Bicycle Hydraulic Lever External Biasing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bicycle hydraulic systems lack an efficient and compact mechanism for actuating hydraulic brakes and gear shifting, often requiring complex internal biasing members that can be cumbersome and less effective.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle hydraulic operating device comprising a bracket, hydraulic cylinder, piston, lever, and biasing members, where the lever is pivotally mounted and coupled to the piston, with external biasing members guiding the piston and lever to actuate hydraulic pressure for braking and shifting, featuring a compact design with separate biasing members outside the hydraulic cylinder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex internal biasing members are used within the hydraulic cylinder, then the braking function can be achieved, but the device complexity increases and the design becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member is extracted from the internal space of the hydraulic cylinder and relocated to the external structure. Specifically, the biasing member is positioned in the bracket and acts on the piston through the cylinder wall, eliminating the need for complex internal biasing mechanisms within the cylinder bore. This extraction simplifies the internal cylinder design while maintaining the braking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston serves as an intermediary element that transmits the biasing force from the externally located biasing member to the hydraulic fluid. The biasing member biases the piston, which in turn biases the piston rod, creating a mechanical linkage that translates external biasing into internal hydraulic pressure generation without requiring direct internal placement of the biasing member.
2Volume of moving object
If a compact design is implemented, then the overall device size is reduced, but the mechanism for actuating both brakes and shifting becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic operating device is designed to perform multiple functions through a single integrated mechanism. The same piston and hydraulic system are used for both braking operations and gear shifting operations. The biasing member and lever system simultaneously control both functions, eliminating the need for separate actuation mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The braking and shifting functions are merged into a single hydraulic system with a common piston and fluid chamber. The lever mechanism integrates both control functions, allowing the rider to operate both brakes and shifters through one unified structure rather than separate independent mechanisms, thereby reducing the overall volume and simplifying the actuation system.
3Ease of manufacture
If external biasing members are used instead of internal ones, then the hydraulic cylinder design is simplified, but the space arrangement outside the cylinder must be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member is arranged in a different spatial dimension relative to the hydraulic cylinder. Instead of placing it inside the cylinder bore (one-dimensional internal arrangement), the biasing member is positioned in the bracket structure surrounding the cylinder (external three-dimensional arrangement). This dimensional change allows the cylinder to maintain a simple cylindrical shape while the biasing member is accommodated in the available space of the bracket, optimizing both manufacturing ease and spatial arrangement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables efficient actuation of hydraulic brakes and gear shifting with a compact design, reducing internal complexity and enhancing operational ease while maintaining effective hydraulic pressure generation.
Implementation Method 1
The first biasing member is operatively coupled to the piston and the lever outside the hydraulic cylinder such that the first biasing member biases the piston toward the initial position and biases the lever toward the rest position
Implementation Method 2
The piston is disposed within the hydraulic cylinder and movable between an initial position and an actuated position
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle hydraulic operation device comprises a bracket, a hydraulic cylinder, a piston a lever, and a first biasing member. The bracket includes a gripping portion configured to be gripped by a rider. The piston is disposed within the hydraulic cylinder and movable between an initial position and an actuated position. The lever is pivotally mounted to the bracket around a first axis and operatively coupled to the piston to move the piston in response to pivotal movement of the lever from a rest position to an operated position. The first biasing member is operatively coupled to the piston and the lever outside the hydraulic cylinder such that the first biasing member biases the piston toward the initial position and biases the lever toward the rest position.