Apparatus for reducing an engaging force of an engaging member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809278-B2
Application number	US-71161104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2004
Priority date	Sep 28, 2004
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing an engaging force of an engaging member for a bicycle component comprises a first engaging member and a movable second engaging member, wherein the first engaging member engages the second engaging member. A biasing mechanism applies a biasing force to bias the first engaging member and the second engaging member towards each other, wherein the biasing mechanism reduces the biasing force when the second engaging member moves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for reducing an engaging force of an engaging member for a bicycle component comprising:
a mounting member;
a first engaging member;
a movable second engaging member that moves relative to the mounting member in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction;
wherein the first engaging member engages the second engaging member; and
a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to the first engaging member at a first biasing location on the first engaging member so that the first engaging member engages the second engaging member;
wherein, while the first engaging member engages the second engaging member and the second engaging member moves, the biasing mechanism changes the location of the application of the biasing force from the first biasing location on the first engaging member to a different second biasing location on the first engaging member so that an engaging force applied between the first engaging member and the second engaging member when the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to the second biasing location is less than the engaging force applied between the first engaging member and the second engaging member when the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to the first biasing location; and
wherein the biasing force is always applied to the first engaging member as the second engaging member moves through the entire range of operating movement of the second engaging member in the first and second directions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second engaging member comprises a positioning unit for a bicycle shift control device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first engaging member comprises a positioning member that engages the positioning unit and maintains the positioning unit in a selected position stationary relative to the mounting member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to the positioning member.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the positioning member and the biasing mechanism move relative to each other to reduce the engaging force when the positioning unit moves.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the positioning member moves in response to movement of the positioning unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the positioning member moves relative to the biasing mechanism when the positioning unit moves so that the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to the different second biasing location.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the positioning member moves together with the positioning unit when the positioning unit moves.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein movement of the positioning member causes the biasing mechanism to apply the biasing force to the different second biasing location.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the positioning unit comprises a plurality of positioning teeth, and wherein the positioning member comprises a positioning pawl that engages selected ones of the plurality of positioning teeth and maintains the positioning unit in the selected position stationary relative to the mounting member.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the positioning unit and the positioning pawl move relative to each other so that the positioning pawl moves over at least one of the plurality of positioning teeth, and wherein the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to the different second biasing location so that the engaging force is reduced when the positioning member moves over the at least one of the plurality of positioning teeth.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the biasing mechanism increases the engaging force of the positioning member after the positioning member moves over the at least one of the plurality of positioning teeth.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to substantially the same biasing location before and after the positioning member moves over the at least one of the plurality of positioning teeth.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the positioning pawl moves relative to the biasing mechanism when the positioning unit moves so that the biasing mechanism applies the biasing force to the different second biasing location.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the positioning pawl moves together with the positioning unit when the positioning unit moves.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein movement of the positioning member causes the biasing mechanism to apply the biasing force to the different second biasing location.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the mounting member supports the positioning unit and the positioning pawl, and wherein the biasing mechanism is secured relative to the mounting member.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the positioning unit rotates to move the positioning pawl.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a spring.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a coil spring.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a leaf spring.

22. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the positioning member moves around a rotational axis of the positioning unit in response to movement of the positioning unit.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein movement of the second engaging member causes the biasing mechanism to reduce the engaging force of the first engaging member.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the engaging force changes from a first value to a second value while the second engaging member is moving and the first engaging member is contacting the second engaging member.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein biasing force that biases the first engaging member towards the second engaging member is the only biasing force applied to the first engaging member other than biasing forces applied from the second engaging member towards the first engaging member.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first engaging member pivots around an axle coupled to the first engaging member, and wherein at least one of the first biasing location or the second biasing location is positioned between the axle and the location where the first engaging member engages the second engaging member.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the distance from the axle to the first biasing location is different from the distance from the axle to the second biasing location.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an operating member that is contacted and moved by a user, wherein the operating member is operatively coupled to the second engaging member to move the second engaging member, and wherein, while the first engaging member engages the second engaging member and the second engaging member moves, the biasing mechanism changes the location of the application of the biasing force from the first biasing location on the first engaging member to a different second biasing location on the first engaging member so that the engaging force applied between the first engaging member and the second engaging member when the biasing m

Assignees

• Kawakami Tatsuya
• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Kawakami Tatsuya

Classifications

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• Y10T74/20636

  Detents · CPC title

• B62M25/04 Primary

  hand actuated · CPC title