JP2006183831A - Hydraulic brake hose assembly for bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a brake hose assembly for a bicycle, having a connection fitting capable of being firmly connected to a hose, and easily repaired. <P>SOLUTION: The hydraulic brake hose assembly is comprised of a reinforced hose 20 which is a fluorocarbon resin hose 23 covered with a stainless steel fiber tube 21, mounting fittings 24, 28 installed in both the ends, and a heat shrinkable plastic tube 32 covering these. The mounting fitting installed in both the ends of the reinforced hose 20 is comprised of a cylindrical olive 41 having an inner diameter which can be inserted by the fluorocarbon resin hose 20, a cap 40 capable of pressing the olive including the stainless steel fiber tube placed in the outer surface of the olive, and an adaptor 44 provided with a mounting part, screwed to the cap and connected to a braking part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a hydraulic brake hose assembly used for bicycles, motorbikes and the like.

  In recent years, mountain bikes have become increasingly popular among bicycle enthusiasts around the world. These bikes are robustly designed to deliver maximum speed and a stable performance off-road. Mountain bike racing is gaining in popularity regardless of whether it is amateur or professional. Therefore, the bicycle industry is strongly required to supply high-performance and reliable brake parts that can meet the severe speed and durability requirements of riders (RIDER). Such requirements are the same in the field of motorbikes.

In mountain bikes and motor bikes, the brake system is exposed along the car body. Such a brake system must be able to withstand the high speed of friction and heat, frequent shocks, falls, and the soaking conditions inherent in rough mountain bike tracks.
A conventionally known hydraulic brake system for a general bicycle is, for example, a plastic brake hose having a pleated-type tip mounting part as seen in US Pat. No. 5,678,665 (Patent Document 1). This tip fitting is crushed and secured to the brake hose or “cramped”.

In addition to the above, as a hydraulic brake system for bicycles, a type in which a brake rotor is sandwiched between brake pads is used. An outline of the configuration is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, 1 is a master cylinder, 3 is a brake lever, and 5 is a brake caliper. A brake hose (tube) 52 connects the master cylinder 1 and the brake caliper 5, and by operating the brake lever 3, the pressure of the brake oil in the master cylinder 1 is transmitted to the brake caliper 5 and the brake pad 6 is transferred to the brake rotor 53. Press contact (FIG. 6). In addition, 51 is a connection metal fitting (common name: fitting), and consists of a specially-shaped bolt and nut necessary for connecting the brake hose 52 itself. In FIG. 6, 53 is a brake rotor, 6 is a brake pad, 61 is a piston for pressurizing the brake pad 6, 7 is a tire (wheel), 71 is a rim, 8 is a bicycle body (front fork), and 81 is a brake. A bolt 9 for fixing the caliper 5 to the vehicle body, and a bracket 9 for fixing the master cylinder 1 to the handle.
Usually, a master cylinder of a hydraulic disc brake is composed of a built-in cylinder piston and a brake lever, and a brake-specific liquid sealed and injected into the master cylinder is pressurized by grasping the brake lever. Furthermore, when the pressurized brake fluid pushes out the piston in the caliper, the pad presses against the rotor and has a structure and mechanism that produces a braking effect.

In the above conventional brake hose assembly, the plastic brake hose 2 is fixed in advance by the mounting part 4 in the bicycle manufacturing process, so that the subsequent replacement is not easy and the hose cannot be reused. However, the strength alone is low, and there are problems such as cross-country and downhill riding, where impacts from severe driving, cuts due to falls, and cutting are likely to occur.
For the purpose of solving the above problems, the present inventors include a metal mesh or the like on the surface of the brake hose, and mounting brackets (parts) attached to both ends of the brake hose covered with the fiber mesh layer. A brake hose assembly covered with a plastic tube was proposed (Patent Document 2).
However, subsequent research has found further improvements in the configuration of the brake hose and the mounting method on the vehicle body.

US Pat. No. 5,678,665 JP 2001-241570 A

  The present invention is flexible and flexible enough to withstand harsh steering operations like mountain bikes and motorbikes, and has friction and weather resistance that can withstand dirt, mud, etc. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic brake hose assembly that can be replaced and reused and that can provide a solid brake performance.

The hydraulic brake hose assembly of the present invention is
A fluorine resin hose for brake oil;
A stainless fiber tube comprising a stainless steel fiber net for reinforcing and protecting the hose;
Mounting brackets attached to both ends of a fluorine resin hose (hereinafter referred to as a reinforced hose) covered with a stainless fiber cylinder;
It consists of a heat-shrinkable plastic tube that covers the reinforcing hose and the fittings at both ends of the reinforcing hose.
Mounting brackets attached to both ends of the reinforced hose
A cylindrical olive that has an inner diameter that allows insertion of a fluororesin hose, and whose thickness decreases from the hose mouth end toward the hose body,
A cap with a female hose on the inner peripheral surface on the olive insertion side, having an inner surface that can press-fit the olive including the stainless fiber tube on the outer surface of the olive that can be fitted with a reinforcing hose,
A fluororesin is provided with an insertion part having an outer diameter that can be press-fitted into the fluororesin hose at the front end and a male thread part that is screwed into a female thread on the inner peripheral surface of the cap, and a mounting part for connecting to a brake component at the rear end. It consists of an adapter having a conduction hole through which the hydraulic fluid (brake oil) from the hose passes.

A metal fiber reinforced hose in which a plastic hose is covered with a metal fiber mesh is already known. These conventional metal fiber reinforced hoses are used in place of metal pipes such as iron pipes because of the ease of piping, and can be bent repeatedly by violent steering operations as in the present invention, or violently amplitude due to vibration during traveling. It is not intended for use.
In the present invention, a hose for passing brake oil is a fluororesin hose because it is excellent in oil resistance, solvent resistance, wear resistance, heat resistance, and weather resistance. The fluororesin is preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), for example, Teflon (R) (TEFLON: registered trademark), but a modified fluororesin may be used in consideration of flexibility, flexibility, wear resistance, etc. Good. Examples of the modified fluororesin include tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA) and tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene copolymer (ETFE).

In the case of a thing which rotates a steering wheel violently right and left like a mountain bike, moderate flexibility and flexibility are required. Further, it is required to be strong against brake oil, so that the hose does not swell and burst when pressure is applied, and is required to withstand the brake oil heated by the frictional heat of the brake.
The size of the hose varies depending on the vehicle type, but in the case of a mountain bike or a motorbike, a hose with an outer diameter of 4 to 5.5 mm is usually preferable. In consideration of the above, the thickness of the hose is selected. However, if it is too thick, the flexibility is insufficient, so that it is preferably about 1.5 to 2 mm.

As the stainless steel fiber cylinder formed by knitting stainless steel fibers, a stainless steel fiber knitted into a net is used. The stainless fiber cylinder is usually formed by knitting fibers directly on the outer peripheral surface of the fluororesin hose. However, a stainless fiber cylinder may be formed separately, and the hose may be inserted into the cylinder to form a reinforced hose.
Although the thickness of the cylinder varies depending on the thickness of the hose, the inner diameter of the cylinder may be the same as the outer diameter of the hose, but is 0.1 to 0.6 mm, preferably 0.3 to 0.5 mm than the outer diameter. It is better to make it larger. The cylinder and hose can be easily separated during repair, and the flexibility and amplitude resistance of the brake hose are improved.
The stainless steel fiber cylinder is coated to protect the fluororesin hose. However, if the outer diameter or thickness of the cylinder is larger than that of the hose, the stainless steel fiber cylinder lacks flexibility and the stainless steel fiber constituting the cylinder is thick. Therefore, it is preferable to use a stainless steel fiber having a thickness of about 0.15 to 0.2 mm.

  For mesh knitting with cylindrical fibers, a fine mesh weave (mesh) is preferred, and a mesh with a small mesh size is preferred. However, if a dense weave with no gaps is used, the flexibility and vibration resistance will decrease, so we choose the weave To do. The choice of the weave varies depending on the thickness of the brake hose when a brake hose in which a stainless fiber tube is covered with a heat-shrinkable plastic tube is bent into a ring shape, but a ring having a diameter of 25 mm to 150 mm is formed. The degree of flexibility is good. By selecting the mesh of the stainless fiber cylinder, it is possible to firmly fix the heat-shrinkable plastic tube covering the cylinder surface.

  The heat-shrinkable plastic tube provided on the surface of the stainless steel fiber cylinder is provided for the purpose of protecting the entire reinforcing hose including the mounting brackets attached to both ends of the reinforcing hose. For these reasons, heat-shrinkable plastic tubes are preferred to be resistant to machine oil used for motorcycle maintenance, etc., as well as to withstand dirt, sand and rain during running. Since it can be covered with a new one at any time when the hose is reused, it may be able to withstand to some extent. As the tube, a polyolefin material such as polyethylene-modified electron beam cross-linked soft polyolefin resin (Sumitube: trade name) or other suitable material such as a tube made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyvinylidene chloride can be used. . It can also be made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyurethane or other suitable material. The thickness of the tube is not particularly limited, but a tube that can be in close contact with the stainless fiber cylinder by heat shrinkage is preferable. An electron beam cross-linked polyolefin resin tube is preferred.

Since the fluororesin hose and stainless steel tube have a high heat resistance temperature, they can easily cover the heat-shrinkable tube, and the stainless steel fiber does not have unnecessary oil on the surface. Together, the heat shrinkable tube can be firmly attached.
Covering with heat shrinkable tubes is usually done at the time of brake hose manufacture. However, if the brake hose is damaged or only the tube is damaged, cover it with a new tube as needed and apply hot air with a drier or hot water. be able to. The diameter (thickness) of the tube is not particularly limited because it depends on the thermal shrinkage rate, but it is preferable that the thickness of the tube after shrinkage is 0.5 mm or more.
The method of covering with the tube is not particularly limited, but the end tube may be folded back so that the mounting bracket and the end of the hose are covered twice. The heat-shrinkable tube is preferably colorless and transparent, but may be colored.

One of the features of the present invention is that the brake hose assembly can be reused and reused, and the fittings attached to both ends of the hose, i.e. the first and second fittings, are removed from the brake system by the brake hose assembly. And is constructed and assembled so that it can be reattached. In addition, the first and second fittings are configured and assembled to the brake hose so that they can be removed from the brake hose and reattached.
As described above, the metal fittings to be attached to both ends of the fiber reinforced hose are a metal olive attached to the fluororesin hose, and a cap of a size that can contain the olive through which the stainless fiber reinforced hose can be inserted. And an adapter having an insertion portion for press-fitting into the fluororesin hose at the tip, a screw portion screwed into the cap, and a conduction hole through which brake oil from the hose passes.

  For example, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 proposed above, an olive 42 is attached to the fiber mesh 22 surface of the reinforcement hose 20 and the olive 42 is attached to the reinforcement hose and the adapter. This was done by a method of tightening the olive 42 by putting the cap 40 and screwing it to the adapter 44. In this method, the contact between the olive 42 and the stainless steel fiber mesh layer 22 is a metal surface, and the fiber mesh layer 22 is an uneven metal surface. When the fiber mesh layer 22 having the above is strongly pressed against the fluororesin hose, there is a problem that the end of the fluororesin hose is broken and the liquid leaks. The present invention also solves these problems.

Mounting of the mounting bracket to the brake hose of the present invention is performed as follows.
A cap is attached to the cylinder reinforcing hose in advance, and then olive is fitted to the end of the fluororesin hose. Expand the diameter of the end of the stainless steel tube that covers the fluororesin hose or loosen part of it to expose the hose, and place olives on the fluororesin hose so that it is between the fluororesin hose and the stainless steel tube. Fit.
Next, cover the olive with the stainless fiber covered on the surface with a cap that was previously attached to the cylindrical reinforcing hose, and screw the female screw provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cap with the male screw of the adapter. Connect the cap and adapter. At this time, the stainless fiber covered on the surface of the olive is strongly pressed against the olive, the olive is pressed against the fluororesin hose, and the stainless fiber cylinder is fixed with the olive and the cap.

The adapter has an insertion portion having an outer diameter that can be press-fitted into the fluororesin hose at the tip, and has a male screw portion that is screwed into a female screw on the inner peripheral surface of the cap at the rear of the insertion portion, and a brake component at the rear end. A mounting portion for connection is provided, and a conduction hole through which brake oil from the fluororesin hose passes is provided so as to reach the mounting portion from the insertion portion.
For example, the adapter of the first fixture is of a shape that can be connected to a brake caliper, and the adapter of the second fixture is an adapter for the master cylinder.

Since olive is pressed with a cap in a state where the surface is covered with a stainless fiber, it is a cylindrical body having a slope or a curved surface that descends toward the cap. When the olive is used as a disposable part, it may be made slightly softer than stainless fiber such as brass or aluminum so that the stainless fiber can be firmly crimped, or made of a metal material such as stainless steel.
Since the cap is screwed to the adapter, the outer periphery should have a hexagonal bolt shape. Also, when the heat shrinkable tube is heat-shrinked and attached to the surface of the reinforced hose, the cap is provided with appropriate irregularities or grooves on the surface in order to prevent the tube from coming off the cap due to shrinkage in the length direction of the tube. Good.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a hydraulic brake hose assembly according to the present invention. The assembly 10 includes a reinforcing hose 20 in which the surface of a fluorine resin hose (not shown) for brake oil is covered with a stainless fiber cylinder 21 made of a stainless fiber net, and attachments attached to both ends of the reinforcing hose 20. 24 and 28, and the heat-shrinkable tube 32 which covers the reinforcement | strengthening hose 20 including the attachment tools 24 and 28 of both ends.
In the case of this example, the reinforcing hose 20 uses a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube having an outer diameter of 4 mm and an inner diameter of 2 mm as a fluorine resin hose, and is a reinforcing hose having a steel fiber (0.2 mm) and an outer diameter of around 5 mm. It coat | covered so that it might become.
The surface of this reinforced hose is covered with an electron beam cross-linked polyolefin resin (Sumitube A: trade name) as a heat-shrinkable tube and heat-shrinked in an oven at a temperature of 120 ° C. to form a polyolefin film layer 32 having a thickness of about 0.5 mm. Formed. The brake hose in which the reinforced hose was coated with the polyolefin film layer 32 exhibited flexibility and flexibility enough to form a ring having a diameter of about 25 mm.

  The reinforced hose 20 has a first attachment 24 attached to one end 26 for connection to the master cylinder of the hydraulic brake system, and a second attachment 28 attached to the other end 30 for connection to the brake caliper. To do. The attachment is not limited to that shown in the figure, and can be applied to a disc brake or other known brake system. The fixtures 24 and 28 are preferably made of stainless steel, but can be made of other suitable materials.

  The mounting tool and its mounting method are shown in FIGS. FIG. 2 is a first attachment tool that is assembled to one end of the reinforcing hose 20 and connects the hose 20 to a brake caliper (not shown). The fixture 28 includes a plurality of parts: a cap 40, an olive 41, and an adapter 44 for a brake caliper. The adapter 44 has an insertion portion 44a to be inserted into the reinforcing hose 20 at the tip, a male screw 44b for screwing with a female screw provided on the cap 40 is provided at the rear, and a brake caliper at the rear. Has a flat mounting portion 44c with a round hole in the center. The adapter 44 is provided with a conduction hole 44d that reaches the mounting portion 44c from the insertion portion 44a at the tip, and conducts brake oil from the reinforced hose 20 to the brake caliper.

The attachment of the attachment is carried out by attaching the cap 40 to the reinforcing hose 20 and then expanding or unscrewing the diameter of the stainless fiber cylinder 21 at the tip of the reinforcing hose 20 so that the tip of the fluororesin hose 23 is about 2 to 3 mm. The olive 41 is fitted to the tip of the fluorine resin hose. The surface of the fitted olive 41 is covered with the stainless fiber 21a of the stainless fiber cylinder 21, the cap 41 is attached to the olive 41 thus constructed, and the insertion portion 44a at the tip of the adapter 44 is inserted into the fluororesin hose. Then, the cap 40 is screwed to the adapter 44 and the attachment 28 is attached.
FIG. 3 shows the attachment 24 attached to the other end of the reinforcing hose 20. The attachment 24 connects the hose 20 to a master cylinder (not shown). The attachment 24 includes a cap 40, an olive 41, and an adapter 54 for a master cylinder, and is attached in the same manner as the first attachment 28. The adapter 54 is different only in the mounting portion 54 c, and 54 a to 54 d represent the same meaning as the mounting portion 44.

  A heat-shrinkable tube 32 is applied to the reinforced hose 20 equipped with attachments at both ends to form a protective film layer on the surface. At this time, in order to suppress the heat-shrinkable tube from shrinking in the length direction, In this example, a slightly open V-shaped groove 40a is provided in a ring shape on the outer periphery of the cap 40. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the end portion of the tube 32 is folded back and only the end portion is covered twice in order to avoid a break at the end portion of the tube 32 after heat shrinkage. In the figure, 23 is a fluororesin hose, 21 is a stainless fiber layer, and 32 is a heat shrinkable tube layer.

Brake hose assembly of the present invention, the inner tube is a fluorine resin hose having a specific inner diameter and outer diameter, and a reticular hose with a specific diameter stainless steel fiber having a specific fineness on its outer periphery, The surface of this reinforced hose is covered with a heat-shrinkable film, so it has the required flexibility, flexibility, wear resistance, friction resistance, heat resistance, etc., so it is good for use on mountain bikes and motorbikes. Results were obtained.
Further, in the present invention, when mounting the mounting tool, the olive is formed of a specific shape and a specific material, inserted between the fluororesin hose and the stainless fiber cylinder at the tip of the reinforcing hose, and pressed with a cap. Therefore, the hose is not damaged, there is no liquid leakage from the connecting portion, and it can be used for a long time. Also, since it can be easily attached and detached, the hose can be used repeatedly.

It is a side view of one Example of this invention. It is a side view of the 1st attachment tool of FIG. It is a side view of the 2nd attachment tool of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of a brake hose to which a heat-shrinkable tube is applied. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the conventional hydraulic brake system. It is a side view which shows the relationship between the brake rotor of a hydraulic brake system, and a brake pad. It is a side view which shows the attachment method of the conventional fixture.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Master cylinder part 2 Brake hose 3 Brake lever 5 Brake caliper part 6 Brake pad 7 Wheel (tire)
71 Rim 20 Reinforced hose 21 Stainless fiber cylinder 22 Fiber mesh layer 23 Fluororesin hose 24 First fitting 28 Second fitting 32 Heat-shrinkable tube layer 53 Brake rotor 55 Handlebar

Claims (6)

A fluorine resin hose for brake oil;
A stainless fiber tube comprising a stainless steel fiber net for reinforcing and protecting the hose;
Mounting brackets attached to both ends of a fluorine resin hose (hereinafter referred to as a reinforced hose) covered with a stainless fiber cylinder;
It consists of a heat-shrinkable plastic tube that covers the reinforcing hose and the fittings on both ends of the reinforcing hose,
Mounting brackets attached to both ends of the reinforced hose
A cylindrical olive having an inner diameter into which a fluororesin hose can be inserted, and having a thickness decreasing from the mouth end side of the hose toward the hose body side,
A cap with a female hose on the inner peripheral surface on the olive insertion side, having an inner surface that can press-fit the olive including the stainless fiber tube on the outer surface of the olive that can be fitted with a reinforcing hose,
A fluororesin is provided with an insertion part having an outer diameter that can be press-fitted into the fluororesin hose at the front end and a male thread part that is screwed into a female thread on the inner peripheral surface of the cap, and a mounting part for connecting to a brake component at the rear end. Hydraulic brake hose assembly consisting of an adapter with a conduction hole for passing brake oil from the hose.   The brake hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fluororesin hose is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hose having an outer diameter of 4 to 5.5 mm and an inner diameter of 2 to 4 mm.   2. The brake hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the stainless fiber cylinder is 0.1 to 0.3 mm larger than the outer diameter of the fluororesin hose.   The brake hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein a cross-section V-shaped groove for stopping contraction in the length direction of the heat-shrinkable tube is provided on the outer periphery of the cap of the fixture.   The brake hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein the heat-shrinkable plastic tube is a tube made of an electron beam cross-linked polyolefin resin. 2. The brake hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein the end of the reinforcing hose is expanded in diameter or part of the cylindrical body is unwound, and the olive hose between the exposed fluororesin hose and the stainless fiber cylinder is formed. A method of attaching a fitting to a reinforced hose consisting of attaching a cap to a olive covered with steel fiber and screwing the cap and adapter.

Images