Rear derailleur with a cable guide roller

Abstract: A rear derailleur for a bicycle includes a base member (2,2',2'') for fixing to a bicycle frame, a movable member (5) for supporting a chain guide (6), and a linkage mechanism (3,4) coupling the base member (2,2',2'') to the movable member (5) so that the movable member (5) is capable of movement relative to the base member (2,2',2''). A roller (120,220) is coupled to the base member (2,2',2'') for rotation about a rotation axis (R), wherein the roller (120,220) includes a cable guiding surface (116) for guiding an inner wire (W) of a control cable (C). A casing support (100) is provided for supporting an outer casing (O) of the control cable (C), and a pivot coupling (112) pivotally supports the casing support (100) to the base member (2,2',2'') so that the casing support (100) pivots around a pivot axis (P) that is spaced apart from the rotation axis (R).

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to bicycle derailleurs and, more particularly, to a bicycle rear derailleur having a cable guide roller for controlling the orientation of a control cable. A bicycle rear derailleur according to the preamble of claim 1 is shown in documents US-A-4 437 848 and EP-A-0 771 720. Figure 1 is a side view of a prior art rear derailleur disclosed in USP 4,610,644. As shown in Figure 1, the derailleur comprises a base member 2 for rotatably mounting to a fixing member 1 of the bicycle, a movable member 5, and two linkage members 3 and 4 that connect base member 2 and movable member 5 together so that movable member 5 is capable of movement relative to base member 2. A chain guide 6 having a guide pulley 61 and a tension pulley 62 is rotatably coupled to movable member 5 for guiding a chain 17 along a plurality of sprockets of a sprocket cluster S. A first spring 13 is disposed between the movable member 5 and the chain guide 6 for biasing chain guide 6 clockwise, and a second spring 14 is disposed between the base member 2 and the fixing member 1 for biasing base member 2 clockwise. The derailleur is operated by a control cable C of the type having an inner wire W that slides within an outer casing O. Outer casing O is supported to base member 2 through a casing support 16, and inner wire W is connected to movable member 5 through a wire connector 15. Pulling inner wire W causes movable member 5 to move axially toward the largest sprocket S 2 of sprocket cluster S, and releasing inner wire W causes movable member 5 to move axially toward the smallest sprocket S 1 of sprocket cluster S. At the same time, the first and second springs 13 and 14 balance with each other to adjust the positions of the base member 2 and movable member 5 to set the radial position of the guide pulley 61 relative to the rear sprocket assembly S. As a result, base member 2 usually exhibits reciprocating motion in the direction Z. Since control cable C is rigidly fixed to base member 2, and since control cable C ordinarily bends approximately 180° before it attaches to the derailleur, control cable C resists the reciprocating motion of base member 2 during operation of the derailleur. This can adversely affect the proper positioning of the guide pulley 61. Furthermore, movement of base member 2 in the clockwise direction often causes the bend in control cable C to tighten, thus decreasing the efficiency of the cable due to increased friction between the inner wire W and the inner surface of the outer casing O. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rear derailleur in accordance with Claim 1. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a guide roller apparatus in accordance with Claim 17. Preferred embodiments provide a rear derailleur and guide roller apparatus having a cable guide roller for controlling the orientation of a control cable and reducing the effect of cable orientation on the operation of the derailleur. In one embodiment of the present invention, a rear derailleur for a bicycle includes a base member for fixing to a bicycle frame, a movable member for supporting a chain guide, and a linkage mechanism coupling the base member to the movable member so that the movable member is capable of movement relative to the base member. A roller is coupled to the base member for rotation about a rotation axis, wherein the roller includes a cable guiding surface for guiding an inner wire of a control cable. A casing support is provided for supporting an outer casing of the control cable, and a pivot coupling pivotally supports the casing support to the base member so that the casing support pivots around a pivot axis that is spaced apart from the rotation axis. More specifically, the pivot axis of the casing support is positioned in close proximity to an outer peripheral surface of the roller. The pivoting casing support allows the casing to accommodate the reciprocating motion of the base member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side view of a prior art derailleur; Figure 2 is a side view of a particular embodiment of a rear derailleur according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a view taken along line III-III in Figure 2. Figures 4 and 5 are detailed views showing the operation of the cable casing support shown in Figure 2; Figure 6 is a detailed view showing the operation of a cable casing support that pivots around the rotation axis of the cable guide roller, Figure 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a rear derailleur according to the present invention; Figures 8A-8B are top and rear views of the guide roller and cable support components shown in Figure 7; and Figures 9A-9B are a side view and a rear cross sectional view of the cable guide roller shown in Figure 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Figure 2 is a side view of a particular embodiment of a rear derailleur according to the present invention. This derailleur is constructed and operates substantially the same as the derailleur disclosed in USP 4,610,644, except for the features specifically described below. As shown in Figure 2, the derailleur comprises a base member 2' for rotatably mounting to a fixing member 1 of the bicycle, a movable member 5, and two linkage members 3 and 4 that connect base member 2' and movable member 5 together so that movable member 5 is capable of movement relative to base member 2'. A chain guide 6 having a guide pulley 61 and a tension pulley 62 is rotatably coupled to movable member 5 for guiding a chain 17 along a plurality of sprockets of a sprocket cluster S. A first spring 13 is disposed between the movable member 5 and the chain guide 6 for biasing chain guide 6 clockwise, and a second spring 14 is disposed between the base member 2' and the fixing member I for biasing base member 2' clockwise. The derailleur is operated by a control cable C of the type having an inner wire W that slides within an outer casing O. Outer casing O is supported to base member 2' through a casing support 100, and inner wire W is connected to movable member 5 through a wire connector 15. Pulling inner wire W causes movable member 5 to move axially toward the largest sprocket S 2 of sprocket cluster S, and releasing inner wire W causes movable member 5 to move axially toward the smallest sprocket S 1 of sprocket cluster S. At the same time, the first and second springs 13 and 14 balance with each other to adjust the positions of the base member 2' and movable member 5 to set the radial position of the guide pulley 61 relative to the rear sprocket assembly S. As a result, base member 2' usually exhibits reciprocating motion in the direction Z. Unlike the derailleur described in Figure 1, casing support 100 is not immovably fixed to base member 2'. Instead, casing support 100 comprises a casing support member 102 (Figure 3) connected to legs 104 and 108 that are coupled to a pivot shaft 112 in a parallel relationship to each other so that casing support 100 pivots around a pivot axis P. Furthermore, inner wire W does not extend directly in a straight line from casing support member 102 to wire connector 15. Instead, inner wire W is guided around a surface 116 of a guide roller 120 that is supported to base member 2' by a shaft 124 (Figure 2) for rotation about a rotation axis R. In this embodiment, surface 116 is formed as a groove for entraining inner wire W. To avoid contamination of roller 120 and inner wire W, base member 2' includes a mounting member for roller 120 and casing support 100 in the form of side surfaces 130 and 134, a bottom surface 138 and a top surface 142 which form a housing H for substantially enclosing roller 120. Legs 104 and 108 of casing support 100 extend along the side surfaces 130 and 134, respectively. Top surface 142 defines a slot 150 for receiving inner wire W therethrough so that inner wire W may reciprocate in the direction Y shown in Figure 2. To keep the exposed portion of inner wire W constant and at a minimum, the top surface 142 is formed as a curved surface having a constant radius of curvature originating at pivot shaft P. A stopper 160 is disposed at one end of top surface 142 to limit the range of motion of cable support 100 and prevent inner wire W from rubbing against the edge of slot 150. The pivoting construction of casing support 100 allows control cable C to assume a less curved orientation for reducing the friction between inner wire W and outer casing O. Also, when the derailleur moves axially relative to sprocket cluster S and base member 2' reciprocates in the direction Z, casing support 100 will pivot so as to minimize the resistance to the reciprocating motion of base member 2'. As shown more specifically in Figures 4 and 5, pivot axis P of casing support 100 is spaced apart from the rotational axis R of roller 120 and, in this embodiment, is positioned in close proximity to or directly aligns with the outer peripheral surface 154 of roller 120. This positional relationship helps ensure that inner wire W exits outer casing in a smooth direction. Indeed, when pivot axis P is aligned at the outer peripheral surface 154 of roller 120 then inner wire W exits outer casing O without bending at all, and this positional relationship will be maintained throughout the range of motion of casing support 100. Another very important advantage of locating the pivot axis P of casing support 100 away from the rotational axis R of roller 120, and particularly when the pivot axis P is positioned as described above, may be understood by referring to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic view showing the orientation of the control cable C if the casing support were to pivot around the rotation axis R of the cable guide roller at a constant radius r. The actual casing support is omitted for clarity. Assume the chain 17 engages one of the sprockets, e.g., sprocket S 1 , in the sprocket cluster S. At this time, springs 13 and 14 balance with each other to properly position the guide pulley 61 relative to sprocket S 1 , and the casing support orients control cable C in position 1. In this position, inner wire W extends a distance l(1) from the exit location E of control cable C to the contact location A on the cable guide roller. Assume the cyclist maintains the chain around sprocket S 1 but decides to switch the chain to a smaller front chainwheel (not shown in the drawings). After the cyclist shifts to the smaller chainwheel, more of the chain 17 needs to be taken up by the derailleur. This is accomplished by a combination of clockwise movements of base member 2 and chain guide 6. As a result of these movements, springs 13 and 14 balance with each other so that the casing support orients control cable C in position 2. In this position, inner wire W extends a distance l(2) from the exit location E of control cable C to the contact location B on the cable guide roller. Since the inner wire W is tangent to the cable guide roller, l(1) = l(2). However, the length of inner wire W is not constant with respect to a fixed point on the cable guide roller. For example, the length of inner wire W from exit location E to the location B in position 1 is (l(1) + the distance L around the outer periphery of the cable guide roller), whereas the length of inner wire W from exit location E to the location B in position 2 is only l(2). Thus, the length L of inner wire W also must be taken up as the control cable C moves from position 1 to position 2. Since the length L will vary depending upon the size of the chainwheels and the selected sprocket in the sprocket cluster S, springs 13 and 14 may not always balance properly. In the present invention, however, the pivot axis P of casing support 100 is positioned away from the rotational axis R of roller 120. This, in turn, decreases the distance L to make the balance of the springs 13 and 14 more predictable. When the pivot axis P of casing support 100 is positioned in close proximity to or directly aligns with the outer peripheral surface 154 of roller 120, then the length L can be eliminated entirely. This occurs because the exit location E moves away from the cable guide roller as the cable moves from position 1 to position 2 so that l(1) + L = l(2). Figure 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a rear derailleur according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a cable guide roller 220 is mounted to a base member 2" in an exposed manner. As shown in Figures 7, 8A and 8B, a mounting member in the form of a side plate 230 is hingedly connected to base member 2" through a hinge pin 232, and another side plate 234 is connected to hinge plate 230 through a connecting pin 233 which also rotatably supports guide roller 200. As in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a casing support 200 comprises a casing support member 202 connected to legs 204 and 208. Leg 204 is pivotally attached to side plate 230 through a rivet 244, and leg 208 is pivotally attached to side plate 234 through a rivet 248 so that casing support 200 pivots around a pivot axis P that is paced apart from the rotational axis R of roller 220. Also, in this embodiment pivot axis P is positioned in close proximity to or directly aligns with an outer peripheral surface 254 of roller 220. This embodiment operates in the same manner as the embodiment shown in Figure 2. Since roller 220 is exposed, there is a risk of mud or dirt build up on the roller. To minimize the effect of such build up, roller 220 is constructed as shown in Figures 9A and 9B. As shown in those Figures, roller 220 comprises an annular base member 250, a plurality of roller teeth 260 extending radially outwardly from one axial side of base member 250 (i.e., on the right side in Figure 9B), and a plurality of roller teeth 270 extending radially outwardly from the other axial side of base member 250 (i.e., on the left side in Figure 9B). As shown in Figure 9A, the plurality of roller teeth 260 alternate with the plurality of roller teeth 270 when viewed from the side. As shown in Figure 9B, each roller tooth 260 includes an inclined upper inner surface 262, a middle side surface 263 having a curved portion 264, and a lower side surface 265. Similarly, each roller tooth 270 includes an inclined upper inner surface 272, a middle side surface 273 having a curved portion 274, and a lower side surface 275. The curved portions 264 and 274 are curved to the shape of inner wire W so that the curved portions 264 and 274 alternatingly form an entrainment surface for inner wire W. When roller 220 is exposed to contamination (mud, water, etc.), inner wire W pushes the contaminant downward toward the lower side surfaces 265 and 275. The contaminant then can exit the exposed sides of roller 250 so as not to significantly affect the operation of the derailleur. The hinged construction of side plate 230 allows the roller assembly to pivot if the derailleur is subjected to a shock (for example, if the bicycle falls down). While the above is a description of various embodiments of the present invention, further modifications may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape and orientation of the various components may be changed as desired for the particular application. See, for example, the different locations of wire connector 15 and 15' in Figures 2 and 7. If desired, side plate 230 may be formed as one piece with base member 2", and a regular roller may be used in the embodiment shown in Figure 7 when the derailleur is not intended to be used in harsh environments. A housing similar to the housing H in Figure 3 or other cover may be provided for the embodiment shown in Figure 7 for additional protection. The pivot connection of casing support in both embodiments may be substituted with a casing support member that slides along a surface such as surface 142 in Figure 2.

Claims: A rear derailleur for a bicycle comprising: a base member (2',2'') for fixing to a bicycle frame; a movable member (5) for supporting a chain guide (6); a linkage mechanism (3,4) coupling the base member (2',2'') to the movable member (5) so that the movable member (5) is capable of movement relative to the base member (2',2''); a casing support (100,200) for supporting an outer casing (O) of a control cable (C); and a roller (120, 220) coupled to the base member (2',2'') for rotation about a rotation axis (R), wherein the roller (120, 220) includes a cable guiding surface (116) for guiding an inner wire (W) of the control cable (C); characterised in that the casing support (100,200) is coupled for movement relative to the base member (2',2''). The derailleur according to Claim 1 further comprising a pivot coupling for pivotally coupling the casing support (100,200) to the base member (2',2'') so that the casing support (100,200) pivots around a pivot axis (P) that is spaced apart from the rotation axis (R). The derailleur according to Claim 2 wherein the pivot axis (P) is positioned in close proximity to an outer peripheral surface (154, 254) of the roller (220). The derailleur according to any of Claims 1 to 3 further comprising a roller housing (H) for substantially enclosing the roller (120, 220). The derailleur according to Claim 4 wherein the roller housing (H) includes a first side surface (130,230), and wherein the casing support (100,200) includes: a first leg (104, 204) extending along the first side surface (130,230) of the roller housing (H); and a casing support member (102, 202) connected to the first leg (104, 204) for supporting the outer casing (O) of the control cable (C). The derailleur according to Claim 5 wherein the roller housing (H) includes a second side surface (134,234), and wherein the casing support includes a second leg (208) extending along the side surface (134,234) of the roller housing (H) and connected to the casing support member (202). The derailleur according to Claim 6 wherein the first leg (204) is generally parallel to the second leg (208), and wherein the first leg (204) and the second leg (208) are connected to the pivot coupling. The derailleur according to any of Claims 4 to 7 wherein the roller housing (H) further comprises a top surface (142) defining a slot (150) adapted to receive the inner wire (W) therethrough. The derailleur according to Claim 8 wherein the top surface (142) of the roller housing (H) includes a stopper (160) for limiting a range of motion of the outer casing support. The derailleur according to either of Claims 8 or 9 wherein the top surface (142) of the roller housing (H) has a curved shape with a radius of curvature centred around the pivot axis (P). The derailleur according to Claim 10 wherein the radius of curvature is constant. The derailleur according to any preceding claim further comprising a mounting member for mounting the roller (120, 220) to the base member (2',2''). The derailleur according to Claim 12 wherein the mounting member is formed as one piece with the base member (2',2''). The derailleur according to either of Claims 12 or 13 wherein the mounting member is attached to the base member (2',2'') through a removable fastener. The derailleur according to Claim 14 wherein the removable fastener comprises a hinge pin (232). The derailleur according to any preceding claim further comprising a second casing support fixed to the base member (2',2'') for supporting the outer casing (O) of the control cable (C). A guide roller apparatus for coupling to a linkage mechanism (3,4) of a bicycle derailleur, said apparatus comprising: a mounting member for coupling to the linkage mechanism (3,4); a casing support (100,200) for supporting an outer casing (O) of a control cable (C); and a roller (120, 220) rotatably coupled to the mounting member for rotation about a rotation axis (R), wherein the roller (120, 220) includes a cable guiding surface (116) for guiding an inner wire (W) of the control cable (C) ; characterised in that the casing support (100,200) is coupled for movement relative to the mounting member. The apparatus according to Claim 17 further comprising a pivot coupling for pivotally supporting the casing support (100,200) to the mounting member so that the casing support (100,200) pivots around a pivot axis (P) that is spaced apart from the rotation axis (R). The apparatus according to either of Claims 17 or 18 wherein the mounting member comprises: a first side member (130,230); a second side member (134,234); a bottom member (138) connected to the first side member (130, 230) and to the second side member (134, 234); a top member (142) connected to the first side member (130, 230) and to the second side member (134, 234); wherein the first side member (130,230), the second side member (134,234), the bottom member (138) and the top member (142) substantially enclose the roller (120, 220). The apparatus according to any of Claims 17 to 19 wherein the mounting member comprises a side member (230), wherein the roller (120, 220) is rotatably supported by the side member (230), and wherein the casing support (100,200) is pivotally supported by the side member (230). The apparatus according to Claim 20 wherein the side member (230) is formed as one piece with a base member (2',2'') for mounting the derailleur to a bicycle, wherein the base member (2',2'') includes a linkage connecting portion for connecting the base member (2',2'') to the linkage mechanism (3,4). The apparatus according to either of Claims 20 or 21 wherein the side member (130) includes a base member connecting portion for connecting the side member (130) to a base member (2',2'') of the derailleur. The apparatus according to Claim 22 wherein the base member connecting portion comprises a hinge member. The apparatus according to Claim 23 further comprising a hinge pin (232) for connecting the hinge member to the base member (2',2''). The apparatus according to any of claims 17 to 24 further comprising a roller housing (H) for substantially enclosing the roller (120, 220).

Inventors: OKA MITSUO, OKA, MITSUO
Applicants: SHIMANO KK, SHIMANO INC.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B62M9
IPC codes: B62M9, F16H7, B62M25