Lever assembly and master cylinder

#The invention relates to brakes and more particularly to disc brakes.

#Disc brake systems are used in a wide variety of applications such as bicycles, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, and automobiles. The typical disc brake system includes 1) a lever, 2) a power source, such as a hydraulic master cylinder, and 3) a disc brake assembly that is actuated by the power source to apply the brake force. The disc brake assembly includes a disc that rotates with the wheel, one or more brake pads, and one or more calipers. Force exerted on the lever actuates the power source, which selectively forces a caliper piston towards the disc to press the brake pad into frictional contact with the disc, thereby applying the brake force.

#The lever's position relative to a handlebar typically is fixed, making the lever height comfortable for only some vehicle operators. Operators with hands that are larger or smaller find operating levers with a fixed height difficult.

#Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a braking system that includes a master cylinder, a rotatable disc, a caliper, and a lever assembly made in accordance with the invention.

#FIG. 2A is an exploded view of the master cylinder and the lever assembly of FIG. 1.

#Before explaining embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

#In the drawings, a first embodiment of a hydraulic braking system for a vehicle, such as a bicycle, constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 at the reference numeral 10. For convenience, the braking system 10 will be described in connection with a bicycle. However, the braking system 10 can be used with other vehicles, such as motorcycles, mopeds, snowmobiles, ATVs, and the like, or any other vehicle using a hand-operated master cylinder. Therefore, the disclosure should not be limited to braking systems for use with bicycles. The braking system 10 includes a master cylinder 12, a lever assembly 14 that includes a lever 16, a rotatable disc 18, and a caliper 20, which is responsive to actuation of the master cylinder 12 to frictionally brake the disc 18.

#Referring also to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3, the master cylinder 12 is actuated by the lever 16, which is coupled to the master cylinder 12 by a push rod 22. Actuation of the lever 16 translates the push rod 22 axially of the master cylinder 12 to cause hydraulic fluid (e.g., any incompressible fluid used to generate pressure, such as brake fluid, mineral oil, water, glycol, or the like, the likes of which are used interchangeably hereinout) to flow into the caliper 20 via a brake line 24 coupled to the master cylinder 12 via an inlet/outlet port 25 of the master cylinder 12.