This SunTour patent, applied for in October 1987, relates to the wacky SunTour Love (LV00). However it also covers a large number of the elements of the design of the 1996 Sugino VIC. SunTour and Sugino frequently worked together, so it is quite likely that the VIC derived from SunTour’s work.

• Publisher: US Patent and Trademark Office
• Inventor: Nobuo Ozaki and Tsukasa Wauke, assigned to SunTour
• Country: USA
• Date: application filed October 1987
• Derailleur brands: SunTour
• Derailleurs: SunTour Love (LV00)