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The number of patents Shimano have for products they've actually released is far exceeded by the number of patents they have for things they've never released. Remember the jockey wheel charging system for electronic gear shifters? Patented. Not seen one yet.
Brommers-
The number of patents Shimano have for products they've actually released is far exceeded by the number of patents they have for things they've never released.
oh yeah for sure.
It's interesting though that this one shows removable batteries. The patents seen late last year for what looks like a 12 speed road groupset didn't have removable batteries yet this one does. I'd thought there was some Sram patent issue stopping Shimano having removable batteries on the mechs. The piezoelectrics seems to be present in both of these too and they must have worked with a fork manufacturer for the electronic damping control.
Theres no denying they have a metric tonne of patents that never see the light of day but I suspect this one will. Given their competitor sram has fully wireless groupsets and sram are clearly pushing a shift towards electric shifting through the tiers, GX AXS now and Rival AXS is apparently coming soon.
But who knows? I'd certainly like to see fully wireless shimano.
TotalShanner
looks like Shimano have a fully wireless groupset on the way
https://uspto.report/patent/grant/10,953,950
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/shimano-granted-patent-for-wireless-shifting-and-dropper-post.html
I'd been thinking the impending 12 speed dura ace would be semi wireless with the mechs connected to a battery but maybe not.
The patents show removable batteries on the mech just like Sram AXS.
The patent drawings seem to show mtb stuff with the dropper post. It seems they have teamed up with Fox suspension for the integrated control stuff on the forks and post.