Dual Control Lever for Bicycle Stem Gear Shifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bicycle systems, particularly those with mechanical and electrical derailleurs, lack efficient and user-friendly control mechanisms for shifting gears on varying terrain, often requiring complex operations and differing configurations for different countries.
Innovation Solution
A dual control lever system integrated with a bicycle stem, featuring a fixed base, brake lever, pivot lever, and multiple electrical buttons, which allows for intuitive shifting of gears through a functional circuit unit, enabling half, one, or multiple speed steps adjustments, and function switching between left and right sides, mimicking mechanical derailleur operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical derailleur with shift lever and transmission cable is used, then gear shifting function is achieved, but operation complexity increases and user-friendliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical derailleur system with cables and levers with an electrical derailleur system using buttons and control circuits. This substitution simplifies the control mechanism while maintaining gear shifting functionality, directly addressing the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control lever integrates multiple functions including brake operation, gear shifting (both electrical and mechanical modes), and function switching within a single unified structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate control mechanisms, thereby improving ease of operation without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If electrical derailleur with electrical button and control circuit is used, then operation simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different countries' operational habits decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever incorporates a function switching mechanism that allows dynamic reconfiguration of button functions according to different operational habits and regional preferences. This dynamic adaptability enables the same physical device to accommodate various international standards and user preferences, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changing operational parameters such as button functions and control modes to match different regional preferences. By enabling parameter changes without hardware modifications, the system maintains simplicity while achieving versatility across different countries.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate control mechanisms are provided for different derailleur types, then compatibility with various configurations is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever is designed as a universal interface that can operate with both mechanical and electrical derailleurs. By integrating multiple operational modes (electrical button pressing and mechanical lever actuation) into a single device, it achieves broad compatibility without requiring separate control mechanisms for different derailleur types.
Solution Approach 2:
The control lever separates the electrical button functions from the mechanical lever functions, allowing each component to be independently optimized while working together as a unified system. This segmentation enables compatibility with different derailleur types while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual control lever includes a fixed base, a brake lever, a pivot lever, a first electrical button, a second electrical button and a third electrical button. The brake lever is pivoted on the fixed base. The pivot lever is rotatably close to the brake lever. The first electrical button is disposed on the pivot lever. The second electrical button disposed on the pivot lever. The third electrical button is disposed on the pivot lever.