Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
Patent
1996-11-01
1998-08-25
Bonck, Rodney H.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
7447314, 74488, 74489, 745022, B62K 2304
Patent
active
057972966
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a U.S. National Stage filing of PCT/JP96/00907 filed Mar. 29, 1996 and claiming priority from Japanese Application Nos. 7-100491 and 7-212807, filed Mar. 31, 1995 and Jul. 27, 1995, respectively.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a bicycle speed change operation assembly used for remotely operating a bicycle speed change device such as a rear derailleur, a front derailleur and the like via a control cable.
BACKGROUND ART
An example of conventional bicycle speed change operation assemblies of the above type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,372. The bicycle speed change operation assembly of the patent includes an operation member 3e mounted around a handlebar 1E of the bicycle for rotational movement and a cam plate 130 attached to the outer surface of the operation member 3e, as shown in FIG. 41a of the application. The outer surface of the cam plate 130 is brought into contact with a control cable C2 connected to a speed change device of the bicycle. The control cable C2 has a nipple 14 attached to a suitable portion of a housing case 131.
With such a bicycle speed change operation assembly, upon rotation of the cam plate 130 in the direction of arrow N30 by rotating the operation member 3e, the length of the outer surface portion of the cam plate 130 coming into contact with the control cable C2 increases from Sc to Sd as shown in FIG. 41b. Thus, the control cable C2 can be pulled by the cam plate 130 in the direction of arrow N30 by an amount of (Sd-Sc). Further, the actual pulled length (Sd-Sc) of the control cable C2 can be smaller than the rotational displacement of the operation member 3e. Thus, according to the above bicycle speed change operation assembly, the operation cable C2 can be pulled by small pitches upon rotation of the operation member 3e by rather large rotational angles.
Where a large amount of the control cable C2 is pulled due to a small amount of rotational angle of the operation member 3e, even if the cyclist slightly rotates the operation member 3e, the speed change device is inadvertently caused to perform a speed change operation. Further, when causing the speed change device to shift from the first speed level to the second speed level for example, an operational error is likely to occur with a result that the shifting is performed to the third speed level due to too much rotation of the operation member 3e. On the other hand, the bicycle speed change operation assembly described above can overcome such an inconvenience.
However, the conventional assembly described above is not arranged to directly pull the control cable C2 by the rotational operation of the operation member 3e but designed to pull the control cable C2 forcefully along the outer circumferential surface of the cam plate 130 in contact with the control cable C2.
Further, the speed change device always exerts a spring force on the control cable C2, thereby constantly giving the control cable C2 a tension T toward the speed change device. Thus, rather large frictional resistance will act on the control cable C2 for pulling the control cable C2 by the rotational operation of the cam plate 130.
Thus, conventionally, a large rotational operation torque is needed to pull the control cable C2 for rotating the operation member 3e. In the above conventional bicycle speed change operation assembly, the actual pulling amount for the control cable C2 is rendered small for the rotational angle of the operation member 3e. Therefore, theoretically, the rotational operation torque for the operation member 3e should be small due to the function of a force-magnifying mechanism. However, in reality, it is disadvantageously difficult to handle the operation member 3e due to the frictional resistance between the control cable C2 and the cam plate 130. Especially, after the conventional assembly has been used for a long period, the outer circumferential surface of the cam plate 130 will be formed with a groove due to the frictional contact with the control cable C2. As a result, the control
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Bonck Rodney H.
Lund Scott
Sugino Cycle Industries, Ltd.
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