JP3746323B2 - Vehicle control lever with adjustment mechanism - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an operation lever for a brake or a clutch in a vehicle having a handlebar such as a motorcycle, and in particular, the distance between the handle grip and the operation lever can be adjusted and a switch such as a stop lamp can be turned on / off. The present invention relates to an operation lever for a vehicle with an adjustment mechanism that can be operated simultaneously.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a vehicle operation lever with a motorcycle adjuster mechanism that can easily adjust the distance between the handle grip and the brake lever according to the size and preference of the rider's hand while maintaining a constant brake operation stroke Those described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-77877 are known.
The adjuster mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an operating lever provided with the adjuster mechanism, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the adjuster mechanism.
[0003]
In the figure, a brake lever 1 having an adjuster mechanism is always connected to a lever member 3 having a grip portion 3a extending in parallel with a grip portion 2a of a handlebar 2 and an input end 5 of a master cylinder 4 attached to the handlebar. The movable member 6 includes a first arm 6b having a contact portion 6a that abuts and a second arm 6d having a stopper portion 6c that abuts the master cylinder 4, and the base portion 3b of the lever member 3 and the movable portion 6b. An intermediate portion of the child 6 is rotatably attached to a lever support arm (not shown) of the master cylinder 4 by a pivot 7. An adjuster mechanism 8 is provided between the lever member 3 and the mover 6, and an input to the lever member 3 is input to the master cylinder 4 via the adjuster mechanism 8 and the first arm portion 6 b of the mover 6. This acts on the input end 5 of the motor, thereby making it possible to actuate the brake.
[0004]
As shown in FIG. 6, the adjuster mechanism 8 includes a flat columnar head portion 9b having a vertical shaft hole 9a in the center and a shaft portion 9c having a screw extending from the head portion 9b. An adjusting screw 9, an adjusting nut 10 screwed into the shaft portion 9c, a columnar shaft 11 in which an insertion hole 11a of the shaft portion 9c of the screw 9 is formed in the central horizontal direction, and the mover 6 A shaft 12 is provided so as to project from the first arm 6b and is inserted through the shaft hole 9a of the adjusting screw 9.
[0005]
Further, a through hole 13 for an adjuster mechanism is formed in the base portion 3b of the lever member 3 in the direction of the action portion 6a, and the hole 14 formed in the vertical direction intersecting with the through hole 13 is formed in the hole 14 described above. The shaft 11 is inserted and the shaft portion 9c of the adjusting screw 9 into which the adjusting nut 10 is screwed is inserted into the insertion hole 11a of the shaft, and the movable member 6 is inserted into the shaft hole 9a of the adjusting screw 9. The adjuster mechanism 8 is provided between the lever member 3 and the mover 6 by inserting the shaft 12 of one arm 6b.
[0006]
Then, a coil spring 15 as a resilient member is inserted from the outer opening 13a of the through hole 13 into the shaft portion 9c of the adjusting screw 9 protruding from the insertion hole 11a of the shaft 11, and the end of the shaft portion 9c is inserted. The washer 16 applied to the portion is fixed by a screw 17 screwed to the end of the shaft portion 9c, and is elastically held on the movable element 6. A lid 18 is fitted into the outer opening 13 a of the through hole 13.
In an operation lever having such an adjuster mechanism, in order to adjust the distance between the grip portion 3a of the lever member 3 of the brake lever 1 and the grip 2 of the handle bar, the adjusting screw 10 is rotated to adjust the screw. This is done by moving 9 back and forth.
[0007]
In addition to this, a switch mechanism described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-2156 is known as a switch mechanism for turning on a stop lamp when a brake operation is performed.
The switch mechanism for lighting the stop lamp will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a hydraulic master cylinder device provided with the switch mechanism.
[0008]
As shown in the figure, the hydraulic master cylinder device includes a piston 24 for generating hydraulic pressure inserted into a cylinder 23 of a cylinder body 22 of a vertical master cylinder 21 fixed to a vehicle body, and a brake pedal pedal. The hydraulic pressure is generated by pushing at the tip of the push rod 25 that is moved upward by this, and this hydraulic pressure is supplied to the brake to perform the braking action. The cylinder body 22 has a switch 27 such as a stop lamp switch. It is attached by a bracket 28. The push rod 25 is provided with an actuating plate 29 that presses the actuating element 27a of the switch 27 and is separated from the actuating element 27a when the brake is operated to electrically open and close the switch.
In this device, when the brake is operated, the push rod 25 moves upward in the figure to generate the brake hydraulic pressure, and the operation plate 29 attached to the push rod 25 also moves upward to move away from the actuator 27a, so that the switch operates. Then the stop lamp will light up.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the adjuster mechanism of the first conventional example described above, the adjusting screw 9, the adjusting nut 10, the shaft 12 for fixing the adjusting screw 9 to the mover 6, and the shaft for attaching the adjusting screw 9 to the lever member 3. 11 and further, a spring 15 as a resilient member is required, which increases the number of parts as a whole, leading to an increase in cost. In addition, problems such as troublesome work for assembling each of the above-described parts have become apparent.
[0010]
Furthermore, the switch for notifying the brake operation shown in the second conventional example is configured to operate by detecting the movement of the push rod that pushes the master cylinder separately from the operation lever, and is inconvenient in terms of reducing the number of parts. It was.
Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicle operation lever having an adjuster mechanism that can reduce the number of parts and the number of assembly steps, and also serves as a set spring for the operation lever and an operation plate for a stop lamp switch. it constitutes a spring member, it is an does not provide adjustment vehicle operating lever with mechanisms that can further reduce the number of parts.
[0011]
The adjustment mechanism according to the present invention has a small number of parts, and in addition to the lever body, only the adjustment mechanism can be sub-assembled in a separate process in advance.As a result, the assembly work to the lever body is simplified, Work efficiency can be improved. In addition, by using a spring member that doubles as a stop lamp switch operating plate and a set spring for the operating lever, the switch mechanism can be easily installed in accordance with the assembly of the operating lever. it can.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
For this reason, the technical solution adopted by the present invention includes a lever member that forms a grip portion extending in parallel with the grip portion of the handlebar, an action portion that contacts the input end of the master cylinder attached to the handlebar, A mover provided with a leg portion that slidably engages with the lever member and serves to prevent rotation of the mover, and an adjusting screw that adjusts the distance between the lever member and the master cylinder, and the leg portion A set spring that urges the acting portion of the mover toward the input end of the master cylinder, and a switch that lights a stop lamp by the movement of the set spring when the lever member is operated, the adjusting screw, An operation lever for a vehicle with an adjustment mechanism, characterized in that the distance between the lever member and the master cylinder can be adjusted.
[0013]
Embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle operation lever having an adjustment mechanism according to the present embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 showing a mounting portion of the stop lamp switch, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spring member that also serves as a set spring and an operating plate for the stop lamp switch.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, a brake lever 30 having an adjustment mechanism includes a lever member 31 that extends in parallel with the grip portion 32 a of the handle bar 32, and the lever member 31 is against a support member 33 attached to the handle bar 32. The shaft 34 is pivotally supported around the shaft 34 in the direction of the arrow in the figure. A master cylinder 35 is fixed to the support member 33, and a mover 36 that functions as an adjustment mechanism is interposed between the master cylinder 35 and the lever member 31.
[0015]
The mover 36 is formed with an action portion 36 a that contacts the input end of the master cylinder 35, and a leg portion 36 b that functions to stop the rotation of the mover 36 while sandwiching the lever member 31. As shown in FIG. 2, an adjusting screw 37 is screwed. In this example, the leg portion 36b is formed in a bifurcated shape, but may have other shapes as long as it can function similarly.
[0016]
The adjustment knob 38 includes a fitting portion 38 a and a knob portion 38 b that are rotatably fitted to the lever member 31, and an end portion of the adjusting screw 37 is fixed to the adjustment knob 38. Therefore, the adjustment knob 38 can be rotated with respect to the lever member 31 by rotating the knob portion 38b. As shown in FIG. 1, a groove 38c into which a positioning device 39 described later is fitted is formed on the outer periphery of the knob portion 38b in order to prevent the knob portion 38b from rotating carelessly. On the other hand, in the positioning device 39, an elastic member 39a is fixed to the lever member 31 by a bolt 40, and the elastic member 39a is fitted into the groove 38c described above to position the knob portion 38b.
The above-described movable element 36, adjustment knob 38, adjusting screw 37, positioning device 39, and the like constitute an adjustment mechanism. In this adjusting mechanism, the adjusting screw 37 is rotated by rotating the adjusting knob 38, and the movable element 36 is moved left and right in FIG. 2 by the rotation of the adjusting screw 37 so that the position of the operation lever 30 can be adjusted. It has become.
[0017]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a spring member 41 serving as both a set spring 41a and an operation plate 41a of the stop lamp switch 42 is fixed to the support member 33 described above. The spring member 41 has the shape shown in FIG. 4, and the operating plate 41a is formed as a spring portion that functions as a set spring. The operating plate 41a contacts the leg portion 36b of the mover 36 described above. And is in contact with the action portion 42a of the switch 42 for the stop lamp. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 1, the leg portion 36b of the mover 36 is always urged by the set spring 41a. As a result, the action portion 36a of the mover 36 and the input end of the master cylinder come into contact with each other. The play of the operation lever is prevented. The spring force of the set spring 41a described above is set as a spring force smaller than the spring force of the return spring of the master cylinder.
[0018]
Further, the shape of the set spring 41a of the spring member 41 is a shape that matches the trajectory of the leg portion 36b of the mover 36 that moves at the time of adjustment, and the set spring 41a is regulated by the side surface 33a of the support member 33 and has a predetermined amount. The above does not move to the switch 42 side. For this reason, even if the position of the mover 36 is changed during the adjustment of the lever position, the spring force acting on the leg portion 36b of the mover 36 does not change, so that the switch operating plate can also be used.
[0019]
In the brake lever 30 assembled as described above, the set spring 41a of the spring member 41 always applies an upward biasing force in FIG. 1 to the leg portion 36b of the mover 36 (so-called set spring of the set spring). As a result, the action portion 36a of the mover 36 is always in contact with the input end of the master cylinder 35 by the urging force of the set spring 41a, and the play of the operation lever 30 can be prevented. . Further, in this state, since the action portion 42a of the switch 42 is also pushed by the set spring 41a, the stop lamp is not lit.
[0020]
When the lever member 31 is operated, the movable element 36 is moved together with the lever member, and accordingly, the set spring 41a is also moved upward by the elastic force, and the switch 42 is moved along with the movement of the set spring 41a. The action part 42a also moves, the switch is turned on, and the stop lamp is lit.
[0021]
As described above, in this example, the number of parts can be reduced by using the spring member that serves as both the stop lamp operating plate and the set spring. The distance between the grip portion of the lever member 31 of the brake lever 30 and the grip 32a of the handle bar 32 is adjusted as follows. That is, when the adjustment knob 38 is rotated and the adjusting screw 37 is rotated, the movable element 36 can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 according to the rotation direction. As a result, the lever member 31 is centered on the shaft 34. The position of the lever member 31 can be adjusted by moving the mover 36 by the amount of movement.
[0022]
When the lever member 31 is operated as usual after the position adjustment, the input to the lever member 31 is applied to the input end of the master cylinder 34 via the action portion 36a of the mover 36, and the brake action is performed.
As described above, in the present invention, the distance between the handle grip and the brake lever can be easily adjusted according to the size and preference of the rider's hand while maintaining a constant brake operation stroke. By operating the lever, the stop lamp is turned on.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
1) Since the adjustment mechanism can be installed on the operation lever body, the number of parts can be reduced and downsizing can be realized.
2) Since the adjustment mechanism can be sub-assembled, assembly is also easy.
3) Since the stop lamp operating plate and the set spring can be used together and the spring member is formed, the number of parts can be reduced.
4) Since the shape of the set spring that contacts the leg of the mover is a shape that matches the locus of the leg during adjustment, the spring force acting on the mover during adjustment does not change, It can also be used as a switch operating plate.
And the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle operation lever having an adjustment mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a mounting cross-sectional view of a mover.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 showing a mounting portion of the stop lamp switch.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spring member that also serves as a set spring and an operating plate for a stop lamp switch.
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional brake lever.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional adjuster mechanism.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of attachment of a conventional stop lamp switch.
[Explanation of symbols]
30 Brake lever 31 Lever member 32 Handle bar 33 Support member 34 Shaft 35 Master cylinder 36 Movable element 36a Action part 36a
36b Leg 37 Adjusting screw 38 Adjustment knob 39 Positioning device 41 Spring member 41a Actuating plate 42 Switch

Claims (2)

A lever member 31 formed with a grip portion extending in parallel with the grip portion 32 a of the handle bar 32, an action portion 36 a that contacts the input end of the master cylinder 35 attached to the handle bar 32, and the lever member 31 are slidable. A movable member 36 having a leg portion 36b that engages with the movable member 36 and serves to prevent rotation of the movable member 36, and an adjusting screw 37 that adjusts the distance between the lever member 31 and the master cylinder 35, and the leg portion 36b. A set spring 41a for urging the action portion 36a of the movable element 36 toward the input end of the master cylinder, and a switch 42 for lighting a stop lamp by the movement of the set spring 41a when the lever member is operated, The spacing between the lever member 31 and the master cylinder 35 can be adjusted by the adjusting screw 37. Adjusting mechanism with the vehicle operating lever, characterized in that the. The vehicle operating lever with an adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the set spring (41a) in contact with the leg portion (36b) has a shape that matches the locus of the leg portion (36b) that moves during adjustment.

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