JPH08258777A - Assist device for operation lever - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an assist device for an operation lever which is so constituted as to relieve the operation force of an operation lever and generate a specifiedly given assist force. CONSTITUTION: A base 36 fitted in a guide rod 19 through rotary drums 21 and 22 is expandably spanned between an operation lever 12 and a handle 1 and a coil spring 18 is arranged in a contraction state through spring support seats 34 and 35 between the guide rod 19 and the boss 36. A press force by a spring is exerted in a return direction in the vicinity of the return position of the operation lever 12, and in a range of from the middle of rotation to a maximum grip position, the press force is exerted on the operation direction side because of a spring axis core exceeding a rotary support axis.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an assist device for an operating lever such as a clutch lever of a motorcycle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In clutch levers and the like, the operating force is reduced by ensuring a constant lever ratio, but as the displacement increases, the clutch capacity also increases and the operating force also increases. It is desired to reduce the operation force.

On the other hand, in the operating lever described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-14991, a coil spring is stretched or contracted between a part of the operating lever and the handle to utilize a fulcrum crossing mechanism. By doing so, the spring load is changed to the operation direction side after rotating a certain amount from the return position, and the operation force at the time of operating the lever is reduced.

[0004]

However, the above publication only discloses a structure in which a bare spring is contracted or stretched. Since the coil spring expands and contracts at the same time as the posture of the coil spring changes as the lever rotates when the lever is operated, for example, in the case of a contracted structure, the spring is bent or twisted, and the magnitude of the spring pressing force and its The direction may fluctuate, and the assist effect may be reduced. It also shortens the life of the spring itself.

In the tensioned structure, it is necessary to dispose the spring so as to directly traverse the rotation support shaft. Therefore, a pin or the like protruding above or below the operation lever is provided so as not to interfere with the rotation support shaft. Since the spring is engaged with the pin, the spring member is set in a position projecting upward or downward, rubbing against another member, and the expansion / contraction motion is reduced, and thereby the life of the spring is also increased. It gets shorter.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application rotatably supports the handle via a rotation support shaft and rotates the operated mechanism from the return position in the operating direction. In an assist device for an operating lever to be operated, a rotating member that is parallel to a rotating support shaft is rotatably supported by the operating lever and a handle portion, respectively, and a rod member and a sliding member are slid between the rotating members. A boss member that fits freely is erected in a stretchable manner, a spring seat is provided on each of the rod member and the boss member, and a spring is contracted between both spring seats. Then, the assisting device for the operating lever is characterized in that it is applied in the return direction, and is applied in the operating direction side from the spring shaft core line over the rotation supporting shaft core to the maximum grip position.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assisting device for an operating lever, which is rotatably supported by a handle through a pivot shaft and which operates an operated mechanism by rotating in a direction from a return position to an operating direction. , Forming a cam on the operating lever,
A cam pressing member such as a ball or a roller is pressed against the cam surface of the cam by a spring, and the pressing force of the spring is applied in the returning direction at the returning position and is applied in the operating direction from the middle of rotation to the maximum gripping position. It is an assist device for an operating lever, which has a cam surface shape.

[0008]

When the operation lever is in the return position, the pressing force of the spring of the assist device acts in the return direction to maintain the state of the return position.

When the operating lever is rotated by a certain amount, the pressing force of the spring changes so as to act in the operating direction, thereby reducing the operating force of the driver.

Particularly, in the assist device according to the first aspect, the spring is held by the rod member and the boss member so that the spring load always acts linearly on the spring axis, and
By the rotating members at both ends, the posture change of the rod member due to the rotation of the operation lever can be made smooth, and a predetermined assisting action can be obtained.

In the assist device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the posture of the spring does not change with the rotation of the operation lever, and the spring and the cam pressing member linearly expands or contracts on the spring axis at a fixed position. It only moves, and only the cam surface of the operation lever with which the pressing member abuts moves, so that twisting or bending of the spring can be prevented.

[0012]

[First Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a clutch operating lever for a motorcycle to which the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is applied. In FIG. 1 showing a horizontal sectional view, FIG. A cylinder case 2 is fixed to the left handle 1, and an oil chamber 3 of the cylinder case 2 includes a pipe bolt joint 5 and an oil pipe 6.
Through a release piston chamber of the clutch assembly that is the operated mechanism. The inside of the oil chamber 3 is constantly receiving back pressure by the clutch spring of the clutch assembly, and the piston 8 in the oil chamber 3 is pushed back to the left end side. By moving the piston 8 to the right, hydraulic oil is pumped from the oil chamber 3 to the clutch assembly, and the clutch is disengaged against the load of the clutch spring.

At the left end of the cylinder case 2, a pair of upper and lower brackets projecting forward (only the lower bracket is shown)
10 is formed, and an operation lever 12 is rotatably supported on a rotation support shaft 11 provided on the bracket 10.
The operation lever 12 includes a body portion 12a extending leftward,
An action portion 12b that projects rearward from the rotation support shaft portion and a projection portion 12c that projects rightward from the rotation support shaft portion are integrally provided.

A rotary drum 15 is rotatably fitted and supported in a fitting hole 14 parallel to the rotary shaft 11 in the action portion 12b. The rotating drum 15 has a hole 17 with a bottom in the radial direction.
Is formed, and the pressing rod 16 is inserted and locked in the bottomed hole 17, and the pressing rod 16 is engaged with the piston 8.

The assist device, which is the main part of the present application, includes a coil spring 18, a guide rod 19, and the guide rod 1 described above.
It is composed of a pair of rotating drums 21, 22 and the like that support both ends of 9.

The left rotary drum 21 is rotatably fitted in a fitting hole 24 of a boss portion 12d formed in parallel with the rotary spindle O1 at the right end of the operating lever projection 12c. ,
A radial bottomed hole 25 is formed in the rotary drum 21, and the guide rod 19 is inserted and locked in the bottomed hole 25. A slit 23 for inserting the guide rod 19 is formed in the boss portion 12d.

An L-shaped bracket 20 is fixed to the right end portion of the cylinder case 2 by the pipe bolt joint 5, and the boss portion is provided on the bracket 20 at a position separated from the protrusion 12c by a predetermined distance to the right. 20a is integrally formed, and the boss portion 20a has a fitting hole 28 parallel to the rotation axis.
Is formed in the fitting hole 28 and the rotary drum 22 on the right side is formed.
Is rotatably fitted and supported. Right rotating drum 22
A radial through hole 33 is formed in the through hole 33, and the right end portion of the guide rod 19 is slidably supported by the through hole 33. The boss portion 20a is formed with a slit 39 for inserting the boss member 36 fitted into the guide rod 19.

As shown in FIG. 3, the guide rod 19 integrally has a left side spring seat 34 at a portion near the left end, and the boss member 36 is slidably fitted to the right side portion. 36 has a right side spring receiving seat 35 integrally and is locked to the right side rotating drum 22.

The coil spring 18 is contracted between the spring receiving seats 34 and 35 with the same axis as the guide rod 19.
As a result, the guide rod 19 is biased to the left in the direction of the spring axis C1.

Fitting hole 2 of projection 12c of operation lever 12
4, the spring shaft core line C1 passes near the rear of the rotation support shaft core O1 when the operation lever 12 is in the return position as shown in FIG. 1, and the spring shaft core line C1 is slightly rotated from the return position. Is set to cross forward.

The operation will be described. In FIG. 1, the operating lever 12 is in the return position in a state where the operating lever 12 is not gripped, and the extension line of the spring shaft core line C1 is slightly behind the rotation shaft core O1. In this state, the pressing force of the spring 18 acts as a moment for rotating the operating lever 12 in the return direction R side via the projection 12c, and this and the back pressure of the hydraulic cylinder cause the operating lever 1 to move.
2 is urged toward the return position, and the stopper surface 3 of the protrusion 12c is
7 is brought into contact with the cylinder case 2 to maintain the return position.

When the operating lever 12 is gripped and rotated from the state shown in FIG. 1 toward the operating direction N, the spring 1 is initially rotated.
The pressing force of 8 acts on the return direction R side, and the operating lever 12 is operated against this, but in the initial stage of compression of the hydraulic cylinder, the reaction force from the clutch assembly is small, No large operating force is required.

When the spring shaft core line C1 crosses the rotation shaft core O1 to the front side, the pressing force of the spring 18 acts in the operation direction N side, and the driver's operation force is reduced. Moreover,
The guide rod 19 guides the spring shaft core line C1 so as not to bend, and the rotating drums 21 and 22 at both ends can smoothly change the posture of the guide rod 19, and the operation lever 12 is pressed through the guide rod 19. Since the spring 18 is not twisted or bent during the operation, a predetermined assist force can always be applied and the operation force can be reduced.

[0024]

[Second Embodiment] FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example in which the invention described in claim 2 of the present application is applied.
A cam 41 formed in c, a ball (steel ball) 42 as a cam pressing member, a cylindrical spring case 43, an assist device including a coil spring 44 and the like are provided.

Since the structure for rotating and supporting the hydraulic cylinder and the operating lever is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

The tubular spring case 43 is arranged on the front surface of the cylinder case 2 so as to extend in the left-right direction, and is fixed to the cylinder case 2 via an L-shaped bracket 45.
The spring case 43 has an opening on the left end, and a lid 46 on the right end.
The lid 46 is locked so as not to move in the left-right direction by a stop ring 47, and a sleeve 48 is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the spring case 43 so as to be movable in the cylinder core direction. A ball receiving portion 51 having a tapered hole 50 at the left end portion of the sleeve 48.
Is formed, the ball 42 is fitted and supported in the ball receiving portion 51, and the spring 44 is contracted between the ball receiving portion 51 and the lid 46, whereby the ball 42 is moved to the left in the axial direction of the spring axis. It is biased and pressed against the cam 41.

The cam 41 includes an apex portion 41a and an apex portion 4a.
First cam surface 41b for holding continuous from 1a to the front left side
And the second cam surface 41c for assistance that is continuous to the rear left
At the return position of the operation lever 12, the ball 42 is pressed against the first cam surface 41b, and the spring 4
The operation lever 12 is urged toward the return direction R side by the pressing force of 4.

The position of the apex portion 41a is determined by the operation lever 1
When 2 is in the return position, it is formed so as to come to the rear of the vicinity of the spring shaft core line C1, and when the operation lever 12 is slightly rotated, it passes through the spring shaft core line C1 forward, and then the second The ball 42 contacts the cam surface 41c and presses the operation lever 12 toward the operation direction N side.

The operation will be described. At the return position of the operation lever 12, the ball 42 is pressed against the first holding cam surface 41b to urge the operation lever 12 toward the return direction R and maintain the return state.

At the initial stage of operation, the pressing force of the spring 44 acts on the return direction R side, and the operating lever 12 is operated against this, but in the initial stage of compression of the hydraulic cylinder, the clutch is operated. The reaction force from the assembly is small, and a large operating force is not required.

The apex portion 41a of the cam 41 has a spring shaft core line C1.
When the pressure exceeds the forward direction, the pressing force of the spring 44 acts on the operation direction N side through the second cam surface 41c,
Reduce the clutch operating force.

Moreover, since the spring 44 is of a so-called stationary type in which its posture does not change, it constantly expands and contracts on the same axis C1 and contacts the cam 41 via the ball 42. The spring axis C1 is unlikely to bend, and a predetermined assist force can be applied. In short, the position of the apex portion 41a is formed so as to come to the rear of the vicinity of the spring axis core line C1 when the operation lever 12 is in the return position, and when the operation lever 12 is slightly rotated, the spring axis core line is formed. After passing C1 forward, the ball 42 abuts the second cam surface 41c, and acts so as to rotate the operation lever 12 toward the operation direction N side.

[0033]

[Another embodiment]

(1) In the assist device including the cam mechanism as in the second embodiment, a cam roller may be provided instead of the ball.

(2) In addition to the clutch lever, it can be applied to various operation levers such as a brake lever.

[0035]

As described above, claims 1 and 2 of the present application
According to the described invention, the pressing force of the spring acts on the return direction side at the operation lever return position, and after the initial rotation,
Since it changes to the operation direction side, when not operated, the pressing force of the spring holds the operation lever in the return position, and there is no rattling due to vibration, etc. This assists the rotation, which reduces the operating force.

According to the first aspect of the invention, a rod member and a boss member for guiding the spring member are provided between the handle portion and the operating lever so as to be expandable and contractible, and both end portions of the rod member are provided with a rotary shaft core. Since it is supported via a rotating member (rotating drum) that is parallel to the spring member, the spring axis can always be kept linear even though the spring member changes according to the rotation of the operating lever. , The spring is not bent or twisted during operation, the assist action is always constant, and the life is extended.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the spring axis is installed so as to remain unchanged regardless of the rotation of the operating lever, and the cam surface of the operating lever is fixed to the cam surface of the operating lever via a pressing member such as a ball. Since it is configured to be pressed, it is possible to prevent the spring from being twisted or bent during the turning operation of the operation lever, and to obtain a predetermined assisting action.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of an operation lever to which the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is applied.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the operation lever of FIG. 1 is in a maximum turning position.

3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of an operating lever to which the invention according to claim 2 of the present application is applied.

5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a state in which the operation lever of FIG. 4 is in a maximum turning position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Handle 11 Rotating support shaft 12 Operation lever 18 Coil spring 19 Guide rod (rod member) 21,22 Rotating drum 34,35 Spring receiving seat 36 Boss member 41 Cam 41b, 41c Cam surface 42 Ball (cam pressing member) 44 coil spring

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An assisting device for an operating lever, which is rotatably supported by a handle via a pivot shaft and which operates an operated mechanism by rotating in an operating direction from a return position. A rotatably supporting a rotative member parallel to the rotatably supporting shaft core, and a rod member and a boss member slidably fitted on the rotatably mounted between the rotative members. The rod member and the boss member are each provided with a spring seat, and the spring is contracted between the spring seats, and the pressing force of the spring is applied in the return direction at the return position of the operating lever, and the spring axis core line rotates. An assist device for an operating lever, characterized in that it extends from the core to the maximum grip position in the operating direction. 2. An assist device for an operation lever, which is rotatably supported by a handle via a rotation support shaft, and which operates an operated mechanism by rotating in an operation direction from a return position. The cam pressing member such as a ball or a roller is pressed against the cam surface of the cam by a spring, and the pressing force of the spring is applied in the returning direction at the returning position, and the operating direction is reached from the middle of the rotation to the maximum gripping position. An assist device for an operating lever, which has such a cam surface shape.