A transmission system for vehicles, including bicycles, is disclosed. The system aligns a chain or other drive means to a center of each of a plurality of provided sprockets, allows for a smaller, lighter and more durable shifter/controller, and reduces various complications associated with cable slack and shifting. A derailleur is provided with linear actuated features to directly translate drive means from one position to another along a desired path.

A clutch is provided that includes a fixed sheave portion, a movable sheave portion, a movable sheave assembly, an idler bearing and a torque drag member. The movable sheave assembly is configured to axially move the movable sheave portion in relation to the fixed sheave portion in response to a change in a rotational speed of the clutch. The idler bearing is rotationally mounted on a central post of the fixed sheave portion. The idler bearing is positioned to engage an inside face of a belt when the fixed sheave portion and the movable sheave portion are located a select distance away from each other. The torque drag member is operationally coupled to exert a select amount of torque drag on the idler bearing.

A bicycle transmission allows a bicycle operator to change the radius of a pedal crank's transmission gear as sliding gear segments, radially arranged on a base ring assembly, vary their relative radial position from the center of the base plate. These gear segments slide in and out to change the effective radius of the gear. Spring biased locking pins engage adjustable control plates as the crank rotates. The locking pins release to make further adjustments to increase or decrease the effective radius. The transmission may also be used as a variable-ratio prime mover for other motive power applications, to transfer power from the wheel to another rotating component. The transfer of power may be via a chain or a belt.

A resilient power device is adapted to drive a transmission rod of a vehicle, and includes a housing, a rotary shaft adapted to extend and be spaced apart from the transmission rod along a first axis, a power release unit including a first rod and a second rod that extend and are spaced apart from each other along a second axis parallel to the first axis, a power storage clutch adapted to be connected between the transmission rod and the rotary shaft, a power release clutch connected between the first and second rods, a first gear unit mounted to the first rod and the transmission rod, a second gear unit mounted to the rotary shaft and said second rod, and at least one resilient member connected between the housing and the rotary shaft.

A resilient power device is adapted to drive a transmission rod of a vehicle, and includes a housing, a rotary shaft adapted to extend and be spaced apart from the transmission rod along a first axis, a power release unit including a first rod and a second rod that extend and are spaced apart from each other along a second axis parallel to the first axis, a power storage clutch adapted to be connected between the transmission rod and the rotary shaft, a power release clutch connected between the first and second rods, a first gear unit mounted to the first rod and the transmission rod, a second gear unit mounted to the rotary shaft and said second rod, and at least one resilient member connected between the housing and the rotary shaft.

A decoupler assembly that includes a hub, a pulley and a mechanism for transmitting rotary power between the hub and the pulley. The mechanism includes a torsion spring and a one-way clutch. The torsion spring is configured to dampen vibration in the rotary power that is transmitted from the pulley to the hub. The one-way clutch has a wrap spring that is smaller in diameter than the torsion spring.

The derailleur has a damper that breaks the angular movements of a chain guide. Variable volume chambers in the damper are filled with a damping fluid and connected through a controlled fluid passage system so that fluid flows between chambers in response to angular movement of the chain guide. The damper comprises a dividing body in a mobile body coaxial to the axis X, mechanically constrained so that each rotation of the dividing body about the axis X is accompanied by a translation of the dividing body along the axis X. The dividing body is mechanically constrained to the chain guide and moves with it in the angular direction about the axis X. The chambers are formed in the mobile body on opposite sides of the dividing body and change volume in opposite directions when the dividing body moves along the axis X.

A bicycle front derailleur is basically provided with a base member, a chain guide, a link mechanism, and a biasing member. The base member is configured to be fixedly coupled to the bicycle. The chain guide is configured to guide a chain. The link mechanism couples the chain guide to the base member between retracted and extended positions in response to movement of an operation cable. The link mechanism includes a first link pivotally connected to the chain guide about a first pivot axis. The first link is configured such that the first pivot axis moves in a forward-rearward direction, while the chain guide moves between the retracted position and the extended position in a mounted state where the base member is mounted to a bicycle frame. The biasing member is operatively disposed between the base member and the chain guide to bias the chain guide towards the extended position.

A front derailleur device for a bicycle chain shift includes a frame fixing part for attachment to a bicycle frame, a hinge arrangement which is pivotable relative to the frame fixing part, and a chain cage which is pivotable relative to the frame fixing part via the pivotable hinge arrangement for guiding and pivoting of the bicycle chain. The hinge arrangement includes at least two hinged struts which can be mounted rotatably relative to the frame fixing part and relative to the chain cage about pivot axes. The pivot axes run substantially parallel to each other and, in a mounted state of the derailleur device on a bicycle, may be oriented substantially vertically.

The invention discloses a gear shift arrangement, which includes a sprocket cassette being adapted to be slidably mounted on a hub which is adapted to move on a horizontal axis of a spindle, the sprocket cassette further being adapted to operatively engage with a chain so that, in operation, the chain remains in one vertical plane; and movement means adapted to move the sprocket cassette along the hub transversely relative to the chain.