Derailleur Hanger Protective Element for Bicycle Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bicycle frames, particularly in the rear structure area, are prone to damage when the chain jumps off the sprockets due to gearshift malfunctions, often getting stuck between the smallest sprocket and the frame, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A derailleur hanger device with a protective element designed to prevent such damage, featuring a base body with a plate-shaped or profiled extension that bears against or encompasses the bicycle frame, made from materials like aluminum, steel, or carbon, and includes a fastening element for securing the derailleur cable, ensuring secure attachment and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a derailleur hanger is used to fasten the rear derailleur to the bicycle frame, then the rear derailleur can be securely attached, but the bicycle frame is vulnerable to damage when the chain jumps off and gets stuck between the sprocket and the frame
Solution Approach 1:
A protective element is introduced as an intermediary component between the derailleur hanger and the bicycle frame. This protective element absorbs the harmful impact when the chain jumps off and gets stuck, preventing direct damage to the bicycle frame while maintaining the attachment function of the hanger.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective element is pre-installed on the derailleur hanger to provide beforehand cushioning against potential chain-related damage. It acts as a sacrificial component that can be damaged or deformed to protect the more valuable bicycle frame from harm.
2Ease of repair
If the protective element is designed as a separate component, then it can be made of different material and easily replaced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The derailleur hanger assembly is segmented into distinct components: the main hanger body and the separate protective element. This segmentation allows the protective element to be manufactured from different materials, easily replaced when damaged, and independently optimized for its protective function without affecting the main hanger structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (2) for attaching a derailleur to a bicycle frame (1) has a protective element (18) to protect the bicycle frame (1) from damage caused by a falling chain.