Bicycle Control Device with Internal Switch Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bicycle control devices often expose switches to the external environment, leading to reduced reliability and ease of assembly, as they lack effective protection and efficient transmission mechanisms for manual actuation.
Innovation Solution
A control device with a support body, a switch, and a manual actuation member, featuring a transmission mechanism with a rotatably supported shaft and a transversal protrusion, which houses the switch in a sealed cavity, allowing for easier assembly and enhanced protection from the environment, and includes elastic actuation elements for improved tactile feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the actuation element is directly exposed to the external environment for easy actuation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to exposure to external factors
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation element is nested inside the support body, creating a protected internal environment while maintaining external accessibility through the transmission mechanism. This resolves the contradiction by hiding the vulnerable component inside a protective structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A transmission mechanism acts as an intermediary between the external manual actuation member and the internal actuation element. This mediator allows force transmission while isolating the actuation element from direct environmental exposure, simultaneously maintaining operability and reliability.
2Reliability
If a transmission mechanism is introduced between the manual actuation member and the actuation element, then the reliability is improved through protection, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support body acts as a protective shell enclosing the actuation element. This simple shell structure provides environmental protection without requiring complex sealing systems or multiple protective layers, thus improving reliability while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission mechanism converts the manual actuation movement into rotational movement of the shaft, which then actuates the internal element. This mechanical substitution simplifies the overall structure by using a straightforward rotational-to-linear motion conversion rather than more complex transmission systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides reliable and efficient transmission of commands to bicycle components while protecting the switches from external elements, enhancing the control device's reliability and usability.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining tactile feedback through elastic actuation elements
Data Source
AI summary
A control device (1) for providing at least one electrical-electronic command to at least one bicycle component is provided, with a support body (2) carrying at least one switch (46), a respective actuation element (24) and a respective manual actuation member (10), with a transmission mechanism (13, 20) arranged between the manual actuation member (10) and the actuation element (24). Through the provision of the transmission mechanism for transmitting the movement of the manual actuation member (10) to the actuation element (24) of the at least one switch (46), the at least one switch (46) can be displaced in an area (2a) further inside the control device (2), less exposed to the external environment.