Shimano Derailleur Hanger Patent Opens Up Many Potentialities with One other New Customary
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Shimano has filed a patent for a brand new derailleur hanger design that, fairly frankly, has us scratching our heads. Together with a UDH-style answer for mounting a hanger to the dropout, this so-called “bracket equipment” has a second ahead mounting level that appears to mount a battery, or another digital gadget, from the inboard face of the chainstay.
Our first ideas? Oh, Shimano is bringing the derailleur’s battery outdoors, however then housing it on the body as an alternative. Truthful sufficient, proper? It appears affordable to carry it out for extra accessibility and fewer trouble with inside cable routing, however comparatively talking, having it out of hurt’s means could be good too.
Wanting extra intently on the contemporary patent (US 20230166813 A1), we imagine this new association might kind the idea for execution of extra thrilling know-how; a self-charging answer, or, if we actually assume outdoors the field, it might even be the infrastructure vital for the execution of Fox’s Suspension Enhancing Hub and Derailleur Meeting.
With potential involvement of a proposed hub dynamo, an built-in cassette cleaner and chain stabilizer, this bracket gadget, due to its secondary mounting gadget, brings with it some fascinating makes use of past the straightforward mounting of a rear derailleur.
Shimano Bracket Equipment for Derailleur Mounting
Earlier than we permit our minds to run wild, let’s give attention to the construction of the proposed derailleur hanger from Shimano. Very like the SRAM UDH design, the Shimano “Bracket Equipment” ties within the thru-axle mounting of the rear wheel with the mounting of the derailleur hanger. It nonetheless primarily bolts to the bike on the rear axle, with a standard hanger retention bolt into the body, too (44). However it seems like it is going to want a brand new nub on the body on the within of the chainstay to stop undesirable hanger rotation. Shimano’s patent appears to keep away from increasing on that extra requirement of this new ‘normal’.
There’s nothing terribly uncommon right here, besides that the inboard face of the hanger sees a channel (34/38) working down from the dropout for the routing of a cable that presumably exits the hub through its end-cap. Extra on that later.
Extra clearly distinctive to this derailleur hanger is the additional arm, if you’ll, that extends ahead alongside the inboard face of the chainstay to a secondary mounting level. Right here, the arm meets a element bracket (32) to which what is probably going a battery (26), and/or some form of sensor or different digital gadget, is mounted, and positioned on the underside of the keep.
Actually, it seems as if this Shimano Bracket Equipment serves a broader goal than the mounting of a rear derailleur, which it does so within the common style through threads on its lowermost portion (22).
One Chance: A part of a Self-Charging Answer?
So, why is Shimano creating this new derailleur hanger normal?
We expect it could possibly be a part of a self-charging answer through which an digital derailleur is powered straight by a rear hub dynamo.
Along side this invention, Shimano can be engaged on a number of variations of a rear hub dynamo, whereby a generator situated contained in the rear hub takes the kinetic power from rotation of the rear wheel and converts it into {an electrical} present. You may study concerning the specifics of that in US Patent 20230037945 A1.
Granted, the rear hub dynamo proven runs a quick-release skewer, however Shimano does provide thru-axle options on its present (entrance) dynamo hubs. Moreover, the patent doc in query additionally exhibits the rear hub dynamo in use on a full suspension bike, which might invariably run a thru-axle dropout in swingarm today. The patent particularly mentions utilization of the power generated by the dynamo for powering an digital rear derailleur, with power being transferred alongside a wire (40) exiting the hub on the drive-side end-cap.
Such an association would most-likely first discover its house on a touring bike, or commuter bike even; mainly, a motorcycle whereby the rear wheel very hardly ever must be eliminated. It doesn’t take rather a lot to think about the potential frustration concerned in eradicating and reinstalling a rear wheel whereby a tiny cable exiting the end-cap must be completely lined up with an equally tiny slot on the inboard face of the derailleur hanger. However possibly Shimano could have one other wi-fi power switch patent within the wings that might break down that barrier for extra critical off-road use?
Regardless, a rear hub dynamo coupled to an digital rear derailleur might make digital shifting a extra viable, probably much more dependable answer for commuter bikes than it’d in any other case be with out such a self-charging answer.
Then, down the highway (or path) we might see a lot of ultra-distance riders who’d love digital shifting with a motorcycle that by no means runs out of juice.
A Second (Wilder) Chance: A part of a Suspension Enhancement Answer?
Bear with me. Earlier this 12 months, Fox Manufacturing facility filed a patent for a Suspension Enhancing Hub and Derailleur Meeting. The innovations mentioned therein sought to eradicate the unfavourable results that chain pressure exerts upon a bicycle’s rear suspension and its general trip really feel, due to this fact.
The ‘electronically decoupling’ hub could be configured to disengage its pawls within the occasion of potential pedal kickback occasions, in an effort to forestall the rider from experiencing undesirable rearward rotation of the cranks. Learn: Each downhill with the right unrestrictive suspension motion of Aaron Gwin profitable a Leogang DH World Cup and not using a chain.
Equally, the clutch of the rear derailleur could be configured to electronically disengage because the chainline went into extension throughout giant compression occasions – its disengagement would permit the cage to swing forwards freely, offering little to no resistance to the motion of the rear suspension. So mainly, hub & derailleur by no means proscribing suspension motion.
The Fox Manufacturing facility patent described using a number of sensors and a central processing unit to coordinate hub coupling/decoupling occasions and clutch disengagement/engagement occasions to mainly produce a chainless trip really feel for the rider, whereas nonetheless guaranteeing constant chain retention.
Nevertheless, whereas the Fox Manufacturing facility patent did an excellent job of explaining how these two parts would work collectively to present that chainless trip really feel, it didn’t go into a lot element on the infrastructure necessities for such a setup. Particularly, how precisely the hub and derailleur could be wired, or how they’d be powered, even.
It doesn’t take a big stretch of the creativeness to see how Shimano’s Bracket Meeting could possibly be that lacking infrastructure. The Suspension Enhancing Hub and Derailleur Meeting is computerized and digital, in any case, so would due to this fact require a centrally-housed battery (probably 24), with a wire working to the motor related to the derailleur clutch, and one other wire working to the motor (probably by means of groove 38) working the engagement state of the hub pawls. And naturally, it might additionally require “a communicator or an informing unit” (probably a part of 26A) for coordination of engagement.
Certain, wi-fi communication is feasible, however wires are generally sooner and easier.
It’s not so unrealistic to counsel that Fox might have teamed up with Shimano to create a brand new derailleur hanger answer for his or her still-hypothetical drivetrain parts.
Self-Cleansing and Chain-Stabilizing
There’s extra. Shimano’s Bracket Equipment can be capable of mount a “cleansing portion” (266). This basically contains a two-pronged construction, bolted to the secondary mounting level of the Bracket Equipment. Element 270 and 268 are positioned to fit in between sprockets 1 and a pair of, and sprockets 2 and three, respectively. Why? To scrape away muck that might in any other case construct up right here, after all.
In one other embodiment, the Shimano Bracket Equipment features a chain stabilization module (360) bolted to the hanger portion such that it’s positioned straight behind the dropout. Right here, a tab protrudes a brief distance towards the cassette, the place it might foreseeably forestall the chain from dropping off the smallest sprocket of the cassette into no man’s land.
So which can or not it’s? Will this hanger be the following gravity racing sensation, or possibly STeP(S) up Shimano Cues Di2 commuter model?
Tell us your ideas within the feedback.
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