JP3282043B2 - Motorcycle clutch operating device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clutch operating device for a motorcycle which pulls a wire by operating a clutch lever to operate a clutch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a multi-plate friction clutch is used as a clutch of a motorcycle. In this friction clutch, a clutch lever provided on a steering wheel is connected via a wire, and the clutch lever is gripped by hand. The board is operated intermittently.

By the way, in such a friction clutch, a driving side connected to an engine and a driven side connected to a transmission are frictionally engaged by pressing force to perform clutch connection.
The clutch connection is cut off by releasing the pressing force of the pressing mechanism. Therefore, the power that can be transmitted by the friction clutch is, if the friction coefficient of the friction plate is constant,
It increases in proportion to the friction area and the strength of the pressing force.

[0004]

In recent years, in motorcycles, a strong clutch spring has been used for a large clutch that interrupts a strong engine torque or a clutch that is required to be extremely miniaturized for weight reduction. Therefore, a large force is required for the clutch releasing operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clutch operating device for a motorcycle which improves the operability of a clutch.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clutch operating device for a motorcycle, comprising: a drive side connected to a crankshaft of an engine of a friction clutch; and a transmission. A pressing mechanism that frictionally engages a driven side connected to the pressing mechanism with a pressing force, a pressing releasing mechanism that releases the pressing force of the pressing mechanism, and the pressing releasing mechanism that is connected by a wire to a clutch lever provided on a handle portion. An operating lever attached to the engine side for operating the lever, and an assisting spring having a moving end connected to the operating lever and a fixed end connected to the engine side, and a reaction force of the assisting spring when the clutch lever is operated. Are configured to assist rotation of the operation lever around the fixed end, and when the clutch lever is not operated, the moving end of the assisting spring operates with the fixed end. It is located near the neutral line connecting the rotation fulcrum of the lever, and when the operation amount of the clutch lever is large, the moving end is largely separated from the neutral line as compared to when the clutch lever is not operated, and the moving end of the assisting spring is , And is located between the rotation fulcrum of the operation lever and the fixed end of the assisting spring.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the clutch lever is operated, the reaction force of the assisting spring connected to the engine is controlled by the rotation of the operating lever attached to the engine about the fixed end of the assisting spring. Since the configuration is such that the assist mechanism is provided on the clutch lever portion of the handlebar, the load on the wire is reduced, so that the elongation of the wire due to long-term use is reduced, and the frequency of adjustment and replacement is reduced. . Further, since the periphery of the handle does not have to be complicated as compared with the case where the assisting mechanism is provided on the clutch lever portion of the handle, the handle operability equivalent to that of the conventional steering wheel having no assisting mechanism can be secured.

When the clutch lever is not operated, the reaction force of the assisting spring has a small component in the direction of rotation of the operating lever, so that the reaction force of the assisting spring hardly acts in the direction of rotating the operating lever. On the other hand, when the clutch lever is operated, the component force in the operation lever rotation direction is increased, which effectively assists the operation of the clutch lever.

Further, the locus of the moving end of the assisting spring is on a curve centered on the rotation fulcrum of the operating lever, that is, a curve having a center of curvature on the opposite side of the moving end of the assisting spring from the fixed end of the assisting spring. Because of the movement, the increase rate of the assisting spring length with respect to the increase of the rotation angle of the operation lever becomes a quadratic curve. Therefore, it is difficult to increase the reaction force of the assisting spring in a region where the rotation angle of the operation lever is large, but it is possible to secure a large reaction force of the assisting spring in a region where the rotation angle of the operation lever is relatively small. That is, a large assist force can be ensured in a region where the rotation angle of the operation lever is relatively small (= half-clutch state).

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a motorcycle clutch operating device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the motorcycle, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a friction clutch, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a clutch operating device of the motorcycle, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view in which a part of the clutch operating device of the motorcycle is cut away.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a motorcycle. A front fork 3 is provided at a front end of a body frame 2 of the motorcycle 1, and a front wheel 4 is supported below the front fork 3. . A steering handle 5 is provided on the upper part of the front fork 3, a brake lever 6 is provided on the right side of the steering handle 5, and a clutch lever 7 is provided on the left side.

The body frame 2 has a so-called cradle shape and includes a main frame 8, a rear arm bracket 9 and a down tube 10. A rear arm 11 is pivotally supported by the rear arm bracket 9, and a rear wheel is mounted on the rear arm 11. 12 are supported. A fuel tank 13 is arranged on the main frame 8 of the vehicle body frame 2, and a seat 14 is arranged behind the fuel tank 13 on a seat rail (not shown).

Between the main frame 8, the rear arm bracket 9 and the down tube 10 of the body frame 2,
An engine 15 is supported, and a cylinder 16 of the engine 15 is arranged to be inclined forward. An intake pipe 17 is connected to the rear side of the cylinder 16, and a carburetor 18 connected to the intake pipe 17 is disposed below the fuel tank 13. An exhaust pipe 19 is connected to the front side of the cylinder 16,
The exhaust pipe 19 extends to both sides of the rear wheel 12, and mufflers 20 are respectively connected at this position. Behind the engine 15, footrests 21 are attached on both sides thereof.

A crankshaft 22 of the engine 15 is supported by an engine case 23. A reduction gear 24 is provided on the crankshaft 22 by serration.
Are engaged with the reduction gear 26 of the friction clutch 25.
A clutch outer 28 is connected to the reduction gear 26 via a rubber damper 27, and a clutch inner 29 is disposed inside the clutch outer 28. The clutch outer 28 is provided movably on the main shaft 30, and the clutch inner 28 is serrated and engaged with the main shaft 30 so as to be integrally rotatable. Friction plates 31, 32 are provided between the clutch outer 28 and the clutch inner 29. The friction plate 31 is engaged with the clutch outer 28, and the friction plate 32 is movably engaged with the clutch inner 28 only in the axial direction. The friction plates 31 and 3
2 is pressed by the pressure plate 33 and frictionally engaged. The pressure plate 33 is supported by a boss portion 29a of the clutch inner 29 so as to be movable in the axial direction. A clutch spring is fixed between a washer 35 fixed to the boss portion 29a by a bolt 34 and a concave portion 33a of the pressure plate 33. A pressure plate 33 is provided by the clutch spring 36 so that the friction plates 31 and 32 are provided.
Are frictionally engaged. These components constitute a pressing mechanism A that frictionally engages the driving side of the friction clutch 25 connected to the engine and the driven side connected to the transmission with pressing force, and the driving side includes a clutch outer 28. The driven side is constituted by a clutch inner 28.

A release shaft 37 is inserted through the pressure plate 33, and a bearing 38 is interposed between the head 37 a of the release shaft 37 and the pressure plate 33, and the release shaft 37 is rotatable by the pressure plate 33. It has become. A rack 37b is formed on the release shaft 37, and a pinion 39a of the operation shaft 39 is engaged with the rack 37b. The operating shaft 39 is rotatably supported by a clutch cover 40 via a bearing 41. An annular groove 39b is formed in the operating shaft 39, and a bolt 4 screwed into the clutch cover 40 is formed in the annular groove 39b.
The distal end portion 2 is positioned to prevent the operation shaft 39 from coming off. The pressure release mechanism B is operated by the operation shaft 39 and the release shaft 37.
The pressing force of the pressing mechanism A is released by the pressing releasing mechanism B.

The head 39c of the operating shaft 39 protrudes from the outer surface of the clutch cover 40, and the shaft 44 of the operating lever 43 is serrated and engaged with the head 39c.
5. The circlip 46 prevents the clipping. When the shaft portion 44 of the operation lever 43 is serrated and engaged with the head 39c, the wire connecting portion 47 of the operation lever 43 is used.
Is located between the positioning grooves 100 formed in the clutch cover 40 so that the operation lever 43 can be assembled to the operation shaft 39 at a predetermined position.

A connecting member 48 is rotatably connected to the wire connecting portion 47 of the operating lever 43 by a pin 49. The distal end portion 51 of the wire 50 is inserted into the connecting member 48 through a notch 48a and locked. Have been. The wire 50 is connected to a clutch lever 7 provided on the steering handle 5 via an outer wire 52, and the outer wire 52 is supported by a bracket 54 attached to the engine case 23 with screws 53.

When the clutch lever 7 is manually operated, the wire connecting portion 47 of the operating lever 43 is rotated, and the operating shaft 39 is rotated in conjunction therewith, and the pressure plate 33 is operated by the operation of the release shaft 37. Move in the axial direction, and the friction plate 3
The multi-plate clutch 25 is engaged and disengaged by frictionally engaging and disengaging the clutches 1 and 32, and the power of the engine 15 is transmitted to the transmission or cut off.

The operating lever 43 has an auxiliary lever portion 55 on the shaft portion 44. The auxiliary lever portion 55 has a pin 5
The distal end portion 55a of the auxiliary lever portion 55 is supported by the pin 56 by a needle bearing 58 and a seal 59 at the connecting portion 57a of the connecting pipe 57 via the connecting member 57.

A connecting rod 60 is slidably inserted into the connecting pipe 57, and a connecting portion 60a of the connecting rod 60 is rotatably connected to a support bracket 62 via a pin 61. The connecting portion 60a is a needle. It is supported on a pin 61 by a bearing 63 and a seal 64. The support bracket 62 is provided with a bolt 6 inserted into a pair of long holes 65.
The bracket 6 is attached to the bracket 54 at 6 and the position of the support bracket 62 can be adjusted by loosening the bolt 66.

An assisting spring 67 is provided between the connecting pipe 57 and the connecting rod 60. When the clutch lever 7 is operated, the axis of the pin 56, which is the moving end X of the assisting spring 67, is fixed to the fixed end Y.
And the axis 61 of the pin 61 and the axis of the operation shaft 39 which is the rotation fulcrum Z of the auxiliary lever portion 55 of the operation lever 43.

Therefore, when the clutch lever 7 is in the initial position, the clutch spring 36 urges the pressure plate 33 in the clutch connection direction c, and the clutch is in the connected state. Pulled in the connection direction c, there is a gap D between the head 37a of the release shaft 37 and the head 30a of the main shaft 30. At this time, the operation lever portion 47 of the operation lever 43 is at the position shown by the solid line, and the axis of the pin 56, which is the moving end X of the assisting spring 67, is shifted in the arrow direction a
It is located in. When the clutch lever 7 is not operated, the assisting spring 67 urges the auxiliary lever portion 55 of the operation lever 43 counterclockwise through the connection pipe 57, and securely releases the release shaft 37 through the operation shaft 39. To its original position.

When the clutch lever 7 is operated,
The operation lever portion 47 of the operation lever 43 is connected to the wire 50 by the wire 50.
Rotates clockwise, and the operating shaft 39 rotates in conjunction with this. By the rotation of the operation shaft 39, the release shaft 37 moves in the clutch disengagement direction d.
The pressure plate 33 is pulled in the clutch disengagement direction d against the clutch spring 36. The movement of the pressure plate 33 releases the frictional engagement between the friction plates 31 and 32, and disconnects the clutch.

At this time, in conjunction with the rotation of the operation lever portion 47 of the operation lever 43, the auxiliary lever portion 55 rotates to operate the assisting spring 67 in a direction to compress. In the process,
The axis of the pin 56 that is the moving end X of the assisting spring 67 is aligned with the axis of the pin 61 that is the fixed end Y and the axis of the operating shaft 39 that is the rotation fulcrum Z of the auxiliary lever portion 55 of the operating lever 43. When the neutral line L exceeds the connecting neutral line L, the assisting spring 67 is extended, and as the displacement increases, the assisting spring 67 acts to assist the operating force, thereby assisting the artificial operating force. When the clutch lever 7 is operated, the moving end X of the assisting spring 67 is a fixed end Y and the operating shaft 39 is a rotation fulcrum Z of the auxiliary lever portion 55.
The auxiliary spring 67, the moving end X, the fixed end Y, and the rotation fulcrum Z are moved relative to each other with respect to the neutral line L connecting the shaft center of When it comes to helping you increase.

When the clutch is released, the auxiliary lever portion 55 of the operation lever 43 only slightly projects from the clutch cover 40. When the driver places the foot on the footrest, the auxiliary lever portion 55 of the operation lever 43 is Touching the portion 55 is prevented.

In this embodiment, an example in which a pressing spring is used as the assisting spring 67 has been described, but the present invention is also applicable to a case in which a pulling spring is used.

[0027]

As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, the reaction force of the assisting spring connected to the engine side when the clutch lever is operated is attached to the engine side with the fixed end of the assisting spring as an axis. Since it is configured to assist the rotation of the operation lever, the load on the wire is reduced as compared with the case where the assist mechanism is provided in the clutch lever portion of the handle, so that the elongation of the wire due to long-term use is reduced, adjustment and The frequency of replacement is reduced. Further, since the periphery of the handle does not have to be complicated as compared with the case where the assisting mechanism is provided on the clutch lever portion of the handle, the handle operability equivalent to that of the conventional steering wheel having no assisting mechanism can be secured.

When the clutch lever is not operated, the reaction force of the assisting spring has a small component in the operation lever rotating direction, so that the reaction force of the assisting spring hardly works in the direction of rotating the operation lever. On the other hand, when the clutch lever is operated, the component force in the operation lever rotation direction is increased, which effectively assists the operation of the clutch lever.

Further, the locus of the moving end of the assisting spring is on a curve centered on the rotation fulcrum of the operating lever, that is, a curve having a center of curvature on the opposite side of the moving end of the assisting spring from the fixed end of the assisting spring. Because of the movement, the increase rate of the assist spring length with respect to the increase in the rotation angle of the operation lever becomes a quadratic curve, and it is difficult to increase the reaction force of the assist spring in a region where the rotation angle of the operation lever is large. In the region where the rotation angle of the operation lever is relatively small, a large reaction force of the assisting spring can be secured. That is, a large assist force can be ensured in a region where the rotation angle of the operation lever is relatively small (= half-clutch state).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the motorcycle.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a friction clutch.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a clutch operating device of the motorcycle.

FIG. 5 is a side view in which a part of the clutch operating device of the motorcycle is cut away.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 Clutch lever 25 Friction clutch 43 Operation lever 50 Wire 67 Auxiliary spring A Pressing mechanism B Press release mechanism X Moving end Y Fixed end Z Rotating fulcrum L Neutral line

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A pressing mechanism for frictionally engaging a driving side of a friction clutch connected to a crankshaft of an engine and a driven side connected to a transmission with a pressing force, and a pressing mechanism for releasing the pressing force of the pressing mechanism. A release mechanism, an operation lever connected to a clutch lever provided on the handle portion by a wire and attached to the engine that operates the press release mechanism, and a moving end connected to the operation lever and a fixed end connected to the engine. An assisting spring connected to the clutch lever, wherein the reaction force of the assisting spring assists the rotation of the operating lever around the fixed end when the clutch lever is operated; During operation, the moving end of the assisting spring is located near the neutral line connecting the fixed end and the rotation fulcrum of the operation lever, and when the operation amount of the clutch lever is large, the clutch lever is disengaged. The moving end is largely separated from the neutral line as compared with the operation, and the moving end of the assisting spring is configured to be located between the rotation fulcrum of the operation lever and the fixed end of the assisting spring. Motorcycle clutch operating device.