Bicycle operating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450035-B2
Application number	US-201615263802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2016
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A bicycle operating device includes a support structure, a release member, a positioning ratchet and a position maintaining pawl. The release member is movable between first and second positions. The positioning ratchet has positioning ratchet teeth that establish predetermined positions. The position maintaining pawl is movable between a ratchet maintaining position and a ratchet releasing position. The position maintaining pawl includes a positioning portion, a holding portion, a release portion and a contact portion. The positioning portion moves away from the positioning ratchet, while the contact portion and the holding portion move toward the positioning ratchet teeth as the release member contacts and moves the release portion away from the release member as the release member moves in a releasing direction. The release portion moves away from the release member in response to movement of the positioning ratchet contacting and moving the contact portion away from the positioning ratchet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle operating device comprising:
a support structure;
a release member movably supported with respect to the support structure between a first position and a second position;
a positioning ratchet movably supported with respect to the support structure between a plurality of predetermined positions, the positioning ratchet including a plurality of positioning ratchet teeth; and
a position maintaining pawl movably supported with respect to the support structure between a ratchet maintaining position and a ratchet releasing position, the position maintaining pawl including a positioning portion, a holding portion, a release portion and a contact portion;
the positioning portion being arranged to move away from the positioning ratchet while the contact portion and the holding portion are configured to move toward the positioning ratchet teeth in response to movement of the release member contacting and moving the release portion away from the release member as the release member moves in a releasing direction between the first and second positions, and
the release portion being further arranged to move away from the release member in response to movement of the positioning ratchet contacting and moving the contact portion.

2. The bicycle operating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the position maintaining pawl includes a first pawl part and a second pawl part that moves with the first pawl part during at least a portion of the movement of the release member in the releasing direction, the first pawl part includes the positioning portion and the holding portion, the second pawl part includes the release portion and the contact portion.

3. The bicycle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first pawl part is a separate member from the second pawl part.

4. The bicycle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the contact portion of the second pawl part contacts the positioning ratchet prior to the holding portion of the first pawl part contacting the positioning ratchet upon the release member moving the release portion of the second pawl part in response to the movement of the release member in the releasing direction.

5. The bicycle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first pawl part and the second pawl part are configured to rotate together around a first pivot axis.

6. The bicycle operating device according to claim 5 , wherein
the second pawl part is configured to rotate independently from the first pawl part around a second pivot axis that is offset from the first pivot axis.

7. The bicycle operating device according to claim 6 , wherein
the first pawl part and the second pawl part rotate together around the first pivot axis upon the release member moving the release portion of the second pawl part in response to the movement of the release member in the releasing direction.

8. The bicycle operating device according to claim 7 , wherein
the second pawl part rotates independently from the first pawl part around the second pivot axis upon the positioning ratchet moving the contact portion of the second pawl part in response to the movement of the release member in the releasing direction.

9. The bicycle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the positioning ratchet is configured to rotate around a center rotational axis, and
the positioning ratchet is axially offset from the release member in an axial direction parallel to the center rotational axis.

10. The bicycle operating device according to claim 9 , wherein
the first pawl part is axially offset from the release member in the axial direction.

11. The bicycle operating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the release member is configured to rotate around a center rotational axis, and
the positioning ratchet is configured to rotate around the center rotational axis.

12. The bicycle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the release member is configured to rotate around a center rotational axis, and
the positioning ratchet is configured to rotate around the center rotational axis.

13. The bicycle operating device according to claim 12 , wherein
the first pawl part is configured to rotate around a first pivot axis; and
the second pawl part is mounted on the first pawl part to rotate relative to the first pawl part around a second pivot axis that is offset from the first pivot axis.

14. The bicycle operating device according to claim 13 , wherein
the first pawl part and the second pawl part rotate together around the first pivot axis in a direction away from the positioning ratchet and the release member, respectively, upon the release member moving the release portion of the second pawl part in response to the movement of the release member in the releasing direction.

15. The bicycle operating device according to claim 14 , wherein
the second pawl part rotates independently from the first pawl part around the second pivot axis upon the positioning ratchet contacting and moving the contact portion of the second pawl part away from the positioning ratchet in response to the movement of the release member in the releasing direction.

16. The bicycle operating device according to claim 13 , wherein
the holding portion is closer to the first pivot axis than the contact portion.

17. The bicycle operating device according to claim 13 , wherein
the release portion is closer to the first pivot axis than the positioning portion.

18. The bicycle operating device according to claim 13 , wherein
the holding portion is closer to the second pivot axis than the contact portion;
the release portion is closer to the second pivot axis than the holding portion; and
the positioning portion is closer to the second pivot axis than the release portion.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Kawakami Tatsuya

Classifications

• B62M25/04 Primary

  hand actuated · CPC title

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• B62M2025/003

  with gear indicating means, e.g. a display · CPC title