Bicycle hydraulic actuating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434444-B2
Application number	US-201314075333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A bicycle hydraulic actuating device is provided with a housing, a non-linear piston and an operating member. The housing defines a chamber and has a fluid outlet. The non-linear piston is movably disposed in the chamber along a non-linear movement path between a first position and a second position. The operating member is operatively coupled to the non-linear piston so as to move the non-linear piston within the chamber between the first position and the second position in response to movement of the operating member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle hydraulic actuating device comprising:
a housing defining a chamber and having a fluid outlet;
a non-linear piston movably disposed in the chamber along a non-linear movement path between a first position and a second position; and
an operating member operatively coupled to the non-linear piston so as to move the non-linear piston within the chamber between the first position and the second position in response to movement of the operating member,
the non-linear piston including a hub portion defining a pivot axis of the non-linear piston and an operated portion projecting outwardly from the hub portion and extending out of the chamber of the housing to contact the operating member.

2. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a base member adapted to fixed to a bicycle part and operatively coupled to the housing.

3. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the non-linear piston is pivotally mounted within the chamber.

4. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the operating member is configured to pivot around the pivot axis of non-linear piston.

5. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 4 , wherein
the operating member is configured to be a lever member having a first end connected to the non-linear piston and a second end that extends outwardly from the non-linear piston.

6. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a biasing element biasing the non-linear piston to the first position.

7. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the non-linear piston includes a sealing member that is in sealing contact with the housing.

8. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 7 , wherein
the chamber is at least partially defined by a first side surface, a second side surface and a transverse surface, the transverse surface extending between the first and second side surfaces of the housing, the sealing member contacts the transverse surface at two angularly offset points with respect to the pivot axis.

9. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 8 , wherein
the transverse surface includes a first curved portion contacting a first contact portion of the sealing member and a second curved portion contacting a second contact portion of the sealing member, the first and second curved portions being non-continuous arcs.

10. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 9 , wherein
the first curved portion has a larger radius of curvature than the second curved portion.

11. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 9 , wherein
the second curved portion is located closer to the pivot axis than the first curved portion.

12. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 9 , wherein
the transverse surface further includes a non-seal contact portion disposed between the first and second curved portions and configured without contacting the first and second contact portions of the sealing member as the non-linear piston moves between the first position and the second position.

13. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 7 , wherein
the non-linear piston includes a first vane extending outwardly from the hub portion in a radial direction with respect to the pivot axis and a second vane extending outwardly from the hub portion in a radial direction with respect to the pivot axis, the first vane having a free end with the first contact portion of the sealing member disposed thereon, and the second vane having a free end with the second contact portion of the sealing member disposed thereon.

14. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 13 , wherein
the first vane has a first length as measured from the pivot axis to a radially outermost point of the first vane with respect to the pivot axis; and
the second vane has a second length as measured from the pivot axis to a radially outermost point of the second vane with respect to the pivot axis, the second length of the second vane being smaller than the first length of the first vane.

15. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a mechanical shifting unit operatively mounted on the base member and configured to operate a bicycle gear shifting component.

16. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 15 , wherein
the mechanical shifting unit has a shift lever protruding out of the base member.

17. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 2 , further comprising
an electric control unit operatively mounted on at least one of the operating member and the base member so as to operate an electrical bicycle component.

18. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 17 , wherein
the electric control unit includes a switch unit.

19. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 18 , wherein
the switch unit is mounted on the operating member.

20. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the base member includes a gripping portion configured to be gripped by a bicycle rider.

21. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , wherein
the operating member is configured to be a lever member moving between a rest position and an operated position.

22. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 21 , further comprising
a lever reach adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the rest position of the lever member.

23. The bicycle hydraulic actuating device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a piston position adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the first position of the non-linear piston along a non-linear movement path.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Kariyama Osamu
• Nago Daisuke
• Nakakura Masahiro

Classifications

• B60T7/102

  by means of a tilting lever · CPC title

• B62L3/023 Primary

  acting on fluid pressure systems · CPC title