Bicycle Telescopic Equipment by Shimano – WheelBased

On this article, we’ll be discussing a Bicycle Telescopic Equipment, US publication 20210394850. The publication date is Dec. 23^rd, and the submitting date is Sept 3^rd, 2021. This patent will not be granted, but.  

Shimano are engaged on, in my view, one of many extra ridiculous concepts I’ve learn in a very long time. Within the first instance, the dropper seat submit features a top detection system, which calculates the relative top of the bottom to the stanchion of the dropper. This top is then despatched to a controller, which does some fancy calculations to find out the optimum gear place. Sure, the dropper adjustments your gears primarily based on the peak of your seat submit.

They take it a step additional and in addition use the identical relative-positioning system for a fork, the place the place of the fork in its journey can decide a gear ratio. Attention-grabbing…

We’re properly conscious of Shimano’s push to digital programs. Some examples are right here, right here, and right here. You don’t need to learn these, they’re simply supporting paperwork. I’ll put my tinfoil hat on and assume some of these items ought to have been launched by now, however the present state of the earth might be making it a bit of more durable than it must be. That being mentioned, there’s little question in my thoughts it’ll come, ultimately.

After studying this entire factor; I don’t know. I do not know why they’re doing this apart from ‘because they can’. That is what I’ve obtained:

In bicycles with adjustable, telescopic seatposts, it could be helpful to detect the seat place, in order that different bicycle elements will be adjusted in accordance with the seat place.

FIG. 2 and three present the primary instance of this method. The precise actuation of this seat submit seems to be fairly much like typical fluid-type posts, the place there’s a valve that enables fluid to move to and from a chamber underneath the submit station. On this case, the valve 226 is opened and closed by the thumb-trigger. Primarily based on the claims, the valve will in all probability be digital.

When the valve opens, fluid can move between the accumulator 234 and the chamber 136. The accumulator additionally has compressed air (in all probability from a hand pump) that applies a power to the fluid to maneuver between the chambers. So, it really works fairly equally to another fluid-type dropper in the marketplace. Don’t fear in regards to the bizarre icons proven within the determine. That’s only a approach of iconizing a element and doesn’t dictate the precise form/dimension/design of them. FIG. 3 is a top-view of a cross-section of the seat submit.  

The essential half we’re specializing in is the 2 little spirally-looking issues on the suitable aspect of the submit. That’s the place detector 142, which features a first detector half 172 and second detector half 174. These two detector components measure a relative place to at least one one other, that means they will calculate how far up or down you're on the seat submit. I assume this shall be a normalized ratio (0 – 1) the place 0 or 1 could be absolutely prolonged. So, when the seat submit goes up, the detector 174 measures the relative motion towards the detector 172 and sends a sign/voltage to the output system 154.

So, wtf does this “relative position sensing system” do? Ultimately, Shimano need to have the ability to mechanically shift gears primarily based on the place your seat submit is positioned. I do know, a few of you simply puked in your mouth. However, it’s additionally essential to notice the derailleur will be managed from the handlebars (see element working system 94).

The relative place measurement is calculated by the output system 154 and a sign is then output to the ‘bicycle component 70’, which is a derailleur or a gearbox. So, the output system is principally a controller/pc. The output system contains an ADC (analog to digital converter) to offer digital info to the derailleur. Right here’s the entire concept:

The output system 154 can learn relative place info from the place detector 142 and might output that info as a sign to, for instance, the bicycle element 70… The sign is configured to manage a bicycle element 70 apart from the bicycle telescopic equipment 58… [this] permits the bicycle element 70 to be managed primarily based on the place of the bicycle telescopic equipment 58… in an embodiment by which the bicycle element 70 is a shifting system

Shimano take this concept a step additional. Did you discover the title is known as ‘Bicycle Telescoping Apparatus’? What else performs some type of telescoping on a motorcycle? The fork. It will work the very same approach because the seat submit, the place there shall be two detectors that sense the relative place of the 2 tubes, and it’ll ship a sign to the derailleur to alter gears primarily based on the place your fork place is at. I really feel like I’m a reasonably open particular person to new expertise (I actually write about it), however I can not consider a brand new improvement that's extra ineffective than this. Anybody have an concept as to why you’d need this? Possibly they’ll set it as much as downshift when the fork compresses for a climb?

There are a number of extra examples on this doc, however they’re fairly related and repetitive so I received’t go over them. And, this text is already lengthy sufficient, doesn’t must be any longer. Try FIGs. 9-17 in case you nonetheless don’t have a life, like me.

I can’t consider a use case for this. Why would I need to change gears primarily based on my seat top? Shimano don’t state this, however I’m going to provide them the advantage of the doubt as say the seat top doesn’t explicitly modify gears, that means there should be extra parameters used. I hope they’re utilizing seat top as one of many many parameters. Parameters like cadence, inclination, and energy appear to be considerably extra helpful inputs that can be utilized to have an effect on an automated gear change.

And don’t get me started on the fork half. Jesus.

Is that this cool? Idk. Am I impressed? Additionally, idk. This is without doubt one of the uncommon paperwork the place I've extra questions than solutions once I end studying.