JPH0217999Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention is a bicycle transmission operating device, specifically, a fixed member attached to the bicycle frame or handlebar, which is capable of rotating an operating lever for operating the transmission. The present invention relates to a bicycle gear shift operating device which is supported by a lever and transmits movement caused by the rotation of the lever to the transmission via an operating wire to switch to a predetermined gear position.

(Prior art) Conventionally, this type of gear shift operation device was developed in 1983.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 111698, the lever positioning mechanism includes a positioning member having a plurality of engagement holes corresponding to the gear positions of the transmission, and a ball that engages with one of the engagement holes. The gear position is determined by the engagement of the ball with the engagement hole, and the engagement portion of the ball with the engagement hole is provided with:
It is known that the lever is held in the operating position by applying a resistance large enough to overcome the force of the return spring of the transmission.

By the way, in order to provide the engagement portion between the ball and the engagement hole with a resistance that can reliably hold the operating position of the operating lever, it is necessary to increase the contact area between the ball and the engagement hole beyond a predetermined value. be.

However, in this case, since the lever stroke of the operation lever is constant, the engagement position between the ball and the engagement hole is displaced radially outward with respect to the rotation center of the lever, and the engagement position is It is necessary to increase the pitch between the holes, and as a result, there are problems such as an increase in the size of the entire device and an increase in cost.

Further, in the conventional device, there are two cases: when the lever is operated in a direction in which the resistance at the engaging portion of the positioning mechanism overcomes the return spring of the transmission, and when the lever is operated in the direction in which the return spring is restored. Since the structure is the same as in the previous case, a large operating force was required to overcome the return spring and operate the lever, resulting in poor operability.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention solves the problems in the prior art in which the pitch in the engagement portion of the positioning mechanism must be increased to increase the friction area in the engagement portion, and the In order to solve the problem of poor performance, the shape of the engaging portion of the positioning mechanism is formed into grooves and protrusions, and the inclination angle of the opposing engaging surfaces of these grooves or protrusions is By changing the position of the engaging part, a sufficiently large contact area can be secured at the engaging part without having to displace the position of the engaging part radially outward with respect to the rotation center of the operating lever, and the operating lever can be The operability when operating in the direction of overcoming the return spring is improved compared to the conventional example.

(Means for Solving the Problems) Accordingly, the present invention rotatably supports an operating lever for operating a transmission on a fixed member having a lever shaft, and also sets the gear position of the transmission. Consisting of a positioning member having a plurality of engaging parts, and an engaging body that engages at least one of the engaging parts,
A bicycle gear shift operation device comprising a positioning mechanism that holds the lever at a set gear position by overcoming a return spring of the transmission, the gear shift operating device comprising one of an engaging portion of the positioning member and the engaging body. and the other is formed by a protrusion having a length extending along the groove, and of the engaging surfaces facing each other on at least one of the groove and the protrusion, the return The angle of inclination of the engagement surface on which the return spring does not act is made smaller than the angle of inclination of the engagement surface on which the return spring acts.

(Function) Since the shape of the engaging portion between the engaging body and the engaging portion of the positioning mechanism is formed into a grooved strip and a protruding strip, the contact area between the engaging body and the engaging portion can be increased.
Furthermore, among the opposing engagement surfaces of at least one of the grooved strip and the protrusion, the inclination angle of the engagement surface on which the return spring does not act is greater than the inclination angle of the engagement surface on which the return spring acts. By making it smaller, when operating the lever by overcoming the return spring, it is possible to operate the lever with a smaller operating force than in the conventional example.

(Example) An example of the operating device of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

The gear shift operating device shown in FIG. 1 includes a positioning member 2 having a plurality of engaging parts 21 for setting the gear position of a transmission (not shown), and a positioning member 2 that engages with at least one of the engaging parts 21. The fixing member 1 has a cylindrical lever shaft 11 and is provided with a positioning mechanism for overcoming the return spring of the transmission and holding the operating lever 6 at a set gear position. The cylindrical positioning member 2 is supported on the outer periphery of the lever shaft 11 in a relatively non-rotatable manner,
The cylindrical engaging member 3, a spring 4 that biases the engaging member 3 toward the engaging portion 21, and a retaining ring 5 that supports the spring 4 are provided on the outer periphery of the positioning member 2. , the engaging portion 21 and the engaging body 31 are made to face each other in the axial direction, and the positioning member 2
A boss portion 61 of the operating lever 6 is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of one end, and the engaging member 3 is attached to the boss portion 61.
are locked so that they cannot rotate relative to each other and are movable in the axial direction, and when the operating lever 6 is operated, the engaging member 3
is rotated relative to the positioning member 2, while the other end of the positioning member 2 is made to protrude outward from the distal end surface of the lever shaft 11, and an inwardly directed annular lip 71 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of this protrusion. A washer 8 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the cap 7 and the other end surface of the positioning member 2, and a washer 8 is provided between the washer 8 and one side surface of the boss portion 61. A release pin 1 is provided in between, and a friction collar 9 is interposed therebetween, and a release pin 1 is provided in an axial through hole 22 provided in the positioning member 2 and abuts on the engagement member 3 and the washer 8.
At the same time, the tightening screw 20 inserted into the through hole provided at the center of the cap 7 is screwed into the threaded hole provided at the center of the lever shaft 11, and this tightening screw 20 is tightened to a certain level. As a result, the engagement member 3 is operated via the release pin 10 against the spring 4, and the engagement member 3 is disengaged from the engagement portion 21 of the engagement body 31. Press the friction collar 9 against the boss portion 61,
This is designed to provide resistance to the rotation of the boss portion 61.

Of the engaging portion 21 of the positioning member 2 and the engaging body 31, the engaging portion 21 is formed of a grooved strip, and the engaging body 31 extends along the length direction of the engaging portion 21. The first and second engaging surfaces 21a, 21 of the engaging portion 21 are formed of long protrusions, and are opposed to each other in the engaging portion 21 as shown in FIG.
b, an engagement surface that engages with the engagement body 31 when the lever is operated in a direction that overcomes the return spring of the transmission, that is, a first engagement surface 21a on which the return spring does not act; The second engaging surface 21b that engages with the engaging body 31 when the lever is operated in the restoring direction of the returning spring is a gently sloped surface smaller than the inclination angle of the second engaging surface 21b on which the returning spring acts. The slope was steep.

The inclination angle of the first and second engaging surfaces 21a and 21b is determined by the contact area of the first and second engaging surfaces 21a and 21b with the engaging body 31 and the force of the return spring of the transmission. The angle of inclination of the first engagement surface 21a is set to a predetermined angle in relation to the above, and the angle of inclination of the first engagement surface 21a is set within a range in which the operation position of the lever 6 can be maintained by engagement with the second engagement surface 21b of the engagement body 31. The purpose of this is to make it smaller.

Further, the engaging body 31 uses a roller, and this roller is held in a holding recess 33 provided in the engaging member 3 so as to be able to roll freely.Otherwise, as shown in FIGS. It may also be formed to have a convex cross-section.

Furthermore, there is a backlash corresponding to the overstroke of the operating lever 6 between the first engaging surface 21a of the engaging portion 21 and the engaging body 31, which are engaged when the lever is operated in the direction of overcoming the return spring. We will set up the following. That is, when overcoming the return spring to perform a gear change operation, it is necessary to overshift the operating lever 6 by a predetermined amount for a constant stroke, so the engaging body 31 is engaged by the amount of this overshift, or in other words, the overstroke. A play, more specifically, a gap is provided for the movement relative to the portion 21. Further, this backlash is made larger as the engagement portion 21 reaches a higher level.

The positioning member 2 of the illustrated speed change operating device includes a cylindrical portion 2a that fits into the lever shaft 11,
It consists of a disc-shaped flange part 2b extending radially outward from one end of the cylindrical part 2a, and the engaging part 21 is oriented in the radial direction on the inner surface of the flange part 2b, and is arranged in the circumferential direction. are provided with a predetermined gap between them. The cylindrical portion 2a and the flange portion 2b are formed separately and joined together so that they cannot rotate relative to each other.
Others may be formed integrally.

Further, the engaging member 3 is formed into an annular shape, the engaging body 31 is provided on one side thereof, and a plurality of protrusions 34 are provided on the peripheral surface, and the protrusions 34 are provided on the boss portion 61. It fits into a plurality of locking recesses 62.

Further, the positioning member 2, the engaging body 3, and the spring 4 are made into a unit by the retaining ring 5, so that they can be easily assembled.

The friction collar 9 has an outer circumferential portion of one end surface formed in an annular shape so as to be in contact with an outer circumferential portion of one side of the boss portion 61, and an inner circumferential portion of one end surface of the friction collar 9.
A plurality of anti-rotation recesses 63 provided in the boss portion 61
A plurality of protrusions 91 are provided to engage with the boss portion 61 to prevent relative rotation with the boss portion 61.

Further, the screw body 20, the cap 7, the release pin 10, and the washer 8 constitute an operating mechanism for selecting an engaged position and a non-engaged position between the engaging portion 21 and the engaging body 31.

In addition, the tightening screw 20 and the friction collar 9
and washer 8 constitute a friction mechanism that provides resistance to rotation of operating lever 6.

Further, the operating lever 6 has a cylindrical boss portion 61.
and an operating portion (not shown) extending radially outward from the boss portion 61.
It is configured to lock a hook provided at one end of the operating wire.

Further, the fixed member 1 is connected to the lever shaft 11,
It consists of a support body 12 that supports this lever shaft 11, and the support body 12 is configured to be attached to a top tube, a down tube, or a handlebar of a bicycle frame. In addition, the lever shaft 11
may be formed integrally with the support body 12 or separately.

As is known, the transmission operating device configured as described above connects the boss portion 61 of the operating lever 6 and the movable side member of the transmission with an operating wire, and the lever 6
The movable member is actuated by the rotational operation to shift the gear to a predetermined gear position.

Therefore, when the lever 6 is rotated by overcoming the return spring of the transmission, the engaging body 31 of the positioning mechanism is rotated by the first engaging surface 21 of the engaging portion 21.
a and engages with the next engaging portion 21. In this case, the first engagement surface 21a on which the return spring does not act is a gently inclined surface that is smaller than the angle of inclination of the second engagement surface 21b on which the return spring acts. 2 engaging surfaces 21a, 2
Since the angle of inclination of 1b is the same, the lever can be operated with less operating force than conventional products.

Further, when the engaging body 31 engages with the next engaging portion 21, the restoring force of the return spring acts on the engaging body 31 via the operating wire and the operating lever 6, and the engaging body 31 , is pressed by the second engagement surface 21b of the next engagement portion. In this case, since the second engaging surface 21b is a steeply sloped surface, the operating position of the lever is reliably maintained. Further, the second engagement surface 21a is engaged with the engagement body 31 having a strip-like length, and a large contact area between the second engagement surface 21b and the engagement body 31 can be secured. Even if the pitch between the engaging portions 21 is reduced and the size of the engaging body 31 is reduced, the operating position of the lever 6 can be reliably maintained.

Further, in the case of the illustrated speed change operating device, the function of the positioning mechanism can be disabled by adjusting the tightening amount of the tightening screw 20.

That is, when the tightening screw 20 is further tightened from the tightening position shown in FIG. The engagement with the engaging portion 21 is completely disengaged. In this case, the washer 8 comes into contact with the friction collar 9, this collar 9 is pressed against the boss portion 61 of the lever 6, and a predetermined friction is applied to the boss portion 61.

Further, by arranging the engaging portion 21 and the engaging body 31 to face each other in the axial direction with respect to the rotation center of the operating lever 6, friction is applied to the boss portion 61 using the outermost peripheral portion of the boss portion 61. Therefore, it is possible to obtain more than a predetermined amount of friction with a small tightening force.

In the embodiment described above, the first engaging surfaces 21a of the respective engaging portions 21 are inclined at the same angle, but the above-mentioned engaging portions are tilted at the same angle from the lower engaging portions to the higher engaging portions. The inclination angles of the mating surfaces 21a and 21b may vary greatly, or the inclination angles of the engagement surfaces 21a and 21b may be varied only in the high-stage engaging portion. In addition, although the engaging portion 21 is formed into a concave strip and the engaging body 31 is formed into a protruding strip,
The opposite may be true. Furthermore, although the angle of inclination of the first and second engaging surfaces 21a and 21b in the engaging portion 21 was changed, the angle of inclination of the engaging body 31 formed to have a convex cross section as shown in FIG. 7 may also be changed. .

Further, although the engaging portion 21 and the engaging body 31 are axially opposed to the rotation center of the operating lever 6, they may be radially opposed to each other.

Further, although the positioning member 2 is supported by the fixed member 1 and the engaging body 31 is linked to the operating lever 6, the opposite may be used.

Further, the positioning member 2 and the engaging body 31 may be formed integrally with the lever 6 or the fixing member 1.

Further, although two sets of the positioning mechanisms are provided, for example, one set may be provided.

Incidentally, a sounding mechanism may be provided between the tightening screw 20 and the cap 7 as shown in FIG.

The one shown in FIG. 8 has a pair of arcuate recesses 20a formed on the back surface of the head of the tightening screw 20 via inclined surfaces 20b that are continuous on both sides in the length direction, and the surface of the cap 7. The recess 20 in
A pair of arc-shaped convex portions 7a that engage with the concave portion 20a are formed at a portion corresponding to the concave portion 20a via inclined surfaces 7b that are continuous on both sides in the length direction, and By tightening the tightening screw 20,
When the concave portion 20a and the convex portion 7a are engaged and the tightening screw 20 is further tightened, the cap 7 moves against the spring 4, and the concave portion 20a and the convex portion 7a are separated. Engagement and disengagement are repeated,
When engaged, the urging force of the spring 4 produces an engaging sound.

By doing so, it is possible to reliably prevent the tightening screw 20 from loosening, and also to position the tightening screw 20 at the initial stage of tightening. At this time, the engaging portion 21 of the positioning mechanism and the engaging body 31 are engaged to exhibit a positioning function, and
When the tightening screw 20 is further tightened after the engagement sound sounds n times and the engagement sound sounds a certain number of more times, the engagement portion 21 and the engagement body 31 are disengaged and positioned. Therefore, by listening to the engagement sound, it is possible to easily know whether the positioning mechanism is functioning or whether the positioning function is disabled. . In this case, the concave portion 20a and the convex portion 7a may be provided in the opposite manner, or in addition to providing two sets, one or three or more sets may be provided, or partially as shown in FIG. In addition to being provided, it may be provided over the entire surface as shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 9 shows the tightening screw 20
The back surface of the head of the cap 7 and the surface of the cap 7 are inclined toward one side in the axial direction in the circumferential direction via an inclined stepped portion to form concave portions 20c, 7c and convex portions 20d, 7, respectively.
d. In this case as well, in addition to providing two sets of the recesses and protrusions, one set or three or more sets may be provided.

(Effects of the invention) As described above, the present invention rotatably supports an operating lever that does not operate the transmission on a fixed member having a lever shaft, and also has a plurality of engagement levers that set the gear position of the transmission. a positioning member having a portion, and an engaging body that engages with at least one of the engaging portions,
A bicycle variable operating device comprising a positioning mechanism that holds the lever at a set gear position by overcoming a return spring of the transmission, the engaging portion of the positioning member and one of the engaging body. is formed by a grooved line, and the other is formed by a protrusion having a length extending along the grooved line, and among the engaging surfaces facing each other on at least one of the grooved line and the protrusion, Since the angle of inclination of the engagement surface on which the return spring does not act is made smaller than the angle of inclination of the engagement surface on which the return spring acts, the contact area between the engagement body and the engagement portion in the positioning mechanism is greatly increased. Even if the plurality of engaging parts are arranged close to the rotation center of the operating lever and the pitch between each engaging part is small, the operating lever can be firmly placed in the operating position. It is possible to retain it. As a result, the entire speed change operation device can be downsized and costs can be reduced. Moreover,
Of the opposing engagement surfaces of at least one of the grooved strip and the protrusion, the angle of inclination of the engagement surface on which the return spring does not act is smaller than the angle of inclination of the engagement surface on which the return spring acts. As a result, the operating force required to rotate the operating lever by overcoming the action force of the return spring can be reduced, so that the lever can be operated with a smaller operating force than in the conventional example. Therefore, the speed change performance can be improved accordingly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view with some parts omitted showing one embodiment of the gear shift operating device of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of only the engaging portion; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of only the positioning member; The drawings are a reduced cross-sectional view of FIG. 1-line, FIGS. 5 to 7 show other embodiments, FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view with a part omitted, and FIG. A plan view, FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of only the engaging body portion, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are explanatory views showing still another embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Fixed member, 11... Lever shaft, 2... Positioning member, 21... Engaging part, 21a... First engaging surface, 21b... Second engaging surface, 31... Engaging body,
6...Operation lever.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a positioning member rotatably supporting an operating lever for operating the transmission on a fixed member having a lever shaft, and having a plurality of engaging portions for setting gear stages of the transmission; and at least one of the engaging portions. and a positioning mechanism that holds the lever at a set gear position by overcoming a return spring of the transmission, the bicycle gear shift operating device comprising: an engaging body that engages with the lever; One of the engaging portion of the member and the engaging body is formed by a grooved line, and the other is formed by a protruding line having a length extending along the grooved line, and at least one of the grooved line and the protruding line is formed. Of the engaging surfaces facing each other, the angle of inclination of the engaging surface on which the return spring does not act is smaller than the angle of inclination of the engaging surface on which the return spring acts. Device.