Variable speed control device and bicycle

Abstract

The utility model provides a variable speed control device and a bicycle. The variable speed control device comprises a main body and a variable speed operation unit, a speed change positioning component arranged on the speed change operation unit can selectively maintain the winding component at a first output position, a second output position or a third output position; a pushing piece of the variable-speed positioning component is in linkage fit with the operating component, and correspondingly provides power for movably switching the coiling component at any output position in the first direction; the locking piece can allow the winding component to move in a one-way intermittent mode and limit the winding component to the output position driven by the pushing piece. The unlocking piece directly controls the locking piece so as to release the limitation on the coiling component; when the unlocking piece is controlled to trigger the locking piece to release limiting, the winding component can correspondingly reset and rotate to a first output position in a self-adaptive manner; therefore, the speed change control is simplified, the speed change system can be automatically reset after the lock is unlocked, and the convenience of user operation is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of bicycles, in particular to a speed change control device and a bicycle. Background Art

[0002] A bicycle speed controller specifically relates to a hand shifter on a multi-speed road bicycle. It includes a front derailleur, a rear derailleur, and a speed control device. The front derailleur is mounted below the seat, on the riser of the frame, and is used to control the engagement and switching of the chain with the various sprockets of the front sprocket set (or chainring). The rear derailleur is mounted on the rear fork of the frame and is used to control the engagement and switching of the chain with the various sprockets of the rear sprocket set (or flywheel). This produces different speed ratios, achieving the speed change function. The speed control device is used to control the movement of the front and rear derailleurs, driving the chain to switch and engage with each sprocket. The controller is usually mounted on the handlebars, making it easy for the rider to control it manually.

[0003] Currently, particularly in left-handed shifting, the front derailleur controls the movement of the chain, which engages and switches the chain with the various sprockets of the front sprocket assembly (or crankset). Due to the chain's position within the front derailleur's derailleur bracket, and manufacturing and planar runout errors within the front derailleur, chain, and front sprocket assembly, the front derailleur is susceptible to undesirable friction with the chain. Furthermore, position control and guidance during the shifting process are cumbersome and inconvenient. Furthermore, numerous defects and deficiencies still exist in shift positioning and unlocking operations, leading to difficulties in user operation, slow response, and poor feedback. In light of these issues, the present application is hereby filed. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a speed control device and a bicycle to solve the above problems.

[0005] The utility model adopts the following scheme:

[0006] The present application provides a speed control device, comprising a main body and a speed operating unit accommodated in the main body; the speed operating unit comprises an operating member, a winding member and a speed positioning member; the winding member is used to be connected to an external chain-shifting device and is controlled by the operating member to implement the reel-and-release line output; the speed positioning member can selectively maintain the winding member in a first output position, a second output position, or a third output position, thereby defining different guide positions for the chain-shifting device; the speed positioning member comprises: a pushing member, a locking member, and an unlocking member; the pushing member cooperates with the operating member to provide power for movably switching the winding member in a first direction to any output position; the locking member can allow the winding member to move in a unidirectional intermittent manner and limit the winding member to the output position driven by the pushing member; the unlocking member directly operates the locking member to release the limit on the winding member; wherein, when the unlocking member is operated to trigger the locking member and release the limit, the winding member can adaptively return to the first output position or the previous output position.

[0007] As a further improvement, the shift positioning member is responsive to the operating member to move the take-up member along a first direction from the first output position to the second output position, and the third output position is beyond the second output position.

[0008] As a further improvement, the first output position corresponds to a first guide position for the derailleur device, the second output position corresponds to a second guide position for the derailleur device, and the third output position corresponds to a third guide position for the derailleur device; and the distance between the first guide position and the second guide position is greater than the distance between the third guide position and the second guide position, so as to form a larger amount of movement acting on the winding member.

[0009] As a further improvement, the larger distance is configured to be between 2 and 5 times the smaller distance.

[0010] As a further improvement, a mounting seat is installed in the main body; the pushing member and the winding member are synchronously rotatably arranged on the mounting seat through a driving shaft, and the mounting seat is provided with an elastic biasing member that can provide the winding member with automatic reset rotation along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0011] As a further improvement, the pushing member is configured as a ratchet structure, the operating member is provided with a finger lever with a pawl structure, and the ratchet structure is correspondingly provided with a plurality of ratchet parts that can be adapted to the pawl structure; the finger lever abuts against and drives the pushing member and the winding member to rotate in the first direction along the pressure direction, and allows the pushing member to rotate freely relative to the finger lever when returning to rotation in the second direction.

[0012] As a further improvement, a release ratchet that cooperates with the locking member is correspondingly provided on the active shaft, and the locking member is configured as a release pawl that is matched with the release ratchet; wherein, the unlocking member is configured as a release rod, and the release rod is operably connected to the release pawl; in the non-operating state, the release pawl is always kept in a tendency to disengage from the release ratchet by a torsion spring, and in the operating state, the release pawl is operably biased onto the release ratchet to quickly position the first output position after the winding member is reset.

[0013] As a further improvement, the driving shaft is provided with a synchronously rotatable positioning ratchet, the positioning ratchet is adjacent to the winding member, and the locking member is also provided with a positioning pawl matching the positioning ratchet to allow the winding member to rotate freely along the first direction in a unidirectional intermittent manner; wherein, the positioning pawl is linked to the release lever, and in the non-operating state, the positioning pawl is operably biased to the positioning ratchet by another torsion spring, and in the operating state, the positioning pawl and the positioning ratchet are disengaged from each other; and, the positioning ratchet is respectively provided with a first ratchet corresponding to the first output position, a second ratchet corresponding to the second output position, and a third ratchet corresponding to the third output position along the circumferential direction, and the height of the second ratchet is greater than the height of the third ratchet; and, the positioning ratchet and the release ratchet are an integral part, or are fixed to each other to form a whole.

[0014] As a further improvement, the winding member is configured as a winding seat with a speed-changing wire, and the length of the wire is changed by rotating the winding seat in forward and reverse directions, thereby driving the chain shifting device to move and accurately shifting the chain to the corresponding sprocket to achieve speed change; and the chain shifting device is a front derailleur, which is used to control the engagement and switching of the external chain on the two sprockets of the chain wheel; and the main body is also provided with a brake lever, which is used to implement braking control on the external bicycle; and a clamp ring is also provided, which is used to detachably equip the main body on the handlebar of the bicycle.

[0015] The present application further provides a bicycle comprising a bicycle body and the above-mentioned speed control device; the speed control device is correspondingly mounted on the handlebar on the left-hand side of the bicycle body, and is used to control the action of the front derailleur, thereby causing the chain to engage and switch between the sprockets to achieve speed adjustment operation.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the utility model can achieve the following technical effects:

[0017] 1. The speed control device of the present application, with the coordinated cooperation of the operating member, the winding member and the speed positioning member, is connected to the external chain shifting device through the reel-up and reel-down wire of the winding member, thereby accurately controlling the engagement of the chain with different sprockets. The speed positioning member provides the chain shifting device with multiple selectable guide positions through the precise setting of the first output position, the second output position, and the third output position, thereby realizing precise speed shifting adjustment of multiple gears.

[0018] 2. The pusher and the operating member cooperate with each other to provide power for movement in the first direction, which can efficiently control the switching of the take-up member between various output positions, making the speed change smoother, reducing the lag feeling during operation, and improving the riding experience.

[0019] 3. In addition, the locking member allows the winding member to operate in the form of unidirectional intermittent motion. When the pushing member drives the winding member to reach any output position, the locking member can stably maintain it in this position, ensuring the precise engagement of the chain and the sprocket, and preventing speed change failure caused by misoperation. Then, by operating the unlocking member, the locking member can release the limit on the winding member, so that the winding member can adaptively return to the initial first output position or the previous output position. This not only simplifies the speed change control, but also ensures that the speed change system can automatically reset after the lock is released, thereby improving the convenience of user operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the speed control device of an embodiment of the utility model, wherein the right figure is a partial disassembly diagram;

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the speed control device of the embodiment of the utility model from other perspectives;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a speed change operating unit of a speed change control device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective;

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure from other perspectives;

[0025] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a speed shift operating unit of a speed shift control device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a pusher of a speed control device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 8 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a release ratchet and a positioning ratchet of a speed control device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure from other perspectives;

[0029] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the chain guidance and its guiding position generated by the speed change control device of the embodiment of the utility model by operating the derailleur device.

[0030] icon:

[0031] 1-main body; 11-mounting seat; 12-driving shaft; 13-elastic biasing member; 14-release ratchet; 15-positioning ratchet; 151-first ratchet; 152-second ratchet; 153-third ratchet; 16-brake lever; 17-clamp ring;

[0032] 2-speed shifting unit; 21-finger lever; 22-winding seat; 23-pushing member; 231-ratchet structure; 232-ratchet portion; 24-locking member; 241-release pawl; 242-positioning pawl; 25-unlocking member; 251-release lever;

[0033] L1-first output position; T1-second output position; T2-third output position; F1-large sprocket; F2-small sprocket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the utility model for which protection is claimed, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] Example

[0036] Combine Figures 1 to 10 This embodiment provides a speed shift control device, including a main body 1 and a speed shift operating unit 2 accommodated in the main body 1.

[0037] The shift operating unit 2 includes an operating member, a take-up member, and a shift positioning member. The take-up member is coupled to an external derailleur and is controlled by the operating member to output the reel and release cable. The shift positioning member selectively maintains the take-up member in a first output position L1, a second output position T1, or a third output position T2, thereby defining different guiding positions for the derailleur.

[0038] The shift positioning member comprises a pusher 23, a locking member 24, and an unlocking member 25. The pusher 23 cooperates with the operating member to provide power for moving the take-up member in a first direction between any output positions. The locking member 24 allows intermittent unidirectional movement of the take-up member and constrains it to the output position driven by the pusher 23. The unlocking member 25 directly operates the locking member 24 to release the take-up member from its restricted position.

[0039] When the unlocking member 25 is manipulated to trigger the locking member 24 and release the restraint, the take-up member can adaptively return to the first output position L1 or the previous output position. By definition, the first output position L1 is the previous output position of the second output position T1, and the second output position T1 is the previous output position of the third output position T2.

[0040] In the above, the locking member 24 allows the winding member to operate in the form of unidirectional intermittent motion. When the pushing member 23 drives the winding member to reach any output position, the locking member 24 can stably maintain it in this position, ensuring the precise engagement of the chain and the sprocket, and preventing speed failure caused by misoperation. Then, by manipulating the unlocking member 25, the limit of the winding member by the locking member 24 can be released, so that the winding member can adaptively return to the initial first output position L1 or the previous level output position, which not only simplifies the speed control, but also ensures that the speed system can automatically reset after the lock is released, thereby improving the convenience of user operation.

[0041] like Figure 10 As shown, in this embodiment, the shift positioning member responds to the operating member to move the take-up member along a first direction from the first output position L1 to the second output position T1, and the third output position T2 exceeds the second output position T1. Furthermore, the first output position L1 corresponds to a first guide position for the derailleur device, the second output position T1 corresponds to a second guide position for the derailleur device, and the third output position T2 corresponds to a third guide position for the derailleur device.

[0042] In the above description, the first output position L1 is the initial position. The first guide position defined at this point corresponds to engaging the chain with the small sprocket F2 of the crankset for a low speed. The operating member triggers the take-up member to shift from the first output position L1 to the second output position T1. The second guide position defined at this point corresponds to engaging the chain with the large sprocket F1 of the crankset for a high speed. The third output position T2, which extends beyond the second output position T1, provides a further guide position than the second guide position when shifting to a high speed, allowing the chain to quickly and conveniently engage with the large sprocket F1.

[0043] The distance between the first and second guide positions is greater than the distance between the third and second guide positions, thereby generating a greater amount of motion acting on the take-up member. The different amounts of motion provide direct feedback to the user's shifting feel: the greater amount of motion required to create a greater distance between the first and second guide positions is defined as a first gear, while the smaller amount of motion required to create a smaller distance between the third and second guide positions is defined as a half gear, thereby improving ergonomics.

[0044] Preferably, the greater distance is between 2 and 5 times the smaller distance. More preferably, at 2.5 times, the different guide positions defined by the distance difference achieve optimal operation. Thus, by setting the third output position T2 farther than the second output position T1, on the one hand, the gap between the front derailleur's chain support and the chain can be adjusted to prevent friction. On the other hand, when switching from the small sprocket F2 to the large sprocket F1, the chain must pass through a series of auxiliary structures on the large sprocket F1 to crawl onto the large sprocket F1 for engagement. However, various manufacturing tolerances can prevent the chain from quickly reaching the large sprocket F1. Therefore, the front derailleur is shifted to the further third guide position, allowing the chain to quickly shift to the large sprocket F1. Furthermore, if friction occurs between the chain and the front derailleur, the front derailleur can be flexibly returned to the first guide position, further assisting in chain shifting.

[0045] like Figures 3 to 6As shown, in this embodiment, a mounting base 11 is installed in the main body 1. The pushing member 23 and the winding member are synchronously rotatable on the mounting base 11 through a driving shaft 12. The mounting base 11 is provided with an elastic biasing member 13 that can provide the winding member with automatic reset rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Obviously, the coaxially arranged winding member and the pushing member 23 can rotate synchronously to perform switching control of the output position. And under the action of the elastic biasing member 13, the winding member can automatically reset and rotate after the locking member 24 releases the limit on the winding member. Among them, the elastic biasing member 13 is preferably a torsion spring or a spring sheet accommodated in the mounting base 11.

[0046] In this embodiment, the pusher 23 is configured as a ratchet structure 231. The operating member comprises a finger lever 21 with a pawl structure. The ratchet structure 231 is provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 232 that mate with the pawl structure. The finger lever 21 abuts against the pusher 23 and the take-up member in the compressive direction (from top to bottom), driving the pusher 23 and the take-up member to rotate in a first direction. During return rotation in a second direction, the pusher 23 is allowed to rotate freely relative to the finger lever 21. It should be noted that the ratchet structure 231 can rotate in a single direction relative to the pawl structure, but can be locked in the opposite direction. This is a conventional mechanical connection structure and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] Furthermore, the driving shaft 12 is provided with a corresponding release ratchet 14 that cooperates with a locking member 24. The locking member 24 is configured as a release pawl 241 that is matingly connected to the release ratchet 14. The unlocking member 25 is configured as a release lever 251 that is operably coupled to the release pawl 241. In a non-operating state, the release pawl 241 is constantly disengaged from the release ratchet 14 by a torsion spring. In an operating state, the release pawl 241 is operably biased toward the release ratchet 14 to quickly position the take-up member in the first output position L1 after reset.

[0048] Specifically, the driving shaft 12 is provided with a synchronously rotatable positioning ratchet 15, which is adjacent to the take-up member. The locking member 24 is further provided with a positioning pawl 242 that matches the positioning ratchet 15, allowing the take-up member to freely rotate in a unidirectional and intermittent manner in a first direction. The positioning pawl 242 is linked to a release lever 251. In the non-operating state, the positioning pawl 242 is operably biased toward the positioning ratchet 15 by another torsion spring. In the operating state, the positioning pawl 242 is disengaged from the positioning ratchet 15.

[0049] In the above description, in the non-operating state, the release lever 251 is in the initial position, at which point the release pawl 241 is separated from its release ratchet 14, while the positioning pawl 242 is pressed into engagement with its positioning ratchet 15, thereby allowing the driving shaft 12 to rotate in the first direction under the deactivation of the finger lever 21, while being locked in the second direction by the positioning pawl 242. In the operating state, the trigger release lever 251 is in the unlocked position, at which point the movable release pawl 241 is pressed into engagement with its release ratchet 14, while the movable positioning pawl 242 is separated from its positioning ratchet 15, thereby releasing the locking of the positioning pawl 242 on the positioning ratchet 15, thereby allowing the driving shaft 12 and the take-up member to automatically return in the second direction. At this time, the release pawl 241 is pressed into engagement with the release ratchet 14, locking the release ratchet 14 in the first direction, precisely confining it to the output position after the downshift.

[0050] like Figure 5 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the positioning ratchet 15 is circumferentially provided with a first ratchet tooth 151 corresponding to the first output position L1, a second ratchet tooth 152 corresponding to the second output position T1, and a third ratchet tooth 153 corresponding to the third output position T2. The height of the second ratchet tooth 152 is greater than that of the third ratchet tooth 153. Therefore, the thrust required to shift from the first ratchet tooth 151 to the second ratchet tooth 152 is greater than the thrust required to shift from the second ratchet tooth 152 to the third ratchet tooth 153. This allows the rider to clearly perceive the difference in gear shifting and determine the gear they are currently in. The raised second ratchet tooth 152 in the middle intuitively indicates the thrust difference during shifting.

[0051] Preferably, the positioning ratchet 15 and the releasing ratchet 14 are an integral piece, or are fixedly connected to each other to form a whole. In addition, the releasing ratchet 14 is closer to the winding member.

[0052] In other embodiments, the positioning ratchet 15 and the releasing ratchet 14 may be separately established, which all fall within the protection scope of this case.

[0053] In this embodiment, the winding member is configured as a winding seat 22 with a speed-changing wire. By rotating the winding seat 22 in the forward and reverse directions, the length of the wire is pulled to change, thereby driving the chain shifting device to move and accurately shifting the chain to the corresponding sprocket to achieve speed change.

[0054] In this embodiment, the chain derailleur device is a front derailleur (not shown) for controlling the engagement and switching of the external chain on the two sprockets of the toothed disc. For the specific structural configuration of the front derailleur, further reference may be made to existing designs and no limitation is made here.

[0055] In this embodiment, the main body 1 is also provided with a brake lever 16 for applying brake control to the external bicycle. Preferably, the brake lever 16 is located in front of the shift lever 21 and is operated by the user by pressing it forward or backward. The release lever 251 is disposed on either side of the main body 1 to prevent interference in operation.

[0056] In this embodiment, the speed control device is further provided with a clamping ring 17, which is used to detachably assemble the main body 1 on the handlebar of a bicycle. Preferably, the clamping ring 17 is configured as a clamp structure to facilitate quick detachment and assembly on the handlebar of the bicycle.

[0057] In addition, this embodiment also provides a bicycle comprising a bicycle body (not shown) and the aforementioned speed control device. The speed control device is mounted on the handlebar on the left side of the bicycle body and is used to control the movement of the front derailleur, thereby causing the chain to engage and shift between the sprockets to achieve speed adjustment.

[0058] The above are only preferred implementations of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions under the concept of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A speed control device comprising a main body and a speed operation unit accommodated in the main body; characterized in that: The speed shift operating unit includes an operating member, a take-up member, and a speed shift positioning member; the take-up member is used to be connected to an external derailleur device and is controlled by the operating member to output the reel-and-release wire; the speed shift positioning member can selectively maintain the take-up member in a first output position, a second output position, or a third output position, thereby defining different guiding positions for the derailleur device; the speed shift positioning member has: a pushing member, cooperating with the operating member, and correspondingly providing power for movably switching the winding member to any output position along the first direction; and a locking member capable of allowing the take-up member to move in a unidirectional intermittent manner and limiting the take-up member to an output position driven by the pushing member; as well as, An unlocking member, directly operating the locking member to release the restriction on the winding member; When the unlocking member is manipulated to trigger the locking member and release the limit, the winding member can adaptively return to the first output position or the previous output position.

2. The speed control device according to claim 1, wherein: The shift positioning member is responsive to an operating member to move the take-up member in a first direction from the first output position to the second output position, the third output position being beyond the second output position.

3. The speed control device according to claim 2, wherein: The first output position corresponds to a first guide position for the derailleur device, the second output position corresponds to a second guide position for the derailleur device, and the third output position corresponds to a third guide position for the derailleur device; Furthermore, a distance between the first guide position and the second guide position is greater than a distance between the third guide position and the second guide position, so as to form a larger movement amount acting on the take-up member.

4. The speed change control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The larger distance is configured to be between 2 and 5 times the smaller distance.

5. The speed control device according to claim 1, wherein: A mounting seat is installed in the main body; the pushing member and the winding member are synchronously rotatably arranged on the mounting seat through a driving shaft, and the mounting seat is provided with an elastic biasing member that can provide the winding member with automatic reset rotation along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

6. The speed change control device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pushing member is configured as a ratchet structure, the operating component is provided with a finger lever with a pawl structure, and the ratchet structure is correspondingly provided with a plurality of ratchet parts that can be adapted to the pawl structure; the finger lever abuts against and drives the pushing member and the winding member to rotate along the first direction along the pressure direction, and allows the pushing member to rotate freely relative to the finger lever when returning to rotation along the second direction.

7. The speed change control device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A release ratchet that matches the locking element is correspondingly provided on the driving shaft, and the locking element is configured as a release pawl that is matched with the release ratchet; Wherein, the unlocking member is configured as a release rod, which is operably connected to a release pawl; in a non-operating state, the release pawl is always kept in a tendency to disengage from the release ratchet by a torsion spring, and in an operating state, the release pawl is operably biased onto the release ratchet to quickly position the first output position after the winding member is reset.

8. The speed change control device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving shaft is provided with a synchronously rotatable positioning ratchet, the positioning ratchet being adjacent to the winding member, and the locking member is further provided with a positioning pawl matched with the positioning ratchet, so as to allow the winding member to rotate freely in a unidirectional intermittent manner along the first direction; The positioning pawl is linked to the release lever, and in a non-operating state, the positioning pawl is operably biased toward the positioning ratchet by another torsion spring, and in an operating state, the positioning pawl and the positioning ratchet are disengaged from each other; Furthermore, the positioning ratchet is provided with a first ratchet tooth corresponding to the first output position, a second ratchet tooth corresponding to the second output position, and a third ratchet tooth corresponding to the third output position along the circumferential direction, wherein the height of the second ratchet tooth is greater than that of the third ratchet tooth; Furthermore, the positioning ratchet and the releasing ratchet are an integral piece or are fixedly connected to each other to form a whole.

9. The speed change control device according to claim 1, wherein: The winding member is configured as a winding seat with a speed-changing metal wire. By rotating the winding seat in the forward and reverse directions, the length of the metal wire is changed, thereby driving the chain shifting device to move the chain accurately to the corresponding sprocket to achieve speed change; And, the derailleur device is a front derailleur, which is used to control the engagement and switching of the external chain on the two sprockets of the chainring; Furthermore, the main body is provided with a brake lever, which is used to implement brake control on the external bicycle; Furthermore, a clamping ring is provided, and the clamping ring is used for detachably equipping the main body on the handlebar of a bicycle.

10. A bicycle, characterized in that: It comprises a vehicle body and a speed control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; wherein, The speed control device is correspondingly mounted on the handlebar on the left hand side of the vehicle body and is used to control the action of the front derailleur, thereby causing the chain to engage and switch between the sprockets to achieve speed regulation operation.

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