The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 04, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 27, 1997
Marc D Spencer, Rochester, NY (US);
Gregory J Lukins, Rochester, NY (US);
Ezra R Gold, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Frank Duver, Northport, NY (US);
Bruce Arden, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A gear shifting system for a human-powered chain- or belt-driven vehicle includes a wheel speed sensor, a cadence sensor, a gear changer position sensor, a tension sensor, a clinometer, a controller and a gear changer actuator. The wheel speed sensor senses a speed of a wheel, while the cadence sensor senses a drive rate that a torque drive member drives a torque-transmitting member. The gear changer position sensor senses a position of a gear changer that positions the torque-transmitting member with respect to a plurality of gears. The tension sensor senses a tension of the torque-transmitting member that is transmitting a torque applied to the torque-transmitting drive member to a gear. The clinometer senses an inclination of the vehicle. The controller generates a control signal based on the sensed wheel speed, the sensed torque-member drive rate, the sensed torque-transmitting member tension, the sensed vehicle inclination and the sensed gear changer position. The gear changer actuator is coupled to the gear changer and moves the gear changer in response to the control signal by positioning the torque-transmitting member with respect to the plurality of gears.