Hydraulic operating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358183-B2
Application number	US-201715685637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A hydraulic operating apparatus for a small vehicle, including a bicycle, comprises a housing, a piston, a mounting assembly, a lever, and a fluid reservoir tank. The housing includes a cylinder bore extending along a cylinder axis. The piston is movably disposed within the cylinder bore. The mounting assembly is configured to mount the housing to a handlebar of the small vehicle. The mounting assembly defines a handlebar mounting axis that is not perpendicular to the cylinder axis in a mounted state where the housing is mounted to the handlebar. The lever is pivotally mounted to the housing and configured to move the piston within the cylinder bore in response to a movement of the lever. The fluid reservoir tank has a lid opening. The lid opening is configured to face a center plane that passes through a geometric center of the handlebar and that is perpendicular to the handlebar mounting axis, in the mounted state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic operating apparatus for a small vehicle, the hydraulic operating apparatus comprising:
a housing including a cylinder bore extending along a cylinder axis;
a piston movably disposed within the cylinder bore of the housing;
a mounting assembly configured to mount the housing to a handlebar of the small vehicle, the mounting assembly defining a handlebar mounting axis that is non-perpendicular to the cylinder axis in a mounted state where the housing is mounted to the handlebar;
a fluid reservoir tank having a lid opening, the fluid reservoir tank defining a reservoir axis passing through the lid opening, the lid opening being configured to face a center plane that passes through a geometric center of the handlebar and that is perpendicular to the handlebar mounting axis, in the mounted state; and
a lever pivotally mounted to the housing and configured to move the piston within the cylinder bore in response to a movement of the lever, a free end of the lever facing away from the center plane in the mounted state.

2. A hydraulic operating apparatus for a small vehicle, the hydraulic operating apparatus comprising:
a piston;
a housing including:
a cylinder bore within which the piston is movably disposed; and
a hose attachment opening located at an end of the cylinder bore axially opposite the piston, the hose attachment opening being configured to connect to a hydraulic hose, the hose attachment opening being configured to face a reference plane;

a mounting assembly configured to mount the housing to a handlebar of the small vehicle, the mounting assembly defining a handlebar mounting axis in a mounted state where the housing is mounted to the handlebar;
a lever pivotally mounted to the housing and configured to move the piston within the cylinder bore in response to a movement of the lever; and
a fluid reservoir tank having a lid opening, the fluid reservoir tank defining a reservoir axis passing through the lid opening, the lid opening being configured to face the reference plane.

3. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the cylinder bore extends along a cylinder axis;
the handlebar mounting axis is non-perpendicular to the cylinder axis in the mounted state; and
the reference plane is a center plane that passes through a geometric center of the handlebar and that is perpendicular to the handlebar mounting axis, in the mounted state.

4. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the lid opening is located at an end of the fluid reservoir tank; and
the fluid reservoir tank has a bottom end opposite to the lid opening along the reservoir axis, the bottom end being farther from the center plane than the lid opening.

5. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a diaphragm that is disposed within the fluid reservoir tank so as to provide a hydraulic fluid chamber between the diaphragm and the fluid reservoir tank; and
a lid closing the lid opening of the fluid reservoir tank so as to provide an air chamber between the lid and the diaphragm, the lid including a vent that allows air into the air chamber.

6. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first port configured to communicate hydraulic fluid between the fluid reservoir tank and the cylinder bore.

7. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a bleed port; and
a second port configured to communicate hydraulic fluid between the fluid reservoir tank and the cylinder bore;
wherein:
the fluid reservoir tank includes the lid opening, the first port, the second port, and the bleed port without including any other openings; and
a central axis of the first port and a central axis of the second port each pass through the bleed port.

8. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid reservoir tank is cylindrical.

9. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a width of the lid opening is smaller than a length of the fluid reservoir tank in a direction of the reservoir axis.

10. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the reservoir axis of the fluid reservoir tank is parallel to or oblique to the cylinder axis of the cylinder bore.

11. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the reservoir axis of the fluid reservoir tank is oblique to the cylinder axis of the cylinder bore.

12. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the reservoir axis of the fluid reservoir tank is perpendicular to or oblique to the center plane.

13. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the reservoir axis of the fluid reservoir tank is oblique to the center plane.

14. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the reservoir axis of the fluid reservoir tank is parallel to or oblique to the handlebar mounting axis of the mounting assembly.

15. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the reservoir axis of the fluid reservoir tank is oblique to the handlebar mounting axis of the mounting assembly.

16. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the mounting assembly includes a first clamp part and a second clamp part, and the first clamp part is hingedly connected to the second clamp part.

17. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the first clamp part and the second clamp part are provided as separate members with respect to the housing.

18. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the mounting assembly includes a coupling part disposed on the housing so as to couple the first clamp part to the second clamp part.

19. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the small vehicle is a bicycle.

20. The hydraulic operating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the small vehicle is a bicycle.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Komada Yasuyuki
• Sakai Takuma
• Nakai Mototsugu

Classifications

• B60T7/102

  by means of a tilting lever · CPC title

• B62L3/023 Primary

  acting on fluid pressure systems · CPC title

• B60T11/22

  characterised by being integral with reservoir · CPC title

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• B62L3/00 Primary

  Brake-actuating mechanisms {(for back-pedalling brakes B62L5/00)}; Arrangements thereof · CPC title