Shimano’s new system helps defend essentially the most delicate bits of the rear derailleur in an digital shifting system. Springs defend the heart from essentially the most damaging elements of any impression within the ‘suspended’ construction.
Editor’s be aware: This article was initially revealed on Bikerumor.
Whether you kick up a rock on the path or drop your bike on the improper second, Shimano goals to cowl you with its new rear derailleur.
Published simply final week, Shimano’s newest Di2 drivetrain patent particulars an all-new, considerably easier digital shifting mechanism that may float its shift motor in an remoted method to guard it from impacts higher.
Once mounted on the bike, you’d be hard-pressed to identify the practical variations tucked inside. But by using a second return spring and a few lever arms that tuck inside its parallelogram, this prototype Di2 derailleur can deal with direct exterior strikes and impacts with out damaging the delicate motor and gearbox inside.
Shimano’s Floating Derailleur Concept Patent
Let me begin by saying that the 42 pages of vaguely descriptive, conceptual legalese on this patent submitting are dense. And its 31 diagrammatic illustrations are undoubtedly useful however certainly not clear in their very own proper. If you would learn via it and are available away understanding all of it on a primary cross, you’d be a lot better than I.
But I popped a present Ultegra Di2 drivetrain beside my monitor and waded deep into the weeds to determine what’s completely different and why it issues.
So What’s New?
From the patent’s fundamental description, the important thing to this new Shimano Di2 derailleur idea is its skill to shift electronically identical to you’ve come to anticipate however to make use of two springs inside its linkage system that enable the derailleur to maneuver out of the way in which each time it’s hit from both aspect.
Doing so protects the costliest and exact bits of the Di2 system — its motorized actuator and inner gearbox — whereas permitting it to return to middle and shift precisely after impression.
The present Di2 design achieves considerably related impression safety and automated return from an outer impression by driving shift by way of an inboard hyperlink and uncovered spring that may slip previous a small cease. But if you happen to get one thing caught between the cassette/wheel and your derailleur, it requires a handbook reset.
Shimano Di2 Floating Derailleur Prototype
The new dynamic is extra automated and compact, enabling Shimano to tuck the mechanics contained in the shifting parallelogram.
Upshift, and a brand new lever pulls the derailleur linkage outboard to align with a smaller cog by way of the primary spring. Downshift, and that lever pushes the second “saver” lever to tug the alternative aspect of the derailleur linkage inboard by way of a second spring. Since the spring forces are a lot stronger than the drive required to actuate the shift, the whole lot ought to transfer rapidly and exactly.
But for the reason that parallelogram linkage is floating between the 2 springs, any extra brutal drive from both aspect will transfer the derailleur with out damaging the gearbox or motor.
Interestingly, the identical resolution works for the entrance derailleur too.
Why Does It Matter?
We all know that you simply don’t need to substitute an costly digital derailleur, so it’s all the time been good that all of them disengage once they undergo a major impression.
This appears to make that disengaging mechanism extra fluid whereas including automated recentering in each instructions. We scratched our heads questioning why you want impression safety from each side. But it’s definitely conceivable {that a} rock flying up off the rear wheel may strike the within of your derailleur, or one thing may get jammed between the cassette and derailleur physique when using on gravel or off highway.
In any case, the inherent floating design permits for motion and impression safety in each instructions.
Now, the query stays: When will manufacturing start?
It’s solely been a 12 months and a half since DURA-ACE and ULTEGRA bought their newest Di2 replace (and only a half-year since 105 Di2), so we don’t anticipate a brand new highway Di2 group anytime quickly. It has been virtually 4 years since gravel’s GRX Di2 debut, although.
We’ve been ready anxiously for a brand new XTR Di2 group since XT bought an e-bike-only Di2 final summer time. And it’s been virtually 9 years for the reason that present XTR Di2 M9050 groupset was revealed.
If this new, impact-resistant Shimano Di2 derailleur patent design is coming quickly, it’ll seemingly be off highway.
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