Title of Invention

" BRAKE JOINT"

Abstract

A brake joint (60) characterized in that, with stoppage of dislocation, to a rotatable brake working member (43) to freely rotate around a shaft which is almost parallel to the rotating shaft thereof and in coupling of a control force transmitting member (44) with the trunk portion thereof, in the pin-shape brake joint for coupling a working member of a brake device (1) provided to a vehicle and a control force transmitting member (44) for transmitting a brake control force to the brake working member.

Full Text

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a mechanical brake joint provided in a vehicle and particularly to a brake joint for coupling a working member of a brake device and a control force transmitting member for transmitting a brake control force to a member. [Background Art] A vehicle such as a motorcycle is provided with the brake device for braking rotation of wheels. Such brake device is classified into a hydraulic type device in which the brake control force generated when a. driver manipulates a lever or a pedal for brake control is transmitted with a brake fluid and a mechanical type device in which such brake control force is transmitted with a control force transmitting member. In the mechanical type drum brake device, braking of wheel is realized by pressing a brake shoe to a drum rotating together with the wheel with pressure using a brake control force transmitted with the control force transmitting member, but coupling of the working member and the control force transmitting member of the brake device has been realized in the structure described below. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 10, in the mechanical type drum brake device 1, a cylindrical brake drum 2 is fixed for mounting to a wheel and a pair of woodruff brake shoes 4 with one end thereof supported to the body side with an anchor 3 is provided. The brake shoes 4 are extensively opened by rotating a cam 5 provided to the other end of these brake shoes 4 with a brake arm (brake working member) 6 and thereby these brake shoes are placed in contact with pressure to the internal circumferential surface of the brake drum 2 for braking rotation of the brake drum 2 (namely, wheel). Such braking work is conducted by pulling a link rod (or wire as the control force transmitting member) 7 coupled to the front end of the brake arm 6 to rotate this brake arm 6. The brake shoes 4 are always energized in the direction being separated from the internal circumferential surface of the brake drum 2 with a return spring 8. [0004] The brake arm 6 and link rod 7 are coupled via the pin-shape brake joint 9 with the structure which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. The brake joint 9 is a column type component including an inserting hole 10 at the trunk portion thereof allowing insertion of the link rod 7 and is mounted in the condition being inserted to a mounting hole 11 formed to a tip-fork portion of the arm 6. The front end part of the link rod 7 is provided with a thread portion 12 . The link rod 7 is mounted to the brake joint 9 and is then mounted to the brake arm 6 via the brake joint 9 by screwing a nut 13 having the sleeve 14 to the thread portion 12 under the condition that the link rod 7 is provided through the brake joint 9. Numeral 15 in Fig. 12 denotes a body mounted in the vehicle side of the brake device, while 16 denotes a coupling shaft for coupling the brake cam 5 and brake arm 6 . [0005] In regard to the brake device of a motorcycle, the invention to prevent wear of thread portion coupling the brake joint and link rod by reducing the weight of brake joint through formation of a hole to the brake joint and suppressing resonance of brake joint for vibration of engine has been proposed (refer to Patent Document 1). [Patent Document 1] JP-A No. 80888/1996 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] [0006] In the coupling structure of the brake working member 6 and the control force transmitting member 7 via the brake joint 9, relative displacement between the brake working member 6 and the control force transmitting member 7 must be allowed by inserting for the mounting the brake joint 9 to freely rotate into the mounting hole 11 provided to the brake working member 6 in order to couple the brake working member 6 to freely rotate and the control force transmitting member 7 for the pulling operation. Therefore, the brake joint 9 is mounted to the brake working member 6 to rotate around the shaft which is almost parallel to the rotating shaft of the brake working member 6 only with insertion of both end portions thereof into a pair of mounting holes 11. [0007] Moreover, in view of eliminating interference between the nut 13 and the brake working member 6, the sleeve 14 is provided to the nut 13 with the reason for eliminating direct contact of the nut 13 to the brake joint 9. However, diameter of the sleeve 14 is set about to the thickness just held with the tip-fork portion of the brake working member 6 and this sleeve 14 also has a function to restrict the location so that the brake joint 9 is no longer dislocated from the mounting hole 11 because of displacement in the axial direction thereof. [0008] However, in the conventional coupling structure described above, since the brake joint 9 is only inserted into the mounting hole 11 of the brake working member 6, when the control force transmitting member 7 is pulled out by removing the nut 13 during the repair work of the brake device, the brake joint 9 is easily dislocated therefrom. Accordingly, the brake joint 9 must be assembled to the brake working member 6 in the re-assembling work and moreover attention must also be paid not to miss the dislocated brake joint 9. [0009] In addition, as the positional restriction of the assembled brake joint 9, the sleeve 14 of nut 13 is required to have the thickness which is just held by the tip-fork portion of the brake working member 6. [0010] The present invention has been proposed under the background described above and therefore it is an object of the present invention to eliminate such disassembling and reassembling work of the brake device, to prevent, moreover, missing of the brake joint 9 in such work, and to give a degree of freedom to the thickness of the sleeve of nut 13. [Means for Solving the Problem] [0011] The present invention discloses a brake joint characterized in provision, with stoppage of dislocation, to a rotatable brake working member to freely rotate around a shaft which is almost parallel to the rotating shaft thereof and in coupling of a control force transmitting member with the trunk portion thereof, in the pin-shape brake joint for coupling a working member of a brake device provided to a vehicle and a control force transmitting member for transmitting a brake control force to the brake working member. Moreover, the present invention discloses the brake joint described above which is characterized in provision to freely rotate through insertion of both end portions thereof into a pair of holes formed to the brake working member and in provision with stoppage of dislocation from the brake working member with additional tightening of the end portions because at least one end thereof is formed in the thinning shape. The present invention may be adapted to a mechanical type brake device for transmitting a brake control force with a control force transmitting member such as a wire or a link rod or the like. However, the present invention can also be adapted to the brake device of the other type than the drum brake, when it is the mechanical type. [Effect of the Invention] [0012] According to the present invention, since the brake joint itself is provided to the brake working member with stoppage of dislocation, insertion and pulling out of the brake joint are no longer required in the disassembling and reassembling work of the brake device and therefore missing of brake joint can also be prevented. Moreover, since the sleeve of nut is freed from the restricted member and diameter of sleeve can also be thinned. In addition, since relative movement between the brake arm and brake joint can be restricted with stoppage of dislocation of the brake joint, effect of reducing resonance of brake joint can also be expected. [Brief Description of the Drawings] [0027] [Fig. 1] A cross-sectional view of the brake joint coupling portion in relation to an embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 2] A side elevation of the brake j oint coupling portion in relation to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 3] A cross-sectional view of the brake joint coupling portion in relation to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 4] A cross-sectional view of the brake joint coupling portion in relation to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 5] A cross-sectional view and a side elevation of the brake joint coupling portion in relation to another embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 6] A cross-sectional view and a side elevation of the brake joint coupling portion in relation to the other embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 7] A side elevation of the complete structure of a motorcycle to which the present invention is applied. [Fig. 8] A partially cutaway side elevation of a front fork portion of the motorcycle to which the present invention is applied. [Fig. 9] A partially cutaway front elevation of the front form portion of the motorcycle to which the present invention is applied. [Fig. 10] A side elevation of an example of a mechanical type brake device to which the present invention is applied. [Fig. 11] A side elevation of the conventional brake joint coupling portion. [Fig. 12] A cross-sectional view of the conventional brake joint coupling portion. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention] [0013] A practical example in which the present invention is adapted to a mechanical drum type brake device of a motorcycle will be described on the basis of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. First, the motorcycle in this example is formed in the frame of body with a frame 20 as illustrated in Fig. 7, a leg shield 21 and a low floor step floor 22 are provided at the front part of the frame 20, a rear body 23 is provided in the rear part of the frame 20, and a seat 24 is provided on the rear body 23 to form a scooter type motorcycle. A steering shaft 26 provided with a handle bar 25 at the upper end is provided to freely rotate around the shaft at the front end of the frame 20. At the lower end of the steering shaft 26, a bottom bridge 27 is welded. To the bottom bridge 27, a front fork 28 is welded and the lower end of the front fork 28 is provided with a front wheel 29 which can be rotated freely. [0014] An engine 31 and a belt type continuously variable transmission 32 for transmitting an engine output are integrated to form a power unit 33. This power unit 33 is provided to a bracket 34 provided to the frame 20 via a link mechanism 35 to freely swing in the vertical direction. Moreover, the power unit 33 is supported against the frame 20 via a cushion unit 40. An engine output is transmitted to a rear wheel 36 supported with the power unit 33 via the belt type continuous variable transmission 32. Accordingly, the rear wheel 36 can be driven to rotate. [0015] The front wheel 29 and rear wheel 36 are respectively provided with the mechanical type drum brake device 42. These brake devices 42 are capable of providing the braking effect for rotation of the wheels by pulling a brake working member (arm in this embodiment) 43 with a brake control force transmitting member (wire for the front wheel, link rod and wire for the rear wheel, in this embodiment) 44. Namely, when a driver grips a brake lever 45 provided to the handle bar 25, the brake control force is transmitted via a brake control force transmitting member 44 and a brake arm 43 rotates to give the braking effect to rotation of the wheel as described with reference to Fig. 10. [0016] The front side portion of the motorcycle is illustrated in detail in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. In the following description, the mechanical type drum brake device provided to the front wheel 29 is mainly described. But, following description will also be adapted to the mechanical type drum brake device 42 provided to the rear wheel 36. Therefore, the duplicated description is omitted here. Each front fork 28 is of the cushion structure in which a lower fork pipe 51 is slidably housed within an upper fork pipe 50 via a coil spring 52 . The upper end portion of the upper fork pipe 50 is fixed by welding to a bottom bridge 27 to rotate for the steering together with a steering shaft 26. A stopper 53 formed of an elastic material such as rubber is provided within the upper form pipe 50. Accordingly, if the lower fork pipe 51 slides largely when the motorcycle rides over an obstacle, the stopper 53 is in contact with the area between the upper end of the relevant lower fork pipe 51 and the bottom surface of the upper fork pipe 50 in order to restrict the sliding. [0017] Between lower ends of the lower fork pipe 51, an axle 55 is supported and the wheel 56 of the front wheel 29 is rotatably supported with the axle 55 via a bearing. A hub portion 57 formed in the form of drum at the center of the wheel 56 also works as a brake drum of the drum brake device 42 . As described on the basis of Fig. 10, the mechanical type drum brake device is provided within the relevant hub portion 57 to provide the braking effect to rotation of the brake drum 57 (namely, front wheel 29) by extensively opening a pair of semi-circular brake shoes 4 with rotation of the brake arm 43 and then placing the brake shoes 4 in contact with pressure to the internal circumference surface of the brake drum 57. The brake arm 43 as the brake working member is coupled with the wire 44 as the brake control force transmitting member and the pin type brake joint 60 is used for coupling of the relevant arm 43 and wire 44. Numeral 59 in Fig. 8 denotes a speed meter cable for transmitting the number of rotations of the front wheel 29. [0018] The coupling structure of the brake arm 43 and wire 44 by the brake joint 60 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a side elevation diagram illustrating the coupling portion of the brake arm 43 and the wire 44. Fig. 1 a cross-sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line B-B in Fig. 2. [0019] The brake joint 60 illustrated in the figure has the cylindrical shape including a hollow portion 60j to realize reduction in weight. With such reduction in weight, resonance of brake joint 60 can be suppressed for vibration resulting from the running of the motorcycle. The brake joint 60 is provided with an inserting hole 61 at the trunk portion for inserting a wire thereto. Therefore, the brake joint 60 is provided the relevant mounting hole 62 with stoppage of dislocation to freely rotate around the shaft which is almost parallel to the rotating shaft (namely, the coupling shaft 16 coupling the brake cam and brake arm 43) of the arm 43 with additional tightening under the condition that both ends 60a are inserted into the mounting hole 62 formed to the tip-fork portion of the brake arm 43. [0020] The additionally tightened end portion 60 of the brake joint 60 is formed thinner than the trunk portion and after the brake joint 60 in the condition before the additional tightening is inserted into the mounting hole 62, the end portion 60a projected from the mounting hole 62 can also be additionally tightened by easily bending the same portion with a tool or a processing machine. Moreover, the width between the thin end portions 60a is set a little larger than the width between a pair of mounting holes 62 . Even when the end portions 60a are additionally tightened for stoppage of dislocation in the axial direction, a gap is acquired between the additionally tightened portion 60a and the circumferential edge of the mounting hole 62 and thereby rotation around the shaft of the brake joint 60 can be impeded. Accordingly, since the brake joint 60 smoothly rotates around the shaft, relative displacement between the brake arm 43 making the rotating operation and the wire 44 making the pulling operation is allowed without any resistance. [0021] The end portion of the wire 44 is provided with a rod portion to form a thread portion 65 for coupling and the wire 44 is mounted to the brake joint 60 by threading a nut 67 having the sleeve 66 to the thread portion 65 under the condition that the thread portion 65 is inserted into the inserting hole 61 of the brake joint 60, in view of mounting the brake arm 43 via the relevant brake joint 60. In Fig. 1, numeral 15 designates a body of the brake device, and numeral 16 designates a coupling shaft for coupling the brake cam and the brake arm 43 . In addition, the end portion 66a of the sleeve 66 is formed almost in the identical shape of curvature as the trunk portion of the brake joint 60 and since the end portion of sleeve 66a is engaged with the trunk portion of brake joint, resulting in a turning stopper when the nut 67 is fed by the turning. Therefore, the wire 44 can be coupled with the arm 43 via the brake joint 50 with the turning feed of nut 67 and a play of the brake can be adjusted by adjusting a gap between the brake shoe and brake drum through adjustment of the amount of feed of nut. For the disassembling work or the like of brake device, the nut 67 is removed but since the brake joint 60 is additionally tightened at both end portions 60a for stoppage of dislocation, the brake joint 60 is never dislocated from the brake arm 43 and it is no longer required to conduct complicated works such as re-assembling during insertion of the brake joint 60 into the mounting hole 62. Moreover, the brake joint 60 is never missed. [0022] Meanwhile, the sleeve 66 is formed in the diameter which is smaller than the width between a pair of mounting holes 62 (namely, the interval of tip-fork portion of the brake arm 43) . In addition, even if relative displacement occurs between the brake arm 43 and the wire 44 in the braking operation, the circumferential surface of the sleeve 66 never slide on the internal surface of the tip-fork portion of the arm 43. Therefore, wear is never generated between these components and transmission feeling of the brake control force is never deteriorated. Here, in view of ensuring easier adjustment and removing work of the nut 67, length of the sleeve 66 is set to locate the nut 67 to the position in the outside of the tip-fork portion of the arm 43 . However, when the diameter of nut 67 is set smaller than the interval of tip-fork portion of the brake arm 43, the nut 67 can be provided to the trunk portion of the brake joint 60 in direct (or via a washer) through the threading. [0023] Figs. 4 to 6 illustrate the other embodiments of the brake joint 60 of the present invention. In order to make apparent the characteristics of each embodiment, the elements like those in the embodiments illustrated in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 are designated with the like reference numerals and the duplicated description is omitted here. [0024] Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view which is similar to that of Fig. 1 and is the brake joint 60 in relation to the other embodiment of the present invention. The brake joint 60 illustrated in Fig. 4 has the column shape not including the hollow portion. Both end portions thereof are provided with the thinned concave portion 60b to make easier the additional tightening in the shape of flange at both end portions 60a. Accordingly, the both end portions 60a of the brake joint 60 are formed comparatively thin, allowing easier additional tightening. Therefore, the brake joint 60 can surely be provided to the brake arm 43 with stoppage of dislocation. [0025] Fig. 5(a) illustrates a cross-sectional view which is similar to that in Fig. 1 and is the brake joint 60 in relation to the other embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5(b) illustrates a structure viewed from the right side in the figure. The brake joint 50 illustrated in this figure forms the one end portion 60c at the stepped portion and the other end portion 60d to the thinned concave portion. Moreover, in this figure, the end portion 60d of the brake joint 60 is additionally tightened via an annular washer 60e after insertion of the brake joint 60 into the mounting hole 62. Therefore, it is enough that the end portion 60d is additionally tightened in such a degree as fixing the washer 60e and the brake joint 60 is surely provided to the brake arm 43 with stoppage of dislocation through engagement of the washer 60e and stepped portion 60e. [0026] Fig. 6(a) illustrates a cross-sectional view which is similar to that of Fig. 1 and is the brake joint 60 in relation to the other embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 (b) illustrates a structure viewed from the right direction of the figure. The brake joint 60 illustrated in the Fig. 6 (b) forms one end portion 60f at the stepped portion and an annular groove at the other end portion 60g, for deposition of the C type clip 60h of the annular groove of the end portion 60g after the brake joint 60 is inserted to the mounting hole 62. Accordingly, the brake joint 60 can surely be provided to the brake arm 43 with stoppage of dislocation through engagement of the stepped portion 60f and C type clip 60h with deposition of the C type clip 60h. [Description of Reference Numerals] 1: Brake device; 43: Brake arm (brake working member); 44: Brake wire (control force transmitting member); 60: Brake joint; 60a: Additional tightening portion; 60b: Thinning concave portion; 60c: Stepped portion; 60d: Additional tightening portion; 60e: Washer; 60f: Stepped portion; 60g: Annular groove; 60h: C type clip; 61: Inserting hole; 62: Mounting hole; 66: Sleeve; 67: Nut. We Claim: 1. A brake joint (60) comprising provision with stoppage of dislocation, to a rotatable brake working member (43) to freely rotate around a shaft which is almost parallel to the rotating shaft thereof and in coupling of a control force transmitting member (44) with the trunk portion thereof, in the pin-shape brake joint for coupling a working member of a brake device (1) provided to a vehicle and a control force transmitting member (44) for transmitting a brake control force to the brake working member. 2. The brake joint (60) as claimed in claim 1, wherein to freely rotate through insertion of both end portions thereof into a pair of holes (62) formed to the brake working member (43) and in provision with stoppage of dislocation from the brake working member (43) with tightening of the end portions because at least one end thereof is formed in the thinning shape.

Documents:

82-del-2005-abstract.pdf

82-del-2005-claims.pdf

82-del-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

82-del-2005-correspondence-po.pdf

82-del-2005-description (complete).pdf

82-del-2005-drawings.pdf

82-del-2005-form-1.pdf

82-del-2005-form-18.pdf

82-del-2005-form-2.pdf

82-del-2005-form-3.pdf

82-del-2005-form-5.pdf

82-del-2005-gpa.pdf