Title of Invention

VEHICLE FRONT AND REAR LINKED BRAKE SYSTEM

Abstract

In a vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal, axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, to improve a degree of freedom with respect to brake linking cable, significantly reduce increases in cable length and improve operational force transmission efficiency. [Means of Solution] Both ends of an equalizer linked to a brake pedal 8 via a connecting link 11 are connected to a rear wheel braking force transmission member 11, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake BR, with one end of a bell crank 13 rotatably supported on a vehicle frame 7 close to the brake pedal 8, and one end of a brake linking cable 14 for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake BF side connected to the other end of the bell crank 13. [Selected drawing] Fig. 1

Full Text

FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT 1970 [39 OF 1970] [Section 10] COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "VEHICLE FRONT AND REAR LINKED BRAKE SYSTEM" HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, a corporation of Japan, having a place of business at 1-1, Minamiaoyama 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed :- [Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal, axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation. [Related Art] A brake system of the related art is well known, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] With the above described brake system of the related art, two ends of an equalizer, connected to a brake pedal via a connecting link, are connected to a rear braking force transmission member, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake, and to a brake linking cable for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake side, the brake linking cable being arranged so as to extend rearwards from the equalizer along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As a result, there is unavoidably bending of the brake linking cable towards the front, there is only a small degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable, and there is an increase in the cable length due to bending, and it is difficult to compensate for an accompanying lowering of the operational force transmission efficiency. The present invention has been conceived in view of the above described situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front and rear linked brake system that increases a degree of freedom with respect to layout of a brake linking cable, and moreover reduces bending to significantly reduce increase in cable length, and which can improve operational force transmission efficiency. [Means of Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above described object, the invention of claim 1 is a vehicle front and rear linked brake system, provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal, axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, wherein two ends of an equalizer, connected to the brake pedal via a connecting link, are connected to a rear braking force transmission member, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake, and one end of a bell crank rotatably supported on the vehicle frame close to the brake pedal, and one end of a brake linking cable for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake side is connected to the other end of the bell crank. With this structure, the brake linking cable can be arranged so as to extend forwards Iftim a bell crank positioned close to the brake pedal, and not only is the degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable increased, it is also possible to avoid bending of the brake linking cable, thus significantly preventing increase in cable length and improving operational force transmission efficiency. The invention of claim 2, in addition to the structure of the invention of claim 1, is provided with a spring for rotationally urging the bell crank against a load acting on the bell crank from the equalizer, and with this structure a load, distributed at a set ratio by the equalizer, acting on the bell crank does not cause rotation of the bell crank until it exceeds the spring load, and the front wheel brake is also not activated. Therefore, the rear brake is activated first in response to a braking operation from the brake pedal, and after a delay the front wheel brake is activated, making it possible to stabilize vehicle behavior at the time of braking.. Further, in addition to the structure of the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, with the invention of claim 3 it is made possible to transmit braking operation force of the brake lever to the front wheel brake, thereby providing front wheel braking force transmission systems between the brake lever and the front wheel-brake, and the brake linking cable is connected to the -front wheel braking force transmission systems at sections corresponding to a head pipe, while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission systems to the brake linking cable. With this structure, in addition to significant reduction in the length of the brake linking cable it is also possible run the brake linking cable along the vehicle frame without the need to take turning of the handlebar into consideration, and it is possible to significantly improve the operational force transmission efficiency. The ipresent invention relates to a vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal , axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, wherein two ends of an equalizer, connected to the brake pedal via a connecting link, are connected to a rear braking force transmission member, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake, and one end of a bell crank rotatably supported on the vehicle frame close to the brake pedal, and one end of a brake linking cable for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake side is connected to the other end of the bell crank and the brake linking cable is arranged along the vehicle frame. [Embodiments] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described below based on the attached drawings. [Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a drawing showing the overall structure of a linked brake system of a first embodiment. Fig. ' 2 is u side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a brake pedal in the linked brake system. Fig. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 when a brake pedal is operated. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a head pipe in the linked brake system. Fig. 6 is a drawing along line 6 - 6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a head pipe in the linked brake system of a second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a drawing along line 8 - 8 in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 a drawing showing the overall structure of a linked brake system of a third embodiment. Fig. 1 - Fig. 6 show a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 1 showing the overall structure of a linked brake system, Fig. 2 being a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a brake pedal in the linked brake system, Fig. 3 being a view in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 being a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 when a brake pedal is operated, Fig. 5 being a side elevation showing the straeturem the vicinity of a head pipe in the •fiked brake system, and Fig. 6 being a drawing along line 6 - 6 in Fig. 5. First of all, in Fig. 1, a lever holder 2 is fixed to a steering handle 1 of a motorcycle, next to a right grip la, and a brake lever 3 axially supported by the lever holder 2 is connected to an actuation lever 4 of a drum type front wheel brake BF via a front wheel braking force transmission system 5A. Specifically, the front wheel brake BF is operated in response to actuation of the brake lever 3. A rear wheel brake BR also has a drum type structure, and it is possible to input brake actuation force to an actuating lever of the rear wheel brake 6 by treading on a brake pedal 8 supported on the vehicle frame 7. It is also possible to input the brake actuation force generated by treading on the brake pedal 8 to the actuation lever 4 of the front wheel brake BF. That is, the brake pedal 8 enables linked operation of the rear wheel brake BR and the front wheel brake BF in response to brake actuation force. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the brake pedal 8 is rotatably supported by a shaft 9 fixed to the vehicle frame 1, and a connecting lever section 8a is provided on the brake pedal 8, extending upwards in a radial direction of the shaft 9. An equalizer 10 extending substantially vertically is provided to the rear side of the connecting lever section 8a, and the connecting lever 8a and the equalizer 10 are arranged in the same plane orthogonal to the axis of the shaft 9. One end of a connecting link 11 is rotatably connected to a tip end of the connecting lever section 8a, while the other end of the connecting link 11 is rotatably connected to a middle part of the equalizer 10. Specifically, the brake pedal g is connected to a middle part of the equalizer 10 via the connecting link 11. One end of a brake rod 12, being a rear wheel braking force transmission member, is connected to an upper end of the equalizer 10, while the other end of the brake rod 12 is connected to the actuation lever 6 of rear wheel brake BR for transmitting brake actuating force to the rear wheel brake BR. In the vicinity of the brake pedal 8, a bell crank 13 is rotatably supported on the vehicle frame 7, and in this embodiment the bell crank 13 is rotatably supported by a shaft 9 shared with the brake pedal 8. A lower end of the equalizer 10 is rotatably connected to one end of the bell crank 13. One end of the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the other end of the bell crank 13 so as to extend from the bell crank 13 to the front of the vehicle. A spring 15 is also provided between the bell crank 13 and the vehicle frame, and this spring 15 exerts a spring force on the bell crank 13 to rotatively urge the bell crank against a load acting from the equalizer 10, in accordance with actuation of the brake pedal 8. As shown in Fig. 4, if the brake pedal 8 is actuated, brake actuation force from the brake pedal 8 is input to the equalizer 10 through the connecting link 11, and actuating force distributed at a specified ratio from the equalizer is transmitted to the brake rod 12 and the bell crank 13. Specifically, actuating force distributed at a ratio corresponding to a lever ratio, which is a ratio of a distance LI, between sections of the connecting link 11 and the brake rod 12 connecting to the equalizer 10, and a distance L2, between sections of the connecting link 11 and the bell crank 13 connecting to the equalizer 10, is transmitted to the brake rod 12 and the bell crank 13. A load applied to the bell crank from the equalizer 10 is such as to cause rotation of the bell crank 13 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4, but when this rotational torque is less than a return torque generated by the spring 15 the bell crank 13 does not rotate, while if the rotational torque is greater than the return torque generated by the spring 15 the bell crank rotates in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4 and the brake linking cable 14 is pulled. Referring to both Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the vehicle frame 7 is provided with a head pipe 16 at its front end, and the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the front wheel braking force transmission system 5A at a section corresponding to the head pipe 16, while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission system 5A to the brake linking cable 14 The front wheel braking force transmission system 5A is formed by connecting a lever side brake cable 18, connecting to the brake lever 3, and a front wheel brake side brake cable 19, connecting to the actuation lever 4 of the front wheel brake BF, through a joint member 17. A pair of elongated holes 23, 23 elongated in the vertical direction are provided in the joint member 17, and a connecting lug 24 provided on the end of the lever side brake cable 18 is inserted into and engaged in the two elongated holes 23, 23. A connecting lug 25 provided on the end of the front wheel brake side brake cable 19 is engaged in a lower part of the joint member 17. A bell crank 20 housed inside a cover 21 fixed to the head pipe 16 is slidably attached to the cover 21 using a pivot 22, and step sections 17a, 17a coming into contact with one end of the bell crank 20 from below are provided on the joint section 17. An end of the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the other end of the bell crank 20. When the bell crank is rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig. ■§) by a traction force acting on the brake linking cable 14, the front wheel brake side brake cable 19 is pulled, as a result of pushing up the joint member 17 with one end of the bell crank 20, to actuate the front wheel brake BF, but because of relative movement of the joint member 17 and the connecting lug 14 in a longitudinal direction of the elongated holes 23, 23 traction force does not act on the lever side brake cable 18. Also, when the joint member 17 is pulled up by traction force acting on the lever side brake cable 18 due to actuation of the brake lever 3, the rear wheel brake BF is actuated by pulling of the front wheel brake side brake cable 19, but the bell crank 20 is left where it is and not actuated, and traction force does not act on the brake linking cable 14. Specifically, the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the front wheel braking force transmission system 5 A at a section corresponding to the head pipe 16, while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission system 5 A to the brake linking cable 14 Each of the brake cables 14, 18 and 19 are fitted inside flexible guide tubes 26, 27 and 28 having both ends held in fixed sections. Next, operation of the first embodiment will be described. The brake rod 12 capable of transmitting brake actuation force to the rear wheel brake BR, and one end of the bell crank 13 rotatably supported in the vehicle frame close to the brake pedal 8, are connected to both ends of the equalizer 10 connected to the brake pedal 8 through the connecting link 11, and one end of the brake linking cable 14 transmitting actuation force to the front wheel brake BF is connected to the other end of the bell crank 13, which means that the brake linking cable 14 can be arranged as to extend to the front from the bell crank 13 arranged close to the brake pedal 8. Accordingly, it is possible not only to increase a degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable 14, but also to reduce bending to significantly reduce increase in cable length, and to improve operational force transmission efficiency. Moreover, the bell crank is capable of rotation around the same axis as the brake pedal 8 and is supported on the vehicle frame 7, which means that the bell crank 13 can be arranged in a compact manner in the vicinity of the brake pedal. Also, since a spring force against the load acting from the equalizer 10 is acting on the bell crank 13 accompanying actuation of the brake pedal 8, the bell crank does not rotate until the load from the equalizer 10 and distributed at a specified ratio acting on the bell crank exceeds the spring load. As a result, the front wheel brake BF can be operated delayed after operation of the rear wheel brake BF accompanying actuation of the brake pedal 8, and it is possible to stabilize vehicle behavior when actuating the brake using the brake pedal 8. It is also made possible to transmit brake actuation force of the brake lever 3 to the front wheel brake BF, and the brake linking cable 14 is connected to a middle section of the front wheel braking force transmission system 5A, provided between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF, corresponding to the head pipe 16, without transmitting force from the front wheel braking force transmission member to the brake linking cable 14, which means that as well as making the length of the brake linking cable 14 extremely short it is possible to arrange the brake linking cable 14 along the vehicle frame 7 without considering turning of the handle, and in this way it is possible to further improve actuation force transmission efficiency. In the above described embodiment, the front wheel braking force transmission system 5 A between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF is made up of a lever side brake cable 18 and a front wheel brake side cable 9 connected by a joint member 17, but it is also possible to have the lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF connected using a single brake cable. Also, if it is permissible to increase the length of the brake linking cable 14, it is possible to directly connect the bell crank 20 to the brake lever 3. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7 being a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of the headpipe in the linked brake system, and Fig. 8 being a cross section along line 8 - 8 in Fig. 7. A front wheel braking force transmission system 5B between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF comprises a master cylinder 30 fastened to a headpipe 16, a knocker 32 axially supported on the headpipe 16 so as to engage with an outer end of a piston 31 of the master cylinder 30, a first operating lever 33 slidably supported on the headpipe 16 so as to apply pressure on the piston 31 through the knocker 32, a front brake cable 34 for linking between the first operation lever 33 and the brake lever 3, and a hydraulic conduit 35 for transmitting output hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder 30 to a hydraulic front wheel brake (not shown). A cylinder body 36 of the master cylinder 30 is fixed to one side surface of the head pipe 16, with an outer end of the piston 31 slidably engaged in the cylinder body 36 facing downwards, and a flexible boot covering a projecting section of the piston 31 being stretched between an outer end section of the piston 31 and the cylinder body 36. Also, an output port 38 is provided in an upper part of the cylinder body 36, and the hydraulic conduit 35 is connected to this output port 38. A lever holder 39 projecting to the rear is integrally provided on a lower end of the cylinder body 36, and the knocker 32, first operating lever 33 and a second operating lever 40 are swingably attached to the lever holder 39 using a common pivot shaft 41. The knocker 32 is disposed so as to have a tip portion engage with an outer end, specifically a lower end, of the piston 31. Also, the first operating lever 33 crosses underneath the master cylinder 30 and extends up to the front of the master cylinder, and a contact section 33a coming into contact with and moving away from a lower surface of the tip of the knocker 32 is provided on a middle part of the first operating lever 33. A connecting lug of an end section of the front brake cable 34 is fitted into the tip section of the first operating lever 33. The second operational lever 40 is arranged so as to extend above the pivot shaft 41. A flat contact surface 40a and a circular arc surface 40b reaching from the lower end of the intact surface 40a to the lower end surface of the operational lever 33, and having the shaft 4 £ as a center, are formed at the rear side of a lower end of the second operational lever 40, and a contact piece 32a formed so as to curve from the rear end of the knocker 31 to the second operational lever 40 side is relatively arranged. Therefore, when the second operational lever 40 is swung backwards, the contact surface HOa comes into contact with the contact piece 32a making it possible to move the knocker 32 in an operating direction of the piston 31, but when the knocker 32 is swung from the first operational lever 33 side in the operating direction of the piston 31, the contact piece 32a moves away from the contact surface 40a to the circular arc surface 40b side. A connecting lug of an end section of the brake linking cable 34 is fitted into the tip section of the second operating lever 40. In this second embodiment also, the same effects as for the first embodiment can be obtained. Specifically, when the first operating lever 33 is pulled up in accompaniment with the knocker 32, through the front brake cable 34, and rotates around the axis of the pivot shaft 41 to swing upwards in Fig! j^ the knocker 32 presses the piston 31 upwards and hydraulic pressure is supplied from the output port 38 through the hydraulic conduit to the front brake, making it possible to actuate the front wheel brake. The contact piece 32a of the knocker 32 swings so that it escapes from the contact surface of the second operating lever 40 to the arc surface 40b, and so the second operating lever 40 becomes left behind, and actuation force of the brake lever 3 is transmitted to the second operating lever 40 and the brake linking cable 14. On the other hand, if the second operating lever 40 is rotated to the rear around the axis of the pivot shaft tf.-£m by the brake linking cable 14, the contact surface 40a of the second operating lever is pressed against contact piece 32a of the knocker 32, the piston 31 of the master cylinder 30 becomes pressed upwards, and it is possible to actuate the front wheel brake. Fig. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. A brake rod 12 is connected to one end of an equalizer 10 connected through a connecting link 11 to a front brake, and one end of a bell crank 13 supported on the vehicle frame 7 by a shaft 44 different from the shaft 9 supporting the brake pedal 8 on the vehicle frame, and arranged in the vicinity of a brake pedal 8, is connected to the other end of the equalizer 10. Also, one end of a brake linking cable 14 is mected to one end of the bell crank 13, and a connecting member 45 having an elongated hole 47 is provided in the other end of the brake linking cable 14. A pin 46 for fitting into the elongated hole 46 is provided in an equalizer 20 engaging with a joint member 17 arranged on a head pipe J 6 constituting part of means 5 A for transmitting front wheel braking force between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF. A spring 15 is also provided between the head pipe 16 and the connecting member 45, and this spring 15 exerts a spring force against a traction force of the brake linking cable 14. The spring force of the spring 15 acts on the bell crank 13 through the brake linking cable 14, and the bell crank 13 becomes urged to rotate in a direction to resist a load acting on the bell crank 13 from the equalizer 10 accompanying actuation of the brake pedal 8. In this embodiment also, the same effects as for each of the above described embodiments can be obtained. An embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but the present invention is not thus limited and various design changes are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims. [Effects of the Invention] According to the invention of claim 1 described above, the brake linking cable can be arranged so as to extend forwards from a bell crank positioned close to the brake pedal, and not only is the degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable increased, it is also possible to avoid bending of the brake linking cable, thus significantly preventing increase in cable length and improving operational force transmission efficiency. Also, according to the invention of claim 2, by operating the front wheel brake with a delay after operation of the rear wheel brake accompanying actuation of the brake pedal , it is possible to stabilize vehicle behavior when actuating the brake using the brake pedal. According to the invention of claim 3, as well as reducing the length of the brake linking cable, it is possible to arrange the brake linking cable along the vehicle frame without the need to consider turning of the steering handle, and to further improve operational force transmission efficiency. [Description of the numerals] 3 Brake lever 4 Brake pedal 5 A, 5B front wheel brake force transmission system 7 vehicle frame 10 equalizer 11 connecting link 12 brake rod as a rear wheel braking force transmission member 13 bell crank 14 brake linking cable 15 spring 16 headpipe BF front wheel brake BR rear wheel brake WE CLAIM: 1. A vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever (3) causing activation of a front wheel brake (BF) in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal (8), axially supported on a vehicle frame (7), capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake (BR) and the front wheel brake (BF) in response to a braking operation, wherein two ends of an equalizer (10), connected to the brake pedal (8) via a connecting link (11), are connected to a rear braking force transmission member (12), capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake (BR), and one end of a bell crank (13) rotatably supported on the vehicle frame (7) close to the brake pedal (8), and one end of a brake linking cable (14) for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake (BF) side is connected to the other end of the bell crank (13) and the brake linking cable (14) is arranged along the vehicle frame (7). 2. The vehicle front and rear linked brake system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bell crank (13) is optionally provided with a spring (15) for rotationally biasing the bell crank (13) against a load acted from the equalizer (10). 3. The vehicle front and rear linked brake system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it is made possible to transmit a braking operation force of the brake level (3) to the front wheel brake (BF), thereby providing front wheel braking force transmission systems (5A, 5B) between the brake lever (3) and the front wheel brake (BF), and the brake linking cable (14) is connected to the front wheel braking force transmissions systems (5A, 5B) at sections corresponding to a head pipe (16), while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission systems (5A, 5B) to the brake linking cable (14). 4. A vehicle front and rear linked brake system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 21st day of March, 2001 FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT 1970 [39 OF 1970] [Section 10] COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "VEHICLE FRONT AND REAR LINKED BRAKE SYSTEM" HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, a corporation of Japan, having a place of business at 1-1, Minamiaoyama 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed :- [Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal, axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation. [Related Art] A brake system of the related art is well known, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] With the above described brake system of the related art, two ends of an equalizer, connected to a brake pedal via a connecting link, are connected to a rear braking force transmission member, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake, and to a brake linking cable for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake side, the brake linking cable being arranged so as to extend rearwards from the equalizer along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As a result, there is unavoidably bending of the brake linking cable towards the front, there is only a small degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable, and there is an increase in the cable length due to bending, and it is difficult to compensate for an accompanying lowering of the operational force transmission efficiency. The present invention has been conceived in view of the above described situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front and rear linked brake system that increases a degree of freedom with respect to layout of a brake linking cable, and moreover reduces bending to significantly reduce increase in cable length, and which can improve operational force transmission efficiency. [Means of Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above described object, the invention of claim 1 is a vehicle front and rear linked brake system, provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal, axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, wherein two ends of an equalizer, connected to the brake pedal via a connecting link, are connected to a rear braking force transmission member, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake, and one end of a bell crank rotatably supported on the vehicle frame close to the brake pedal, and one end of a brake linking cable for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake side is connected to the other end of the bell crank. With this structure, the brake linking cable can be arranged so as to extend forwards Iftim a bell crank positioned close to the brake pedal, and not only is the degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable increased, it is also possible to avoid bending of the brake linking cable, thus significantly preventing increase in cable length and improving operational force transmission efficiency. The invention of claim 2, in addition to the structure of the invention of claim 1, is provided with a spring for rotationally urging the bell crank against a load acting on the bell crank from the equalizer, and with this structure a load, distributed at a set ratio by the equalizer, acting on the bell crank does not cause rotation of the bell crank until it exceeds the spring load, and the front wheel brake is also not activated. Therefore, the rear brake is activated first in response to a braking operation from the brake pedal, and after a delay the front wheel brake is activated, making it possible to stabilize vehicle behavior at the time of braking.. Further, in addition to the structure of the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, with the invention of claim 3 it is made possible to transmit braking operation force of the brake lever to the front wheel brake, thereby providing front wheel braking force transmission systems between the brake lever and the front wheel-brake, and the brake linking cable is connected to the -front wheel braking force transmission systems at sections corresponding to a head pipe, while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission systems to the brake linking cable. With this structure, in addition to significant reduction in the length of the brake linking cable it is also possible run the brake linking cable along the vehicle frame without the need to take turning of the handlebar into consideration, and it is possible to significantly improve the operational force transmission efficiency. The ipresent invention relates to a vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever causing activation of a front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal , axially supported on a vehicle frame, capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake and the front wheel brake in response to a braking operation, wherein two ends of an equalizer, connected to the brake pedal via a connecting link, are connected to a rear braking force transmission member, capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake, and one end of a bell crank rotatably supported on the vehicle frame close to the brake pedal, and one end of a brake linking cable for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake side is connected to the other end of the bell crank and the brake linking cable is arranged along the vehicle frame. [Embodiments] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described below based on the attached drawings. [Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a drawing showing the overall structure of a linked brake system of a first embodiment. Fig. ' 2 is u side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a brake pedal in the linked brake system. Fig. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 when a brake pedal is operated. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a head pipe in the linked brake system. Fig. 6 is a drawing along line 6 - 6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a head pipe in the linked brake system of a second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a drawing along line 8 - 8 in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 a drawing showing the overall structure of a linked brake system of a third embodiment. Fig. 1 - Fig. 6 show a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 1 showing the overall structure of a linked brake system, Fig. 2 being a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of a brake pedal in the linked brake system, Fig. 3 being a view in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 being a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 when a brake pedal is operated, Fig. 5 being a side elevation showing the straeturem the vicinity of a head pipe in the •fiked brake system, and Fig. 6 being a drawing along line 6 - 6 in Fig. 5. First of all, in Fig. 1, a lever holder 2 is fixed to a steering handle 1 of a motorcycle, next to a right grip la, and a brake lever 3 axially supported by the lever holder 2 is connected to an actuation lever 4 of a drum type front wheel brake BF via a front wheel braking force transmission system 5A. Specifically, the front wheel brake BF is operated in response to actuation of the brake lever 3. A rear wheel brake BR also has a drum type structure, and it is possible to input brake actuation force to an actuating lever of the rear wheel brake 6 by treading on a brake pedal 8 supported on the vehicle frame 7. It is also possible to input the brake actuation force generated by treading on the brake pedal 8 to the actuation lever 4 of the front wheel brake BF. That is, the brake pedal 8 enables linked operation of the rear wheel brake BR and the front wheel brake BF in response to brake actuation force. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the brake pedal 8 is rotatably supported by a shaft 9 fixed to the vehicle frame 1, and a connecting lever section 8a is provided on the brake pedal 8, extending upwards in a radial direction of the shaft 9. An equalizer 10 extending substantially vertically is provided to the rear side of the connecting lever section 8a, and the connecting lever 8a and the equalizer 10 are arranged in the same plane orthogonal to the axis of the shaft 9. One end of a connecting link 11 is rotatably connected to a tip end of the connecting lever section 8a, while the other end of the connecting link 11 is rotatably connected to a middle part of the equalizer 10. Specifically, the brake pedal g is connected to a middle part of the equalizer 10 via the connecting link 11. One end of a brake rod 12, being a rear wheel braking force transmission member, is connected to an upper end of the equalizer 10, while the other end of the brake rod 12 is connected to the actuation lever 6 of rear wheel brake BR for transmitting brake actuating force to the rear wheel brake BR. In the vicinity of the brake pedal 8, a bell crank 13 is rotatably supported on the vehicle frame 7, and in this embodiment the bell crank 13 is rotatably supported by a shaft 9 shared with the brake pedal 8. A lower end of the equalizer 10 is rotatably connected to one end of the bell crank 13. One end of the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the other end of the bell crank 13 so as to extend from the bell crank 13 to the front of the vehicle. A spring 15 is also provided between the bell crank 13 and the vehicle frame, and this spring 15 exerts a spring force on the bell crank 13 to rotatively urge the bell crank against a load acting from the equalizer 10, in accordance with actuation of the brake pedal 8. As shown in Fig. 4, if the brake pedal 8 is actuated, brake actuation force from the brake pedal 8 is input to the equalizer 10 through the connecting link 11, and actuating force distributed at a specified ratio from the equalizer is transmitted to the brake rod 12 and the bell crank 13. Specifically, actuating force distributed at a ratio corresponding to a lever ratio, which is a ratio of a distance LI, between sections of the connecting link 11 and the brake rod 12 connecting to the equalizer 10, and a distance L2, between sections of the connecting link 11 and the bell crank 13 connecting to the equalizer 10, is transmitted to the brake rod 12 and the bell crank 13. A load applied to the bell crank from the equalizer 10 is such as to cause rotation of the bell crank 13 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4, but when this rotational torque is less than a return torque generated by the spring 15 the bell crank 13 does not rotate, while if the rotational torque is greater than the return torque generated by the spring 15 the bell crank rotates in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4 and the brake linking cable 14 is pulled. Referring to both Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the vehicle frame 7 is provided with a head pipe 16 at its front end, and the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the front wheel braking force transmission system 5A at a section corresponding to the head pipe 16, while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission system 5A to the brake linking cable 14 The front wheel braking force transmission system 5A is formed by connecting a lever side brake cable 18, connecting to the brake lever 3, and a front wheel brake side brake cable 19, connecting to the actuation lever 4 of the front wheel brake BF, through a joint member 17. A pair of elongated holes 23, 23 elongated in the vertical direction are provided in the joint member 17, and a connecting lug 24 provided on the end of the lever side brake cable 18 is inserted into and engaged in the two elongated holes 23, 23. A connecting lug 25 provided on the end of the front wheel brake side brake cable 19 is engaged in a lower part of the joint member 17. A bell crank 20 housed inside a cover 21 fixed to the head pipe 16 is slidably attached to the cover 21 using a pivot 22, and step sections 17a, 17a coming into contact with one end of the bell crank 20 from below are provided on the joint section 17. An end of the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the other end of the bell crank 20. When the bell crank is rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig. ■§) by a traction force acting on the brake linking cable 14, the front wheel brake side brake cable 19 is pulled, as a result of pushing up the joint member 17 with one end of the bell crank 20, to actuate the front wheel brake BF, but because of relative movement of the joint member 17 and the connecting lug 14 in a longitudinal direction of the elongated holes 23, 23 traction force does not act on the lever side brake cable 18. Also, when the joint member 17 is pulled up by traction force acting on the lever side brake cable 18 due to actuation of the brake lever 3, the rear wheel brake BF is actuated by pulling of the front wheel brake side brake cable 19, but the bell crank 20 is left where it is and not actuated, and traction force does not act on the brake linking cable 14. Specifically, the brake linking cable 14 is connected to the front wheel braking force transmission system 5 A at a section corresponding to the head pipe 16, while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission system 5 A to the brake linking cable 14 Each of the brake cables 14, 18 and 19 are fitted inside flexible guide tubes 26, 27 and 28 having both ends held in fixed sections. Next, operation of the first embodiment will be described. The brake rod 12 capable of transmitting brake actuation force to the rear wheel brake BR, and one end of the bell crank 13 rotatably supported in the vehicle frame close to the brake pedal 8, are connected to both ends of the equalizer 10 connected to the brake pedal 8 through the connecting link 11, and one end of the brake linking cable 14 transmitting actuation force to the front wheel brake BF is connected to the other end of the bell crank 13, which means that the brake linking cable 14 can be arranged as to extend to the front from the bell crank 13 arranged close to the brake pedal 8. Accordingly, it is possible not only to increase a degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable 14, but also to reduce bending to significantly reduce increase in cable length, and to improve operational force transmission efficiency. Moreover, the bell crank is capable of rotation around the same axis as the brake pedal 8 and is supported on the vehicle frame 7, which means that the bell crank 13 can be arranged in a compact manner in the vicinity of the brake pedal. Also, since a spring force against the load acting from the equalizer 10 is acting on the bell crank 13 accompanying actuation of the brake pedal 8, the bell crank does not rotate until the load from the equalizer 10 and distributed at a specified ratio acting on the bell crank exceeds the spring load. As a result, the front wheel brake BF can be operated delayed after operation of the rear wheel brake BF accompanying actuation of the brake pedal 8, and it is possible to stabilize vehicle behavior when actuating the brake using the brake pedal 8. It is also made possible to transmit brake actuation force of the brake lever 3 to the front wheel brake BF, and the brake linking cable 14 is connected to a middle section of the front wheel braking force transmission system 5A, provided between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF, corresponding to the head pipe 16, without transmitting force from the front wheel braking force transmission member to the brake linking cable 14, which means that as well as making the length of the brake linking cable 14 extremely short it is possible to arrange the brake linking cable 14 along the vehicle frame 7 without considering turning of the handle, and in this way it is possible to further improve actuation force transmission efficiency. In the above described embodiment, the front wheel braking force transmission system 5 A between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF is made up of a lever side brake cable 18 and a front wheel brake side cable 9 connected by a joint member 17, but it is also possible to have the lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF connected using a single brake cable. Also, if it is permissible to increase the length of the brake linking cable 14, it is possible to directly connect the bell crank 20 to the brake lever 3. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7 being a side elevation showing the structure in the vicinity of the headpipe in the linked brake system, and Fig. 8 being a cross section along line 8 - 8 in Fig. 7. A front wheel braking force transmission system 5B between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF comprises a master cylinder 30 fastened to a headpipe 16, a knocker 32 axially supported on the headpipe 16 so as to engage with an outer end of a piston 31 of the master cylinder 30, a first operating lever 33 slidably supported on the headpipe 16 so as to apply pressure on the piston 31 through the knocker 32, a front brake cable 34 for linking between the first operation lever 33 and the brake lever 3, and a hydraulic conduit 35 for transmitting output hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder 30 to a hydraulic front wheel brake (not shown). A cylinder body 36 of the master cylinder 30 is fixed to one side surface of the head pipe 16, with an outer end of the piston 31 slidably engaged in the cylinder body 36 facing downwards, and a flexible boot covering a projecting section of the piston 31 being stretched between an outer end section of the piston 31 and the cylinder body 36. Also, an output port 38 is provided in an upper part of the cylinder body 36, and the hydraulic conduit 35 is connected to this output port 38. A lever holder 39 projecting to the rear is integrally provided on a lower end of the cylinder body 36, and the knocker 32, first operating lever 33 and a second operating lever 40 are swingably attached to the lever holder 39 using a common pivot shaft 41. The knocker 32 is disposed so as to have a tip portion engage with an outer end, specifically a lower end, of the piston 31. Also, the first operating lever 33 crosses underneath the master cylinder 30 and extends up to the front of the master cylinder, and a contact section 33a coming into contact with and moving away from a lower surface of the tip of the knocker 32 is provided on a middle part of the first operating lever 33. A connecting lug of an end section of the front brake cable 34 is fitted into the tip section of the first operating lever 33. The second operational lever 40 is arranged so as to extend above the pivot shaft 41. A flat contact surface 40a and a circular arc surface 40b reaching from the lower end of the intact surface 40a to the lower end surface of the operational lever 33, and having the shaft 4 £ as a center, are formed at the rear side of a lower end of the second operational lever 40, and a contact piece 32a formed so as to curve from the rear end of the knocker 31 to the second operational lever 40 side is relatively arranged. Therefore, when the second operational lever 40 is swung backwards, the contact surface HOa comes into contact with the contact piece 32a making it possible to move the knocker 32 in an operating direction of the piston 31, but when the knocker 32 is swung from the first operational lever 33 side in the operating direction of the piston 31, the contact piece 32a moves away from the contact surface 40a to the circular arc surface 40b side. A connecting lug of an end section of the brake linking cable 34 is fitted into the tip section of the second operating lever 40. In this second embodiment also, the same effects as for the first embodiment can be obtained. Specifically, when the first operating lever 33 is pulled up in accompaniment with the knocker 32, through the front brake cable 34, and rotates around the axis of the pivot shaft 41 to swing upwards in Fig! j^ the knocker 32 presses the piston 31 upwards and hydraulic pressure is supplied from the output port 38 through the hydraulic conduit to the front brake, making it possible to actuate the front wheel brake. The contact piece 32a of the knocker 32 swings so that it escapes from the contact surface of the second operating lever 40 to the arc surface 40b, and so the second operating lever 40 becomes left behind, and actuation force of the brake lever 3 is transmitted to the second operating lever 40 and the brake linking cable 14. On the other hand, if the second operating lever 40 is rotated to the rear around the axis of the pivot shaft tf.-£m by the brake linking cable 14, the contact surface 40a of the second operating lever is pressed against contact piece 32a of the knocker 32, the piston 31 of the master cylinder 30 becomes pressed upwards, and it is possible to actuate the front wheel brake. Fig. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. A brake rod 12 is connected to one end of an equalizer 10 connected through a connecting link 11 to a front brake, and one end of a bell crank 13 supported on the vehicle frame 7 by a shaft 44 different from the shaft 9 supporting the brake pedal 8 on the vehicle frame, and arranged in the vicinity of a brake pedal 8, is connected to the other end of the equalizer 10. Also, one end of a brake linking cable 14 is mected to one end of the bell crank 13, and a connecting member 45 having an elongated hole 47 is provided in the other end of the brake linking cable 14. A pin 46 for fitting into the elongated hole 46 is provided in an equalizer 20 engaging with a joint member 17 arranged on a head pipe J 6 constituting part of means 5 A for transmitting front wheel braking force between the brake lever 3 and the front wheel brake BF. A spring 15 is also provided between the head pipe 16 and the connecting member 45, and this spring 15 exerts a spring force against a traction force of the brake linking cable 14. The spring force of the spring 15 acts on the bell crank 13 through the brake linking cable 14, and the bell crank 13 becomes urged to rotate in a direction to resist a load acting on the bell crank 13 from the equalizer 10 accompanying actuation of the brake pedal 8. In this embodiment also, the same effects as for each of the above described embodiments can be obtained. An embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but the present invention is not thus limited and various design changes are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims. [Effects of the Invention] According to the invention of claim 1 described above, the brake linking cable can be arranged so as to extend forwards from a bell crank positioned close to the brake pedal, and not only is the degree of freedom with respect to layout of the brake linking cable increased, it is also possible to avoid bending of the brake linking cable, thus significantly preventing increase in cable length and improving operational force transmission efficiency. Also, according to the invention of claim 2, by operating the front wheel brake with a delay after operation of the rear wheel brake accompanying actuation of the brake pedal , it is possible to stabilize vehicle behavior when actuating the brake using the brake pedal. According to the invention of claim 3, as well as reducing the length of the brake linking cable, it is possible to arrange the brake linking cable along the vehicle frame without the need to consider turning of the steering handle, and to further improve operational force transmission efficiency. [Description of the numerals] 3 Brake lever 4 Brake pedal 5 A, 5B front wheel brake force transmission system 7 vehicle frame 10 equalizer 11 connecting link 12 brake rod as a rear wheel braking force transmission member 13 bell crank 14 brake linking cable 15 spring 16 headpipe BF front wheel brake BR rear wheel brake WE CLAIM: 1. A vehicle front and rear linked brake system provided with a brake lever (3) causing activation of a front wheel brake (BF) in response to a braking operation, and a brake pedal (8), axially supported on a vehicle frame (7), capable of causing linked activation of a rear wheel brake (BR) and the front wheel brake (BF) in response to a braking operation, wherein two ends of an equalizer (10), connected to the brake pedal (8) via a connecting link (11), are connected to a rear braking force transmission member (12), capable of transmitting a braking operation force to a rear wheel brake (BR), and one end of a bell crank (13) rotatably supported on the vehicle frame (7) close to the brake pedal (8), and one end of a brake linking cable (14) for transmitting operational force to a front wheel brake (BF) side is connected to the other end of the bell crank (13) and the brake linking cable (14) is arranged along the vehicle frame (7). 2. The vehicle front and rear linked brake system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bell crank (13) is optionally provided with a spring (15) for rotationally biasing the bell crank (13) against a load acted from the equalizer (10). 3. The vehicle front and rear linked brake system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it is made possible to transmit a braking operation force of the brake level (3) to the front wheel brake (BF), thereby providing front wheel braking force transmission systems (5A, 5B) between the brake lever (3) and the front wheel brake (BF), and the brake linking cable (14) is connected to the front wheel braking force transmissions systems (5A, 5B) at sections corresponding to a head pipe (16), while avoiding transmission of force from the front wheel braking force transmission systems (5A, 5B) to the brake linking cable (14). 4. A vehicle front and rear linked brake system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 21st day of March, 2001

Documents:

267-mum-2001-abstract(4-8-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-abstract-(4-8-2006).doc

267-mum-2001-cancelled pages(4-8-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-claims(granted)-(4-8-2006).doc

267-mum-2001-claims(granted)-(4-8-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-correspondence(28-8-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-correspondence(ipo)-(7-9-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-drawing(21-3-2001).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 1(21-3-2001).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 18(14-3-2005).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 2(granted)-(4-8-2006).doc

267-mum-2001-form 2(granted)-(4-8-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 3(21-3-2001).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 3(25-5-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 3(6-3-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 4(8-2-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-form 5(21-3-2001).pdf

267-mum-2001-petition under rule137(6-3-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-petition under rule138(6-3-2006).pdf

267-mum-2001-power of authority(29-6-2001).pdf

267-mum-2001-power of authority(6-3-2006).pdf

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