JPH08301176A - Speed changer for bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the controllability for shifts by providing an outer cable movement means by which, when the inner wire of a control cable is towed or let out by an inner wire moving mechanism, an outer cable is moved in the same direction as that in which the inner wire is controlled. CONSTITUTION: When a control 3 rotatably fitted over the right end 1a of handlebars 1 is rotated, an inner wire 2a connected at one end to the inner-wire connection 40 of a cam plate 4A which rotates in conjunction with the control 3 is towed by a predetermined size. As the cam plates 4A, 4B are rotated, one end 7a of a rocking arm 7 is raised so that an outer cable 2b is also moved by a predetermined size and in the same direction as the inner wire 2a. Thus by causing the control 3 to rotate by a large rotation angle, a rear derailer as a transmission can change gears step by step and thereby enhance controllability.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bicycle gear shift operation device used for remotely operating a transmission such as a rear derailleur or a front derailleur of a bicycle through an operation cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, general rear derailleur, front derailleur, and the like perform chain re-engagement operation to a multi-stage gear according to the pulling dimension of an inner wire of an operation cable connected to these derailleurs. ing. Therefore, in order to allow the derailleur to perform the shifting operation step by step, it is necessary to pull the inner wire of the operation cable by a predetermined pitch or feed it.

On the other hand, a conventional bicycle gear shift operation device is generally formed so as to pull it by winding an inner wire of an operation cable around an operation body that can be rotated. It was . When such a shift operating device is configured as a so-called grip type shifter in which the operating body is rotatably mounted around the handlebar of the bicycle, the operating body has a diameter smaller than that of the handlebar. However, the winding diameter of the inner wire becomes large. For this reason, the rotation operation angle of the operation body required to pull the inner wire of the operation cable by a desired pitch is small. With this, when the derailleur performs the gear shifting operation, the operating body must be rotated by a small angle, and for example, a bicycle user may perform an inadvertent gear shifting operation by slightly rotating the operating body. It may end up. Further, when it is desired to shift the derailleur from the 2nd speed to the 3rd speed, for example, there is a possibility that the operating body is excessively rotated and the derailleur is erroneously changed to the 4th speed.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is ultimately required that the operation cable can be pulled or unwound by a small size by the large rotation operation angle of the operation body.

Therefore, in the past, for example, US Pat.
The one disclosed in the 102,372 publication is proposed. In the one disclosed in the publication, as shown in FIG. 18 (a) of the present application, a cam plate 95 having a predetermined contour is provided on the outer periphery of an operating body 3e rotatably mounted around the handlebar 1 of the bicycle. While mounting, guide the inner wire 2c of the operation cable of the bicycle transmission to the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate 95,
The nipple 22 at one end of the inner wire 2c is fixedly connected to a predetermined location inside the housing case 8e.

According to this structure, when the operating body 3e is rotated to rotate the cam plate 95 in the direction of the arrow a1, as shown in FIG. 2B, the cam plate 95 which comes into contact with the inner wire 2c is moved. The outer peripheral surface dimension can be increased from the dimension S to Sa, and the inner wire 2c can be pulled by the cam plate 95 by the dimension of (Sa-S) in the arrow a1 direction and pulled. Further, in this case, the pulling dimension of the inner wire 2c can be made smaller than the rotation angles of the operation body 3e and the cam plate 95. Therefore, in the gear shift operating device, by rotating the operating body 3e at a relatively large angle,
It is possible to pull the inner wire 2c in small pitches, and it is possible to reduce mistakes in gear shifting operation.

[0007]

However, the above-mentioned conventional one does not have a structure in which the inner wire 2c receives a tensile force directly by the rotational torque of the operating body 3e, but the outer periphery of the cam plate 95 in contact with the inner wire 2c. The surface is a structure in which the inner wire 2c is pulled by forcibly pulling the inner wire 2c. In addition, a spring force is always applied to the inner wire 2c, and the inner wire 2c is always subjected to a tensile force N in the transmission side direction. Therefore, in order to draw the inner wire 2c closer by the rotating operation of the cam plate 95, a considerably large frictional resistance acts on the inner wire 2c.

Therefore, a large rotational operation torque is required to rotate the operating body 3e, and the operating body 3e is required.
There was still room for improvement in terms of operability because it caused a heavy operation of the. In particular, in the above-mentioned conventional one, when the cam plate 95 is used for a long period of time, a concave groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate 95 due to frictional contact with the inner wire 2c. Inner wire 2c in groove
However, there is a problem that the operation of the operating body 3e becomes heavier due to the engagement of the.

In the above-mentioned conventional one, since the actual pulling amount of the inner wire 2c is smaller than the rotation angle of the operating body 3e, the rotation of the operating body 3e is originally caused by the action of the boosting mechanism. It should be possible to reduce the operating torque.
However, in reality, as described above, the cam plate 95 is
Due to the large friction resistance between the inner wire 2c and
It has been difficult to reduce the rotational operation torque of the operating body 3e.

As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, for example, instead of the above-mentioned conventional one, for example, a boosting mechanism (or a reduction mechanism) utilizing a planetary gear mechanism is used to perform a large turning operation of the operating body. A means of converting the angle into a small amount of movement of the operation cable is also conceivable. However, since such a planetary gear mechanism requires a large number of gears, such as disposing the planetary gear around the outer periphery of the sun gear, the whole mechanism becomes complicated and large-sized. In particular, if such a mechanism is mounted on the outside of the handlebar, there is a problem that the entire mechanism largely protrudes from the handlebar and the appearance of the mechanism is deteriorated, and the above problems cannot be appropriately eliminated.

The present invention has been devised under such circumstances, and the rotational operability of the operating body is deteriorated due to the frictional resistance of the operating cable or the like, or the entire device is extremely damaged. The operation cable can be pulled or extended by a small dimension by the large rotation operation angle of the operation body without causing a problem such as a large scale, thereby improving the operability of the gear shifting operation of the bicycle transmission. The task is to make things happen.

[0012]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a bicycle gear shifting operation device including an inner wire operating mechanism for pulling and unwinding an inner wire of an operation cable of a bicycle transmission by rotating an operating body. When the inner wire is towed or unwound by the operating mechanism, the outer cable of the operation cable is moved along the same direction as the inner wire is towed or unwound with a dimension smaller than the moving dimension of the inner wire. It is characterized in that it is provided with an outer cable operating means.

In the present invention, the operating body may be a grip having a substantially cylindrical shape that is fitted on the handlebar of the bicycle. The inner wire operating mechanism includes an inner wire connecting portion for connecting one end of the inner wire to the operating body or a member that rotates in conjunction with the operating body, and an inner wire connecting portion connected to the inner wire connecting portion. The inner wire may be configured to have a wire reel portion for winding and guiding the inner wire when the inner wire is pulled.

In the present invention, when the operation body is rotated to pull the inner wire of the operation cable of the bicycle transmission or to extend the inner wire, the outer cable operating means changes the outer cable of the operation cable to the inner wire. In order to move the inner wire along the same direction as the pulling or unwinding direction of the inner wire with a dimension smaller than the moving dimension of this inner wire, the substantial pulling or unwinding dimension of the inner wire is reduced by the dimension that the outer cable moves. Become. That is, a bicycle transmission is generally configured to perform a gear shifting operation in accordance with the pulling dimension of the inner wire facing the outer cable, and when the outer cable is fixed, The transmission performs a gear shifting operation corresponding only to the pulling dimension of the inner wire. Unlike this, when the outer cable moves in the same direction as the inner wire in the same direction as the inner wire, the transmission does not move. The gear shift operation corresponds to the dimensional difference between the pulling dimension of the outer cable and the pulling dimension of the inner wire.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is necessary to pull the inner wire a large amount by the size of movement of the outer cable. As a result, it is possible to increase the operation rotation angle of the operating body, which is necessary for surely performing the speed change operation of the transmission one step by pulling or extending the operation cable. For this reason, even when the winding diameter of the operation cable of the transmission cannot be reduced, for example, when the operation body is of a grip type that is externally fitted to the handlebar of the bicycle, the operation body can be operated at a large angle. By rotating the bicycle, it is possible to surely shift the transmission of the bicycle step by step and improve the operability.

Further, in the present invention, when the operating body is rotated as described above, the substantial pulling amount or extending amount of the inner wire is smaller than the rotating operation amount of the operating body. Therefore, the gear shift operating device according to the present invention becomes a booster mechanism, and the rotational operation torque required to pull the inner wire can be reduced. On the other hand, in the present invention, unlike the prior art, the inner wire is not pulled by forcibly pulling the inner wire by the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate. The inner wire does not generate a large frictional resistance force with other members. Therefore,
The rotating operation torque required for pulling the inner wire can be made smaller than before, and the operation of the operating body can be made lighter, and the operability can be significantly improved.

Further, in the present invention, the outer cable operating means for moving the outer cable at the same time as the inner wire is provided, but the outer cable operating means is different from the means adopting the planetary gear mechanism, for example. It is possible to easily and compactly manufacture without requiring parts such as large and small gears. Therefore, according to the present invention, by forming the shift operation device as a whole in a small size, even when the device is attached to the handlebar or the like, the entire device is largely projected from the handlebar or the like in an unclean state. The advantage that it can be avoided as much as possible is also obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer cable operating means includes a swing arm having a support portion at one end for directly or indirectly supporting the outer cable, and a swing arm of the swing arm. A cam plate that rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the operating body while contacting a cam follower attached to the swing arm so that one end of the inner wire swings in the same direction as the pulling or unwinding direction of the inner wire. It can be configured as.

According to this structure, when the operating body rotates and the inner wire is pulled or unwound, the cam plate rotates in conjunction with the rotating operation of the operating body, so that the cam is rotated. A swing arm having a cam follower that abuts the plate can be swung, and the outer cable supported by the support portion at one end of the swing arm can be moved along the same direction as the inner wire pulling or unwinding direction. It can be moved. Therefore, it is possible to cause the outer cable to perform a predetermined operation with a simple configuration using a swing arm having these cam followers, a cam plate, etc., and it is easy to manufacture, and all the predetermined operations of the outer cable are performed. It can be performed in conjunction with the rotating operation of the operating body. Therefore, the predetermined operation of the outer cable can be performed reliably and accurately. Of course, there is no need for the bicycle user to perform special operations.

Further, according to the above construction, the moving dimension of the outer cable can be set by the cam shape of the cam plate. Therefore, for example, it is possible to arbitrarily set such that the moving amount of the outer cable gradually increases as the rear derailleur is sequentially switched from the top gear to the low gear. That is, in the rear derailleur set to top normal, the force of the inner wire being pulled toward the rear derailleur increases as the gears are sequentially shifted from the top gear to the low gear.
There is a tendency to have to increase the force required to pull the inner wire, but if the outer cable movement amount is set to gradually increase as described above, the boosting function of the booster mechanism will be exerted accordingly. That means
The force required to pull the inner wire can be reduced. As a result, the rotating operation torque for rotating the operating body can be made uniform, and the operability can be further improved.

As another preferred embodiment of the present invention,
The operating body is provided with a positioning member provided so as not to rotate interlockingly with the operating body, and the operating body or a member that rotates in conjunction with the operating body has the operating body at a plurality of desired rotational angle positions. It is possible to employ a structure in which engaging means that can be engaged and disengaged is provided in each of a plurality of engaging portions provided in the positioning member so that the positioning member can be positioned and held.

According to such a structure, the engaging means provided on the operating body or a member that rotates in conjunction with the operating body each time the transmission performs a desired speed change operation,
By engaging with the engaging portion of the positioning member, the operation body can be positioned and fixed. Therefore, the operation cable can be fixed, and the transmission can be held at a desired gear position.

Further, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning member is rotated within a predetermined angle range along the same direction as the rotating direction of the operating body so that the bicycle transmission can be overshifted. It can be configured to be movable. According to such a configuration, when the operation cable is pulled to cause the transmission to perform the speed change operation, the engagement means provided on the operating body or the member that rotates in conjunction with the operating body is used as the positioning member. In a state in which it is engaged with a predetermined engaging portion, the operation body is swung by a predetermined angle together with the positioning member, and the inner wire of the operation cable is pulled more than the pulling amount necessary for the gear shifting operation of the transmission. It is possible to provide an overshift function to do so. Therefore, the shift operation of the transmission can be ensured by this overshift function.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
A specific description will be given with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of a bicycle gear shifting operation device to which the present invention is applied. Figure 2
It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state which operated the gear shift operating device for bicycles shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part cut along arrow I in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of a main part taken along the line II of FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the bicycle gear shift operating device shown in FIG. 1.

1 and 3, the bicycle gear shift operation device is provided in the vicinity of the right grip 10 of the handlebar 1 made of metal pipe, and shifts to a rear derailleur RD as shown in FIG. 6, for example. It is for making This rear derailleur RD is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a rear gear R composed of eight stages of freewheels R1 to R8 attached to a hub 14 of a rear wheel of a bicycle.
The chain C is switched between G (note that
FIG. 7 also shows a front gear FG including three-stage chain wheels F1 to F3, which will be described later).

In FIG. 6, the rear derailleur RD is shown.
Is provided with a pantograph link mechanism 16 attached to the bicycle frame, a guide pulley 17 supported by the pantograph link mechanism 16, a tension pulley 18 arranged below the guide pulley 17, and the like. The guide pulley 17 is for moving along the width direction of the bicycle by the operation of the pantograph link mechanism 16, thereby moving the chain C in the width direction of the bicycle. In addition, the tension pulley 18
Is for loosening the chain C below the guide pulley 17. One end of the outer cable 2b of the operation cable 2 is fixedly connected to the outer receiver 15a provided on the base member 15 of the pantograph link mechanism 16, and a bracket piece provided on the swing link of the pantograph link mechanism 16 is provided. One end of the inner wire 2a of the operation cable 2 is fixedly connected to 16a.

The pantograph link mechanism 16 is provided with a spring (not shown) for elastically urging the guide pulley 17 so that the guide pulley 17 is always disposed below the top gear R1. This rear derailleur RD is a top normal. Is set to. Therefore, when the inner wire 2a is pulled toward the shift operation device for a bicycle, the chain C
Are sequentially switched from the first gear top gear R1 to the eighth gear low gear R8. The inner wire 2a is always connected to the rear derailleur R.
A tensile force (spring force) in the direction of returning to the D side acts. Therefore, due to this spring force, the inner wire 2
When “a” is pulled toward the rear derailleur RD and fed out, the chain C is switched in the opposite direction to the above.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bicycle gear shift operation device according to the present embodiment has an operating body 3 rotatably fitted to the right end 1a of the handlebar 1, and an operating body 2 fitted to the operating body 3.
A set of cam plates 4A and 4B, a positioning plate 5 that is fitted between the cam plates 4A and 4B and is fitted onto the operating body 3;
These positioning plates 5 and the cam plates 4A and 4B form a spring body 6 for forming a click mechanism, a swing arm 7 that supports a cable guide 21 connected to the end of the outer cable 2b of the operation cable 2, A pair of upper and lower housing covers 8A, 8 for accommodating and protecting each component
B, and other components described below are provided.

FIG. 8A is a front view of the operating body 3, and FIG. 8B is a partial cross-sectional side view thereof. The operating body 3 has a through hole 30 so that it can be fitted onto the handlebar 1, and the overall shape is a grip type which is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a flange 31 at the center in the longitudinal direction. Is configured as one. On the outer peripheral surface of the rear tubular portion 32 of the operating body 3, a plurality of convex portions 33 are formed along the axial direction of the operating body 3. These convex portions 33 are
As shown in FIG. 4, when a cylindrical operating grip 11 made of synthetic rubber or the like is externally fitted to the rear tubular portion 32 of the operating body 3, it is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the operating grip 11. It is for fitting the existing spline groove 11a.
As a result, the operating body 3 and the operating grip 11 are fitted in a state in which they cannot rotate relative to each other. As a result, when the operating grip 11 is rotated, the operating body 3 rotates around the handlebar accordingly. .

A protrusion 34 is provided on the flange 31. The protrusion 34 moves in accordance with the turning operation of the operating body 3, and serves as an indicator that indicates the gear position number (not shown) of the rear derailleur RD displayed on the outer surface of the upper housing cover 8A. Fulfill the purpose.

In addition, the operating body 3 has a front tubular portion 35 on the front side of the collar portion 31, and a wire reel portion for guiding the winding of the inner wire 2a at the tip thereof. 36 is formed with a predetermined width W.

FIG. 9A shows the pair of cam plates 4A and 4A.
9 is a plan view showing one of the cam plates 4A of FIG.
(B) is the front view. The cam plate 4A has a hole 43 so that the cam plate 4A can be fitted into the front cylindrical portion 35 of the operating body 3.
Is formed in the shape of a hollow disc. On the inner peripheral surface of the hole portion 43, the projection portion 41 which is fitted into and engaged with the concave groove portions 37a and 37b formed in the front tubular portion 35 of the operating body 3.
a and 41b are formed. Therefore, the cam plate 4A is externally fitted to the operating body 3 while being engaged with the operating body 3 in a non-rotatable manner, and rotates in conjunction with the operating body 3.

On one side surface of the cam plate 4A, an inner wire connecting portion 40 for inserting one end of the inner wire 2a and locking the nipple 22 is formed. Therefore, in the assembled state shown in FIG. 1, the inner wire 2a can be pulled and extended by rotating the operating body 3 and interlockingly rotating the cam plate 4A. Further, the pulled inner wire 2a can be appropriately wound up along the outer peripheral surface of the wire reel portion 36 of the operation body 3.

Further, in FIG. 9, on the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate 4A, the cam surface 42 in which the radius of curvature r from the center point O1 of the cam plate 4A continuously changes is within a predetermined angle α. Is formed by. The cam surface 42 is for guiding the swing of the swing arm 7. Other,
The cam plate 4A also has a hole portion 44 and the like into which a metal ball 60 described later is fitted.

Of the pair of cam plates 4A and 4B, the other cam plate 4B is the inner wire connecting portion 4 described above.
Except for the fact that 0 is not formed, the one cam plate 4
It has the same size and shape as A, and a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 10 (a) is a front view of the positioning plate 5, and FIG. 10 (b) is a side view thereof. The positioning plate 5 is formed in a hollow disc shape having a hole 50 so that the positioning plate 5 can be fitted into the front cylindrical portion 35 of the operating body 3. The positioning plate 5 is provided with, for example, eight engaging holes 52a to 52h in total. These engagement holes 52a to 52h serve as click holes for holding the rear derailleur RD in a desired gear shift operation. Among these, the engagement hole 52a is the rear gear R.
First with chain C hung on G's freewheel R1
Corresponding to the speed, the engaging hole 52b has a free wheel R2.
It corresponds to the second speed with chain C hung on. Similarly, each of the engagement holes 52c to 52h corresponds to each of the third to eighth speeds applied to the free wheels R3 to R8.

Unlike the pair of cam plates 4A and 4B, the positioning plate 5 is different from the pair of cam plates 4A and 4B in the concave groove portions 37a and 37a of the operating body 3.
37b is not engaged and is externally fitted to the operating body 3 so as not to rotate in conjunction with the operating body 3. A fixing pin 80 attached to the lower housing cover 8B is engaged with the cutout recess 51 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the positioning plate 5, whereby the rotation of the positioning plate 5 is stopped. However, the fixing pin 80 has a smaller dimension than the width of the notch recess 51, and the positioning plate 5 is rotatable in the direction of the arrow b within the range of the gap λ. This enables the overshift operation described later.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line X1-X1 of FIG. 4, and the click mechanism is constituted by the pair of cam plates 4A and 4B, the positioning plate 5, the spring body 6, and the metal balls 60 and 60. Is shown. As shown in the figure, the front tubular portion 35 of the operating body 3 includes a pair of cam plates 4A and 4B.
Each of these members is externally fitted in such a manner that the positioning plate 5 is sandwiched between them, but the snap ring 49 is locked and mounted in the locking groove 38 of the operating body 3 so that the operating body 3 Positioning and holding of each member in the long axis direction is performed.

The spring body 6 is, for example, entirely made of metal and includes a pair of facing pieces 61, 61 facing each other. The spring body 6 is provided in each hole 43 of the cam plates 4A and 4B.
Further, it is arranged in the hole 50 of the positioning plate 5, and is arranged inside the snap ring 49, and then fitted into the concave groove portion 37c of the operation body 3 and attached to the operation body 3. The pair of facing pieces 61, 61 of the spring body 6 are formed so as to exert a spring force in the directions facing each other, and inside of these, two metal pieces as an example of the engaging body according to the invention of the present application are formed. Balls 60, 60 are arranged. The metal balls 60, 60 are fitted in the holes 44 of the pair of cam plates 4A, 4B, and are pressed by the facing pieces 61, 61 of the spring body 6 in the direction of arrow c for positioning. The plate 5 is engaged with any of the engaging holes 52a to 52h.

That is, in the click mechanism shown in FIG. 11, when the operating body 3 rotates, the pair of cam plates 4A and 4B, the spring body 6, and the metal balls 60 and 6 are accompanied by this.
0 rotates together with the operating body 3. On the other hand, the positioning plate 5 does not rotate in conjunction with the operating body 3. Therefore, for example, when the balls 60, 60 are engaged in the engaging holes 52a of the positioning plate 5, the cam plate 4 is
The balls 60, 60 are disengaged from the engagement holes 52a as the A, 4B, etc. rotate, and the adjacent engagement holes 5a are formed.
It is possible to engage with 2b. Similarly, the balls 60, 60 are sequentially inserted into the other engaging holes 52c to 52h.
Can be engaged and disengaged.

FIG. 12 (a) is a plan view of the swing arm 7 and FIG. 12 (b) is a side view thereof. The swing arm 7 has a support portion 70 for supporting the outer cable 2b at one end portion 7a thereof. The support portion 70 is configured, for example, by forming a through hole 70b in a flat plate portion 70a provided at the one end portion 7a of the swing arm 7, and connecting the outer cable 2b to the through hole 70b. The outer cable 2b is indirectly supported by the one end portion 7a of the swing arm 7 by inserting and inserting the protruding portion 21a at the tip of the cable guide 21. However, in the present invention, one end of the outer cable 2b may be directly connected to and supported by the swing arm 7.

The other end 7b of the swing arm 7 is provided with holes 71, 71 for inserting the fixing pin 80 attached to the lower housing cover 8B. That is, in the swing arm 7, the fixing pins 80 are inserted into the holes 71, 71 of the one end 7b of the swing arm 7, so that the cam plates 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4B, 4A, 4B, 4A, 4B, 4A, 4B, 4A, 4B, and 4C are shown.
Below the B and the positioning plate 5, the fixing pin 80
It is attached so that it can be swung in the vertical direction around the center.

Further, a cam follower 73 supported by a shaft 72 is provided at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the swing arm 7.
Is installed. The cam follower 73 has two roller portions 73a and 73b which are integral or separate, and between the two roller portions 73a and 73b,
A groove portion 74 having a predetermined width is formed. The roller portion 73
a and 73b are, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of cam plates 4A,
It is arranged so as to abut each cam surface 42 of 4B. In this case, a part of the outer peripheral edge of the positioning plate 5 can be fitted in the groove portion 74 of the cam follower 73, whereby the cam follower 73 is inadvertently displaced in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction of the handlebar 1). Can be prevented.
Therefore, the cam follower 73 can be accurately and appropriately brought into contact with the cam surfaces 42 of the cam plates 4A and 4B.

A spring 75 is attached to the fixed pin 80, which serves as a swing fulcrum of the swing arm 7. And
As shown in FIG. 1, the one end portion 75a of the spring 75 comes into contact with the bottom portion 81 of the lower housing cover 8B, so that the swing arm 7 is always elastically biased upward.
Therefore, by the elastic force of the spring 75, the cam follower 73 of the swing arm 7 can be more surely brought into contact with the cam surfaces 42 of the cam plates 4A and 4B. However, in the present invention, when pulling the inner wire 2a of the operation cable 2 upward, a certain amount of upward pulling force also acts on the outer cable 2b accordingly, and as a result, the one end portion 74a of the swing arm 7 is raised. Since a force that causes the cam follower 73 to come into contact with the cam surface 42 is generated, the cam follower 73 can be brought into contact with the cam surface 42 without necessarily providing the spring 74.

As described above, as a result of the cam follower 73 of the swing arm 7 contacting the cam surfaces 42 of the cam plates 4A and 4B, the cam plates 4A and 4B in the assembled state shown in FIG.
Is rotated in the direction of the arrow a2, the swing arm 7 is moved.
Follows the change of the radius of curvature r of the cam surface 42 at the position where the cam follower 73 comes into contact, and swings vertically with the fixing pin 80 as a fulcrum. The cam plate 4A,
Each cam surface 42 of 4B has one end 7a of the swing arm 7 when the inner wire 2a is pulled upward and pulled toward the speed change operating device by rotating the operating body 3 in the direction of arrow d. By being raised, the outer cable 2b is set to be pulled upward with a size smaller than the pulling amount of the inner wire 2a.
Obviously, when the operating body 3 is rotated in the opposite direction to the one in which the inner wire 2a that was previously pulled out is extended to the rear derailleur RD side, the swing arm 7
By lowering one end 7b of the outer cable 2b, the outer cable 2b is extended toward the rear derailleur RD by a dimension smaller than the extension dimension of the inner wire 2a.

In FIG. 5, the pair of upper and lower housing covers 8A and 8B are concave space portions 8a and 8a for accommodating desired parts such as the swing arm 7 and the cam surface 42 therein.
8b is formed. These housing covers 8A, 8
B is made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin, but the upper housing cover 8A may be made of transparent synthetic resin so that the inside of the housing covers 8A and 8B can be seen through from the outside.

On the other hand, two openings 83, 83a are formed on the bottom surface of the lower housing cover 8B with the bottom 81 interposed therebetween. One of the openings 83 is for inserting the operation cable 2 into the housing covers 8A and 8B from below. The other opening 83 is
This is because the pair of housing covers 8A and 8B can also be used as a gear shift operation device for a front derailleur, which will be described later and is attached to the left side of the handlebar 1.
The lower housing cover 8B also has supporting holes 80a, 80a for supporting the fixing pin 80 that serves as a fulcrum of the oscillating arm 7 and prevents the positioning plate 5 from rotating beyond a certain angle. Has been formed. These supporting holes 80
As for the a and 80a, as shown in FIG. 13 described later, the housing cover 8B is formed symmetrically by being provided on the lower housing cover 8B at each of two left and right positions. It is configured so that it can also be used as the gear shift operating device.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the principal part taken along the line X2-X2 of FIG. As shown in the figure, the housing cover 8
A bolt 84 penetrates through both A and 8B in series, and the housing covers 8A and 8B are connected to each other by tightening the bolt 84 and the nut member 84a. As a result, the housing covers 8A and 8B are attached to the handlebar 1 with the outer periphery of the handlebar 1 sandwiched therebetween. Further, in the lower housing cover 8B, for example, a set screw 88 is screwed into a hexagonal nut 87 which is fitted into the hole portion 86 provided in the cover 8B while being prevented from rotating, and the tip of the set screw 88 is attached. By pressing the handlebars 1 against each other, the pair of housing covers 8A and 8B are prevented from being unduly rotated around the handlebars.

In the bicycle gear shift operating device having the above-described structure, first, as shown in FIG. 1, the operating body 3 is not rotated yet and the inner wire 2a is not pulled by the gear shifting operating device. 2, the inner wire 2a whose one end is connected to the inner wire connecting portion 40 of the cam plate 4A which rotates in association with the operating body 3 when the inner wire 2a is rotated in the direction of the arrow d is the gear shifting operation device. Is pulled by a predetermined dimension L1. At this time, since the one end 7a of the swing arm 7 rises as the cam plates 4A and 4B rotate, the outer cable 2b also has a predetermined length shorter than the dimension L1 in the same direction as the inner wire 2a. It will be moved by the dimension L2.

When the above operation is performed, the pulling dimension L of the inner wire 2a facing the outer cable 2b becomes the difference in pulling dimension between the inner wire 2a and the outer cable 2b, and L = L1-L2 is there. Therefore, even though the inner wire 2a is pulled by the dimension L1 by the rotation of the operating body 3, in the rear derailleur RD, the difference L () between the pulling dimension of the inner wire 2a and the moving dimension of the outer cable 2b. = L1-L
The same gear shifting operation is performed as when the inner wire 2a is pulled by a size corresponding to 2).

Therefore, even if the rear derailleur RD shifts gears one step at a time by pulling the operation cable C by a slight dimension, the bicycle user can operate the operation body 3 at a very small angle. It is not necessary to rotate the operation body 3 at a large rotation angle, and it is possible to cause the rear derailleur RD to perform the gear shifting operation step by step. As a result, it is possible to give a certain degree of moderation to the operation of the operating body 3. An operating body 3 for causing the rear derailleur RD to perform a gear shifting operation step by step
When the rotation angle of the rear derailleur RD is small, for example, when the rear derailleur RD is desired to be shifted from the first speed to the second speed,
Although it is easy to make an operation error such that the gear is excessively rotated to shift to the third speed, such an operation error can be reduced.

Further, as described above, in the above-described gear shift operating device, the inner wire 2a is rotated by rotating the operating body 3.
Rear derailleur R
Actually, D only performs the shift operation of the work amount equal to that the inner wire 2a is pulled by the smaller dimension L (= L1-L2). For this reason, the transmission device exhibits the function of the booster mechanism, and the rotational operation torque of the operation body 3 required to pull the inner wire 2a can be reduced. Therefore, the operability of the operating body 3 can be further improved.

The boosting mechanism of the speed change device is based on the principle of moving the outer cable 2b by interlocking it with the inner wire 2a. The inner cable 2b moves when the outer cable 2b moves. A large resistance force that hinders the pulling of 2a does not occur. The inner wire 2a is pulled by the cam plate 4A that rotates in conjunction with the operating body 3, and a part of the inner wire 2a corresponding to the pulling dimension is along the outer peripheral surface of the wire reel portion 36 of the operating body 3. It's just a winding guide. Therefore, the inner wire 2a does not slide on the wire reel portion 36, and a large frictional resistance is not generated between them. Therefore, the rotational operation torque of the operating body 3 necessary for pulling the inner wire 2a does not become unduly large, and the boosting function of the boosting mechanism is fully exerted to allow the operating body 3 to operate. It is possible to ensure smooth rotation operability.

On the other hand, when the operating body 3 is sequentially rotated, the balls 60, 60 fitted in the holes 44 of the cam plates 4A, 4B move relative to the positioning plate 5.
During the movement, each ball 60 moves from the engaging hole 52a of the positioning plate 5 to the other engaging holes 52b to 52h.
Will be engaged and disengaged in each order. That is, since the engaging holes 52a to 52h of the positioning plate 5 are provided so as to correspond to the gear shifting operation of the rear derailleur RD, each ball 60 is provided when the rear derailleur RD is in the first gear position. To the engaging hole 51a, and to the engaging hole 51b in the case of the second speed.
Each ball 60 is adapted to be engaged with one of the engaging holes 52a to 52h corresponding to the gear shifting operation of the rear derailleur. Therefore, these balls 60 and the engaging holes 52
By engaging with a to 52h, the cam plates 4A, 4B and the operating body 3 can be positioned at a desired rotation angle, and the rear derailleur RD can be held at a desired gear position.

When the operation of shifting the rear derailleur to the desired gear position is completed and the bicycle user releases the operating grip 11 fitted on the operating body 3,
The cam plate 4A to which the inner wire 2a is connected,
The pulling force of the inner wire 2a acts on the rear derailleur RD side. Therefore, in the normal time when the gear shift operation is not performed, as shown in FIG.
A rotational force in the direction of the arrow e acts on the positioning plate 5 fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the positioning plate 5, and one end of the cutout recess 51 has an inner peripheral surface 51.
It is stable when a is in contact with the fixed pin 80.

Next, for example, when the ball 60 is engaged in the engaging hole 52a of the positioning plate 5 and the gear position of the rear derailleur RD is set to the first speed, the operating body 3 is rotated to rotate the operating cable. When pulling 2 and shifting to the second speed, the following operation is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the ball 60 is inserted into the engaging hole 5
When it is disengaged from 2a and engaged in the next engagement hole 52b, the other end inner peripheral surface 51 of the notch recess 51 of the positioning plate 5 is engaged.
The positioning plate 5 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow f to the position where b comes into contact with the fixing pin 80. Therefore, if the positioning plate 5 can be rotated excessively in this way, the cam plates 4A, 4B and the operating body 3 which are engaged with the positioning plate 5 via the balls 60 can also be rotated excessively. Therefore, the inner wire 2a of the operation cable 2 can be pulled a little more than the pulling amount required for the gear shifting operation of the rear derailleur.

As a result, when the operating cable 2 is towed to change the chain C (gear change), the chain C is pulled by pulling the operating cable 2 in excess of the amount required for a desired gear change. A so-called overshift function is obtained in which the chain C can be reliably transferred to the second-speed freewheel R2 after being moved to a position beyond the second-speed freewheel R2, and this function allows a gear change. Can be performed accurately.

When the ball 60 is engaged in the engaging hole 52b and then the hand is released from the operating grip 11,
After all, the pulling force of the inner wire 2a (Rear derailleur R
The spring force of D) causes the positioning plate 5 to move to the position shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the motor rotates a little in the direction of arrow g. Then, one end inner peripheral surface 51a of the cutout recess 51 abuts the fixing pin 80 and the positioning plate 5 stops, so that the chain C is held at a position accurately corresponding to the free wheel R2. The above-described overshift function is obtained not only in the case of shifting from the first speed to the second speed, but also in any case of sequentially decelerating from the second speed to the eighth speed.

By the way, the rear derailleur RD tries to return the chain C to the small-diameter top gear R1 side as the operation cable 2 is pulled by the gear shift operation device and the gear change from the top gear R1 to the low gear R8 is performed. The spring force of the pantograph link mechanism 16 is increased. Therefore, essentially, as the gear change from the top gear R1 to the low gear R8 is performed, the operation torque required to rotate the operating body 3 increases, and the rotational operation of the operating body 3 becomes heavy.

On the other hand, in the gear shift operation device, the cam plate 4 for causing the swing arm 7 to swing.
By setting the contour shape of each cam surface 42 of A and 4B to a predetermined shape, the larger the pulling dimension of the inner wire 2a, the more the ratio of the pulling dimension of the outer cable 2b to the pulling dimension of the inner wire 2a. It is possible to increase. With such a setting, as the operating body 3 is rotated by a larger angle in the direction of the arrow d, the rotation operating angle of the operating body 3 required to pull the operating cable 2 by a certain size must be increased. .

Specifically, the mutual intervals θ1 to θ7 of the engaging holes 52a to 52h of the positioning plate 5 shown in FIG. 10 are not constant, and among these, θ2 to θ7 are set to, for example, θ.
It is possible to set the relationship of 2 <θ3 <θ4 <θ5 <θ6 <θ7. Then, if the rotation angle of the operating body 3 required to pull the operating cable 2 by a certain amount increases in this way, the operating torque required for rotating the operating body 3 can be reduced to the contrary.

As a result, as the rear derailleur is decelerated from the second speed to the eighth speed, the resistance force itself due to the spring force when pulling the operation cable 2 increases, but the operating body 3 is rotated accordingly. Therefore, the rotation operation angle can be increased and the boosting action can be amplified, and as a result, the operation torque required for the rotation operation of the operation body 3 can be made uniform. Therefore, the operability of the operating body 3 can be further improved.

15 and 16 show a second embodiment of a bicycle gear shifting operation device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part. 16 is a semi-cut sectional view of an essential part taken along the arrow III in FIG.

This bicycle gear shift operation device is provided in the vicinity of the left grip 10a of the handlebar 1 to which the bicycle gear shift operation device of the first embodiment described above is attached, and pulls and extends the operation cable 2A. By doing so, the front derailleur FD shown in FIG. 7 is caused to perform a shift operation. This front derailleur FD includes three chain wheels F1 of a front gear FG rotated by crank arms 14a, 14a.
The chain C is switched between F3 and F3, and is provided with, for example, a shifter 25 for pushing the chain C laterally (width direction of the bicycle), a link mechanism 26 for operating the shifter 25, and the like. Is configured.

The front derailleur FD is set to low normal, and the chain C is set to the first speed by pulling the operation cable 2A connected to the front derailleur FD toward the bicycle gear shifting operation device. Low gear F1 to top gear F3 as the third speed
It is designed to switch to the side. Conversely, when the operation cable 2A is extended to the front derailleur FD side, the chain C is switched in the opposite direction to the above.

However, in the front derailleur FD, like the rear derailleur RD, which has also been described above, the chain C changing operation is not performed in accordance with the pulling dimension of the inner wire 2a of the operation cable 2A.
It is made in correspondence with the pulling dimension of the inner wire 2a facing the outer cable 2b.

The basic structure of the bicycle gear shifting operation device according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the bicycle gear shifting operation device according to the first embodiment described above, except for the positioning plate 5A described later. Parts such as the body 3, the cam plates 4A and 4B, the spring body 6, the ball 60, the swing arm 7, and the housing covers 8A and 8B are the same as those of the first embodiment. . The assembly structure of each of these parts is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, although it is bilaterally symmetric.

Therefore, also in this bicycle gear shift operation device, the front derailleur FD is made to shift gears one step at a time by rotating the operating body 3 to pull and pull out the operation cable 2A. You can Further, in that case, a boosting action can be exerted by moving the outer cable 2b in conjunction with the inner wire 2a, increasing the rotation operation angle of the operating body 3 and further rotating the operating body 3. It is possible to reduce the operating torque required for the dynamic operation.

In this embodiment, the positioning plates 5A for positioning the cam plates 4A, 4B and the operating body 3 are
It has the following structure. That is, FIG. 17 (a)
As shown in FIG. 10, the positioning plate 5A is formed in the shape of a hollow disk like the positioning plate 5 shown in FIG. 10, and the lower housing cover 8B is formed on a part of the outer periphery thereof.
A cutout concave portion 51 is formed through which a fixing pin 80 fixedly attached to is inserted. However, the positioning plate 5A is merely provided with two engagement holes 52i and 52k. One of these engagement holes 52i
Corresponds to the chain wheel F1 corresponding to the first speed of the front gear FG, and the other engaging hole 52k corresponds to the chain wheel F3 corresponding to the third speed.

Further, these two engaging holes 52i, 52
curved T-shaped notch 54 provided between the two
A movable plate 53, which is formed separately from the positioning plate 5A, is fitted in the. The movable plate 53 has a shape substantially similar to the cutout portion 54, but its width S2 is
The size is set to be smaller than the width S3 of the cutout portion 54, and the cutout portion 54 can move within the predetermined size range within the cutout portion 54. The movable plate 53 has an engaging hole 5 corresponding to the chain wheel F2 corresponding to the second speed of the front gear.
2j is provided.

In the structure in which the movable plate 53 and the positioning plate 5A are combined, the following operation is performed. That is, for example, when the gear position of the front derailleur FD is set to the first speed and the ball 60 held by the cam plates 4A and 4B is engaged with the engagement hole 52i, the operating body 3 is rotated. Move the cam plates 4A and 4B to the arrow h
When the ball 60 is swung in the direction, the ball 60 is engaged with the engaging hole 52i.
The movable plate 5 is removed from the movable plate 5 as shown in FIG.
3 can be engaged in the engaging hole 52j. When the ball 60 is engaged in the engagement hole 51j in this manner, the movable plate 53 is moved to the cam plates 4A and 4B until the one end portion 53a of the movable plate 53 contacts the one end inner wall surface 55a of the positioning plate 5A. Can be moved in the same direction (direction of arrow h). Further, when the movable plate 53 is brought into contact with the one end inner wall surface 55a of the positioning plate 5A in this manner, the positioning plate 5A is moved to the position where the one end inner peripheral surface 51c of the cutout recess 51 abuts the fixed pin 80. It is possible to further rotate along the h direction.

Therefore, the cam plates 4A and 4B and the operating body 3 are excessively rotated by the total angle of the moving angle of the movable plate 53 and the rotating angle of the positioning plate 5A, and the operation cable 2A is rotated. Can be towed more than the towed amount required for a desired gear shift. That is,
When shifting from the first speed to the second speed, it is possible to perform an overshift with a large dimension amount.

Generally, a multi-stage front gear F of a bicycle
For G, the chain wheel F1 as a low gear is formed to have a considerably smaller diameter than other chain wheels F2 and F3 of the second speed and the third speed because it makes it easier to travel on a steep slope. Is customary. With such a front gear, it is more difficult to shift from the first speed to the second speed than to shift from the second speed to the third speed.

However, as described above, if the amount of overshift at the time of shifting from the first speed to the second speed can be increased, this shifting operation can be appropriately and reliably performed.

When the gear shifting to the second speed is completed and the operating grip 11 fitted on the operating body 3 is released, as shown in FIG. 17C, the operation cable 2A is pulled. The force causes the movable plate 53 and the positioning plate 5A to return in the direction of arrow i and stabilize. Therefore, chain C
Will be held in a position exactly corresponding to the chain wheel F2.

Next, when the ball 60 engaged in the engaging hole 52j is further moved to the next engaging hole 52k and engaged therein, in the case of shifting from the first speed to the second speed described above. A large amount of overshift is not necessary, and the movable plate 53 does not exert the overshift action. However, even in this case, the notch recess 51 and the fixing pin 80
Since the positioning plate 5A can be rotated within the range of the gap λ1 between and, a proper overshift is possible, and the shift operation from the second speed to the third speed can be appropriately performed.

The specific construction of each part of the bicycle gear shift operation device according to the present invention is by no means limited to the above embodiments. In each of the above embodiments, the inner wire connecting portion 40 is provided on the cam plate 4A, but the inner wire connecting portion 40 may be provided on the operating body 3 or the like. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the wire reel portion 36 is provided on the operating body 3 so that the inner wire 2a can be wound around the wire reel portion 36.
May be provided in a member different from the operation body 3, for example. The point is that an inner wire operation mechanism capable of pulling and extending the inner wire of the operation cable of the bicycle transmission by rotating the operation body may be configured.

Further, the specific structure of the outer cable operating means of the present invention is not limited to the means using the swing arm 7 in any way. In the present invention, for example, the inner wire may be pulled by a member such as a swing arm, and in conjunction with this, the outer cable may be pulled by another cam member or the like. In short, when the inner wire is towed or unwound, the outer cable of the operation cable is moved along the same direction as the inner wire is towed or unwound with a size smaller than the moving size of the inner wire. The outer cable operating means may be provided.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the rear gear RG
8 derailleur RD or front gear FG
Although the gear shift operation device for use in gear shift operation of the three-stage front derailleur FD has been described as a specific example, the present invention is not limited to this. The invention of the present application may be configured as a speed change operation device applied to a speed change device having another number of gears or another type.

Further, although the above-mentioned embodiments are constructed as a so-called grip type gear shifting operation device in which the operating body is rotatably attached around the handlebar of the bicycle, the present invention is also limited to this. Not done. The present invention is also applicable to a case where the operating body is rotatably attached around another member other than the handlebar.

In addition, the specific construction of each part of the bicycle gear shifting operation device according to the present invention can be variously changed in design.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a bicycle gear shifting operation device to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a sectional view showing an example of a state in which the bicycle gear shift operating device shown in FIG. 1 is operated.

FIG. 3 is a semi-cut sectional view of an essential part taken along the line I of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of a main part taken along the arrow II in FIG.

5 is an exploded perspective view of the bicycle gear shift operating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of a rear derailleur.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an essential part showing an example of a front gear and a rear gear of a bicycle.

8A is a front view showing an example of an operating body, and FIG. 8B is a partial cross-sectional side view thereof.

9A is a plan view showing an example of a cam plate, and FIG. 9B is a front view thereof.

10A is a front view showing an example of a positioning plate, FIG.
(B) is the side view.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X1-X1 of FIG.

12A is a plan view showing an example of a swing arm, FIG.
(B) is the side view.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of main parts taken along line X2-X2 of FIG.

14A to 14C are explanatory views showing an operating state of a positioning plate.

FIG. 15 is a second shift operation device for a bicycle according to the present invention.
Sectional drawing which shows an Example.

16 is a cross-sectional view of main parts taken along the arrow III in FIG.

17 (a) to (c) are explanatory views showing an operating state of a positioning plate.

18 (a) and 18 (b) are explanatory views showing an example of a conventional bicycle gear shift operation device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Handlebar 2 Operation cable 2a Inner wire 2b Outer cable 3 Operation body 4A, 4B Cam plate 5, 5A Positioning plate 6 Spring body 7 Swing arm 36 Wire reel part 40 Inner wire connection part 52a-52k Engagement hole 60 Ball (Engagement body)

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A bicycle gear shifting operation device comprising an inner wire operating mechanism for pulling and unwinding an inner wire of an operation cable of a bicycle transmission by rotating an operating body, wherein the inner wire operating mechanism is used to perform inner operation. Outer cable operating means for moving the outer cable of the operation cable along the same direction as the direction in which the inner wire is pulled or unwound when the wire is towed or unwound with a dimension smaller than the moving dimension of the inner wire. A gear shift operation device for a bicycle, comprising: 2. The bicycle shift operating device according to claim 1, wherein the operating body is a grip having a substantially cylindrical shape that is externally fitted to a handlebar of the bicycle. 3. The inner wire operating mechanism includes an inner wire connecting portion for connecting one end of the inner wire to the operating body or a member that rotates in conjunction with the operating body, and the inner wire connecting portion. The shift operation device for a bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a wire reel portion for winding and guiding the connected inner wire when the inner wire is pulled. 4. The outer cable operating means comprises a swing arm having a support portion at one end for directly or indirectly supporting the outer cable, and one end of the swing arm connected to the inner wire. 2. A cam plate that rotates in conjunction with a rotational movement of the operating body while contacting a cam follower attached to the swing arm so as to swing along the same direction as the pulling or extending direction. 5. The bicycle gear shifting operation device according to any one of 1 to 3. 5. The operating body is provided with a positioning member provided so as not to rotate interlockingly with the operating body, and the operating body or a member which rotates in conjunction with the operating body has a desired operating body. The engaging means which can be engaged / disengaged is provided in each of the several engaging part provided in the said positioning member so that it can be positioned and hold | maintained at several rotational angle position. The bicycle gear shifting operation device described. 6. The engaging portion is an engaging hole provided at a plurality of positions in the positioning member, and the engaging means is held by the operating body or a member that rotates in conjunction with the operating body. The engaging body is elastically biased by a spring member in a direction in which it comes into contact with the positioning member so as to be freely engaged with and disengaged from the engaging hole. Bicycle gear shifting operation device. 7. The positioning member is rotatable in a predetermined angle range along the same direction as the rotating direction of the operating body so that the bicycle transmission can be overshifted. The bicycle gear shifting operation device according to.