JPH0288384A - Change gear lever device for bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To change speed only with a push of an operating lever by providing a plurality of engaging portions for locating stepwise pivoting positions on a wire take-up body, causing engaging claws to engage said engaging portions with the push of said lever to pivot the take-up body and hold it in its pivoting position, returning the lever and releasing the holding with a releasing lever. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of engaging portions 41 for supporting pivotably a speed changing wire take-up body 3 and locating stepwise the pivoting positions and a position holding mechanism 4 provided with an engaging body engaging the engaging portions to hold the position are provided. Also, a first operating lever 6 pivotable relative to the take-up body 3 on a take-up body 3 supporting shaft 11 to pivot the take-up body 3 through a transmission body 5 and a second operating lever 71 for releasing the engagement of the engaging body 42 are operatively pushed. The operating levers 6, 71 can be returned by springs. Thus, since the take-up body 3 can be shifted stepwise to the speed change position only by a push of the operating lever the operation is surely performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a bicycle gear shift lever device, and more particularly, to a bicycle gear shift lever device that allows shifting by operating a control lever.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as this type of device, as seen in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 81-143275, a winding body with one end of an operating wire locked to a fixed member is placed under a predetermined frictional resistance. A control lever is rotatably supported, and a plurality of feed teeth and a plurality of return teeth are arranged in parallel on the outer periphery of the winding body. a feed pawl that engages with the feed dog during a forward movement operation to move the winding body forward;
A return pawl that engages with the return tooth and moves the winding body backward when the lever is operated in a direction opposite to the forward operation direction is provided, and the lever is moved in the forward direction. A lever spring is provided for returning the operating lever from the operation position and the operation position in the opposite direction to the operation start position and holding it at this return position. When the lever is released after moving the winding body forward by a predetermined angle, the operating lever moves back to the operation starting position by the force of the lever spring, and by rotating the lever in the opposite direction, A device has been proposed in which the winding body is moved back by a predetermined angle via a return pawl and a return tooth, and when the lever operation is released, the operating lever is moved back to the operation start position by the force of the lever spring.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) The shift lever device configured as described above is attached to a position near the handlebar grip of a bicycle, and the lever is rotated by the fingers of the hand holding the grip. However, in the conventional device described above, the speed is changed by rotating the control lever by a predetermined angle in the forward direction and in the reverse direction with respect to the operation start position.In other words, the operating direction of the control lever is Since this is in two directions, when shifting to high speed and low speed, not only do you have to be very nervous about the direction in which you operate the control lever, but you may also end up using the wrong direction of operation and end up with a gear that is different from the desired gear. There is a big problem that there is a big risk that the gear will be changed. In addition, since the operating lever is rotated in the forward direction and in the opposite direction relative to the operation start position, when the number of gears is as small as, for example, two gears, the operating lever must be gripped by the grip. It is possible to operate the gear in the forward direction and in the opposite direction with respect to the operation start position with ease, mainly with the thumb of the hand.
If there are about 6 gears and you want to shift multiple gears at once with the hand holding the grip, the rotation angle of the operating lever will be large and you will have to move the operating lever in the forward and reverse directions with the same finger. It was not possible to operate it.

Therefore, in this case, the operating lever will be operated using the two fingers of the hand that grips the handle.
There is a problem that the grip becomes loose and the safety during running is reduced. That is, when grasping the grip, the grip is generally strongly grasped by the thumb-side palm part of the palm and the other four fingers excluding the thumb, and the thumb usually does not contribute much to the grasping of the grip. By the way, when the gear shift lever device is attached to a position near the grip on the handlebar and the lever is operated with the fingers of the hand that grips the grip, the thumb, which does not contribute much to gripping the grip, is generally used. However, if there are many gear positions, it becomes impossible to operate the operating lever with just the thumb while holding the grip.
Using the thumb and forefinger, it is necessary to operate the control lever that is stopped at the operation start position forward with the thumb, and then operate the control lever that is stopped at the operation start position in the opposite direction with the index finger. In this case, the index finger, which greatly contributes to gripping the grip, is removed from the grip, which results in a careless grip on the grip, which poses a safety problem during running. Furthermore, since the rotational position of the winding body is maintained by the frictional resistance applied to the winding body, it has been impossible to accurately determine the rotational position of the winding body.

The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose is to always operate the control lever in one direction even when shifting to a high speed side or a low speed side. The operating position of the control lever can be always located at the operation start position regardless of the number of gears. - You can easily operate it in one direction with your fingers, increasing safety when riding a bicycle, and
It is possible to accurately determine the rotational position of the winding body.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a fixing member (1) and a fixing member (1).
A wire winding body (3) that is freely rotatably supported relative to the wire winding body (3) and rotates back in the wire unwinding direction by the force of a spring, and the rotational position of this winding body (3) is positioned in stages. a position holding mechanism (42) that engages with the engaging parts (41) and holds the rotational position of the winding body (3); 4); and a first operating lever (6) that is rotatable relative to the winding body (3) in the same direction as the winding body and that rotates the winding body (3) in the wire winding direction; The engaging body (42) and the engaging portion (41) of the position holding mechanism (4)
a second operation lever (7) that controls the engagement with the winding body (7), releases the holding of the position of the winding body (3), and allows the backward movement of the winding body (3);
1), the second operating lever (71) is rotatable about an axis extending in the same direction as the rotational center line of the first operating lever (6). , and a setting means for setting the operation start positions of the first and second operation levers (6) (71), and a lever for returning the first and second operation levers (8) (71) to the respective operation start positions. It is provided with springs (9) and (10).

(Function) By rotating the first operating lever (6) that is stopped at the operation start position in one direction, the wire winding body (3) is moved forward and the gear is shifted to a predetermined gear position on the low side. At the same time, the backward movement of the winding body (3) is prevented by the position holding mechanism (4), and the desired gear position can be maintained.
When the first operating lever (6) is released,
The force of the lever spring (9) returns it to the operation starting position and prepares for the next operation. Further, the second operating lever (71), which is stopped at the operation start position, is replaced by the first operating lever (6).
By rotating in the same direction as the operating direction, the holding of the position of the winding body (3) is released, and the winding body (3) is moved to a predetermined position by the force of a return spring in, for example, a transmission. It moves backward, and this backward movement position is held by the position holding mechanism (4
) is held by engagement with the engaging portion (41) of the engaging body (42), and can be shifted to a predetermined gear position on the top side, and when the second operating lever (71) is released, , the lever spring (10) returns it to the operation starting position and prepares for the next operation.

(Embodiment) In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 8, an operating wire is attached to the support shaft (11) of a fixing member (1) that is fixed to a position near the grip (G) of the handlebar (H) of the bicycle. It has a wire locking part (31) that locks one end, and a return spring (
A substantially cylindrical wire winding body (3) that moves back in the wire unwinding direction by the force of 2) is rotatably supported, and the winding body (3)
A plurality of engaging parts (4
1) and the winding body (3) by engaging with the engaging portion (41).
) is provided with a position holding mechanism (4) having an engaging body (42) for holding the rotational position of the support shaft (11).
Rotatable relative to the winding body (3), the winding body (3)
The engaging body (42) and the engaging part (41) of the position holding mechanism (4) are connected to each other. a position holding control mechanism (7) having a second operating lever (71) that controls the engagement of the winding body (3), releases the position holding of the winding body (3), and allows the backward movement of the winding body (3); is provided, and the second operating lever (
71) is rotatable around an axis extending in the same direction as the rotational center line of the first operating lever (6), and the support shaft (11) is provided with an operation start position of the first operating lever (6). a position setting body (
8), and between the first operating lever (θ) and the support shaft (11), the first operating lever (,
a lever spring (9) for returning 6) to the operation start position;
and a second setting part (2) for setting the operation start position of the second operating lever (71) on the winding body (3).
43), and a lever spring (10) for returning the second operating lever (71) to the operation starting position is interposed between the second operating lever (71) and the fixing member (1). It is.

In the above configuration, the fixing member (1) includes a cylindrical support shaft (11), a base body (12) for erecting the support shaft (11) and fixing it to the handlebar (H), and A lever shaft (1) stands parallel to the support shaft (11) from the base body (12) and supports the second operation lever (71).
3), the support shaft (11) and the base body (12).
) can be repositioned in the circumferential direction of the support shaft by fitting the plurality of fitting protrusions into the fitting holes, and are connected by a tightening screw (20), and the support shaft (11) A plurality of threads (14) extending in the axial direction and a thread groove are provided on the outer periphery of the tip of the winding body (3) and the first The operating lever (6) is attached to the support shaft (1
1), and the proximal end and the winding body (3)
) is interposed with the return spring (2). Further, a spring receiving piece (22a) for receiving one end of the lever spring (9) is provided on the groove (14) of the support shaft (11).
and a spring receiving plate (22b) having a release portion (22b) that releases the engagement of the transmission body (5) with the winding body (3) when the first operation lever (θ) moves back to the operation start position. 22) is supported non-rotatably. Further, the base body (12) is
The lever shaft (13) is formed by a plate having a screw hole for the tightening screw (20) and a plate having a through hole through which the tightening screw is inserted. is installed protrudingly. The base body (12) may be directly fixed to the handlebar (I) via a band member or by direct attachment, but in FIG. ,! The bracket in (B) is used, and this bracket and the former plate are integrally formed.

Further, the winding body (3) has a wire locking portion (31) on the negative side.
), and on the outer periphery of one end in the axial direction, the engaging portion (41) engages with the transmission body (5) when the first operating lever (6) is operated in a forward direction. a plurality of passive parts (32) that transmit the operating force of the first operating lever (6);
and a plurality of regulating recesses (33), and a wire guide groove (34) continuous with the wire locking part (31) is recessed in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the intermediate part. . In addition, the engaging portion (41), the passive portion (32), and the regulating recess (33)
may be formed integrally with the winding body (3), but in the drawing, it is formed separately from the winding body (3). Specifically, two fitting parts (3a) having fitting protrusions projecting from the outer periphery of one end of the winding body (3) at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction.
(3b) are provided adjacent to each other in the axial direction, and one fitting part (3b) is provided adjacently in the axial direction.
3a), a semicircular positioning plate (35) is supported non-rotatably, and the engaging parts (41) are arranged in rows at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of this positioning plate, and these engaging parts While the bottom surface of (41) is the second setting part (43),
A disk-shaped feed plate (36) is non-rotatably supported adjacent to the positioning plate (35) on the other fitting part (3b), and the passive portions (32) are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and the regulating recesses (33) are disposed in a row on the other side of the outer circumferential surface so as to be displaced in the circumferential direction by a half-pitch with respect to the engaging portion (41). .

Further, the first operation lever (6) has a shaft hole (61) in the intermediate portion that fits into the support shaft (11), and a first setting portion (81) of the position setting body (8) at the operation start position. ) and a contact part (62) that comes into contact with the lever (
The claw-shaped transmission body (5) is pivotally supported at one end of 6), and the transmission body (5) is attached in one direction between the transmission body (5) and the lever (6). A biasing spring (23) is provided.

Further, the engaging body (42) in the position holding mechanism (4) is composed of a claw body having a claw portion at the tip thereof, and is formed integrally with the second operation lever (71), and the engagement body (42) has a claw portion at the tip end thereof. The second operating lever (71) is removably engaged with the engaging portion (41), and is pressed against the lever spring (10) when the winding body (3) rotates in the wire winding direction. together with the engaging portion (
41).

Further, the position holding control mechanism (7) includes the second operating lever (71) and the engaging body (42), and
The engaging body (42) is moved by forward movement of the operating lever (71).
) is disengaged from the engaging portion (4), and the winding body (3)
The force of the return spring (2) acting on the winding body (3
) rotates, and the engaging body (42)
The distal end edge of the second operating lever (71) is brought into contact with the second setting portion (43) to stop the second operating lever (71) at the operation start position. Further, at the base end of the second operating lever (71),
A contact portion (72) is provided at the end opposite to the engagement body (42), which contacts the outer circumferential surface of the positioning plate (36) during forward movement to restrict the range of rotation in the forward movement direction. ing. In addition to being supported by the lever shaft (13), the second operating lever (71) is also supported by a position setting body (8) attached to the tip of the support shaft (11) or a spring receiving plate (22). It may also be rotatably supported.

Further, the lever shaft (13) that supports the second operating lever (71) engages with the regulating recess (33) when the second operating lever (71) is operated in a forward motion, and the winding body ( A limiting pawl (24) is provided to prevent the amount of backward movement of 3) from exceeding the interval between the engaging portions (41), and the limiting pawl (24) is provided between the limiting pawl (24) and the lever shaft (13). A pawl spring (25) is provided that always urges the pawl (24) toward the regulating recess (33), and an engaging protrusion (24a) is provided on the proximal end side of the restricting pawl (24) that protrudes toward the engaging body. ), and the second
A contact (2B) that contacts the engagement protrusion (24a) when the operation lever (71) stops at the operation start position and disengages the restriction claw (24) from the restriction recess (33).
is provided on the second operating lever (71).

In addition, (27) in the figure is a bowl-shaped cover that covers the base end side of the winding body (3) and each of the operating levers (6) and (71).

The gear shift lever device configured as described above is mainly 5 to 6
It is used together with a rear derailleur for speed change,
It is mainly attached to a position near the grip (G) on the handlebar (H), and the first
And the second operating lever (C3) (71) can be operated. Therefore, what is shown in FIG. 1.2 is a state of high speed stage, and the first operating lever (6) is biased by the lever spring (9). The contact part (62) of the position setting body (8) is connected to the first setting part (8) of the position setting body (8).
1) and stops at the operation start position, and the distal end of the transmission body (5) is in contact with the release portion (22b) of the spring receiving plate (22). In addition, the second operation lever (71
) is biased by the lever spring (10) and this second
The tip edge of the engaging body (42) provided integrally with the operating lever (71) is the second setting provided on the bottom surface of the engaging portion (41)! (4
3) and stops at the operation start position. and,
Bring the thumb of the hand that grips the grip (G) into contact with the operating portion of the first operating lever (6), and move from the state shown in Fig. 2 to the fifth position.
When the forward movement is performed in the counterclockwise direction as shown in the figure, the transmission body (5)
- comes out of contact with the release part (22b), and the biasing spring (2
The transmission body (5) that is energized by the winding body (3)
The first operating lever (6) engages with one of the passive parts (32) of the
) is transmitted to the winding body (3), and this winding body (3
) moves counterclockwise to pull the operating wire, and when the rotation of the first operating lever (6) in the forward direction reaches one pitch stroke of the engaging portion (41), It is possible to shift gears, and when a two-pitch stroke is reached, it can be shifted to two gears, and up to three gears, it is possible to shift gears one gear at a time or multiple gears at once with a single operation of the thumb. It is. Furthermore, when shifting four or more gears, the first operating lever (6) is once returned to the operation start position, and then the first operating lever (8) is again operated forward, so that the first operating lever (8) can be shifted one gear at a time, or It is possible to shift multiple gears at once. Then, when the gear is shifted to a desired low speed position, the engaging body (42) engages with a desired engaging portion (41) as shown in FIG. 6, and the rotation of the winding body (3) in the backward movement direction is prevented. This makes it possible to reliably maintain the gear shift state in which the gear has been shifted to the lower gear. After shifting as described above, when the first operating lever (6) is released, the first operating lever (6) is moved in the backward direction (clockwise in Figure 5) by the force of the lever spring (9). )
When the contact portion (62) comes into contact with the first setting portion (81), the first operation lever (6) returns to the operation start position and stops as shown in FIG. This is to prepare for the next operation.In this case, the distal end of the transmission body (5) comes into contact with the release part (22b) of the spring receiving plate (22), and the transmission body (5) is prevented from engaging with the passive part (32). In addition, the first
When the operation lever (6) is operated forward, the transmission body (5)
comes out of contact with the release part (22b), and the transmission body (5) swings under the force of the biasing spring (23) and engages with one of the driven parts (32).

However, when the number of gears is 5 to 6, the first
By pushing the operating lever (6) twice with your thumb, you can easily shift from high speed to low speed.

Next, in order to shift the gear from the low speed gear shown in FIG. 6 to the high speed gear again, move the thumb of the hand gripping the grip onto the operating part of the second operating lever (71) at the operating start position. 2, the second operating lever (71) is moved counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG.
), and this operation causes the engaging body (42) provided on the second operating lever (71) to move in the direction away from the engaging part (41), thereby moving the engaging part (42) away from the engaging part (41). (41
), and the winding body (3) moves back by a predetermined amount by the force of the return spring (2). At this time, the limiting claw (24) comes into contact with one regulating recess (33) in the winding body (3) as shown in FIG. 7, and the amount of backward movement of the winding body (3) by the return spring (2) is restricted. When the second operating lever (71) is released, the second operating lever (71) moves back by the force of the lever spring (10) and the contact (26) hits the limiting claw (24). ) engaging protrusion (
24a) and the restriction recess (3) of the restriction claw (24).
3), and before the engaging body (42) engages with the engaging part (41), the winding body (3) moves back by the force of the return spring (2). Then, the engaging body (4
2) engages with the engagement portion (41) on the low speed side of the − gear, and this engagement prevents the return movement of the winding body (3) by the return spring (2), resulting in a gear shift state in which the gear is shifted to a high gear. can be reliably maintained. In addition, the second operating lever (
71), the distal end edge of the engaging body (42) is located at the second setting portion (
43) and stops at the operation start position as shown in Figure 2.
It prepares for the next operation. Then, when the second operation lever (71) stopped at the operation start position is newly operated forward, the engagement portion (
41) is disengaged, the winding body (3) moves back by the force of the return spring (2), the wire is further relaxed, and the speed can be further shifted to a higher speed position, Furthermore, by releasing the second operating lever (71), the engaging body (42) engages with the adjacent low-speed engaging portion (41), and the winding body (3) is moved to the backward movement position. In addition, the second operating lever (71) that has moved back can hold the engaging body (4).
2) comes into contact with the second setting portion (43) and stops at the operation start position. In this speed change from the low speed side to the high speed side, the limiting pawl (24) engages with the regulating recess (33) every pitch of the engaging portion (41), and the amount of backward movement of the winding body (3) is reduced. Because of this restriction, the front second operating lever (71) needs to be operated forward a number of times corresponding to the number of gears. but,
The limiting mold (24) is eliminated, and the second operating lever (7) is removed.
The engaging portion (41) of the engaging body (42) is adjusted by adjusting the operation in step 1).
The speed may be changed by controlling the amount of engagement with the winding body (3) and rotating the winding body (3) one step at a time or a plurality of steps at once.

In the embodiment described above, the return spring (2) is provided to cause the winding body (3) to move backward, but in other cases, for example, a return spring in a transmission may be used to move the return spring. The winding body (3) may be moved back by force. Therefore, the return spring (2) provided between the winding body (3) and the fixing member (1)
is not necessarily necessary.

Further, the engaging body (42) of the position holding mechanism (4) may be formed integrally with the second operating lever (71) or may be formed separately. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the engaging body (42)
,! - and using a pole, this engaging body (42) and the 21st! the engaging body (42) between the i-operation lever (71)
a pressing spring (28) that urges the engaging portion (41).
and a spring support (2θ) for the pressing spring (28), and the fixing member (1) is provided with the engaging body (42),
A support piece (15) is provided to support the pressure spring (28) and the spring receiver (28).

Further, the engaging portion (41) of the position holding mechanism (4) is provided on the outer circumference of the winding body (3), and also in the axial direction of the winding body (3) with respect to the winding body (3). It may also be provided by being displaced. In this case, for example, a circular interlocking plate having a diameter smaller than that of the winding body (3) may be attached to one end of the winding body (3), and the engaging portion (41) may be formed on the outer periphery of this interlocking plate. At the same time, the second operating lever (71) is supported by the position setting body (8) or the spring receiving plate (22) attached to the tip of the support shaft (11). By doing so, the winding body (3
) can be prevented from increasing in diameter, the diameter of this winding body portion can be reduced, and the support position of the second operating lever (71) can be brought closer to the center line side of the winding body (3). ,
The entire device can be made compact. Therefore, since the entire device can be mounted even closer to the grip (G), each operation lever CB>
This makes the operation (71) even easier to perform.

Further, the first setting part (81) for setting the operation start position of the first operating lever (6) is connected to the fixing member (1).
) may be formed integrally with the second t! A second setting part (43) for setting the operation start position of the operating lever (71) may be provided on the fixed member (1).

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, two operating levers (6
) (71) in one direction, so you don't have to worry about the direction in which you operate the control lever, and you don't have to worry about the direction in which you operate the control lever. This can eliminate the fear of being exposed. In addition, the operation start position of each of the operating levers (6) and (71), which enable gear shifting by operation in one direction, can always be positioned at a constant position regardless of the number of gears,
Since it is possible to change gears by operating each operating lever (6) (71) in one direction from this fixed position, you can use your thumb, which does not contribute much to gripping the grip, from the position where you grip the grip on the handlebar. This makes it possible to perform multi-stage gear shifting, and it is possible to improve safety when riding a bicycle compared to the conventional example described above, which requires shifting operations using the thumb and forefinger.

Moreover, the operating position of the operating lever (6) (71) can always be located at a constant position regardless of the number of gears, and the operating lever (6) (71) can be operated in one direction from this fixed position. Since the gears can be shifted in a comfortable position, the gears can always be shifted in a comfortable position, resulting in good shift operability.

Furthermore, since the position holding mechanism (4) is provided to accurately determine the rotational position of the winding body (3), the speed can always be changed accurately.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partially omitted enlarged cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the speed change lever device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a reduced partially omitted cross-sectional view, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of only the winding body, and Fig. 4 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating state, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the device is mounted on a bicycle, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment. (1)... Fixed member (3)... Winding body (4)... Position holding mechanism (41)... Engaging portion (42)... Engaging body (6 )...First operating lever (7)...Position holding control mechanism (71)...Second operating lever (9) (10)...Lever spring

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A fixed member (1), a wire winding body (3) which is rotatably supported on the fixed member (1) and rotates back in the wire unwinding direction by the force of a spring, and this winding body. A plurality of engaging portions (41) for positioning the rotational position of the body (3) in stages
and an engaging body (42) that engages with the engaging portion (41) to maintain the rotational position of the winding body (3); ), which is rotatable in the same direction as the winding body and rotates the winding body (3) in the wire winding direction; and the position holding mechanism (4).
), the engagement between the engaging body (42) and the engaging part (41) is controlled, and the holding of the position of the winding body (3) is released and the winding body (
3), and a position holding control mechanism (7) having a second operating lever (71) that allows the backward movement of the second operating lever (7).
1) is rotatable around an axis extending in the same direction as the rotational center line of the first operating lever (6), and sets the operation start position of the first and second operating levers (6) and (71). a setting means and the first and second operating levers (6) (71);
) is returned to each operation starting position (9).
(10) A bicycle gear shift lever device comprising: