Operation lever

Abstract

The present invention is an operation lever capable of improving operability of an adjustment member and satisfactorily adjusting a gripping margin. This operation lever 5, which is rotatably provided via a rotary shaft 13, is divided into a lever body 21 and a knocker 22, and an adjustment bolt 23 for adjusting the gripping margin is disposed between the lever body 21 and the knocker 22. An operation part 21b and a forked arm 21e of the lever body 21 are connected by a first connection part 21c provided on the anti-handle bar side and a pair of second connection parts 21d, 21d provided on both end sides in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 13. Openings 24, 24 from which the adjustment bolt 23 is exposed are provided between the first connection part 21c and the pair of second connection parts 21d, 21d.

Description

Operating lever

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating lever. More specifically, the operating lever is formed by dividing it into a lever body and a knocker, and relates to an operating lever in which an adjustment member for adjusting the grip margin is disposed between the lever body and the knocker.

[0002] Conventionally, in an operating lever rotatably attached to a hydraulic master cylinder, the operating lever is formed by dividing it into a lever body disposed in front of the grip at the end of the handle bar and a knocker that pushes the piston of the master cylinder. There is an adjustment member disposed between the lever body and the knocker to adjust the grip margin formed between the grip and the lever body.

[0003] As the adjustment member, there is one provided with an adjustment portion adjustably attached to the knocker and a dial-shaped adjustment operation portion provided at the end of the adjustment member and abutting against the lever body. A part of this adjustment operation portion is exposed from an opening provided at the rotation base portion of the lever body, and by rotating the exposed portion with a finger, the protruding amount of the adjustment portion protruding from the knocker changes, and accordingly, the grip formed between the grip and the lever body The margin was adjusted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 6502729

[0005] The operating lever of Patent Document 1 described above is not easily affected by the outside and has an excellent appearance. However, since the adjustment operation portion is less exposed, there is a problem that it is difficult to operate with a finger.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an operating lever that improves the operability of the adjustment member and can adjust the grip margin well.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the operating lever of the present invention is formed by dividing the operating lever, which is rotatably mounted via a pivot shaft, into a lever body having an operating part disposed in front of the grip of the handlebar, and an operating knocker, the knocker being positioned between bifurcated arms formed at the pivot base of the lever body, and adjusting the grip space formed between the grip and the lever body by an adjustment member positioned between the lever body and the knocker, wherein the lever body is connected between the operating part and the bifurcated arms by a first connection part provided on the side opposite the handlebar and a pair of second connection parts provided on both ends in the axial direction of the pivot shaft, and an opening is provided between the first connection part and the pair of second connection parts from which the adjustment member is exposed.

[0008] According to the operating lever of the present invention, openings are provided at two locations between the first connection part of the lever body and the pair of second connection parts, and the adjustment member is exposed to the outside through these two openings, thereby improving the operability of the adjustment member and allowing for good adjustment of the grip allowance.

[0009] This is a side view of an operating lever, representing one embodiment of the present invention, applied to a hydraulic master cylinder device. This is a plan view of an operating lever, representing one embodiment of the present invention, applied to a hydraulic master cylinder device. This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of a hydraulic master cylinder, representing one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of an operating lever, representing one embodiment of the present invention. This is a plan view of an operating lever, representing one embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 5.

[0010] Figures 1 to 6 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, in which the operating lever is applied to a hydraulic master cylinder device of a handlebar vehicle.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the hydraulic master cylinder device 1 includes a hydraulic master cylinder 4 mounted near the grip 3 of a handlebar 2 that steers a front wheel (not shown), an operating lever 5 attached to the hydraulic master cylinder 4, and a push rod 6 interposed between them.

[0012] The hydraulic master cylinder 4 is attached to the handlebar 2 by enclosing the handlebar 2 with a vehicle mounting arm 4b and a bracket 7 provided on the cylinder body 4a, and by bolting the vehicle mounting arm 4b and bracket 7 together. With this attachment, the hydraulic master cylinder 4 is positioned so that the axis CL1 of the cylinder bore 4c intersects with the axis CL2 of the handlebar 2 (Figure 3).

[0013] A piston 8 is inserted into the cylinder bore 4c of the hydraulic master cylinder 4 with cup seals 8a, 8a fitted to the outside, and a hydraulic chamber 9 is defined between the piston 8 and the bottom wall of the cylinder bore 4c. A return spring 10 is compressed between the bottom wall of the cylinder bore 4c and the piston 8, and the elastic force of the return spring 10 constantly biases the piston 8 toward the opening of the cylinder bore 4c. In addition, the piston 8 is in contact with one end 6a of the push rod 6, and this contact restricts the movement of the piston 8 toward the cylinder bore opening. Furthermore, a ring 11 for preventing the piston from coming out is fitted at the opening of the cylinder bore 4c.

[0014] A reservoir 12 is provided on the side wall of the cylinder body 4a of the hydraulic master cylinder 4 to supply working fluid to the hydraulic chamber 9. Furthermore, bifurcated brackets 4d, 4d are provided protruding from the end of the cylinder body 4a on the side opposite the handlebar 2 (front side of the vehicle), and the operating lever 5 is rotatably mounted inside these bifurcated brackets 4d, 4d via a pivot shaft 13.

[0015] The operating lever 5 is divided into a lever body 21 positioned in front of the grip 3 and a knocker 22 positioned between the lever body 21 and the cylinder body 4a. An adjustment bolt 23 (the adjustment member of the present invention) is attached between the operating lever 5 and the knocker 22 to adjust the grip distance between the operating lever 5 and the grip 3.

[0016] The lever body 21 includes a pivot base 21a rotatably mounted on the bifurcated brackets 4d, 4d via a pivot shaft 13, an operating part 21b positioned on the side of the grip 3 opposite the handlebar 2 (towards the front of the vehicle), and a first connecting part 21c and a second connecting part 21d, 21d, which will be described later, connecting the pivot base 21a and the operating part 21b.

[0017] The pivot base 21a has bifurcated arms 21e, 21e that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 13 and open on the handlebar 2 side. As shown in Figure 6, the inside of the bifurcated arms 21e, 21e has a knocker housing recess 21f for housing the knocker 22 and an adjustment bolt contact portion 21g for contacting the adjustment bolt 23. Furthermore, a spring member housing portion 21h is formed at the end of the pivot base 21a on the side opposite the operating portion 21b.

[0018] Furthermore, the operating section 21b has a lateral groove 21i formed on the surface facing the handlebar 2. If a vehicle with handlebars falls over for any reason and is subjected to an unexpected impact load, the operating lever 5 will break off at the tip where the lateral groove 21i is formed.

[0019] The knocker 22 is housed in a knocker housing recess 21f and includes a mounting portion 22a that is rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft 13, an operating arm 22b that extends from the mounting portion 22a toward the cylinder hole opening and abuts against the other end 6b of the push rod 6, and a rotation restricting piece 22c that extends from the mounting portion 22a and abuts against the side wall of the cylinder body 4a on the side opposite to the operating portion 21b. Furthermore, a spring receiving piece 22d is formed on the mounting portion 22a that extends toward the spring member housing portion 21h, and a spring member 14 is mounted across the spring receiving piece 22d and the spring member housing portion 21h, biasing the operating portion 21b toward the grip 3 around the pivot shaft 13.

[0020] Furthermore, an adjustment bolt mounting portion 22e extends from the operating portion 21b side of the working arm 22b. The adjustment bolt mounting portion 22e has a female screw hole 22f into which the adjustment bolt 23 is screwed, and is formed opposite the adjustment bolt contact portion 21g. Also, a push rod contact portion 22g is formed on the pivot axis 13 side of the working arm 22b, into which the other end 6b of the push rod 6 abuts.

[0021] The adjustment bolt 23 comprises a male threaded portion 23a that is screwed into the female threaded hole 22f in a manner that allows for adjustment of the amount of protrusion, and a large-diameter dial operating portion 23b formed at the end of the male threaded portion 23a on the side opposite the handlebar 2, with the end face of the dial operating portion 23b in contact with the adjustment bolt contact portion 21g.

[0022] The first connecting portion 21c connects the operating portion 21b and the bifurcated arms 21e, 21e on the side opposite the handlebar 2 (the front side of the vehicle body). The second connecting portions 21d, 21d connect the operating portion 21b and the bifurcated arms 21e, 21e on both ends in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 13 (the upper and lower sides of the vehicle body). Furthermore, the width L1 in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 13 of the first connecting portion 21c is formed to be narrower than the diameter D1 of the dial operating portion 23b of the adjustment bolt 23. Accordingly, a pair of openings 24, 24 are provided in the stepped portions 25, 25 between the first connecting portion 21e and both second connecting portions 21d, 21d, through which the dial operating portion 23b of the adjustment bolt 23 is exposed.

[0023] The operating lever 5 is attached to the hydraulic master cylinder 4 by inserting the mounting portion 22a of the knocker 22 between the bifurcated arms 21e, 21e of the lever body 21, inserting it into the bifurcated brackets 4d, 4d of the hydraulic master cylinder 4, and passing the pivot shaft 13 through the bifurcated brackets 4d, 4d, the bifurcated arms 21e, 21e, and the mounting portion 22a. With the operating lever 5 attached to the hydraulic master cylinder 4 in this way, the elastic force of the return spring 10 provided inside the hydraulic chamber 9 constantly acts on the piston 8 and the push rod 6. As a result, when the operating lever 5 is not in operation, the rotation restricting piece 22c of the knocker 22 abuts against the cylinder body 4a, and a grip space is formed between the operating portion 21b of the lever body 21 and the grip 3.

[0024] Furthermore, the adjustment bolt 23 has a portion of its dial operating portion 23b exposed through two openings 24, 24. When the rider rotates the dial operating portion 23b exposed through the openings 24, 24 to one side, for example, with their thumb and index finger, the adjustment bolt 23 protrudes from the female screw hole 22f, and the end face of the dial operating portion 23b presses against the adjustment bolt contact portion 21g, changing the distance from the knocker 22 to the adjustment bolt contact portion 21g, and thus changing the grip allowance. When the dial operating portion 23b is rotated to the other side, the adjustment bolt 23 enters the female screw hole 22f, similarly changing the grip allowance.

[0025] As described above, with the operating lever 5 of this embodiment, the dial operating portion 23b of the adjustment bolt 23 is exposed to the outside through two openings 24, 24 provided between the first connection portion 21c and the pair of second connection portions 21d of the lever body 21. Compared to conventional designs where the dial operating portion is exposed through a single opening, the operability of the dial operating portion 23b can be improved, and the grip allowance can be adjusted more effectively. Furthermore, foreign matter such as mud that enters through the openings 24, 24 can be easily expelled.

[0026] Furthermore, since the rigidity of the pivot base 21a side of the operating lever 5 is ensured by the first connecting portion 21c and the pair of second connecting portions 21d, if a handlebar vehicle falls over for some reason and an unexpected impact load is applied, the tip side of the operating lever 5, where the lateral groove 21i is formed, will break off, and the transmission of that impact load to parts other than the operating lever 5, such as the hydraulic master cylinder 4 and bracket 7, can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0027] Furthermore, the first connection portion 21c is formed such that the width L1 in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 13 is narrower than the diameter D1 of the dial operating portion 23b of the adjustment bolt 23. Since openings 24, 24 are formed in the stepped portions 25, 25 between the first connection portion 21e and the second connection portions 21d, 21d, the dial operating portion 23b can be exposed through the openings 24, 24 even if the diameter D1 of the dial operating portion 23b is small. Moreover, by applying the operating lever 5 of the present invention to a so-called vertical hydraulic master cylinder device in which the axis of the cylinder bore of the hydraulic master cylinder intersects with the axis of the handlebar, the first connection portion 21c, the knocker 22, and the piston 8 are arranged substantially coaxially, and the knocker 22 and the piston 8 can be operated smoothly by operating the operating lever 5.

[0028] Furthermore, the operating lever of the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples of embodiments, and can be applied to any type of operating lever as long as it is formed by dividing it into a lever body and a knocker. The operating lever of the present invention can also be applied to hydraulic master cylinder devices in which the axis of the cylinder bore of the hydraulic master cylinder is parallel to the axis of the handlebar. In addition, for devices with a large diameter dial operating section, the opening into which the dial operating section is exposed may be formed without a step between the first connection section and both second connection sections. The operating lever of the present invention can also be applied to operating levers for pulling connecting means such as cables.

[0029] 1...Hydraulic master cylinder device, 2...Handlebar, 3...Grip, 4...Hydraulic master cylinder, 4a...Cylinder body, 4b...Vehicle mounting arm, 4c...Cylinder bore, 4d...Bifurcated bracket, 5...Operating lever, 6...Push rod, 6a...One end, 6b...Other end, 7...Bracket, 8...Piston, 8a...Cup seal, 9...Hydraulic chamber, 10...Return spring, 11...Ring, 12...Reservoir, 13...Rotating shaft, 14...Spring member, 21...Lever body, 21a...Rotating base, 21b...Operating 21c...First connection part, 21d...Second connection part, 21e...Bifurcation arm, 21f...Knocker housing recess, 21g...Adjusting bolt contact part, 21h...Spring member housing part, 21i...Transverse groove, 22...Knocker, 22a...Mounting part, 22b...Operating arm, 22c...Rotation restricting piece, 22d...Spring receiving piece, 22e...Adjusting bolt mounting part, 22f...Female screw hole, 22g...Push rod contact part, 23...Adjusting bolt, 23a...Male screw part, 23b...Dial operating part, 24...Opening, 25...Stepped part

Claims

1. An operating lever that is rotatably mounted via a pivot shaft, and is formed by dividing it into a lever body having an operating part disposed in front of the grip of a handlebar and an operating knocker, the knocker being positioned between bifurcated arms formed at the pivot base of the lever body, and an adjustment member positioned between the lever body and the knocker to adjust the grip space formed between the grip and the lever body, wherein the lever body is connected between the operating part and the bifurcated arms by a first connection part provided on the side opposite the handlebar and a pair of second connection parts provided on both ends in the axial direction of the pivot shaft, and an opening is provided between the first connection part and the pair of second connection parts to expose the adjustment member.

2. The operating lever according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the first connecting portion in the axial direction of the pivot shaft is narrower than that of the adjustment member.

3. The operating lever according to claim 1, characterized in that the knocker pushes the piston of the hydraulic master cylinder by operating the lever body.

4. The operating lever according to claim 3, characterized in that the hydraulic master cylinder is mounted on the handlebar such that the axis of the cylinder bore intersects with the axis of the handlebar.

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