Bicycle control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834276-B2
Application number	US-201314094709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2013
Priority date	Dec 26, 2012
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A bicycle control device includes a housing member, a control lever member, a shift-operating mechanism and a hydraulic fluid pressure generator. The housing member has an attachment part for attachment to a handlebar, and a grip part extending longitudinally between first and second ends of the grip part. The attachment part is provided on the first end of the grip part. The attachment part is provided on the first end of the grip part. The control lever member is pivotally provided with respect to the housing member. The shift-operating mechanism is supported by the housing member. The shift-operating mechanism includes a control cable attachment part that is configured to be coupled to a shifting device by a control cable. The hydraulic fluid pressure generator has a cylinder provided in the grip part of the housing member, and a piston movably disposed within the cylinder by movement of the control lever member to generate fluid pressure for controlling a braking device. The cylinder is disposed closer to the second end of the grip part than the shift-operating mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle control device comprising:
a housing member having an attachment part configured to be attached to a handlebar, and a grip part extending longitudinally between a first end of the grip part and a second end of the grip part, the attachment pan being provided on the first end of the grip part;
a control lever member pivotally provided with respect to the housing member, the control lever member having a first operating lever pivotally mounted with respect to the housing member at a first axis, and a second operating lever pivotally mounted with respect to the housing member at a second axis that is different from the first axis, the first operating lever being further pivotally mounted with respect to the housing member at the second axis;
a shift-operating member supported by the housing member, the shift-operating member including a control cable attachment pan that is configured to be coupled to a shifting device by a control cable, the first and second operating levers of the control lever being configured to operate the shift-operating member upon selectively pivoting the first operating lever at the second axis and selectively pivoting the second operating lever about the second axis; and
a hydraulic fluid pressure generator having a cylinder provided in the grip part of the housing member, and a piston movably disposed within the cylinder by movement of the control lever member to generate fluid pressure for controlling a braking device, the piston being operable by the first operating lever upon pivoting the first operating lever at the first pivot axis, the cylinder being disposed closer to the second end of the grip part than to the shift-operating member and having a cylinder axis, the first axis of the first operating lever being disposed below the cylinder axis when the bicycle control device is in an installed position and mounted to the handlebar.

2. The bicycle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the shift-operating member is spaced apart from the cylinder.

3. The bicycle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
an operation of pivoting the first operating lever of the control lever member at the second axis is a take-up operation for performing a control cable take-up control operation, and an operation of pivoting the second operating lever of the control lever member at the second axis is a release operation for performing a control cable release control operation.

4. The bicycle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the shift-operating member rotates at a cable take-up axis and has a cable take-up member for taking up and releasing the control cable.

5. The bicycle control device according to claim 4 , wherein
the cable take-up axis and the second axis are coaxial.

6. The bicycle control device according to claim 4 , wherein
the cable take-up axis and the second axis are non-coaxial axes.

7. The bicycle control device according to claim 4 , wherein
the cylinder has a cylindrical shape defining the cylinder axis.

8. The bicycle control device according to claim 7 , wherein
the angle formed between the cylinder axis and the cable take-up axis is greater than or equal to 20° and less than or equal to 50°.

9. The bicycle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cylinder has an open end on a piston side and a closed end on a side opposite the open end, the open end being in a lower position than the closed end when the bicycle control device is in the installed position.

10. The bicycle control device according to claim 9 , wherein
the closed end of the cylinder is sealed shut by a sealing member.

11. The bicycle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid pressure generator has a reservoir coupled to the cylinder and is configured to store hydraulic fluid for generating hydraulic pressure.

12. The bicycle control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the reservoir is disposed next to the cylinder in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the grip part.

13. The bicycle control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the reservoir is cylindrical.

14. The bicycle control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid pressure generator further has a first hydraulic fluid channel fluidly communicating the reservoir to the cylinder.

15. The bicycle control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the reservoir is provided with a hydraulic fluid injection hole opening on a side surface of the grip part.

16. The bicycle control device according to claim 15 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid injection hole is provided on the side surface of the grip part at a position opposite the first hydraulic fluid channel.

17. The bicycle control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid pressure generator has a second hydraulic fluid channel disposed along the cylinder for conveying the hydraulic pressure generated by the cylinder to an exterior area with respect to the cylinder.

18. The bicycle control device according to claim 17 , wherein
the second hydraulic fluid channel is disposed between the cylinder and the reservoir.

19. The bicycle control device according to claim 17 , wherein
the direction in which the piston moves in order to generate hydraulic pressure is the direction opposite to that in which the hydraulic fluid flows through the second hydraulic fluid channel due to the generated hydraulic pressure.

20. The bicycle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid pressure generator is coupled to the piston and has a rod part operated by the first operating lever.

21. The bicycle control device according to claim 20 , wherein
the control lever member has a cam member that pivots at the first axis and actuates the rod part in response to the pivoting of the first operating lever at the first axis.

22. The bicycle control device according to claim 21 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid pressure generator generates hydraulic pressure via the piston being actuated by the first operating lever in a direction of insertion into the cylinder, and
a first end of the rod part is coupled to the piston, and a second end is depressed by the cam member.

23. The bicycle control device according to claim 21 , wherein
the hydraulic fluid pressure generator has a piston-position-adjusting mechanism for adjusting an initial position of the piston with respect to the cylinder.

24. The bicycle control device according to claim 23 , wherein
the piston-position-adjusting mechanism has an adjustment member that is coupled to the first operating lever and the cam member for adjusting the initial position of the cam member with respect to the first axis.

25. The bicycle control device according to claim 24 , wherein
the adjustment member has an adjustment bolt disposed along the second axis.

26. The bicycle control device according to claim 24 , wherein
the adjustment member has an adjustment bolt provided adjacent the first axis.

27. The bicycle control device according to claim 23 , wherein
the piston-position-adjusting mechanism has an adjustment member that couples the control lever member and the piston for adjusting the relative positions of the control lever member and the piston.

28. The bicycle control device according to claim 27 , wherein
the adjustment member

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Watarai Etsuyoshi
• Kariyama Osamu
• Matsushita Tatsuya
• Nakakura Masahiro

Classifications

• B62M25/04

  hand actuated · CPC title

• Y10T74/20287

  Flexible control element · CPC title

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• B60T11/16

  Master control, e.g. master cylinders (master cylinders associated with vacuum boosters B60T13/565) · CPC title

• B60T11/18

  Connection thereof to initiating means · CPC title