Front structure of a bar handle vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a front structure of a handlebar vehicle that allows clutch and brake operations to be easily performed with one hand of the rider, a clutch lever 31 that activates a clutch device and a brake lever 23 of a brake device 21 that activates a rear-wheel brake being arranged around a grip 13 provided at a side-end part of a steering handlebar 12. The brake device 21 is provided with a hydraulic master cylinder 22 provided with a cylinder hole 22a that accommodates a piston 25, and a brake lever 23 that activates the piston 25. A clutch grip operation part 31a of the clutch lever 31 and a brake grip operation part 23c of the brake lever 23 extend along the grip 13 and are able to rotate in the same rotation direction, and the clutch lever 31 is disposed higher in the body of the vehicle than the brake lever 23.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a front structure of a bar handle vehicle such as a motorcycle, and more particularly to a front structure of a bar handle vehicle equipped with a clutch lever and a brake lever on steering handle bars at the front of the vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the front structure of a bar-handle vehicle has been one in which a clutch lever for operating a clutch device is provided near the handlebar, and a brake operator for braking the rear wheel is provided near this clutch lever (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3561392 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3422518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the bicycles disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the rider is configured to operate the clutch lever and brake lever with the left hand, and when braking, the rider presses the brake lever with the thumb of the left hand placed on the grip of the handlebar, and when operating the clutch, the rider grips the clutch lever with the index finger, middle finger, and other fingers of the left hand other than the thumb. However, operating the brake requires the rider to press the brake lever with the thumb while gripping the grip, which makes it difficult to operate.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a front structure for a bar handle vehicle that allows a rider to easily operate the clutch and brake with one hand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the front structure of a bar-handle vehicle of the present invention has a grip provided at the side end of a steering handlebar, around which a clutch lever for operating a clutch device that connects and disconnects a driving force transmission path between the wheels, and a brake lever for a brake device that operates a rear wheel brake are arranged, the brake device comprising a hydraulic master cylinder having a cylinder hole that accommodates a piston, and the brake lever for operating the piston, the clutch lever and the brake lever extend along the grip to the front of the vehicle body of the grip and are rotatable in the same rotational direction, the clutch lever is located higher on the vehicle body than the brake lever, the brake device is attached to the handlebar via a master cylinder mounting bracket, the master cylinder mounting bracket has a handlebar mounting portion attached to the handlebar and a master cylinder mounting portion extending downward from the handlebar mounting portion, the hydraulic master cylinder is attached to the master cylinder mounting portion, and the clutch lever is attached to the end of the handlebar closer to the master cylinder mounting bracket The hydraulic master cylinder includes a vehicle body mounting bracket that is long in the vehicle body interior and exterior and is attached to the master cylinder mounting bracket, and the vehicle body mounting bracket has a circular first bolt insertion hole formed on the exterior side of the vehicle body and a second bolt insertion hole formed on the interior side of the vehicle body as an arc-shaped elongated hole that is long in the vehicle body vertical direction and centered on the first bolt insertion hole, and the hydraulic master cylinder is mounted to the master cylinder mounting bracket by fastening a mounting bolt inserted into the first bolt insertion hole and a mounting bolt inserted into any position of the second bolt insertion hole to the master cylinder mounting bracket. It is characterized by the following.

[0007] It is also preferable that the hydraulic master cylinder is mounted so that the central axis of the cylinder bore is parallel to the central axis of the handlebar.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that the hydraulic master cylinder is mounted so that the inclination angle of the central axis of the cylinder bore relative to the central axis of the handlebar can be adjusted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the clutch lever and brake lever extend along the grip to the front of the vehicle body and are arranged so as to be rotatable in the same direction of rotation, and furthermore, the clutch lever is positioned higher on the vehicle body than the brake lever, so that the rider can easily operate the clutch or brake by holding the grip and grasping the clutch lever or brake lever with the fingers other than the thumb of their left hand.

[0012] Furthermore, by mounting the hydraulic master cylinder so that the central axis of the cylinder bore is parallel to the central axis of the handlebar, an effective space can be secured around the handlebar, improving layout flexibility.

[0013] Furthermore, since the hydraulic master cylinder is mounted so that the inclination angle of the center axis of the cylinder bore relative to the center axis of the handlebar can be adjusted, it is possible to improve the layout flexibility of the brake lever and adjust the operating position of the brake lever.

[0014] In addition, the brake device is attached to the handlebar via a master cylinder mounting bracket, which has a handlebar mounting portion that is attached to the handlebar and a master cylinder mounting portion that extends downward from the handlebar mounting portion to the vehicle body, and by attaching a hydraulic master cylinder to the master cylinder mounting portion, the clutch lever can be positioned higher on the vehicle body than the brake lever with a simple structure.

[0015] Furthermore, the hydraulic master cylinder is provided with a vehicle body mounting bracket that is long in the vehicle body interior and exterior and is attached to the master cylinder mounting bracket, and the vehicle body mounting bracket is provided with a circular first bolt insertion hole on the vehicle body interior side and a second bolt insertion hole on the vehicle exterior side that is formed as an arc-shaped elongated hole that is long in the vehicle vertical direction and centered on the first bolt insertion hole, and the hydraulic master cylinder is mounted to the master cylinder mounting bracket by fastening a mounting bolt inserted into the first bolt insertion hole and a mounting bolt inserted into any position of the second bolt insertion hole to the master cylinder mounting bracket, and by changing the position of the mounting bolt inserted into the second bolt insertion hole, the inclination angle of the central axis of the cylinder bore relative to the central axis of the handlebar can be easily adjusted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a front structure of a bar handle vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an attached state of a brake device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a clutch device omitted; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a brake device is attached to a handlebar with the central axis of the cylinder hole inclined relative to the central axis of the handlebar, with the clutch device omitted. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a front structure of a bar handle vehicle showing an example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] 1 to 6 are diagrams showing an example of a front structure of a bar-handle vehicle according to the present invention. A front fork 11 that supports the front wheel is provided at the front of the bar-handle vehicle, and steering handlebars 12, 12 are attached to the right and left sides of the front fork 11. Rubber grips 13, 13 are attached to the ends of the handlebars 12, 12, respectively, for the rider to grip.

[0018] A brake device (not shown) is provided on the right handlebar to supply hydraulic pressure to the front wheel brake.

[0019] A master cylinder mounting bracket 14 is attached to the front fork side of the left handlebar 12. This mounting bracket mounts a hydraulic master cylinder 22 of a brake device 21 that supplies hydraulic pressure to the rear wheel brake. Furthermore, a clutch lever 31 that pulls a wire cable connected to a clutch device that connects and disconnects the driving force transmission path between the engine and the wheels is rotatably attached to the handlebar 12 closer to the grip 13 than the master cylinder mounting bracket 14. The clutch lever 31 has a clutch grip operation portion 31a that is gripped and operated by the rider and extends along the grip 13 toward the front of the vehicle body.

[0020] The master cylinder mounting bracket 14 includes a handlebar mounting portion 14a that is attached to the handlebar 12, and a master cylinder mounting portion 14b that extends downward from the handlebar mounting portion 14a. The master cylinder mounting portion 14b has a mounting surface 14c on the front side of the vehicle body that is long in the interior and exterior directions of the vehicle body, and female screw holes 14d, 14d for fastening mounting bolts 15, 15 are provided side by side on the mounting surface 14c.

[0021] The braking device 21 includes a hydraulic master cylinder 22, a brake lever 23 attached to the hydraulic master cylinder 22, and a push rod 24 interposed therebetween. The hydraulic master cylinder 22 includes an internal bottomed cylinder bore 22a, and is provided with a vehicle body mounting bracket 22b that protrudes downward from the lower wall of the vehicle body and is long in the vehicle body-outer direction. The vehicle body mounting bracket 22b is formed with a circular first bolt insertion hole 22c on the vehicle body outer side, which faces the brake lever 23, and a second bolt insertion hole 22d, which is an elongated circular arc-shaped hole centered on the first bolt insertion hole 22c and long in the vehicle body vertical direction, on the vehicle body inner side, which faces the front fork 11, at positions corresponding to the female thread holes 14d, 14d.

[0022] The hydraulic master cylinder 22 is attached to the vehicle body by inserting the mounting bolt 15 into the first bolt insertion hole 22c of the vehicle body mounting bracket 22b and fastening it to the female threaded hole 14d, and by inserting the mounting bolt 15 into a predetermined position of the second bolt insertion hole 22d and fastening it to the female threaded hole 14d. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, by inserting the mounting bolt 15 into the lower end of the second bolt insertion hole 22d, the hydraulic master cylinder 22 is attached so that the central axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 22a and the central axis CL2 of the handlebar 12 are parallel to each other.

[0023] In this manner, in this embodiment, the hydraulic master cylinder 22 is mounted so that the central axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 22a and the central axis CL2 of the handlebar are parallel to each other, but by changing the position at which the mounting bolt 15 is inserted into the second bolt insertion hole 22d, the inclination angle of the central axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 22a relative to the central axis CL2 of the handlebar 12 can be adjusted. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, by inserting the mounting bolt 15 into the upper end of the second bolt insertion hole 22d, the hydraulic master cylinder 22 can be mounted to the handlebar 12 with the inclination angle of the central axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 22a relative to the central axis CL2 of the handlebar 12 at its largest.

[0024] A piston 25 is inserted into the cylinder bore 22a with a primary cup 26a and a secondary cup 26b fitted thereon, and a hydraulic chamber 27 is defined between the piston 25 and the bottom wall of the cylinder bore 22a. A return spring 28 is compressed between the bottom wall of the cylinder bore 22a and the piston 25, and the resilience of the return spring 28 constantly urges the piston 25 toward the opening of the cylinder bore 22a, with the piston 25 contacting the tip end 24a of the push rod 24 to restrict its retraction limit. A ring 29 is attached to the opening of the cylinder bore 22a to prevent the piston from coming out.

[0025] A relief port 22e and a supply port 22f are provided in the upper wall of the hydraulic master cylinder 22 and communicate with the cylinder bore 22a, and connectors 22g to which reservoir hoses are connected are provided at both ports 22e and 22f, allowing hydraulic fluid to circulate between the cylinder bore 22a and the reservoir. A pair of upper and lower lever holders 22h, 22h protrude from the end of the cylinder bore opening of the hydraulic master cylinder 22 with a predetermined gap between them, and a rotation base 23a of a brake lever 23 is rotatably attached to the lever holders 22h, 22h via a pivot 23b.

[0026] The brake lever 23 includes the pivot base 23a pivotally connected to the lever holders 22h, 22h, and a brake grip operation portion 23c that is gripped and operated by the rider, and the pivot base 23a and the brake grip operation portion 23c are connected by a connecting bolt 23d. The brake lever 23 and the clutch lever 31 are provided so as to be pivotable in the same rotational direction, and further, the master cylinder mounting portion 14b of the master cylinder mounting bracket 14, to which the hydraulic master cylinder 22 is attached, extends downwardly of the vehicle body, so that the clutch lever 31 is disposed higher on the vehicle body than the brake lever 23.

[0027] Since this embodiment is configured as described above, the rider can easily operate the clutch or brake by gripping the clutch lever 31 or the brake lever 23 with the fingers of his or her left hand other than the thumb while holding the grip. Furthermore, the brake device 21 is attached to the handlebar 12 via the master cylinder mounting bracket 14, and the master cylinder mounting portion 14b of the master cylinder mounting bracket 14, to which the hydraulic master cylinder 22 is attached, extends downwardly from the vehicle body. This allows the clutch lever 31 to be positioned higher on the vehicle body than the brake lever 23, with a simple structure. Furthermore, since the central axis CL1 of the cylinder hole 22a of the hydraulic master cylinder 22 and the central axis CL2 of the handlebar 12 are arranged parallel to each other, an effective space can be secured around the handlebar 12, improving layout flexibility.

[0028] Furthermore, the hydraulic master cylinder 22 can adjust the inclination angle of the center axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 22a relative to the center axis CL2 of the handlebar 12, thereby improving the layout flexibility of the brake lever 23 and adjusting the operating position of the brake lever 23. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the center axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 22a can be adjusted by changing the position at which the mounting bolt 15 is inserted into the second bolt insertion hole 22d of the vehicle body mounting bracket 22b, which makes it easy to adjust the inclination angle.

[0029] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment in which the clutch lever pulls the wire cable to operate the clutch device, but may also be a hydraulic master cylinder in which the clutch lever is attached to the hydraulic master cylinder and the clutch device is operated by hydraulic pressure. Furthermore, the hydraulic master cylinder may be attached to the handlebar in a manner in which the inclination angle of the central axis CL1 of the cylinder bore cannot be adjusted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 11...front fork, 12...handlebar, 13...grip, 14...master cylinder mounting bracket, 14a...handlebar mounting portion, 14b...master cylinder mounting portion, 14c...mounting surface, 14d...internal thread hole, 15...mounting bolt, 21...brake device, 22...hydraulic master cylinder, 22a...cylinder hole, 22b...body mounting bracket, 22c...first bolt insertion hole, 22d...second bolt insertion hole, 22e...relief port, 2 2f...supply port, 22g...connector, 22h...lever holder, 23...brake lever, 23a...rotating base, 23b...pivot, 23c...brake grip operation part, 23d...connecting bolt, 24...push rod, 24a...tip part, 25...piston, 26a...primary cup, 26b...secondary cup, 27...hydraulic chamber, 28...return spring, 29...ring, 31...clutch lever, 31a...clutch grip operation part

Claims

1. A front structure of a bar-handle vehicle in which a clutch lever for operating a clutch device that connects and disconnects a driving force transmission path between the steering handlebar and the wheels and a brake lever for operating a brake device that operates a rear wheel brake are disposed around a grip provided at the side end of the steering handlebar, The brake device includes a hydraulic master cylinder having a cylinder bore for accommodating a piston, and the brake lever for actuating the piston. The clutch lever and the brake lever extend along the grip to the front of the vehicle body of the grip and are provided so as to be rotatable in the same rotational direction, The clutch lever is disposed higher on the vehicle body than the brake lever, The brake device is attached to the handlebar via a master cylinder mounting bracket, the master cylinder mounting bracket having a handlebar mounting portion attached to the handlebar and a master cylinder mounting portion extending downward from the handlebar mounting portion to a vehicle body, and the hydraulic master cylinder is attached to the master cylinder mounting portion, The clutch lever is attached to the handlebar at an end closer to the master cylinder mounting bracket, the hydraulic master cylinder includes a vehicle body mounting bracket that is attached to the master cylinder mounting bracket and is elongated in the vehicle body and outward from the vehicle body; The vehicle body mounting bracket has a first circular bolt insertion hole formed on the outer side of the vehicle body, and a second bolt insertion hole formed on the inner side of the vehicle body as an elongated arc-shaped hole that is centered on the first bolt insertion hole and extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, a mounting bolt inserted through the first bolt insertion hole and a mounting bolt inserted through any position of the second bolt insertion hole, and fastening the mounting bolt to the master cylinder mounting bracket, thereby attaching the hydraulic master cylinder to the master cylinder mounting bracket.

2. 2. The front structure of a bar-handle vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic master cylinder is attached such that the central axis of the cylinder bore is parallel to the central axis of the handlebars.

3. 2. The front structure of a bar handle vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic master cylinder is attached so that the inclination angle of the central axis of the cylinder hole relative to the central axis of the handlebars can be adjusted.

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