Hydraulic gear shift mechanism
AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorsTadashi Ichida, Akira Tsumiyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic gear shift mechanism for a bicycle having a positioning mechanism for controlling the motion of the piston of a master cylinder assembly is disclosed, wherein the master cylinder assembly is in communication with a slave cylinder for operation of a derailleur. The positioning mechanism preferably includes a pivot shaft spaced apart from the handlebar, a rotating member rotatable about the pivot shaft, a push mechanism for rotating the rotating member in a first direction and a return mechanism for rotating the rotating member in a second direction. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, an adjuster piston is threadingly engaged with the master cylinder assembly for adjusting the initial position of the slave cylinder.
Claims13
A shift control device attachable to a handlebar of a bicycle for adjusting a slave piston of a slave cylinder assembly of a hydraulic gear shift mechanism, the shift control device comprising:
- a bracket attachable to the handlebar;
- a pivot shaft spaced apart from the handlebar and fixedly secured to the bracket;
- a member rotatable in a first direction and a second direction about the pivot shaft;
- a lever operatively connected with the member, wherein the lever is biased in a neutral position and movable in a first and second direction, wherein the neutral position is between the first and second directions, and wherein rotation of the member in the first direction moves the slave piston in a push direction and the rotation of the member in the second direction moves the slave piston in a return direction.
A shift control device attachable to a handlebar of a bicycle for adjusting a slave piston of a slave cylinder assembly of a hydraulic shift gear mechanism, the shift control device comprising:
- a bracket attachable to the handlebar;
- a pivot shaft spaced apart from the handlebar and fixedly secured to the bracket;
- a member rotatable in a first direction and a second direction about the pivot shaft;
- a lever operatively connected with the member,
- wherein the lever is biased in a neutral position and movable in a first and second direction, wherein the neutral position is between the first and second directions, and wherein when the lever is moved away from the neutral position in one selected from the first direction and the second direction and then subsequently released, the lever returns to the neutral position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.