Shimano Inc.

Akinobu Sugimoto

Yusuke Nishimoto

Yuki Hirose

Masahiro Yamanaka

Shingo Shiraishi

Eigo Kuroiwa

Satoshi Shahana

Akira Inoue

Atsuhiro Emura

Nobukatsu Hara

Toshio Tetsuka

Hitoshi Takayama

Kenkichi Inoue

Shingo Sakurai

Ken Yokoi

A control device is provided for a human-powered vehicle. The control device includes an electronic controller that is configured to control a motor that assists in propulsion of the human-powered vehicle. The electronic controller is configured to control the motor in accordance with a pitch angle of the human-powered vehicle and information related to a user load applied by a user to the human-powered vehicle in a negative direction with respect to a propulsion direction of the human-powered vehicle.

Human-powered vehicle control device and human-powered vehicle control system

A bicycle sprocket includes a plurality of sprocket teeth. The plurality of sprocket teeth includes at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one first tooth has a first radial-tooth height. The at least one first tooth has a first chain-engaging axial width which is smaller than a first distance defined between opposed outer link plates of the bicycle chain and which is larger than a second distance defined between opposed inner link plates of the bicycle chain. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the first chain-engaging axial width. The at least one second tooth has a second radial-tooth height. The at least one second tooth has a second chain-engaging axial width. The second radial-tooth height is greater than the second chain-engaging axial width. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the second radial-tooth height.

Bicycle sprocket

A bicycle sprocket comprises sprocket teeth. The sprocket teeth include at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one first tooth has a first radial-tooth height. The at least one first tooth has a first chain-engaging axial width which is smaller than a first distance defined between opposed outer link plates of a bicycle chain and which is larger than a second distance defined between opposed inner link plates of the bicycle chain. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the first chain-engaging axial width. The at least one second tooth has a second radial-tooth height. The at least one second tooth has a second chain-engaging axial width which is smaller than the second distance. The second radial-tooth height is greater than the second chain-engaging axial width. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the second radial-tooth height.

A bicycle sprocket having a rotational center axis, the bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body, a chain engagement structure, and a shifting facilitation projection. The chain engagement structure is arranged on a radially outer periphery of the sprocket body. The chain engagement structure includes a plurality of chain-driving teeth to engage with a bicycle chain to transmit a rotational driving force to the bicycle chain. The shifting facilitation projection is to facilitate an upshifting operation of the bicycle chain and to facilitate a downshifting operation of the bicycle chain.

Bicycle sprocket and bicycle sprocket assembly

A bicycle sprocket comprises sprocket teeth. The sprocket teeth include at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one first tooth has a first radial-tooth height. The at least one first tooth has a first chain-engaging axial width which is smaller than a first distance defined between opposed outer link plates of a bicycle chain and which is larger than a second distance defined between opposed inner link plates of the bicycle chain. The at least one second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth and is disposed on a downstream side in a rotational driving direction of the bicycle sprocket. The at least one second tooth is configured to engage with inner link plates of the bicycle chain. The at least one second tooth has a second radial-tooth height. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the second radial-tooth height.

A bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body, a plurality of sprocket teeth, at least one shifting facilitation area, at least one driving facilitation area, and at least one bump portion. The at least one shifting facilitation area is to facilitate at least one of a first shifting operation in which a bicycle chain is shifted from the bicycle sprocket toward a smaller sprocket adjacent to the bicycle sprocket in an axial direction parallel to a rotational center axis of the bicycle sprocket without another sprocket between the bicycle sprocket and the smaller sprocket, and a second shifting operation in which the bicycle chain is shifted from the smaller sprocket toward the bicycle sprocket. The at least one bump portion is provided in the at least one driving facilitation area.

A bicycle sprocket has a rotational center axis. The bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body and sprocket teeth. The sprocket teeth include at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one first has a first radial-tooth height. The at least one second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth and disposed on a downstream side in a rotational driving direction of the bicycle sprocket. The at least one second tooth has a second radial-tooth height. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the second radial-tooth height. The at least one first tooth includes a tooth tip having an axial center plane in an axial direction. The axial center plane of the tooth tip is offset from the axial center plane of the sprocket body in the axial direction.

A bicycle sprocket comprises sprocket teeth. The sprocket teeth include at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one first tooth has a first radial-tooth height. The at least one first tooth has an axial center plane in an axial direction parallel to the rotational center axis. The at least one second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth and disposed on a downstream side in a rotational driving direction of the bicycle sprocket. The at least one second tooth has a second radial-tooth height. The first radial-tooth height is greater than the second radial-tooth height. The at least one first tooth includes a tooth tip having an axial center plane in the axial direction. The axial center plane of the tooth tip is offset from the axial center plane of the first tooth in an axial direction.

A bicycle sprocket assembly comprises a first sprocket. The first sprocket comprises a first sprocket body, a shifting facilitation area, and a plurality of first sprocket teeth. The plurality of first sprocket teeth includes a plurality of first teeth and a plurality of second teeth. The plurality of first teeth includes a shifting-facilitation tooth and a first driving tooth. A maximum axial top width of the shifting-facilitation tooth is smaller than a maximum axial bottom width of the shifting-facilitation tooth. The maximum axial top width of the shifting-facilitation tooth is smaller than a maximum axial top width of the first driving tooth. The plurality of second teeth includes a second driving tooth extending radially outwardly from the first sprocket body. The plurality of second teeth has a maximum axial width smaller than a maximum axial bottom width of the first driving tooth.

Bicycle sprocket assembly

A bicycle sprocket comprises a first sprocket body, first sprocket teeth, a first side surface, a second side surface, at least one shifting facilitation projection, at least one guide portion, and at least one recess. The at least one guide portion is provided on a first side surface to guide a bicycle chain from the bicycle sprocket toward a smaller sprocket in a second shifting operation. The at least one recess is provided on the first side surface so as to be adjacent to the at least one guide portion in a circumferential direction defined about a rotational center axis. At least one of the at least one recess is provided in an upstream angular area defined from the at least one shifting facilitation projection to an upstream side in a driving state and within 90 degrees in the circumferential direction.

A multiple bicycle rear sprocket assembly includes first and second sprockets. The first sprocket includes a plurality of first sprocket teeth. The first sprocket teeth include at least one first tooth having a first maximum axial width for engaging with an outer link plate of the chain, and at least one second tooth having a second maximum axial width for engaging with an inner link plate of the chain. The first maximum axial width is larger than the second maximum axial width. The second sprocket includes a plurality of second sprocket teeth. The second sprocket is smaller than the first sprocket. The second sprocket teeth have additional second teeth only. The additional second teeth are configured for engaging with the inner link plate of the chain. The first maximum axial width is larger than a maximum axial width of each of the additional second teeth.

Multiple bicycle rear sprocket assembly

A bicycle sprocket has a rotational center axis. The bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body and a chain engagement structure. The chain engagement structure is arranged on a radially outer periphery of the sprocket body. The chain engagement structure includes a plurality of chain-driving teeth to engage with a bicycle chain to transmit a rotational driving force to the bicycle chain, at least one downshifting facilitation area to facilitate a downshifting operation from the bicycle sprocket to a smaller sprocket, and at least one downshifting facilitation projection disposed in the at least one downshifting facilitation area to engage with the bicycle chain when the bicycle chain shifts from the bicycle sprocket toward the smaller sprocket.

A bicycle crank assembly comprises a crank arm, a first sprocket, and a second sprocket. One of the first sprocket and the second sprocket comprises a first shifting facilitation area to facilitate a first shifting operation in which a bicycle chain is shifted from the second sprocket toward the first sprocket in a first chain-phase state in which a reference tooth of a plurality of second sprocket teeth is received in an outer link space, and a second shifting facilitation area to facilitate a second shifting operation in which the bicycle chain is shifted from the second sprocket toward the first sprocket in a second chain-phase state in which the reference tooth of the plurality of second sprocket teeth is received in an inner link space.

Bicycle crank assembly and bicycle sprocket assembly

A bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body, a plurality of sprocket teeth, at least one shifting facilitation projection, and at least one bump portion. The at least one shifting facilitation projection is configured to engage with a bicycle chain in a first shifting operation in which the bicycle chain is shifted from the bicycle sprocket toward a smaller sprocket. The at least one bump portion is provided on a downstream side of the at least one shifting facilitation projection in a driving rotational direction in which the bicycle sprocket rotates during pedaling. The at least one bump portion is spaced apart from the at least one shifting facilitation projection by a distance that is equal to or smaller than two chain pitches.

A bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body, sprocket teeth, and at least one shifting facilitation area. The sprocket teeth include at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one first tooth includes a first tooth center plane defined to bisect a first maximum axial width. The at least one second tooth includes a second tooth center plane defined to bisect a second maximum axial width. The second tooth center plane is offset from the first tooth center plane in an axial direction. The at least one shifting facilitation area is configured to facilitate a shifting operation of the bicycle chain.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Akinobu Sugimoto