Shifting Device Wireless Communication Drive Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shifting devices for human-powered vehicles lack convenience in operation, as they require manual control and do not efficiently communicate shifting information to drive units, leading to suboptimal shifting performance and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A shifting device with a transmission device, a controller, and a communicator that sends information about shifting time and period to a drive unit, allowing independent actuation and simplifying wiring through wireless communication, and includes a communication housing separate from the transmission device to avoid enlargement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the shifting device sends information to the drive unit, then the shifting performance is optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shifting device is divided into functionally independent modules: a transmission device for shifting, a first controller for controlling the transmission device, and a first communicator for communication. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system optimization without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first communicator acts as an intermediary component that enables information exchange between the shifting device and the drive unit. This intermediary facilitates optimized shifting performance by transmitting necessary information without requiring direct complex integration between the transmission device and drive unit control systems.
2Device complexity
If wireless communication is used, then wiring is simplified, but reliability of communication may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical wiring connections with wireless communication between the shifting device and drive unit. This substitution eliminates the need for physical wire connections, simplifying the overall device structure and reducing wiring complexity while maintaining communication functionality for transmitting shifting information.
3Volume of moving object
If the communication housing is separate from the transmission device, then the transmission device size is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication housing is separated from the transmission device into distinct physical units. This segmentation reduces the volume of the transmission device by extracting the communication functions into a separate housing, while the overall system complexity is managed through clear functional separation and standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The first controller serves multiple functions: it controls the transmission device for shifting operations and simultaneously manages the first communicator for information exchange with the drive unit. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the separate housing configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A shifting device includes a transmission device, a first controller and a first communicator. The transmission device is configured to shift a transmission ratio of a human-powered vehicle. The first controller is configured to control the transmission device. The first communicator is configured to perform communication with a drive unit for a human-powered vehicle. The drive unit includes a motor configured to apply a propulsion force to the human-powered vehicle. In a case where the first controller shifts the transmission ratio. The first controller is configured to control the first communicator so that the first communicator sends first information to the drive unit in a case where the first controller shifts the transmission ratio. The first information includes at least one of information related to a shifting time of the transmission ratio and information related to a shifting period of the transmission ratio.