Patent Grant
10625813
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure relates to generally to hydraulic brake systems and, in particular, to a handbrake system for a motorcycle, dirt bike, or ATV.
Hydraulic brake systems often use an incompressible fluid to generate leverage for squeezing a brake pad against a rotor. In a hydraulic handbrake system, when the brake lever is squeezed, a pushrod exerts force on a piston in the master cylinder. Movement of the piston in the master cylinder seals off the bypass or compensation port, trapping fluid ahead of the piston. Further movement of the piston increases the pressure of the entire hydraulic system, forcing fluid through the hydraulic lines toward one or more calipers where the fluid acts upon one or two caliper pistons sealed by one or more seated O-rings that prevent leakage of the fluid.
Subsequent release of the brake lever allows a return mechanism (e.g., a spring in the master cylinder assembly) to return the master piston back into its rest position. This return action first relieves the hydraulic pressure on the caliper, then applies suction to the brake piston in the caliper assembly, moving it back into its housing and allowing the brake pads to release the rotor.
The systems, methods and devices described herein have innovative aspects, no single one of which is indispensable or solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the claims, some of the advantageous features will now be summarized.
An aspect of the present invention is a lever configured to compress a pushrod of a master cylinder assembly of a brake assembly, the lever having a removable insert that allows the leverage between the lever and the pushrod to be changed. In some aspects, the orientation of the removable insert within the lever can be changed to change the leverage between the lever and the pushrod. The brake assembly may include more than one inserts, with some, all, or none of the inserts providing a different leverage between the lever and the pushrod. In some aspects, the lever includes a knee portion, a handle portion, and a set screw that allows the position of the handle relative to the knee to be adjusted. In some aspects, the master cylinder assembly is coupled to a perch that secures the brake assembly to a handlebar of a motorcycle or ATV. In some aspects, the perch is positioned to overlap longitudinally with a pivot that connects the lever to the master cylinder assembly. In certain aspects, the master cylinder assembly includes protrusions on the outer surface of the cylinder to protect the cylinder from damage without increasing the entire wall thickness of the cylinder. In some aspects, the master cylinder assembly includes a guard that has a flange having a low clearance with a portion of the lever, with the flange operating as a wiper to remove debris from the lever as the lever is operated. In some aspects, a collar is inserted between the perch and the handlebar to allow the brake assembly to rotate about the handlebar during impact, thereby protecting the brake assembly from damage. In some aspects, the brake assembly includes a first stop surface and a second stop surface, with the brake assembly being configured to allow a selected one of the first stop surface and the second stop surface to define a rest position of the piston, the first stop surface defining a first rest position, in which the piston is in a first position relative to the inlet port, the second stop surface defining a second rest position, in which the piston is in a second position relative to the inlet port.
Throughout the drawings, reference numbers can be reused to indicate general correspondence between reference elements. The drawings are provided to illustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
Embodiments of systems, components and methods of assembly and manufacture will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals refer to like or similar elements throughout. Although several embodiments, examples and illustrations are disclosed below, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the inventions described herein extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments, examples and illustrations, and can include other uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. The terminology used in the description presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simply because it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the inventions. In addition, embodiments of the inventions can comprise several novel features and no single feature is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or is essential to practicing the inventions herein described.
Certain terminology may be used in the following description for the purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “above” and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “rear,” and “side” describe the orientation and/or location of portions of the components or elements within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the components or elements under discussion. Moreover, terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on may be used to describe separate components. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.
Overview
The knee 300 can be coupled to the master cylinder assembly 400 by a pivot 120. The pivot 120 can be many different types of a fastener (e.g., a bolt, a screw, a pin). The knee 300 can be adapted to rotate about the pivot 120.
The guard 500 can be secured to the master cylinder assembly 400 by a fastener 130. The fastener 130 can be many different types of a fastener (e.g., a bolt, a weld). In some variants, the guard 500 can be formed as a continuous, unitary structure of another component of the brake assembly 100 (e.g., the master cylinder assembly 400, the knee 300, the lever 200).
The master cylinder assembly 400 may include or be coupled to a perch 410 that is adapted to secure the brake assembly 100 to a secondary structure (e.g., handlebar). The brake assembly 100 can be configured so that a brake is applied when the lever 200 is moved in a first direction (e.g., toward the handlebar). The brake assembly 100 can be configured so that the brake is released when the lever 200 is moved in a second direction (e.g., away from the handlebar). The brake assembly 100 can be arranged so that the brake is applied when the lever 200 rotates in a first direction about the pivot 120, and the brake is released when the lever 200 rotates in a second direction about the pivot 120, with the first and second directions being opposite directions of rotation around the pivot 120.
The brake assembly 100 can be arranged so that the lever 200 pushes the knee 300 toward the master cylinder assembly 400 when the lever 200 moves toward the perch 410. As shown in
Referring to
Master Cylinder Assembly
The master cylinder assembly 400 can be arranged so that the piston 440 moves within the channel 432 along the longitudinal axis 434. The piston 440 can include, or be coupled with, a pushrod 442. The piston 440 can be coupled to the pushrod 442 by a flexible joint (not shown) that allows the pushrod 442 to articulate in one or more directions relative to the piston 440. The master cylinder assembly 400 can include a sealing element 446 that surrounds the pushrod 442. The sealing element 446 can be adapted to block the liquid 421 from flowing past the pushrod 442, as shown in
The master cylinder assembly 400 can include a return spring 444. The return spring 444 can be arranged to be co-axial with the channel 432. The return spring 444 can be disposed between the piston 440 and the cylinder 430. As shown in
The master cylinder assembly 400 includes a shut off seal 460 that activates the brake by pressurizing liquid 421 in the brake line as the shut off seal 460 moves past the inlet port 422 and toward the distal end surface 436 of the cylinder 430. When the lever 200 is released, the return spring 444 pushes the piston 440 away from the distal end surface 436 until a first stop surface 462 of a flange 464 on the piston 440 hits an inner end cap 466, thereby preventing the return spring 444 from pushing the piston 440 further away from the distal end surface 436. A “rest position” of the piston 440 can be defined as the position of the piston 440 after the lever 200 has been released and the return spring 444 has ceased pushing the piston 440 away from the distal end surface 436. The master cylinder assembly 400 can have a first rest position, which is the rest position of the piston 440 when the first stop surface 462 reaches or rests against the inner end cap 466, as illustrated in the top half of
The sweep of the brake assembly 100 is affected by the rest position of piston 440. The greater the distance between the shut off seal 460 and the inlet port 422, the greater the sweep of the brake assembly 100. If the shut off seal 460 is immediately adjacent to the inlet port 422 in the rest position then a slight movement of the lever 200 toward the perch 410 will cause the brake to be activated. Conversely, the brake assembly 100 can have a “squishy” feel when the shut seal 460 is positioned farther away from the inlet port 422 because the lever 200 needs to move further toward the perch 410 to activate the brake.
The inner end cap 466 can include an external thread that mates with an internal thread 468 of the cylinder 430, allowing the inner end cap 466 to be tightened toward the distal end surface 436 of the cylinder 430. The inner end cap 466 can be held in place by means other than a threaded screw. For example, the inner cap 466 can be fixed relative to the cylinder 430 by a C-clip received within a groove. The inner end cap 466 can have an annular or a ring-like structure in which the central portion of the inner end cap 466 is removed to allow the piston 440 to pass through the inner end cap 466, as shown in
In the top half of
As shown in
The perch 410 can include one, none, or more than one liners 411a,b. The liners 411a,b can be disposed immediately adjacent to the opening 412. The perch 410 can include a cap liner 411a and/or a base liner 411b. The liners 411a,b can be fused to the perch 410. In some variants, the liners 411a,b can be removable inserts. In at least one embodiment, the cap liner 411a can be a continuous, unitary structure with the base liner 411b. For example, the cap liner 411a and the base liner 411b can be in the form of a single liner that completely surrounds the opening 412, such as, for example, an annular sleeve. In some variants, the cap liner 411a and the base liner 411b can be in the form of a single liner that completely or only partially surrounds the opening 412, such as, for example, a slotted ring.
The liners 411a,b can comprise a material (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, nylon) that reduces the friction between the perch 410 and the secondary structure that is passed through the opening 412. The liners 411a,b can be adapted so that there is more consistent control of adjusted slippage of the brake assembly 100, allowing the tightness to be adjusted so that the brake assembly 100 will still rotate when impacted. The liners 411a,b can be adapted to allow the brake assembly 100 to rotate around the handlebar when impacted, thereby helping to protect the brake assembly 100 from damage resulting from an impact.
In some variants, the perch 410 is mounted to a secondary structure (e.g., handlebar) by loosening the clamp element 418 to increase an outer dimension of the opening 412, passing the secondary structure through the opening 412, and tightening the clamp element 418 to reduce the outer dimension of the opening 412. The perch 410 can be mounted by removing the cap portion 416 from the perch 410, seating the base portion 414 on the handlebar, reconnecting the cap portion 416 to the perch 410, and tightening the clamp element 418 to reduce an outer dimension of the opening 412, thereby securing the perch 410 to the handlebar. In some variants, the liners 411a,b can be a sleeve or broken ring that is positioned on the handlebar before mounting the perch 410 to the handlebar. In some embodiments, the liners 411a,b are inserts that are positioned within the perch 410 before, after, or during mounting the perch 410 to the handlebar.
As shown in
Knee
The piston-facing surface 304 can be adapted to receive an insert 306. For example, the piston-facing surface 304 can include a recess 311 (shown in
Referring to
The insert 306 and the piston-facing surface 304 can be configured to allow the insert 306 to be inserted into the extension 302 in a different orientation. For example, the insert 306 can be adapted fit into the extension 302 when the insert 306 is oriented in two orientations that are 180 degrees apart. As illustrated in
The knee 300 can also include a stop 320. The stop 320 can be configured to contact an abutment 450 (shown in
Lever
Referring to
The adjustment element 140 can be a “no-tool” adjuster. The position of the adjustment element 140 relative to the lever 200 or knee 300 can be adjusted by pushing the lever 200 against the biasing element 124 to free the head 142 from the fin 310, thereby allowing the head 142 to be set to a different position relative to the lever 200. As illustrated in
Guard
As discussed above, the brake assembly 100 can include an abutment 450 that engages a stop 320 on the knee 300. The abutment 450 can be positioned on the master cylinder assembly 400 or on the guard 500. The abutment 450 can include a cap surface 454 that contacts the stop 320. The cap surface 454 can be adjustable to allow the brake lever assembly 100 to be tuned to rider preference and/or course conditions. For example, the cap surface 454 can be a threaded screw (e.g., a set screw) that can be advanced longitudinally away from or toward the master cylinder assembly 400, thereby changing the rotational angle of the knee 300 at which the stop 320 contacts the cap surface 454. In some variants, the cap surface 454 can be adjusted to accommodate the pushrod 442 having a longer or shorter length and/or to accommodate the cavity 308 having a greater or lesser depth 305.
It should be emphasized that many variations and modifications may be made to the herein-described embodiments, the elements of which are to be understood as being among other acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. Moreover, any of the steps described herein can be performed simultaneously or in an order different from the steps as ordered herein. Moreover, as should be apparent, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Moreover, the following terminology may have been used herein. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to an item includes reference to one or more items. The term “ones” refers to one, two, or more, and generally applies to the selection of some or all of a quantity. The term “plurality” refers to two or more of an item. The term “about” or “approximately” means that quantities, dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other characteristics need not be exact, but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting acceptable tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like and other factors known to those of skill in the art. The term “substantially” means that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also interpreted to include all of the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but should also be interpreted to also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3 and 4 and sub-ranges such as “about 1 to about 3,” “about 2 to about 4” and “about 3 to about 5,” “1 to 3,” “2 to 4,” “3 to 5,” etc. This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value (e.g., “greater than about 1”) and should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described. A plurality of items may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. Furthermore, where the terms “and” and “or” are used in conjunction with a list of items, they are to be interpreted broadly, in that any one or more of the listed items may be used alone or in combination with other listed items. The term “alternatively” refers to selection of one of two or more alternatives, and is not intended to limit the selection to only those listed alternatives or to only one of the listed alternatives at a time, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160368560 A1 | Dec 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62079217 | Nov 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14941362 | Nov 2015 | US |
| Child | 15253572 | US |
