Actuating device with collapsible lever

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815440-B2
Application number	US-200813141819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2008
Priority date	Dec 24, 2008
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A brake or clutch actuating lever is rotatably connected to a support structure. An adjustment lever, mechanically distinct from the actuating lever, transmits the angular actuation stroke of the actuating lever to a brake or clutch actuation unit. The adjustment lever comprises a mechanism for adjusting the rest position of the adjustment lever, mechanically separate from the actuating lever.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuating device with lever for vehicles having handlebars, the actuating device comprising:
a support structure with a bracket connecting the device to the handlebars,
an actuation unit being fixedly connected to the support structure, and the actuation unit having a piston being movable along an axis extending parallel to the handlebars,
an actuating lever having a contact surface and being pivotably connected to the support structure by an adjustment lever in such a way as to rotate along an angular stroke of actuation which extends from an angular rest position of said actuating lever, in a first direction of rotation towards the handlebars, and along an angular stroke of collapse which extends from the said angular rest position of the actuating lever in a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation,
the adjustment lever having a contact surface and being mechanically distinct from the actuating lever, and the contact surface of the actuating lever directly abutting the contact surface of the adjustment lever such that movement of the actuating lever along the angular stroke of actuation is transmitted directly to the adjustment lever which transmits the movement, via an adjustment screw, to the piston of the actuation unit in order to activate the actuation unit,
the adjustment screw being supported within a through bore in the adjustment lever such that the adjustment screw extends beyond opposite side surfaces of the adjustment lever, and one end of the adjustment screw having a housing which captively engages with and directly drives a transmission portion that abuts the piston,
the adjustment screw facilitates adjustment of an angular rest position of the adjustment lever with respect to the support structure,
said adjustment screw being mechanically separate from the actuating lever, and mechanically engaging the actuation unit, and
the actuating lever comprises elastic preload means for biasing the contact surface of the actuating lever into abutment against the contact surface of the adjustment lever.

2. The actuating device in accordance with claim 1 , in which the contact surface of the actuating lever abuts the contact surface of the adjustment lever, and the housing at the one end of the adjustment screw extends from one of the side surfaces of the adjustment lever, and an opposite end of the adjustment screw extends from a further one of the side surfaces of the adjustment lever to facilitate rotating the adjustment screw.

3. The actuating device in accordance with claim 2 , in which the contact surface of the actuating lever and the contact surface of the adjustment lever are reciprocally shaped.

4. The actuating device in accordance with claim 2 , in which the contact surface of the actuating lever comprises a protuberance and the contact surface of the adjustment lever comprises a concave surface which receives said protuberance.

5. The actuating device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a pin seated in said support structure, wherein said actuating lever is rotatably mounted on said pin, and said elastic preload means comprises a helical spring mounted on said pin.

6. The actuating device in accordance with claim 1 , in which the adjustment lever is rotatably mounted on the support structure such that the adjustment lever is rotatable in unison with the actuating lever when the actuating lever rotates from the angular rest position along both the angular stroke of actuation and the angular stroke of collapse.

7. The actuating device in accordance with claim 6 in which, the adjustment lever is mounted on the support structure such that there is angular play between the adjustment lever and the support structure in the second direction of rotation to allow rotation of the adjustment lever toward the angular rest position of the adjustment lever.

8. The actuating device in accordance with claim 6 in which the support structure has an abutting end which abuts the adjustment lever to limit rotation of the adjustment lever from the angular rest position along the angular stroke of collapse.

9. The actuating device in accordance with claim 1 , in which the elastic preload means are operationally connected, through said actuating lever, also to the adjustment lever in such a way as to influence, in rotation towards the rest position, both the actuating lever and the adjustment lever.

10. The actuating device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the transmission portion is a push rod which transmits movement of the adjustment lever, thrust by the actuating lever along the angular actuation stroke, to the actuation unit, and the adjustment screw extends completely through the adjustment lever to facilitate rotating the adjustment screw from an end of the adjustment screw opposite from the housing.

11. The actuating device in accordance with claim 10 , in which the push rod comprises a working extremity in permanent contact with the piston of the actuation unit and a connecting extremity in contact with the said housing of the adjustment screw.

12. The actuating device in accordance with claim 11 , in which the housing of said adjustment screw comprises a seat for receiving said connecting extremity of the push rod.

13. The actuating device in accordance with claim 12 , in which the seat is funnel shaped.

14. An actuating device with an actuating lever for vehicles having handlebars, the actuating device comprising:
a support structure coupled, via a connector, to the handlebars;
an actuation unit is connected to the support structure and comprises an elongate transmission member, the elongate transmission member defines a first axis extending parallel to the handlebars, the elongate transmission member has first and second axial ends, and is axially movable to actuate the actuation unit;
an actuating lever is pivotably connected to the support structure such that, with respect to the support structure, the actuating lever is pivotable in a first rotational direction along an angular actuation stroke from an angular rest position of the actuating lever toward the handlebars, and is pivotable along an angular collapse stroke which extends from the angular rest position of the actuating lever in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction;
an adjustment lever is mechanically distinct from the actuating lever and rotatably connected to the support structure, the adjustment lever has a contact surface which directly abuts a contact surface of the actuating lever such that pivotable movement of the actuating lever along the angular actuation stroke is transmitted from the actuating lever directly to the adjustment lever and pivotabie movement of the adjustment lever is transmitted to the actuation unit to activate the actuation unit;
the adjustment lever comprises an adjustment member for adjusting a rest position of the adjustment lever with respect to the support structure, the rest position of the adjustment lever defines the rest position of the actuating lever, the adjustment member defines a second axis and is mechanically separate from the actuating lever, the adjustment member is rotatably supported in a threaded through hole that extends from a first surface to a second surface of the adjustment lever, the adjustment member has a housing end with a cavity which directly engages the first axial end of the elongate transmission member of the actuation unit such that pivotable movement of the adjustment lever alters an angular orientation between the second axis of the adjustment member and the first axis of the elon

Assignees

• Colombo Marcello
• Lavezzi Roberto
• Freni Brembo Spa

Inventors

• Colombo Marcello
• Lavezzi Roberto

Classifications

• B60T7/102 Primary

  by means of a tilting lever · CPC title

• Y10T74/206

  Adjustable · CPC title

• B62L3/023

  acting on fluid pressure systems · CPC title

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title