Liquid lubricant injection device for a bicycle chain

Abstract

To inject a liquid lubricant into a necessary part of a chain in a state of being mounted on a bicycle, and to reduce labor and time.SOLUTION: The sponge member (13) has a plurality of open cells which are open to an outer peripheral surface thereof, and the discharge portion (12) of the tank (11) and an opening in an outer peripheral surface of the sponge member (13) communicate with each other through the open cells, so that the liquid lubricant discharged from the discharge portion (12) due to a change in volume of the tank (11) is discharged from the outer peripheral surface of the sponge member (13) through the open cells. 12a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid bicycle chain lubricant injection device for injecting lubricant between components of a bicycle chain. [Background technology]

[0002] To keep your bicycle running smoothly, you need to lubricate the chain. In the bicycle chain 1 shown in Figure 5, the gap g1 between the outer plate 2 and the inner plate 3, the gap g2 between the inner plate 3 and the end face of the roller 4, the gap g3 between the inner surface of the roller 4 and the outer surface of the bushing 5, and the gap g4 between the inner surface of the bushing 5 and the outer surface of the pin 6 are each approximately 60 μm, and it is preferable to supply lubricant to these gaps g1, g2, g3, and g4.

[0003] When using a lubricant based on high-viscosity oil or wax, the lubricant is liquefied by heating or diluting with a solvent, and the bicycle chain 1 removed from the bicycle is immersed in the liquid to allow the lubricant to reach the gaps. This method requires the chain 1 to be removed from the bicycle and then attached again, which is time-consuming.

[0004] Therefore, a low-viscosity liquid lubricant is sometimes used that can be injected into the gaps g1, g2, g3, and g4 while the chain 1 is still attached to the bicycle. To inject liquid lubricant, the chain 1 is moved by rotating the bicycle pedals, and lubricant is dispensed from a container 7 (see Figure 6) at points p1, p2, p3, and p4 on the chain 1 (see Figure 5). The container 7 consists of a flexible container body 8 and a nozzle 9. By gently pressing the side of the container body 8, the lubricant is dispensed from an outlet 9a at the tip of the nozzle 9. The lubricant dispensed at points p1 and p2 penetrates through the gaps g1 and g1 between the outer plate 2 and the inner plate 3 into the gap g4 between the inner surface of the bushing 5 and the outer surface of the pin 6. The lubricant dispensed at points p3 and p4 penetrates through the gaps g2 and g2 between the inner plate 3 and the end face of the roller 4 into the gap g3 between the inner surface of the roller 4 and the outer surface of the bushing 5. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-33491 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When using the container 7, it is necessary to drip the lubricant onto four points p1, p2, p3, and p4 for each pin 6. In addition, it is also necessary to adjust the position of the discharge port 9a to align with each of the points p1, p2, p3, and p4 so that the lubricant penetrates into each gap. Therefore, for example, in the case of a chain with a length of 112 links, it was necessary to position and drip the solution at 448 locations, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0007] The object of this invention is to provide a liquid lubricant injection device for bicycle chains that can inject liquid lubricant into required locations on the chain while it is still attached to the bicycle, while reducing the amount of work and time required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The first invention comprises a tank that stores liquid lubricant and whose capacity can be changed by an external force, a discharge part of the tank, and a sponge member provided at the tip of the discharge part, the sponge member having a plurality of open cells opening on its outer circumferential surface, the discharge part of the tank communicating with the opening on the outer circumferential surface of the sponge member via the open cells, and the liquid lubricant discharged from the discharge part due to a change in the capacity of the tank being discharged from the outer circumferential surface of the sponge member via the open cells.

[0009] In the second invention, the sponge member can be inserted between a pair of opposing outer plates in a bicycle chain, and when inserted between the pair of outer plates, the outer surface of the sponge member comes into contact with parts of the bicycle chain.

[0010] In a third aspect of the present invention, the sponge member has a truncated pyramidal shape in which the bottom surface on the discharge portion side is larger than the bottom surface on the tip side, which is the side opposite to the bottom surface.

[0011] In the fourth invention, the tip of the discharge portion is fixed within the sponge member at a position closer to the base end, between the base end of the sponge member which is on the discharge portion side and the tip which is on the side opposite the base end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the first aspect of the present invention, simply by pressing the sponge member against the required location on the bicycle chain, the lubricant seeping out from the surface of the sponge member can penetrate into the gaps between the components. Furthermore, precise positioning of the discharge part is not required. Therefore, even if there are many locations where lubricant needs to be injected, the labor and time required can be reduced.

[0013] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the sponge member is pressed between a pair of outer plates, and lubricant can be simultaneously supplied to multiple gaps between components that are in contact with the surface of the sponge member, thereby significantly reducing the effort and time required compared to dripping lubricant one location at a time.

[0014] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the sponge member can be easily inserted between the outer plates of the chain. Furthermore, the large bottom portion of the inserted sponge member is compressed, allowing a sufficient amount of lubricant to be supplied.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the interior of the tip of the sponge member is free to deform because it does not have a tank discharge portion or the like. Therefore, if the chain is moved with the tip of the sponge member inserted between the outer plates, the sponge member will slip out from between the outer plates as the outer plates move. Then, as the chain moves further, the sponge member will enter between the next outer plates opposite the tip of the sponge member. In this way, the sponge member is continuously inserted between the pair of outer plates as the chain moves, even if it is not completely inserted or removed between the pair of outer plates. This reduces the repeated movement of the sponge member back and forth, and further reduces the effort and time required to inject lubricant. Furthermore, because the discharge portion is provided within the sponge member, the insertion depth of the sponge member relative to the chain can be confirmed by impacting the tip of the discharge portion against the roller. For example, the insertion depth of the sponge member can be determined based on the position where the tip of the discharge portion impacts the roller when the chain is moved, and the amount of lubricant supplied can be controlled according to the insertion depth of the sponge. Furthermore, the amount of lubricant supplied from the sponge member to the chain can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the tip of the discharge portion relative to the sponge member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of a liquid lubricant injection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for injecting lubricant into a chain using the liquid lubricant injection device of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sponge member of the first embodiment is inserted into a chain. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the liquid lubricant injection device of the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a typical bicycle chain. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an external view of a conventional liquid lubricant injection container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an external view of a liquid lubricant injection device 10 according to a first embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory views showing how lubricant is injected into a chain. The liquid lubricant injection device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is made up of a tank 11, a cylindrical body 12 that constitutes a discharge portion, and a sponge member 13 provided on the tip side of the cylindrical body 12. Tank 11 is a molded product made of flexible resin such as polyethylene, and its volume changes depending on external pressure. Tank 11 has an opening 11a formed in the bottom wall shown in Fig. 1. For example, if tank 11 is held between fingers and pressure is applied as indicated by arrows A1 and A2, the volume of tank 11 decreases, and the liquid lubricant contained therein is discharged to the outside through opening 11a.

[0018] Furthermore, a cylindrical body 12 that communicates with the inside of the tank 11 is integrally molded with the opening 11a. The cylindrical body 12 is composed of a large diameter portion 12a on the tank 11 side and a small diameter portion 12b on the tip side, and the end of the small diameter portion 12b is open as a discharge port 12c.

[0019] Furthermore, the cylindrical body 12 is provided with a sponge member 13 so as to surround the small diameter portion 12b of the cylindrical body 12. In other words, the small diameter portion of the cylindrical body 12 is inserted into the sponge member 13, and the sponge member 13 is fixed to the cylindrical body 12. The sponge member 13 is a deformable resin member having open cells. The sponge member 13 is made of a commonly available sponge material. The open cells allow communication between the discharge port 12c and an opening on the outer circumferential surface of the sponge member 13.

[0020] The sponge member 13 has an outer shape that is a truncated square pyramid, with the bottom surface S1 on the cylindrical body (discharge portion) 12 side being larger than the bottom surface S2 on the tip side. The bottom surface S2 on the tip side has a dimension that allows it to be inserted into the space surrounded by the pair of outer plates 2, 2 and rollers 4, 4 of the chain 1 (see FIG. 5). The dimension that allows it to be inserted into the space means that the bottom surface S1 is not too large compared to the opening area of ​​the space, and it may of course be smaller than the opening area, but may also be larger than the opening area as long as it is large enough to be pushed into the gap by deforming.

[0021] In addition, in the sponge member 13, the outlet 12c at the tip of the cylindrical body 12 is fixed in the sponge member 13 at a position near the base end on the side of the outlet, between the bottom surface S1 on the cylindrical body (outlet portion) 12 side and the bottom surface S2 at the tip, which is the side opposite to the bottom surface S1. In Fig. 1, the outlet 12c is located above the center line L1 in the height direction of the truncated quadrangular pyramid of the sponge member 13.

[0022] Therefore, the tip end portion of the sponge member 13 below the outlet 12c is not affected by the cylindrical body 12 and is free to deform. Furthermore, since the discharge outlet 12c is provided at a position biased toward the bottom surface S1 of the sponge member 13 as described above, the liquid lubricant discharged from the discharge outlet 12c toward the tip is likely to spread throughout the entire sponge member 13 via the open bubbles.

[0023] [Actions and effects] The procedure for injecting a liquid lubricant into the chain 1 shown in FIG. 5 using the liquid lubricant injection device 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The liquid lubricant stored in the tank 11 of the first embodiment is a low-viscosity liquid that can penetrate minute gaps (approximately 60 μm) between the components of the chain 1. For example, it is a liquid in which tungsten disulfide powder is dispersed in alcohol at a concentration of 25% by weight or less. In addition, oil-based lubricants with high viscosity can also be used by diluting them with a solvent to sufficiently reduce the viscosity.

[0024] When injecting lubricant into the chain 1, the chain 1 is left attached to the bicycle, and a liquid lubricant injection device 10, with liquid lubricant stored in a tank 11, is positioned above a specific outer plate 2. The liquid lubricant injection device 10 is then moved along arrow B1 in Figure 2 to the chain 1, and a sponge member 13 is pushed into the gap between the outer plates 2, 2 until it reaches the position shown by the two-dot chain line.

[0025] The sponge member 13 is deformable and can be inserted into the space between the outer plates 2, 2 of the chain 1, and when it is pressed into the space of the chain 1, it deforms to fit the shape of the space. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the outer surface of the sponge member 13 comes into contact with the shapes of the components that make up the chain 1, such as the outer plates 2, 2, inner plates 3, 3, and rollers 4, 4. Pins 6, 6 are arranged on both sides of the sponge member 13, and the components attached to each pin 6, 6 are arranged symmetrically around the sponge member 13. Here, to distinguish between adjacent pins 6, 6 sandwiching the sponge member, one pin (on the right side in the figure) is referred to as pin 6 and the other pin (on the left side in the figure) is referred to as pin 6'.

[0026] Once the outer surface of the sponge member 13 has been brought into contact with each component of the chain 1 in this manner, the tank 11 is pressed with a finger to force the liquid lubricant in the tank 11 out of the tank 11. The liquid lubricant is discharged from the outlet 12c of the cylindrical body 12, seeps into the sponge member 13, passes through the sponge member 13, and seeps out from the outer surface of the sponge member 13. The seeped-out liquid lubricant permeates around one of the pins 6 from points p1, p2, p3, and p4 into gaps g1, g2, g2, g3, and g4 between the components attached to the pin 6. At this time, on the other pin 6' side, the liquid lubricant also permeates into the gaps g1, g1, g2, g2, g3, and g4 between the components via points p1, p2, p3, and p4 on the pin 6' side.

[0027] In this first embodiment, when the sponge member 13 is pressed into a space formed by a pair of opposing outer plates 2, 2 in the chain 1, liquid lubricant is simultaneously injected into the gaps g1, g1, g2, g2, g3, g4 formed around each of the two pins 6, 6' and into the gaps g1, g1, g2, g2, g3, g4. By inserting the sponge member 13 once, the liquid lubricant can be simultaneously injected into points p1, p2, p3, and p4 for two pins 6. In other words, when using a conventional container 7, it is possible to inject the liquid lubricant into eight points at once, which require alignment and dripping.

[0028] After pushing a sponge member into one space in the chain 1 and injecting the liquid lubricant, pull the sponge member 13 out of the chain 1 and turn the bicycle pedals to move the chain 1 in the direction of arrow C1 in Figure 2. Then, push the sponge member 13 into the space between the outer plates 2, 2 on the left side along arrow B2, press the tank 11, and pull out the sponge member 13. This process is repeated while moving the chain 1. When the chain 1 is rotated once, the liquid lubricant is injected between the parts corresponding to all the pins 6.

[0029] In the process of making one revolution of the chain 1, the sponge member 13 is inserted only into the space formed by the opposing outer plates 2, 2, omitting the space formed by the opposing inner plates 3, 3. Therefore, the number of times the sponge member 13 needs to be inserted per revolution of the chain is half the number of pins 6. For example, if there are 112 pins, it will be 56 times. Moreover, the sponge member 13 only needs to be pushed into a specified space in the chain 1, and precise positioning is not required.

[0030] In contrast, the conventional injection method requires four times as many alignments and drops as the number of pins 6 . In this way, by using the liquid lubricant injection device of the first embodiment, the work can be dramatically simplified compared to the conventional method, and labor and time can be saved.

[0031] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, there is a large portion of the sponge member 13 where the cylindrical body 12 is not inserted, and the tip end in particular is free to deform. Therefore, for example, even if the chain 1 is moved without completely pulling out the sponge member 13 inserted into the space in the chain 1, the sponge member 13 will naturally come out of the chain 1 and will not be damaged. At this time, because the discharge port 12c is located inside the sponge member 13, the insertion depth of the sponge member into the chain 1 can be confirmed by hitting the discharge port 12c, which is the tip end of the cylindrical body 12, against the roller 4. Therefore, the tip end of the sponge member 13 can be inserted into a position between the outer plates 2, 2 where the liquid lubricant can be appropriately supplied from the sponge member 13 to the chain 1.

[0032] In other words, the amount of liquid lubricant supplied from the sponge member 13 to the chain 1 can be adjusted depending on the position of the outlet 12c within the sponge member 13, that is, depending on the degree to which the cylindrical body 12 is inserted into the sponge member 13. Furthermore, if the elastic force of the sponge member 13 is set appropriately, the chain 1 moves while the sponge member 13 comes off from the chain 1 and is in contact with it, and when the space in the chain 1 and the tip of the sponge member 13 are in a corresponding position, the restoring force of the sponge member 13 can cause the tip to enter the space in the chain 1.

[0033] [Second embodiment] 4, the liquid lubricant injection device 14 of the second embodiment shown has the cylindrical body 12, which is the discharge part in the first embodiment, divided into two parts, a cylindrical part 15 on the tank 11 side and a connecting cylinder 16 on the sponge member 13 side. The device is also provided with a tip member 17 consisting of the connecting cylinder 16 and the sponge member 13. The cylindrical portion 15 is molded integrally with the tank 11 and communicates with the opening 11a, and has a male thread 15a formed on its outer surface.

[0034] The connecting tube 16 has an internal thread 16a formed on the inner periphery of the base end side, which matches the external thread 15a, and an outlet 16b opened at the tip. This outlet 16b is fixed inside the sponge member 13. The tip member 17, which is made up of the connecting tube 16 and the sponge member 13 to which it is fixed, is detachably attached to the tank 11 by means of a male thread 15a and a female thread 16a. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

[0035] [Actions and effects] In the second embodiment, a tip member 17 is attached to a cylindrical portion 15 of a tank 11 that contains a liquid lubricant. As with the first embodiment, by inserting the sponge member 13 into the space in the chain 1 and pressurizing the tank 11, liquid lubricant can be injected into the gaps in the chain 1 from the outer surface of the sponge member 13 while the chain is still attached to the bicycle.

[0036] In addition, in the second embodiment, the tip member 17 is provided separately, so if the sponge member 13 is damaged or foreign matter gets stuck in the air bubbles due to repeated insertion and removal of the chain 1, the tip member 17 can be replaced and used. Furthermore, the tip member 17 can be removed and the required amount of liquid lubricant can be transferred from a large storage container in which the liquid lubricant is stored to the tank 11 for use.

[0037] In the first and second embodiments, the entire tank 11 is flexible, and the internal volume can be changed by applying pressure to the outer wall side, but the tank configuration is not limited to this. For example, the tank may have a portion that can be deformed by touching it with a finger, or the end of the tank may be bellows-shaped. The shape of the sponge member 13 is also not limited to the above embodiments. In the first and second embodiments, the sponge member 13 is in the shape of a square truncated pyramid, but the sponge member 13 may be in the shape of a circular truncated cone or another type of pyramid, or may be in the shape of a cylinder or a rectangular pillar. Simply making the tip smaller can make it easier to insert into the chain 1, but making the tip smaller is not essential. Additionally, several stirring balls made of glass, metal, or the like may be placed in the tank 11. By shaking the tank 11 before use, the lubricant in the tank can be stirred, and the lubricant components can be uniformly dispersed on the medium.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the minute gaps between the components of the chain 1 are set to approximately 60 μm, but it goes without saying that the value is not limited to this. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] You can easily lubricate your bicycle chain. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Chain 2 Outer plate (of chain) 3 Inner plate (of chain) 10,14 Liquid lubricant injection device 11. Tank 12 (Discharge part) Cylindrical body 12c, 16b (Tip of discharge part) Discharge port 13 Sponge material S1, S2 (bottom surface of sponge material) g1, g2, g3, g4 (gaps between parts)

Claims

1. a tank containing a liquid lubricant and having a volume that can be changed by an external force; a discharge portion of the tank; a sponge member provided at the tip of the discharge portion; It consists of the sponge member has a plurality of open cells that open to its outer circumferential surface, the discharge portion of the tank communicates with an opening in the outer peripheral surface of the sponge member via the open cells; The liquid lubricant discharged from the discharge portion due to a change in the volume of the tank is discharged from the outer circumferential surface of the sponge member through the open bubbles. Liquid lubricant injection device for bicycle chains.

2. The sponge member is A bicycle chain is insertable between a pair of opposing outer plates, When inserted between the pair of outer plates, the outer surface of the sponge member comes into contact with the bicycle chain components.

2. The liquid lubricant injection device for a bicycle chain according to claim 1.

3. The sponge member has a truncated pyramidal shape in which the bottom surface on the discharge portion side is larger than the bottom surface on the tip side, which is the side opposite to the bottom surface.

3. A liquid lubricant injection device for a bicycle chain according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The tip of the discharge part is The sponge member is fixed in a position near the base end between the base end on the discharge portion side and the tip end on the side opposite to the base end.

3. A liquid lubricant injection device for a bicycle chain according to claim 1 or 2.

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