Patent ID: 8695452

Claim:
A shifter for operating a gear changing device of a bicycle, comprising: a shifter housing having a cable spool rotatably supported on a first axis; a control plate rotationally fixed to the cable spool, the control plate having transport teeth; a cable-pull lever assembly operatively connected to the cable spool to rotate the cable spool in the cable-pull direction, the cable-pull lever assembly including a cable-pull lever and a winding pawl rotatably disposed on and rotating with the cable-pull lever about the first axis, the winding pawl engaging the transport teeth to transmit cable-pull lever rotation to the cable spool; a cable-release lever assembly operatively connected to the cable spool to rotate the cable spool in the cable-release direction, the cable-release lever assembly including a cable-release lever rotatably supported about a second axis of rotation, the second axis skewed relative to the first axis; a shift plate rotatably supported about the first axis and contactingly disengaging the winding pawl from the transport teeth when the cable-release lever is rotated; and a coupling element connecting the shift plate to the cable-release lever.