Shimano has patented a bicycle gearbox

[Opik]

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/shimano-gearbox/

Shimano has filed a patent that strongly suggests that it is finally developing a gearbox for both road and mountain bikes.


Within the patent are details of exactly how the gearbox could work alongside details of a low-friction coating for chainrings and chains that has the potential to enormously reduce the drag of a gearbox – one of the key downsides of gearboxes we’ve ridden so far.

Pinion — the undoubted leader in the bicycle gearbox market — uses a system of movable, interlocking spur gears to provide six, nine, 12 or 18 gears in a wider range than a typical derailleur drivetrain.

Effigear produces a similar system with a few subtle differences.

This is why the potential of Shimano developing a gearbox could be such enormous news. Shimano is by far the biggest bicycle drivetrain manufacturer out there and it has huge development resources at its disposal.

Shimano would also never bother investing in developing such a system if it didn’t believe it could have significant advantages over a derailleur drivetrain.

Shimano has definitely developed some weird stuff, seemingly just because it could in the past (see Airlines), but I also doubt it would bother developing a gearbox if brands weren’t calling for one.

 

[super slim]

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/shimano-gearbox/

Shimano has filed a patent that strongly suggests that it is finally developing a gearbox for both road and mountain bikes.


Within the patent are details of exactly how the gearbox could work alongside details of a low-friction coating for chainrings and chains that has the potential to enormously reduce the drag of a gearbox – one of the key downsides of gearboxes we’ve ridden so far.

Pinion — the undoubted leader in the bicycle gearbox market — uses a system of movable, interlocking spur gears to provide six, nine, 12 or 18 gears in a wider range than a typical derailleur drivetrain.

Effigear produces a similar system with a few subtle differences.

This is why the potential of Shimano developing a gearbox could be such enormous news. Shimano is by far the biggest bicycle drivetrain manufacturer out there and it has huge development resources at its disposal.

Shimano would also never bother investing in developing such a system if it didn’t believe it could have significant advantages over a derailleur drivetrain.

Shimano has definitely developed some weird stuff, seemingly just because it could in the past (see Airlines), but I also doubt it would bother developing a gearbox if brands weren’t calling for one.

It looks VERY similar to the HONDA 7 speed downhill bike gearbox!!!!
https://www.pinkbike.com/video/8166/

 

[benphyr]

Shimano would also never bother investing in developing such a system if it didn’t believe it could have significant advantages over a derailleur drivetrain.

Shimano would also never bother investing in developing such a system if it didn’t believe it could have significant advantages over a derailleur drivetrain. But I also doubt it would bother developing a gearbox if brands weren’t calling for one.

I think we have seen Shimano copy good ideas before to get into that market share. They probably don’t need anything better than what is currently offered in order to get a share of the market. Especially because their size is going to work for them with name recognition and pricing.

 

[Opik]

It looks VERY similar to the HONDA 7 speed downhill bike gearbox!!!!
https://www.pinkbike.com/video/8166/

this was in the comments :

Shimano has historically benefited from the patents Honda gave to them in 2001, after retiring the RN01 from the WC DH circuit. I still recall the German PeteSpeed gearbox -later bought by Hayes/Manitou. They could never hit the market, since Shimano sued them out of sight. That was when we learned of Honda yielding the patents in favor of Shimano.

Honda was granted two patents back in '99, which were crucial in the development of any oter chain driven gearbox. That's why every single other manufacturer had to resort to internal gears, and allowed only Honda/Shimano to use a chain.

 

[DavidCH]

I was so impressed with what honda did with the rn01 that I trolled the internet for a few hours many weeks ago and found some pics...

Honda were so secretive about their gearbox design that they dismantled the gearboxes from the bikes at the end of the day and they were put in a highly secured safe. However... someone snipped some photos...

 

[benphyr]

Honda was granted two patents back in '99, which were crucial in the development of any oter chain driven gearbox. That's why every single other manufacturer had to resort to internal gears, and allowed only Honda/Shimano to use a chain.

I'm going to call B.S. on the bolded section. They may want their competitors to not bother trying to develop something similar but that phrase is much to broad to hold water. There are millions of patents out there a gazillion of similar derailleur systems that are all very similar, car transmissions, etc. etc.

 

[benphyr]

If Honda filed a patent then the patent should be available. I'm not good at finding things on the interweb but if someone else does... I would be interested to take a look.

 

[bladderhead]

For the MTB racers, the only advantage this has over a Rohloff is the weight-distribution. From the Cruzbike point of view, you want the BB to be as light as possible. For everyone else, the weight-distribution matters less. This has a twist-grip, same as Rohloff. Those MTB people hate the twist-grip. I like it on my Grasshopper, but how would I fit it on my Silvio? Which bars does it fit, road or MTB? I do not want to think about the road/MTB bars thing.

The real problem is that it does not fit in the BB shell. They have driven us all mad with all their new standards for crank-axles, but this is not enough for them. Now their ambitions have expanded literally outwards to the shell itself. Does Effigear require a different frame from Pinion?

Actually, this is problematic for DF manufacturers. People like Cruzbike or Hpvelotecnik could just make different sliders, and keep the rest of their bikes the same. They could sell it as after-market.

 

[super slim]

The Honda gearbox is only a wide range 7 speed gearbox, that is quite light, in the centre of the bikes and protected from rocks, mud and due to its internal short chain length and chain tensioner, immune to chain derailment!
This was a Down Hill racing bike, where staying in the desired gear, is nearly as important as the skill of the rider!