JP3052641B2 - Power assist device for vehicle clutch - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power assist device for a clutch for operating a clutch mechanism via an operation cable, and more particularly to a power assist device for a vehicle clutch in which the operating force of a clutch pedal and a clutch lever is reduced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Automobiles and motorcycles are provided with a clutch mechanism which is a device for connecting and disconnecting the rotational driving force of an engine to a drive system below a transmission at the time of starting or shifting.

In this clutch mechanism, for example, a clutch operation force is transmitted via an operation cable by an operation of depressing a clutch pedal in an automobile or a manual operation of a clutch lever in a motorcycle, so that the rotational force of the engine is disconnected (clutch). It is being operated. that time,
The principle of leverage is adopted for the clutch pedal and the clutch lever, and the operation feeling is reduced by increasing the pedal ratio and the lever ratio.

[0004] In addition, there is a hydraulic power clutch in which an on-off operation of a clutch mechanism is performed with a light operation feeling in automobiles and motorcycles. In this power clutch, the clutch mechanism is intermittently operated by using the negative pressure of the engine intake manifold or the hydraulic pressure generated by the oil pump, so that the operating force of the clutch pedal and the clutch lever is reduced.

[0005]

However, the conventional hydraulic power clutch cannot not only cope with a clutch mechanism employing an operation cable in which the clutch operation force is transmitted via the operation cable, but also can use an existing automobile or an automatic vehicle. It is difficult to retrofit this hydraulic power clutch to a conventional motorcycle. In order to retrofit a hydraulic power clutch to a conventional model, it is necessary to rework many related parts, which requires much labor and time, and increases costs.

In a clutch mechanism employing an operation cable, the operating force of a clutch pedal or a clutch lever is reduced by increasing the pedal ratio or lever ratio, but the operating force of the clutch pedal or the clutch lever is greatly reduced. It cannot be reduced. Especially in motorcycles,
When traveling on a curved road or a mountain road with many hills, or traveling in a town where traffic is heavy and traffic is constantly congested, the shift operation must be performed frequently, and each time the clutch lever must be operated. However, when the lever operation of the clutch lever is frequently performed, the clutch operation force cannot be sufficiently reduced only by the lever ratio, so that the operation feeling is poor, the burden of manual operation is large, and it is difficult to enjoy comfortable traveling. Was.

On the other hand, some drivers have a habit of keeping their feet lightly on the clutch pedal during running or holding the clutch lever lightly. Tensile force was applied.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and improves the operability of a clutch pedal and a clutch lever, and enables a clutch mechanism to be reliably switched on and off with a light operating feeling. To provide a power assist device for a clutch for a vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to add a motor driving force as an amount of power assist to an operation cable by a clutch operation assist device to reduce the operation force of a clutch pedal or a clutch lever and increase the operation amount of a clutch. An object of the present invention is to provide a power assist device for a vehicle clutch which can set the power assist amount arbitrarily while improving the disengagement of the clutch.

[0010] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle in which power consumption is reduced and durability is improved by a driver not inadvertently operating the clutch operation assisting device by means of notifying the operating condition of the clutch operation assisting device. To provide a power assist device for a clutch.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a power assist device for a vehicle clutch which does not impair clutch operation even when a motor fails.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a power assist device for a vehicle clutch which can easily and easily be retrofitted to conventional models of automobiles and motorcycles.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention comprises a motor-driven rotating body having a plurality of divided parts. A reel consisting of a reel piece is slidably provided, and an operation cable for operating a clutch mechanism is wound around this reel to constitute a clutch operation assisting device,
In this clutch operation assisting device, a rotating body and a reel are frictionally engaged by applying an operation force to an operation cable, and a motor drive force is added to the operation cable as a power assist amount.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the power assist amount can be arbitrarily set by winding an operation cable for operating a clutch mechanism around the reel a plurality of times. It is.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention, as described in claim 3, means for informing a driver of an operation state of the clutch operation assist device. It is provided with.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention is configured to operate the vehicle clutch mechanism via an operation cable. ON in conjunction with the initial operation clutch operation member such as the pedal and clutch lever
-OFF switch is provided, and the start / stop of the motor is controlled by the ON-OFF switch.
During the operation stroke of the initial clutch operation member, the switch
It is set so that it is turned on during the play section of the operation cable and turned off at the time of the maximum operation stroke, and a clutch operation assist device is provided on the output shaft of the motor.

[0017]

In the present invention having the above-described structure, a clutch operation assisting device is provided in the middle of an operation cable for operating the clutch mechanism, and the motor driving force is applied as a power assist amount to the operation cable by the clutch operation assisting device. Therefore, the operating force of the operating cable required to operate the clutch mechanism can be greatly reduced, the operability of the clutch pedal and clutch lever can be improved, and comfortable driving can be enjoyed with a light operating feeling. .

Further, in the power assist device, the motor driving force can be selectively added to the operation cable as a power assist amount by the clutch operation assist device.
Since the clutch operation amount can be designed to be large, the disengagement of the clutch can be improved, and the power assist amount can be set arbitrarily by winding the operation cable for operating the clutch mechanism around the reel a plurality of times.

Further, even if the driver inadvertently activates the clutch operation assist device, the driver can check the operation status of the clutch operation assist device, so that the power consumption of the clutch operation assist device is reduced and the durability is improved. Can be achieved.

Further, even in the event of a failure of the clutch operation assisting device, the operating force of the clutch pedal or the clutch lever is reliably transmitted to the clutch mechanism via the operating cable or reel, so that the clutch operation may be interrupted by the motor failure. Is not compromised.

By providing a clutch operation assist device in the middle of the operation cable, a power assist device for a vehicle clutch can be configured, so that the related parts of the conventional model can be used as they are, and this power assist device is used for an automobile or a motorcycle. It can be easily and easily retrofitted.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a left side view showing an example of a motorcycle to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a power assist device for a vehicle clutch in an unfolded state.

In FIG. 1, the motorcycle 1 has an engine 3 mounted at a lower center portion of a body frame 2,
A fuel tank 4 is provided above the engine 3. An operation seat 5 is provided behind the fuel tank 4, and the operation seat 5 is installed on a seat rail 6 of the vehicle body frame 2.

The head pipe 7 of the vehicle body frame 2 is provided with a steering mechanism 8, and the steering mechanism 8 is provided with a front fork 10 for rotatably supporting the front wheels 9.

On the left and right sides of the upper bracket 11 of the steering mechanism 8, handlebars 12 and 13 are respectively mounted. On the upper front of the upper bracket 11, an instrument panel 14 is installed. Be worn.

On the other hand, a swing arm 17 for rotatably supporting a rear wheel 16 is pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 15 erected at the lower center of the body frame 2 so as to be rotatable around the pivot shaft 15.

The left handlebar 12 attached to the upper bracket 11 of the steering mechanism 8 is provided with a clutch lever 18 as an initial clutch operating member, and the right handlebar 13 is provided with a front brake lever 19.

As shown in FIG. 2, an operation cable 20 extends from the clutch lever 18 as a clutch cable, and a clutch operation assist device 21 is provided in the middle of the operation cable 20. The other end of the operation cable 20 is connected to a clutch release lever 22.

The clutch release lever 22 is linked to a clutch mechanism 24 via a mechanical operating force transmission mechanism 23 such as a pinion rack mechanism, and causes the clutch mechanism 24 to operate the clutch against the spring force of a spring 25. ing. By the clutch operation of the clutch mechanism 24, the rotational driving force transmitted from the crankshaft 26 of the engine 3 is intermittently connected to a drive system below the transmission 27. The clutch mechanism 24 always transmits the rotational driving force from the engine 3 to the transmission 27 by the spring force of the spring 25.

The operation cable 20 from the clutch lever 18 is guided by a cable guide 31 together with a starter cable 28, a throttle cable 29 and a wire harness 30 as shown in FIG. It is connected to the clutch release lever 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, the clutch operation assist device 21 provided in the middle of the operation cable 20
The motor output is transmitted to a motor output shaft 35 via a speed reducer 34 as shown in FIG. A hub 37 accommodated in a main body casing 36 is rotatably attached to the motor output shaft 35 by taper or spline connection. Hub 3
Reference numeral 7 is fixed to the motor output shaft 35 and forms a part of the motor output shaft 35. The speed reducer 34 attached to the electric motor 33 is attached and fixed to the main body casing 36. Reference numeral 38 denotes a case cover. A bearing 39 is provided on the case cover 38, and the bearing 39 guides the rotation of the hub 37.

On the other hand, a sleeve-like rotor 40 constituting a rotating body is fitted to the boss 37a of the hub 37. An engagement pin 41 projecting in the axial direction is implanted in the rotor 40, and this engagement pin 41 is engaged with an arc-shaped long hole 42 formed in the outer flange 37b of the hub 37 as shown in FIG. You. The rotor 40 rotates relatively to the hub 37 by the stroke of the elongated hole 42.

A reel 43 is slidably provided on the outer periphery of the rotor 40. The reel 43 forms the cable guide path 44 on the outer peripheral side while forming a divided structure, and a plurality of, for example, four arc-shaped divided reel pieces 43a, 43b, 43.
c, 43d are arranged in the circumferential direction. The number of divided reel pieces may be two or more.

The operation cable 20 is wound around the cable guide path 44 of the reel 43. Operation cable 2
The number of turns of 0 may be one or more.

Also, as shown in FIG.
0 are provided at both ends, respectively, and the drive cable end piece 4 of the operation cable 20 is provided.
5 is connected to an engagement hole 47 of the clutch lever 18, and the driven-side end piece 46 of the operation cable 20 is connected to an engagement hole 48 of the clutch release lever 22.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the clutch lever 18 has a rotation center A on a lever holder 49.
It is provided to be rotatable around. The lever holder 49 is
While being fixed to the left handlebar 12, an ON-
An OFF switch 50 is attached.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the ON-OFF switch 50 has a fixed contact 51a on the lever holder 49 side, a movable contact 51b on the clutch lever 18 side, and The ON / OFF operation is performed by the rotation operation. The ON-OFF switch 50 is set to the OFF state as shown in FIG. 6 when the clutch lever 18 is not operated, and is turned ON during the idle stroke of the operation cable 20 during the operation stroke of the clutch lever 18, and at the time of the maximum stroke. It is set to be OFF.

The ON-O of the ON-OFF switch 50
Due to the FF operation, as shown in FIG.
The N-OFF operation is performed, and the electric motor 33 is started and stopped.

In the middle of the power supply circuit 52, between the ON-OFF switch 50 and the electric motor 33, an indicator lamp 53 is connected as a means for informing the driver of the operating state of the clutch operation assist device 21. Further, a timer relay 54 for setting the lighting condition of the indicator lamp 53 may be provided between the power supply circuit 52 and the indicator lamp 53.

The indicator lamp 53 is arranged as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the clutch lever 18 is gripped with, for example, the left hand, the operation cable 20 is pulled. As soon as the operation cable 20 is pulled, the ON-OFF switch 50 is turned ON, and the electric motor 33 of the clutch operation assist device 21 is started. The driving of the electric motor 33 causes the rotor 40 attached to the hub 37 of the motor output shaft 35 to rotate.

On the other hand, when the operating cable 20 is pulled by manual operation of the clutch lever 18, the reel pieces 43 a to 43 d of the reel 43 of the clutch operation assisting device 21 are pressed against the rotor 40 by the pulling force of the operating cable 20. The rotor 40 is fastened to the reel pieces 43a to 43d of the reel 43,
3 is given a turning force. As a result, the rotational driving force of the motor is applied to the operation cable 20 via the reel 43 as power assist. Therefore, the clutch lever 18
The lever operation described above is very light because the tightening operation force required for pressing the reel 43 against the rotor 40 and causing frictional engagement is sufficient.

The number of turns of the operation cable 20 wound around the cable guide path 44 of the reel 43 increases as the number of turns increases, so that the amount of power assist can be arbitrarily set according to the situation.

When the clutch operation assisting device 21 is operated by operating the clutch lever 18, a motor driving force is applied to the operation cable 20 together with the lever operation force to operate the clutch release lever 22.

The clutch mechanism 24 is operated by the above-described clutch operation.
The clutch is operated to act as a clutch to prevent the rotational driving force of the engine 3 from being transmitted to the transmission 27.

Further, when the clutch lever 18 is operated and pulled by the maximum stroke, the ON-OFF switch 50
Is turned off, and the driving of the electric motor 33 is stopped.
Thus, it is possible to prevent the rotor 40 and the reel 43 of the clutch operation assisting device 21 from sliding relative to each other more than necessary in the frictional contact state.

When the clutch lever 18 is released, the spring force of the spring 25 of the clutch mechanism 24 acts on the clutch lever 18 via the operation cable 20 to return the clutch lever 18 to the original position. At this time, the hub 37 and the rotor 40 of the clutch operation assisting device 21 are maintained in a relationship in which the operation force of the operation cable 20 acts immediately.
Specifically, the engagement pin 41 of the rotor 40 and the long hole 42 of the hub 37 are engaged at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 so that the operating force of the clutch lever 18 is immediately transmitted to the clutch mechanism 24 side. It has become.

The motor output shaft 35 side, the hub 37 and the rotor 4
By holding the engagement relationship (position of the engagement pin 41) with the control cable 20 by manual operation of the clutch lever 18 even if the electric motor 33 breaks down, as shown in FIG. The transmitted operating force is directly transmitted to the clutch release lever 22 via the reel 43, and the clutch operation of the clutch mechanism 24 can be performed.

The indicator lamp 53 is ON-O
When the FF switch 50 is turned on and the power supply circuit 52 is energized, the light is turned on to inform the driver that the clutch operation assist device 21 is operating. However, when the clutch operation is frequently performed depending on the driving situation, the indicator is accordingly adjusted. Since the lamp 53 is frequently turned on and the driver may be distracted, using the timer relay 54, the indicator lamp 53 is used only when the clutch operation assisting device 21 is continuously operated for a long time, for example, for 10 seconds or more. May be lit.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the power assist device is applied to the motorcycle 1. However, the power assist device can also be applied to a motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which the power assist device for a vehicle clutch is applied to an automobile.

One end of an operation cable 56 is connected to a clutch pedal 55 as an initial movement clutch operation member of an automobile, and the other end of the operation cable 56 is connected to a clutch release lever 57. The clutch release lever 57 is connected to a clutch mechanism 59 via a mechanical operating force transmission mechanism 58 such as a worm gear mechanism.
9 is operated by the clutch.

A clutch operation assisting device 61 provided with an electric motor 60 is provided in the middle of the operation cable 56. The electric motor 60 of the clutch operation assisting device 61 is also turned ON by 0N-0FF in conjunction with the clutch pedal 55. -OF
It is started and stopped by an F switch (not shown).

The clutch operation assisting device 61 is not different from the clutch operation assisting device 21 of the motorcycle 1 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.

In the above embodiment, the power assist device is applied to the clutch mechanism. However, the power assist device can be applied to a vehicle parking brake or a main stand power assist device of a motorcycle.

FIG. 11 shows an example in which this power assist device is applied to a parking brake of an automobile.

One end of an operation cable 63 is connected to a parking brake lever 62 serving as an initial motion parking brake operation member of the automobile. The other end of the operation cable 63 is connected to a parking brake mechanism 64 to operate the parking brake mechanism 64. It has become.

A parking brake operation assisting device 66 having an electric motor 65 is provided in the middle of the operation cable 63. The electric motor 6 of the parking brake operation assisting device 66 is provided.
5 is also ON-OFF which is 0N-0FF in conjunction with the ratchet release knob 67 provided on the parking brake lever 62.
It is started and stopped by a switch (not shown).

The parking brake operation assist device 66 is a clutch operation assist device 2 of the motorcycle 1 shown in FIGS.
The description is omitted because it is not different from 1.

In this embodiment, the ON-OFF switch 50 is provided in association with the initial operation member such as the clutch lever 18. However, the ON-OFF switch 50 is provided in association with the operation cable 20. Is also good.

[0063]

As described above, according to the power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention, the clutch operation assist device is provided in the middle of the operation cable for operating the clutch mechanism. Since the driving force is added to the operation cable as the power assist amount, the operation force of the operation cable required to operate the clutch mechanism can be greatly reduced, and the initial movement clutch operation members such as the clutch pedal and clutch lever can be used. The operability can be improved, and comfortable driving can be enjoyed with a very light operation feeling.

In this power assist device, the motor driving force can be selectively added to the operation cable as the power assist amount by the clutch operation assist device.
Since the clutch operation amount can be designed to be large, the disengagement of the clutch can be improved, while the power assist amount can be set arbitrarily by winding the operation cable for operating the clutch mechanism around the reel a plurality of times.

Further, even if the driver inadvertently activates the clutch operation assisting device, the driver can check the operation status of the clutch operation assisting device, so that the power consumption of the clutch operation assisting device is reduced and the durability is improved. Can be achieved.

Further, even in the event of a failure of the clutch operation assisting device, the operating force of the clutch pedal or the clutch lever is reliably transmitted to the clutch mechanism via the operation cable or the reel. Is not compromised.

By providing a clutch operation assist device in the middle of the operation cable, a power assist device for a vehicle clutch can be configured, so that related parts of a conventional model can be used as it is, and this power assist device can be used for automobiles and motorcycles. It can be easily and easily retrofitted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a routing relationship of operation cables of the power assist device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a clutch operation assist device incorporated in the power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention.

5 is a side view of the clutch operation assisting device shown in FIG. 4, with a case cover removed, showing a coupling relationship between the clutch operation assisting device and an operation cable;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a clutch lever of the motorcycle.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a lever holder for mounting the clutch lever shown in FIG. 6 from below.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 7, showing a structure of an ON-OFF switch attached to the lever holder of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the periphery of an instrument panel.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention is applied to an automobile.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which the operation assisting device of the power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to the present invention is applied to a parking brake mechanism of an automobile.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Motorcycle 2 Body frame 3 Engine 12, 13 Handlebar 14 Instrument panel 18 Clutch lever (Initial clutch operation member) 20, 56 Operation cable (Clutch cable) 21, 61 Clutch operation assist device 22, 57 Clutch release lever 24, 59 Clutch mechanism 27 Transmission 32 Battery 33, 60, 65 Electric motor 35 Motor output shaft 36 Main body casing 37 Hub (motor output shaft) 40 Rotor (rotary body) 41 Engagement pin 42 Long hole 43 Reel 43a to 43d Split reel piece 44 Cable Guide path 45, 46 End piece 47, 48 Engagement hole 49 Lever holder 50 ON-OFF switch 51a Fixed contact 51b Movable contact 52 Power supply circuit 53 Indicator lamp 55 Clutch pedal (first Dynamic clutch operating member 62 Parking brake lever (initial parking brake operating member) 63 Operating cable (parking brake cable) 64 Parking brake mechanism 66 Brake operation assist device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Katsura Fukuyama 300 Takatsukacho, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture Suzuki Corporation (72) Inventor Kunsho Ishibe 300 Takatsukacho, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture Suzuki Corporation (56 References JP-A-6-117450 (JP, A) JP-A-2-168067 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F16D 23/12 G05G 1/00- 25/04

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A clutch operation assisting device comprising a motor-driven rotating body provided with a reel composed of a plurality of divided reel pieces slidably in contact therewith, and an operation cable for operating a clutch mechanism wound around the reel. An operation assisting device is characterized in that an operating force is applied to the operating cable to frictionally engage the rotating body and the reel to add a motor driving force to the operating cable as a power assist amount. Power assist device. 2. The power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to claim 1, wherein an operation cable for operating a clutch mechanism is wound around the reel a plurality of times, and a power assist amount is arbitrarily set. 3. The power assist device for a vehicle clutch according to claim 1, further comprising means for notifying a driver of an operation state of the clutch operation assist device. 4. An on-off switch interlocking with an initial clutch operation member such as a clutch pedal or a clutch lever for operating a vehicle clutch mechanism via an operation cable is provided.
The stop is controlled, and the ON-OFF switch is set to be ON during a play section of the operation cable during the operation stroke of the initial movement clutch operation member and OFF at the time of the maximum operation stroke, and a clutch operation assist is provided to the output shaft of the motor. A power assist device for a vehicle clutch, comprising a device.