A vehicle with a handlebar, having a hydraulic braking system and an electronically controlled ABS hydraulic device mounted in the steerer tube

Abstract

A vehicle with a handlebar, particularly an electric bicycle, includes a hydraulic braking system and an electronically controlled hydraulic ABS device (14). The body (140) of the ABS device (14) is housed within the steerer tube (6) forming part of the front fork (9) of the vehicle and rotatably mounted within the head tube (3) forming part of the frame (2) of the vehicle. The front fork (9) includes a bridge portion (8) that is connected to the lower end of the steerer tube (6), and which has a central through-hole (80) coaxial with the steerer tube (6), through which the body (140) of the ABS device (14) can be inserted within the steerer tube (6).

Description

[0001] A vehicle with a handlebar, having a hydraulic braking system and an electronically controlled ABS hydraulic device mounted in the steerer tube

[0002] ****

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The present invention generally relates to vehicles with handlebar, such as cycles or motorcycles.

[0005] The invention relates to a vehicle with handlebar of the type comprising a frame including a head tube within which a steerer tube, forming part of a front fork of the vehicle, is rotatably mounted, wherein the vehicle further includes a hydraulic braking system comprising:

[0006] - a master cylinder associated with a brake lever,

[0007] - an actuating cylinder of a brake device,

[0008] - a hydraulic line connecting the master cylinder to the actuator cylinder, and

[0009] - an electronically controlled ABS hydraulic device, interposed in the hydraulic line between the master cylinder and the actuator cylinder and configured to cause a decrease in operating pressure in the actuator cylinder when, during a braking operation, an electronic controller of the ABS device receives a signal from a sensor indicating the need for the activation of an ABS function.

[0010] Prior Art

[0011] Electronically controlled ABS hydraulic devices, particularly for electric bicycles, have been known and used for some time. See, for example, DE 195 08 915 A1 , DE 101 58 382 A1 , EP 2 943 395 B1 , WO 2017 / 115171 A2, WO 2019 / 159029 A1 , EP 3 753 835 B1 , EP 3 789 256 B1 , EP 2 985 198 B1 , US 4275 934 A, US 2020 / 324752 A1. The Applicant itself has developed various solutions in this area (see, for example, EP 4 132 841 B1 , EP 4 132 821 B1 ).

[0012] A vehicle having characteristics indicated in the preamble of the appended claim 1 is known from document DE 10 2019 118 949 A1 , of which the Applicant is currently co-owner. In that document, a solution has been proposed in which the body of the ABS device is housed within an element of the vehicle frame. In this way, in addition to obtaining the advantage of minimizing the impact of the ABS device on the appearance of the vehicle, there is the possibility of mounting the ABS device in the most suitable position to facilitate a simple and easy installation of the hydraulic connection pipes with the master cylinder associated with the brake lever and with the actuator cylinder of the brake device (usually a disc brake) associated with a wheel (typically the front wheel) of the vehicle.

[0013] However, there is a need for further improvements in this area.

[0014] A vehicle having all the characteristics indicated in the preamble of claim 1 is known from document DE 10 2020 210035 A1. In this known solution, the body of the ABS device is received in the annular space between the head tube of the frame and the steerer tube that is rotatably mounted within the head tube, which makes installation and maintenance operations of the ABS device complex and inconvenient. Further solutions involving the housing of an ABS device in a frame member or a front fork arm of a bicycle are known from WO 2021 / 205334 A1 , DE 10 2021 209730 A1 , and CN 210 707 775 U.

[0015] Scope of the invention

[0016] It therefore constitutes an object of the present invention to propose a new solution with respect to the installation of an electronically controlled hydraulic ABS device in a vehicle with handlebar, equipped with a hydraulic braking system, which retains the advantages of the proposal forming the subject of DE 10 2019 118 949 A1 , but at the same time allows for further improvements, especially from the point of view of ease of installation.

[0017] Summary of the invention

[0018] With a view to achieving this purpose, the invention relates to a vehicle with handlebars, having all the features set forth in claim 1 .

[0019] Thanks to such features, installation and maintenance operations of the ABS device are easy and quick.

[0020] Moreover, again thanks to such features, the ABS device has no impact on the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle, since it is completely hidden inside the steerer tube, forming part of the front fork of the vehicle.

[0021] In the specific case of an ABS device controlling the brake device associated with the front wheel of the vehicle, the arrangement proposed here allows the ABS device to be arranged both relatively close to the brake lever and relatively close to the brake device, typically a disc brake caliper, associated with the front wheel. This simplifies the installation of hydraulic connecting pipes between the ABS device and the master cylinder associated with the brake lever, on the one hand, and between the ABS device and the brake caliper actuator cylinder, on the other hand. There is also a better compromise in terms of reducing the length of the hydraulic pipes both upstream and downstream of the ABS device, easier routing of the hydraulic pipes in the frame, resulting in reduced cost, and improved reliability of the brake bleeding phase.

[0022] The front fork of the vehicle has a bridge portion connected to the lower end of the steerer tube and having a central hole coaxial with the steerer tube, through which the body of the ABS device can be inserted within the steerer tube. From a lower end of the body of the ABS device, through the aforementioned center hole of the bridge portion of the front fork, there extends a pipe for hydraulic connection between the ABS device and the brake device actuator cylinder. The pipe connecting the ABS device to the master cylinder associated with the brake lever extends from the body of the ABS device, for example through a side hole in the steerer tube or from the top end of the steerer tube.

[0023] In one example, the body of the ABS device is mounted by an interference-fit within the steerer tube, and there is also a closure element attached to said center hole through which the body of the ABS device is mounted within the steerer tube. Alternatively, the body of the ABS device may be retained within the steerer tube by a retaining element of any known type.

[0024] Brief description of the drawings

[0025] Further features and advantages of the invention will result from the following description with reference to the annexed figures, give only by way oof non-limiting example, in which:

[0026] - figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of the frame, with the handlebar and the front fork, of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention, - figure 2 is a front view partially in cross-section of the unit of figure

[0027] 1 ,

[0028] - figure 3 is a perspective view of an example of an electronically controlled hydraulic ABS device used in the vehicle according to the invention, with associated hydraulic connecting pipes, and a disc brake caliper connected thereto,

[0029] - figure 4 is a partially sectioned front view of the upper part of the front fork, with the steerer tube within which the ABS device is arranged,

[0030] - figure 5 is a perspective view from below of the detail in figure 4,

[0031] - Figures 6-9 are perspective views illustrating successive stages of the ABS device mounting procedure, and

[0032] - figure 10 is a schematic view of a hydraulic braking system used in the vehicle according to the invention.

[0033] Detailed description of the invention

[0034] With reference to the drawings, numeral 1 generally designates an example of a vehicle according to the invention, specifically an electric bicycle, of which figure 1 illustrates part of the frame, with the handlebar and the front fork.

[0035] According to the conventional art, the bicycle 1 has a frame 2 including a head tube 3 rigidly connected, in the example shown here, to the ends of a diagonal tube 4 and an upper tube 5 forming part of the frame 2. Within the head tube 3 there is rotatably mounted, in any known manner, a steerer tube 6 (best seen in Figure 4) around a steering axis X. The upper end of the steering tube 6 is rigidly connected, in any known manner, to a handlebar 7.

[0036] The lower end of the steerer tube 6 is rigidly connected to a bridge portion 8 that is part of a front fork 9. According to a conventional technique, the front fork 9 has arms 9A whose lower ends are configured to rotationally support the front wheel of the bicycle. One of the two arms 9A of the front fork 9 is also associated with a caliper C of a disc brake device of any known type.

[0037] The vehicle according to the invention is equipped with a hydraulic braking system of any known type. Only by way of example, Figure 10 of the appended drawings illustrates a schematic of a hydraulic braking system having an electronically controlled ABS hydraulic device.

[0038] In Figure 10, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the braking system, including a master cylinder 11 associated with a brake lever (not illustrated in Figure 10), an actuator cylinder 12 associated with the brake device, typically a disc brake caliper (not illustrated in Figure 10), and a hydraulic line 13 connecting the master cylinder 11 with the actuator cylinder 12. An electronically controlled ABS device 14 is operationally interposed in the connecting hydraulic line 13. In the illustrated example, the ABS device 14 comprises a valve unit 15 having an inlet 16 hydraulically connected to the master cylinder 11 via an upstream portion 13A of the connecting line 13, and an outlet 17 hydraulically connected to the actuator cylinder 12 via a downstream portion 13B of the connecting line 13. According to a conventional technique, the valve unit 15 is controlled by an electrically driven actuator 18 of any known type (such as an electric motor or solenoid). In a normal operating condition, valve unit 10 is in the condition shown in Figure 10, in which inlet 16 and outlet 17 communicate with each other. Therefore, in that condition, the brake device can be operated normally by acting on the brake lever, so that pressurized fluid is transferred from master cylinder 11 to actuator cylinder 12 of the brake caliper. The ABS device includes an electronic control unit E configured to receive a signal S from a sensor with which the vehicle is equipped, configured for indicating when an ABS function is required in order to prevent incipient locking of the front wheel of the vehicle during a braking action. According to the conventional technique, the sensor may consist, for example, of a front wheel rotational velocity sensor, or a sensor capable of detecting a tendency for the rear wheel of the vehicle to come off the ground, or a sensor of the operating pressure in the actuator cylinder 12 of the brake caliper. When the need for an ABS function intervention is detected, the electronic control unit E activates actuator 18 to move valve unit 15 to a second operating condition, in which the communication between inlet 16 and outlet 17 is interrupted and in which the downstream line 13B, communicating with actuator cylinder 12 of the brake caliper, enters into communication with the accumulation chamber 19 of a fluid accumulator 20, having a movable member 21 that moves (simply as a result of the arrival of pressurized fluid from line 13B, or also because an additional actuator is associated with it) so as to increase the volume of the accumulation chamber 19 so as to cause a decrease in the operating pressure in the actuator cylinder 12 of the brake caliper. The decrease in operating pressure in the brake caliper actuator cylinder reduces or cancels the braking action, preventing wheel lockup. When the need for the ABS function ceases, valve unit 15 is returned to the normal operating condition, in which inlet 16 and outlet 17 communicate with each other. Valve unit 15 also includes a one-way safety valve, which, under the condition of ABS function intervention, provides for the discharge of pressurized fluid into upstream line 13A if the pressure on the brake caliper side tends to become greater than the pressure on the master cylinder side 11 associated with the brake lever.

[0039] Of course, the description of the hydraulic braking system 10 shown in Figure 10 is given here purely as an example. Returning to Figures 1 -9, the ABS device provided in the vehicle according to the invention, denoted as a whole by 14, has a substantially cylindrical body 140 that is housed within the inner cavity of the steerer tube 6. In one example, the body 140 of the ABS device 14 is mounted by an interference-fit within the steerer tube 6. As illustrated in the drawings, the body 140 of the ABS device 14 can be mounted within the steerer tube 6 by inserting it through a central through-hole 80 of the bridge portion 8 of the front fork 9. From the lower end (with reference to the installation position) of the body 140, a pipe T1 extends for hydraulic connection of the ABS device 14 with the actuator cylinder 12 of the brake caliper C.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the central through-hole 80 of the bridge portion 8 is closed by a cap member 15 having a cylindrical wall that fits between the wall of the central through-hole 80 and the outer surface of the body 140 of the ABS device 14. The front wall of the cap element 15 has a central through-hole for tube T1 .

[0041] A tube T2 extends from the upper end of the body 140 of the ABS device 14 for the hydraulic connection of the ABS device with the master cylinder associated with the brake lever L that controls the front wheel brake. The tube T2 exits the steerer tube 6 through a hole 6A in the head tube wall 6 (see Figure 4) and passes through a space provided between the head tube wall 3 and a narrow portion of the steerer tube 6 (Figure 2) to then connect to the lever L.

[0042] In an example of the assembly procedure, the body 140 of the ABS device 14 is inserted through the center hole 80 of the bridge portion 8 of the front fork 9, within the steerer tube 6 when the steerer tube is not yet mounted within the head tube 3. In such a condition (Figures 4, 5), the end cap 15 is applied by running the tube T1 through it and connecting the tube T 1 to the brake caliper carried by the front fork 9. Also at that stage, the tube T2 is run out of the steerer tube 6 through hole 6A. Tube T2 can then be connected to the master cylinder associated with brake lever L, after which steerer tube 6 can be assembled inside head tube 3 (Figure 7). The drawings do not show the unit provided inside the head tube 3 to rotationally support the steerer tube 6, as this assembly can be made in any known way and is not, taken in itself, part of the invention. Figure 8 shows the next stage of the assembly procedure, in which the upper end of the steerer tube 6 is secured to the central support 16 of the handlebar 7. Figure 9 shows the assembly stage of handlebar 7.

[0043] Of course, all the assembly operations described above are given here as an example only.

[0044] It is also evident that the conformation of the body 140 of the ABS device could also be entirely different from that described here as an example. The technique by which the body 140 is retained within the steerer tube 6 could be any. For example, it could be contemplated that the body 140 of the ABS device would be held in place by a retaining element of any known type, such as a nut screwed within a threaded portion of the central hole 80 of the bridge portion 8 of the front fork 9.

[0045] As is evident from the foregoing description, the solution illustrated here falls within the more general concept, proposed in DE 102019 118949 A1 , in that it still involves housing the ABS device within an element of the vehicle frame (the steerer tube 6 is itself arranged within the head tube 3), but it proposes a specific solution (mounting the ABS device within the steerer tube) that gives rise to additional important advantages.

[0046] Of course, subject to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and forms of implementation may vary widely from what is described and illustrated purely by way of example, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle with a handlebar, such as an electric bicycle, comprising a frame (2) including a headtube (3) within which a steerer tube (6) forming part of a front fork assembly (9) of the vehicle is rotatably mounted, wherein said vehicle further comprises a hydraulic braking system (10) including:- a master cylinder (11 ) associated with a brake lever (L),- an actuator cylinder (12) of a brake device (C),- a hydraulic line (13) connecting the master cylinder (11 ) to the actuator cylinder (12), and- an electronically controlled ABS hydraulic device (14), interposed in the hydraulic line (13) between the master cylinder (11 ) and the actuator cylinder (12) and configured to cause a decrease in operating pressure in the actuator cylinder (12) when, during braking, an electronic controller (E) of the ABS device (14) receives a signal (S) from a sensor indicating the need for the activation of an ABS function,- wherein the ABS device has a body (140) that is housed within a frame part (3) of the vehicle,- wherein the frame part within which there is housed the body (140) of the ABS device (14) is the head tube (3), in which the steerer tube (6) is rotatably mounted,- said vehicle being characterized in that the body (140) of the ABS device (14) is housed within said steerer tube (6), and in that the front fork (9) includes a bridge portion (8) connected to the lower end of the steerer tube (6), and said bridge portion (8) has a central through-hole (80) coaxial with the steerer tube (6), through which the body (140) of the ABS device (14) can be inserted into said steerer tube (6).

2. Vehicle according to claim 1 , characterized in that a tube (T1 ) defining the portion (13B) of the hydraulic line (13) connecting the ABS device (14) to the actuator cylinder (12) of the brake device (C) extends from a lower end of the body (140) of the ABS device (14).

3. Vehicle according to claim 1 , characterized in that a tube (T2)defining the portion (13A) of the hydraulic line (13) connecting the ABS device (14) to the master cylinder (11 ) associated with the brake lever (L) extends from the body (140) of the ABS device (14), through a lateral hole (6A) of the steerer tube (6), or from the upper end of the steerer tube (6).

4. Vehicle according to claim 1 , characterized in that the body (140) of the ABS device (14) is mounted by an interference-fit within the steerer tube (6).

5. Vehicle according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the body (140) of the ABS device (14) is held within the steerer tube (6) by a retaining element (15).

6. Vehicle according to claim 1 , characterized in that said retaining element (15) is in the form of a cap-like closure element mounted within said central through-hole (80) of the bridge portion (8) of the front fork (9).

7. An electronically controlled ABS hydraulic device, characterized in that it is configured to be mounted in a vehicle according to any of the preceding claims.

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