Patent Application
20050115238
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a hydraulic circuit for a clutch of motor vehicles, especially of motorcycles and the like.
It is known that the action to be exerted on the pack of the clutch diks is made easier by means of a hydraulic circuit which comprises a pump and a piston acting on the disks' pack. In the motorcycles, for example, a lever is provided for operating said pump whose activation determines the displacement of the piston.
In the motorcycles provided with a traditional apparatus of this type, a drawback is due to the relative difficulty of adjusting the idle stroke of the control lever. In fact, in the existing devices, the lever is connected to a piston sliding into a respective chamber exhibited by the pump and, in order to adjust the idle stroke of the lever it is currently necessary to move axially the piston with respect to the chamber inside which it slides. This approach is however very complex structurally, and affects negatively the constructional simplicity of the device and its robustness upon use, besides raising the relevant production cost thereof.
The main object of the present invention is to provide an easily adjustable apparatus for controlling hydraulic circuits.
This result has been achieved, according to the invention, by adopting the idea of making an apparatus having the characteristics disclosed in the claim 1.
Further characteristics being set forth in the dependent claims.
Among the advantages of the present invention there is the fact that it is possible to adjust the idle stroke for the operation of the clutch's hydraulic circuit with greatest ease; that the controlled circuit maintains its original characteristics; that no protruding parts are provided likely to be damaged or be a danger for the driver of the vehicle being equipped with the apparatus; that the apparatus has extremely limited overall dimensions and, therefore, gives the handlebar a greater compactness; that a more attractive appearance is conferred to the handlebar; that the apparatus keeps its characteristics unchanged also after a prolonged service life.
These and other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be best understood by anyone skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the attached drawings given as a practical exemplification of the invention, but not to be considered in a limitative sense, wherein:
With reference to the example shown in the attached figures, an apparatus 1 according to the present invention can be associated with a portion of a motorcycle or the like, such as a handlebar, for example, by means of suitable fixing means (not shown). The present apparatus comprises a body 3 (shown only partially) inside which a cavity 88 is formed defining the reservoir for the fluid of the hydraulic circuit. The said reservoir 88 results positioned between the handlebar, to which the body 3 is fixed, and a lever for operating the pump acting on the hydraulic circuit of the clutch. The clutch-operating lever (not shown) results linked with a connecting rod 86 having spherical head, as represented on the left side of the attached figures.
Shown in
The conduit 7 is connected downstream of a pump 8 in correspondence of an outlet port 87 through which the fluid of the hydraulic circuit is pushed when acting on the clutch's control. The pump 8 is defined by a chamber 80 included in the body 3 and inside which a piston 89 slides. The piston 89 is connected to the control lever via the connecting rod 86 which is disposed, relative to the piston, on the side opposite to the position of port 87 in the chamber 80. The actuation of the control lever is cause for the displacement of the piston 89 (from left to right when referring to arrow F of
As best shown in
The bush 10 is solid to the piston 89 and, for this reason, the piston 89 can rotate together with the bush 10 relative to chamber 80. Solid to the bush 10, that is, made as one body therewith, is a knob 16 disposed radially with respect to the longitudinal development of the chamber 80, that is, substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X-X of the chamber 80. The rotation of the knob 16 determines a corresponding rotation of the piston 89 within the chamber 80.
The chamber 80 is connected with a reservoir 88 via two ports 83 and 84 which are disposed in a region acted upon by the piston's slide. In a manner known per se, the fluid is made to pass bidirectionally through the ports 83 and 84 between the reservoir and the chamber 80 during the axial displacement of the piston 89, that is, during the actuation of the pump 8.
Fitted on the piston 89 is a gasket 9 having circumferential development. The gasket 9, along its circumferential profile, exhibits a different extension in axial direction. In practice, the gasket 9 has a longitudinal development with a height varying therealong. Indicated by D9 in
This particular shape of gasket 9 is cause for a different interaction of the piston 89 with respect to the ports 83 and 84 of reservoir 88. In other words, the interaction front of the gasket 9 with the ports 83 and 84 is displaced in the axial direction; in practice, by rotating in one direction or the other the piston 89 (which can be obtained by means of knob 16), the gasket 9 closes in advance or with delay the port 83, that is, before or after the intervention on the clutch. There is thus obtained an adjustment of the idle stroke of the relevant lever through an extremely simple and effective solution.
Advantageously, moreover, the reservoir 88 is defined by a corresponding cavity formed in the body 3 of the apparatus 1. In particular, reference being made to
On the body 3, on either side of said surface 30, there are provided seats 39 for receiving corresponding screws 5 allowing the attachment of the apparatus 1 to the handlebar. The apparatus 1 also comprises a semicollar 4 having a concavity 40 of substantially semicylindrical shape so as to fit complementarily with the handlebar. Provided on the semicollar 4 are through holes to receive the said screws 5.
This undoubtly provides a further advantage in terms of safety inasmuch as no protruding parts are present that could be damaged or cause a danger for the driver of the vehicle. Besides, the apparatus has extremely reduced overall dimensions, thereby confering a greater to the handlebar compactness and a more attractive appearance.
The construction details may vary in any equivalent way as far as the shape, dimensions, elements disposition, nature of the used materials are concerned, without nevertheless departing from the scope of the adopted solution idea and, thereby, remaining within the limits of the protection granted to the present patent.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI2003A000265 | Oct 2003 | IT | national |
