This pending Shimano patent from final yr for a “Derailleur for human-powered car” illustrates an all-new digital bicycle derailleur design with its personal built-in rechargeable battery, and the flexibility to shift throughout 13 cogs. Sure, this can be a sneak peek at absolutely wi-fi Shimano Di2 13-speed drivetrain, with a detachable battery.
And management methods tied in with these detachable batteries additionally trace at electronically-controlled suspension AND braking…
Totally-wireless next-gen Shimano Di2 drivetrain patent
In basic patent utility legalese communicate, that is 28,000 phrases and 61 diagrams of Shimano describing how a battery may exist on a derailleur in a singular method. Actually, there are 13 or 14 totally different embodiments (separate design examples) of how this idea could possibly be achieved in a rear derailleur.
Shimano go round in circles to explain what is exclusive as finding the battery in “a most well-liked place whereas sustaining mobility of a connecting meeting”. The gist of it appears to be, that Shimano thinks they’ve a greater place to place their battery on a derailleur’s parallelogram hyperlinks (interior or outer) for improved efficiency (Fig. 14), with out limiting the motion of the derailleur’s linkage or cage itself.
It’s fairly widespread, however attention-grabbing nonetheless, the Shimano wi-fi digital derailleur patent utility cites three earlier patents. First, an early battery-powered pre-Campagnolo Wi-fi derailleur patent from six years again. Then, considered one of Shimano’s personal latest Di2 patents. And at last, a nonetheless pending SRAM AXS T-Kind wi-fi derailleur patent filed 4 years in the past.
Semi-modular detachable batteries
Of be aware, each entrance & rear derailleurs seem to have in a different way formed/sized batteries (which I imagine is critical to get round a SRAM AXS patent). However Shimano designed the proposed smaller Di2 entrance derailleur battery (Fig. 5) so you can probably connect it to a rear derailleur within the case of a useless rear derailleur battery (Fig. 7) whereas using. That could be a limp residence mode that will allow you to get just a few extra rear shifts. However, the bigger rear battery couldn’t match into the entrance derailleur, so in case you drain the entrance battery, you’ll be caught on one of many entrance rings.
Within the face of SRAM AXS patents, this can be a actually massive deal!
Additionally noteworthy, a proposed Shimano multi-charger (Fig. 8) exhibits the chance to cost 2 giant & 2 small batteries at a time, supporting the concept that extra electronically managed elements could possibly be mixed in a brand new wi-fi Di2 ecosystem. And a separate single battery charger (Fig. 54) that clearly illustrates the smaller battery becoming within the footprint of the bigger battery.
Wait, electronic-controlled suspension and electrical brakes, too!
An extra block diagram particularly mentions electrical suspension management, an electronically-actuated dropper seatpost, and even… electrical brakes! Yep, dig deep within the patent-speak and we discover this: “The second part 24 consists of one other of the next elements: the electrical adjustable seat submit, the electrical entrance suspension, the electrical rear suspension, the electrical entrance brake, the electrical rear brake, the electrical shift lever, the electrical brake lever, the electrical entrance derailleur 30 and the electrical rear derailleur 32.”
Wow.
It’s not the primary time we’ve heard chatter of electrical suspension or electrical brake management from Shimano. However do you suppose they’re significantly contemplating that now?
Street or gravel bike derailleur with a clutch?
The general form of the derailleur most used within the patent drawings seems to be extra Dura-Ace than GRX, however there’s clear reference to a low-profile damping system (Fig. 9, #58) between the derailleur physique and cage. Plus, a small adjustment screw to dial in clutch rigidity. However no easy lever to fully disengage it so far as I can see. However there are two notes to a damping electrical cable and even a hydraulically-damped clutch choice.
Plus, there’s additionally a extra primary MTB-shaped derailleur (Fig. 29) that exhibits each the inner battery within the parallelogram and the clutch.
What about this Shimano Di2 patent’s 13-speeds?
The main focus of this Shimano Di2 patent utility is unquestionably on the wi-fi facet and detachable battery configuration. However we actually usually are not going to skip over the truth that Shimano selected for instance their new Di2 idea with a 13-speed cassette (Fig. 10). The cog sizes actually don’t look to scale (until we’re speaking about at 32-53T cluster). However there are undeniably 13 gear there. And with all of the speak of a entrance derailleur, this could possibly be a primary 2×13 street bike groupset.
They may have simply drawn 11 or 12 cogs, however determined to point out 13!
Now, we simply wait and see.
