Tien Hsin Industries, the parent company of FSA, recently published two patents for a 13-speed wireless electronic groupset that could soon be on the market. The first patent, US11529827, describes a 13-speed cassette with a 10-48T sprocket arrangement, while the second patent, US11560200, outlines a wireless electronic rear derailleur with a clutch mechanism and non-contact charging.
The FSA 13-speed cassette would offer a gear range of 480%, which is wider than any of Campagnolo’s 13-speed cassettes, and wider than Rotor’s 1×13 gravel 10-46T. However, it is less than Rotor’s 10-52T MTB variant. The cassette features a tighter spacing between cogs than most modern wide-range cassettes, thanks to the extra cog, and has a more consistent 10-15% gradient throughout the rest of the cassette.
An exploded diagram of the cassette shows that the sprockets are manufactured in three separate blocks, which are fixed to one another via a multi-faceted, multi-stepped carrier or sprocket base, and a second adapter that threads onto a central region of the largest block. The cassette is sleeved onto the freehub, and the central and outboard sprockets are coupled to it via the sprocket base and second adapter in a press-fit arrangement.
The wireless electronic derailleur described in US11560200 has a clutch mechanism, which is referred to as the “damping member” in the patent. The damping member is a one-way bearing positioned between the derailleur’s main body and the cage assembly. The patent describes a second clutch mechanism integrated within the shifting portion of the derailleur to add lateral stability to the shifting mechanism. The shift motor is located on the outboard linkage of the derailleur’s parallelogram with force driven through meshed gears about the pivot.
The derailleur also has non-contact charging capacity, with removable rechargeable batteries or smaller batteries that can be charged through inductive charging. The wireless charging function is housed within an extra unit, and the patent document describes a wireless charging circuit, a coil, and rechargeable batteries.
The FSA 13-speed electronic drivetrain would offer a different perspective on gear spacing compared to other systems, and it is likely to find its home on some kind of racing-focused mountain bike or super adventurous drop-bar offering. While it is unclear when the drivetrain will be released, the patents offer an exciting glimpse into what could be the first FSA KFX mountain bike groupset.
Tien Hsin Industries’ two patents for a 13-speed wireless electronic groupset suggest that FSA could be releasing a KFX mountain bike groupset soon. The cassette offers a wider gear range than other 13-speed cassettes, and the derailleur has a clutch mechanism for lateral stability and non-contact charging capacity. The groupset is likely to be geared towards racing-focused mountain bikes or super adventurous drop-bar offerings, but it remains to be seen when it will be released. The patents offer an exciting glimpse into what could be the future of FSA groupsets.
Source: Bike Rumor
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