve the structural stability and optimize the volume configuration, is an urgent problem to be solved. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, the primary objective of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic derailleur, so that the influence of external impacts on a battery could be effectively reduced. The present disclosure provides an electronic derailleur that is mounted on a frame of a bicycle and includes a base portion, configured to connect to the frame of the bicycle; a movable portion, movable relative to the base portion; a first linkage, pivotally connected to the base portion and the movable portion; a second linkage, pivotally connected to the base portion and the movable portion, wherein the base portion, the movable portion, the first linkage, and the second linkage are pivotally connected as a four-bar linkage for moving the movable portion relative to the base portion; four pivot shafts, located between the base portion and the second linkage, between the second linkage and the movable portion, between the movable portion and the first linkage, and between the first linkage and the base portion, respectively, wherein one of the pivot shafts has a battery cavity; and a battery unit, disposed in the battery cavity. The effect of the present disclosure is that the battery unit is effectively integrated through the battery unit being disposed in the battery cavity of one of the pivot shafts, thereby effectively reducing the influence of external impacts on the battery unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic derailleur of an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a top view of the electronic derailleur of the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electronic derailleur of the embodiment from another perspective; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electronic derailleur of the embodiment from another perspective; FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the electronic derailleur of the embodiment; FIG. 6 is another partially exploded view of the electronic derailleur of the embodiment; FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of a marked region B in FIG. 3; FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic view of a marked region C in FIG. 4, wherein the casing is presented in broken lines to show components inside the casing of the control module; FIG. 9 is a sectional view in the A-A line in FIG. 2; and FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic view of a marked region D in FIG. 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic derailleur 100 of an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a frame of a bicycle (not shown). The electronic derailleur 100 includes a base portion 10, a movable portion 20, a first linkage 30, a second linkage 40, four pivot shafts 50, a battery assembly 60, a control module 70, a chain guide portion 80, and a plurality of positioning members 90. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the base portion 10, the movable portion 20, the first linkage 30, and the second linkage 40 are pivotally connected as a four-bar linkage. One end of the base portion 10 is configured to connect to the frame of the bicycle to provide a stable mounting point for the electronic derailleur 100. The movable portion 20 is movable relative to the base portion 10 to achieve a speed-changing function. Two ends of the first linkage 30 are pivotally connected to the base portion 10 and the movable portion 20 respectively, and two ends of the second linkage 40 are pivotally connected to the base portion 10 and the movable portion 20 respectively, so that the movable portion 20 is movable relative to the base portion 10. The second linkage 40 is closer to the frame than the first linkage 30. As shown in FIG. 3, a first pivoting ring 12 and a second pivoting ring 14 are disposed coaxially at one end of the base portion 10 adjacent to the first linkage 30, and the first pivoting ring 12 is l