When it comes to being a market leader in a segment, constant innovation is necessary in order to maintain that position. If you’re standing still, you’re moving backwards – the old adage goes.
Each innovation will begin as a simple idea, and as that concept goes through the various steps of becoming a reality, brands seek to protect their idea with a patent – or a series thereof.
Thanks to various free online patent-viewing resources, this provides the general public with a glimpse into the minds of our favourite brands; and a veritable treasure trove of concepts, ideas, and cool new future tech.
One brand in a market-leading position is American groupset manufacturer, Sram. While younger than its main rival, Shimano, and with a smaller share of the overall groupset market, Sram is just as entrenched in performance-level road and mountain bike groupsets, and has firmly cemented itself as one of the ‘Big Three’; the third position being occupied by Campagnolo.
Sram LLC is also the parent company to a variety of other cycling-related brands such as RockShox suspension, Hammerhead computers, Zipp wheels and more.
Among its latest concepts are a trio of patents pertaining to redesigning gravel bike suspension forks, hidden batteries, and adding solar power too, of all things, mudguards.
Solar-powered AXS battery chargers
Starting with the latter, it appears the brand is working on embedding solar panels into any spare real estate on the bike, namely mudguards, frame tubes and bottle cages, which would be able to charge AXS batteries via an integrated mount.
AXS is the name given to Sram’s collection of wireless electronic groupsets. The batteries are proprietary to Sram and are clipped into the various necessary components such as derailleurs and dropper posts. Currently, charging is done via an electric charging station at home, connecting to a power source via a USB cable.
In application number 20220131404, Sram’s reason for the invention is given as follows: “Modern bicycles are increasingly equipped with electronic components, such as shifters, derailleurs, power meters, and dropper posts. If the batteries supplying power to these components are not replaced or recharged, they run out of energy and the components cease to function. It may be inconvenient for some riders to have to monitor the state of the batteries and recharge them periodically.
“For this reason,…
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