Two lately revealed patents from Tien Hsin Industries, the guardian firm of FSA, recommend {that a} 13-speed Wi-fi Digital Groupset could possibly be on the best way quickly. Will it imply the primary FSA KFX mountain bike groupset?
The primary patent – US11529827 – depicts and describes a 13 Velocity Cassette with a reasonably vast 10-48T sprocket association, whereas the second – US11560200 – describes a wi-fi digital rear derailleur with a clutch mechanism and the power for non-contact charging…
Is an FSA 13-Velocity Digital Drivetrain on the Horizon?
The ten-48T cassette proven in US11529827 would give this hypothetical FSA 13 Velocity drivetrain a 480% gear vary, wider than Campagnolo’s Ekar 13-speed 9-42T cassette that delivers a 467% vary, and wider than the extra area of interest Rotor 1×13 gravel 10-46T, however lower than their 10-52T MTB variant.
The FSA 13-speed sprocket breakdown is as follows: 10-12-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32-37-42-48.
My eyes damage. That interprets to steps of 2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-4-5-5-6… tighter spacing than you get on most fashionable wide-range cassettes because of that further cog, a lot like Campy defined with Ekar.
Not solely is its vary wider than any of Campagnolo’s 13 Velocity Cassettes, it additionally provides a special perspective on gear spacing (Ekar in grey, above). Presumably, with extra off-road focus, it will get greater steps percentage-wise between the 2 smallest (quickest) cogs, then a extra constant 10-15% gradient all through the remainder of the cassette (see that orange line above).
The unfold is extra corresponding to that seen on wide-range cassettes for MTB such because the 12s 10-52T Eagle from SRAM (in blue, above). However the FSA 13-speed resolution delivers extra constant steps at slower speeds (large cogs) in comparison with SRAM’s ramp-up to bail-out gears method.
An exploded diagram exhibits that the sprockets of the cassette are manufactured in three separate blocks. These are mounted to 1 one other by way of a multi-faceted multi-stepped provider, or sprocket base (orange), and a second adapter (purple) that itself threads onto a central area of the most important block (inexperienced). Whereas that largest block is sleeved onto the freehub (appears to be like to be XD/XDR), the central sprockets and outboard sprockets are coupled to it by way of the sprocket base and this second adapter that makes use of a urgent portion (320) and a friction member (crimson) in a form of press-fit association.
A wi-fi FSA KFX 13 mountain bike derailleur?
As for the Wi-fi Digital Derailleur itself proven in US11560200, the precise variety of gears it may possibly shift by means of is just not specified. The presence of a clutch mechanism (see under) does point out its intention to enterprise off-road onto unpredictable terrain the place there’s better scope for bumps, holes, and bigger options to provide that decrease chainline a superb shaking. Paired with the abovementioned cassette which bottoms out at 48T, it appears it might be probably to seek out its residence on some sort of racing-focused mountain bike or perhaps a brilliant adventurous drop-bar providing.
By way of bicycle derailleurs, what you and I might usually consider because the clutch is definitely known as the “damping member” within the patent from Tien Hsin Industries – guardian of FSA. The damping member is a one-way bearing (crimson, above) positioned in regards to the rotation axis between the derailleur’s fundamental physique and the cage meeting; i.e. on the P-Knuckle.
That’s essential as a result of the patent describes a second clutch mechanism built-in throughout the shifting portion of the derailleur, the aim of which appears to be so as to add lateral stability to the shifting mechanism. It may routinely and electronically disengage and interact as obligatory, defending itself within the occasion of lateral impacts. The shift motor itself is positioned on the outboard linkage of the derailleur’s parallelogram (52 in cyan, above) with drive pushed by means of the meshed gears (orange) in regards to the red-colored pivot in Fig. 2.
A second focal point on this potential new derailleur from FSA is its non-contact charging capability. In some embodiments, the derailleur options detachable rechargeable batteries (beneath P-knuckle, in Fig. 2), however in others the batteries are a lot smaller and will be charged by means of inductive charging.
Certainly, the patent doc describes a wi-fi charging operate housed inside an additional unit labelled as 12a in Fig. 28 (gentle blue). The character of the particular wi-fi charging machine isn’t described; it mentions solely the portion of the derailleur designed to hold out the inductive charging of its batteries. Contained in the wi-fi charging unit (proven in Fig. 25) is a wi-fi charging circuit (darkish blue), a coil (yellow), and the rechargeable batteries (pink). An alternate configuration, and alternate positioning, can also be proven in Fig. 28.
The doc reads, “By using inductive charging expertise and by disposing the coil for inductive charging on the parts of the rear derailleur, the rechargeable batteries of the rear derailleur could possibly be charged extra conveniently, with out the necessity to set a charging interface on the battery module, stopping the batteries from damaging as a result of worn charging interface”.
It’s not the primary time we’ve seen a patent describing use of inductive charging for bicycle parts. We lately mentioned a patent from Shimano that proposed use of the expertise to cost a number of electronically-actuated bicycle parts. Shimano is even contemplating the usage of magnetic resonance to cost eBike parts.
About time?
Ever since we set eyes on Kevin Miquel’s FSA-sponsored Sunn Kern at EWS Zermatt in 2020, we now have questioned when FSA would lastly make the leap with a devoted off-road drivetrain the workforce had been teasing. The FSA-sponsored rider was then working their Afterburner wheelset with the SL-Ok crankset with a 36T chainring, however they had been paired with a SRAM cassette and SRAM derailleur. We had been advised on the time {that a} 12-Velocity Digital Group from FSA was on its manner. However. whereas we’ve since seen the Ok-Drive 12 Velocity WE for street enter the market, there’s nonetheless no devoted off-road group from the Taiwanese producer.
That appears more likely to change within the not-too-distant future. FSA KFX WE 13 could possibly be simply across the nook…
There isn’t a remark from FSA at the moment.
