Abstract:
In order to configure a hand-actuated transmitter unit for vehicles, in particular for handlebar-controlled vehicles, comprising a housing, a master cylinder provided in the housing, an actuating lever which is movable relative to the housing and a plunger which transmits a movement of the actuating lever to the master cylinder and which is mounted on the actuating lever, to be as economical and functional as possible, it is proposed that provided on the housing is a reach adjust device for the actuating lever, with which a respective starting position of the actuating lever is pre-settable.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of German application No. 10 2014 111 641.0, filed Aug. 14, 2014, the teachings and disclosure of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a hand-actuated transmitter unit for vehicles, in particular for handlebar-controlled vehicles, comprising a housing, a master cylinder provided in the housing, an actuating lever which is movable relative to the housing and a plunger which transmits a movement of the actuating lever to the master cylinder and which is mounted on the actuating lever. 
         [0003]    Hand-actuated transmitter units of this type are known from the prior art. 
         [0004]    It is an object of the invention to configure a transmitter unit of this type to be as economical and functional as possible. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This object is achieved according to the invention with a transmitter unit of the aforementioned type in that provided on the housing is a reach adjust device for the actuating lever, with which a respective starting position of the actuating lever is pre-settable. 
         [0006]    The advantage of the solution according to the invention is to be found therein that, by means of such a reach adjustment, the current user of the hand-actuated master cylinder device can set the starting position of the actuating lever relative to the handlebar that is favourable for him, in particular a starting position that is favourable for a hand of the user. 
         [0007]    Preferably, such a reach adjust device is configured so that it comprises an adjustment element which is movable relative to the housing and with which the respective starting position is settable. The adjustment element can be arranged or mounted on the housing to be movable in highly varied ways. 
         [0008]    For example, it is conceivable to mount the adjustment element rotatable on the housing, so that by rotating the adjustment element, different starting positions of the actuating lever are pre-settable. 
         [0009]    A solution that is advantageous with regard to the design and particularly the space requirement provides that the adjustment element is displaceably arranged on the housing. 
         [0010]    Such a displaceable arrangement of the adjustment element relative to the housing has the advantage that with this arrangement, the space requirement for the reach adjust unit can be kept small. 
         [0011]    A particularly favourable solution provides that the adjustment element can be brought into different positions relative to the pivot axis of the actuating lever, having different spacings from the pivot axis, defining the different starting positions which themselves correspond to different reaches. 
         [0012]    With regard to the configuration of the adjustment element itself, no detailed indications have so far been given. 
         [0013]    In particular, no detailed indications have been given regarding the cooperation of the adjustment element with the actuating lever for setting the different starting positions. 
         [0014]    Thus, an advantageous solution provides that the adjustment element has at least one stop surface for a contact arm of the actuating lever. 
         [0015]    In this regard, the at least one stop surface could be configured so that it is a surface that is continuously varying and particularly therefore providing different angular spacings of the actuating lever from a holding unit, on which surface the contact arm lies for setting the different starting positions on different surface regions. 
         [0016]    A particularly advantageous embodiment provides that the adjustment element has different stop surfaces which particularly set different angular spacings of the actuating lever from a holding unit and which are associated with different starting positions of the actuating lever. 
         [0017]    For example, such different stop surfaces can be configured as surfaces or surface regions offset relative to one another with which the contact arm cooperates in each starting position. 
         [0018]    In this case, it is suitably provided that by means of the movement of the adjustment element, one of the respective stop surfaces can be brought into an active position cooperating with the contact arm in which a setting of the respective starting position of the actuating lever takes place. 
         [0019]    With regard to the definition of the different positions of the adjustment element for reaching the different starting positions of the actuating lever, no detailed indications have been given in the context of the description above of the individual exemplary embodiments. 
         [0020]    For example, it is conceivable to provide a self-locking adjusting device. 
         [0021]    Another possibility is to fix the adjustment element in different positions, for example, with a screw. 
         [0022]    A particularly favourable solution provides that the adjustment element of the reach adjust device is fixable in the different positions by means of a locking device. 
         [0023]    The advantage of this solution lies therein that a tool-free reach adjustment is possible particularly easily since the locking device can be configured so that it permits the achievement of the different positions tool-free and thus purely manually. 
         [0024]    In particular it is herein provided that the locking device comprises two cooperating locking elements of which one is connected to the housing and another to the adjustment element, so that thereby the adjustment element can be fixed relative to the housing in the different positions in a particularly simple manner. 
         [0025]    The locking elements can be configured in widely varying ways. 
         [0026]    An advantageous solution provides that a first locking element has a projection and that a second locking element has different locking surfaces for fixing the different positions of the adjustment element. 
         [0027]    In this configuration of the locking elements, the projection preferably cooperates with one of the respective locking surfaces to fix the relevant position and, in order to achieve different positions, the projection is moved to the different locking surfaces. 
         [0028]    With regard to the execution of the locking movement, no detailed indications have been given in the context of the configuration of the locking elements. 
         [0029]    Thus, it is suitably provided that one of the locking elements comprises a resilient tongue which enables the locking elements to move relative to one another from one locking position into another locking position. 
         [0030]    Preferably, in the solution according to the invention, the second locking element is connected to the adjustment element and the first locking element is connected to the housing. 
         [0031]    It is suitably further provided that the second locking element comprises the resilient tongue which carries the plurality of locking surfaces. 
         [0032]    Furthermore, no detailed indications have been given in the context of the above solution also concerning the arrangement of the adjustment element on the housing. 
         [0033]    Thus, an advantageous solution provides that the adjustment element is guided by means of a guide on the housing and is thus movable in a defined manner in a guide direction relative to the housing. 
         [0034]    For example the guide is configured so that it comprises on one hand guide bodies and on the other hand guide grooves wherein the guide direction is pre-defined by the guide grooves. 
         [0035]    For example, it is provided that the adjustment element, the guide bodies and the guide grooves are arranged on the housing. 
         [0036]    With regard to the guide direction for the movability of the adjustment element, no detailed indications have so far been given. 
         [0037]    Thus a particularly compactly designed solution provides that the adjustment element is movable through the guide in a guide direction approximately parallel to the master cylinder, so that the housing can be formed small and compact. 
         [0038]    Approximately parallel should be understood herein to mean that the deviation of the guide direction from a parallel course is 20° or less. 
         [0039]    Alternatively or in addition to the previously described features, the object described in the introduction is achieved according to the invention with a transmitter unit of the type described in the introduction in that the plunger is adjustable relative to the actuating lever by means of a threaded guide, in that the threaded guide comprises an external thread provided on the plunger, said thread engaging in an internal thread arranged statically on the pressure arm of the actuating lever, in that the plunger comprises a rotary control element and in that, arranged on the actuating lever is a first locking element which cooperates with a second locking element provided on the plunger and defines individual rotary positions of the plunger. 
         [0040]    The advantage of this solution according to the invention is that a solution is thereby achieved which is particularly easy to realise and is reliable with regard to functional safety. 
         [0041]    It is herein particularly favourable if the second locking element is connected to the rotary control element so that the second locking element is also rotatable by means of the rotary control element. 
         [0042]    A still simpler and advantageous solution provides that the second locking element is formed onto the rotary control element. 
         [0043]    A particularly advantageous solution provides that the second locking element is formed by the rotary control element itself. 
         [0044]    This solution is particularly advantageous since it does not require a separate part as the second locking element, but rather the second locking element can be formed by the rotary control element itself, for example, by means of grip recesses of the control element itself, so that a solution is provided that is both economical and space-saving. 
         [0045]    With regard to the configuration of the first locking element, no detailed indications have so far been given. 
         [0046]    An advantageous solution provides that the first locking element comprises a locking nose. 
         [0047]    The locking nose could be arranged, for example, statically on the actuating lever and the second locking element for example could be formed with the necessary flexibility so that it can deform in order to enable different locking positions of the first locking element relative to the second locking element. 
         [0048]    A particularly favourable solution provides that the first locking element comprises a resilient tongue which carries the locking nose. 
         [0049]    With a resilient tongue of this type, the possibility exists of realising the resilient movement for the locking of the first locking element and the second locking element in different positions by means of the first locking element. 
         [0050]    For example, herein the resilient tongue could be configured as desired relative to the actuating lever. 
         [0051]    If, for example the actuating lever is made of metal, it is provided that the resilient tongue is held on the actuating lever, for example, by clamping, riveting or screw fastening. 
         [0052]    A particularly favourable solution provides that the first locking element is formed integrally onto the actuating lever. 
         [0053]    In the case of an actuating lever made of any desired materials, this is easily realised if the first locking element is not to carry out any resilient movement relative to the second locking element. 
         [0054]    In the case of a first locking element which is to carry out a resilient movement, it is suitably provided in this case that the actuating lever is made of a material which permits the configuration of the resiliently movable locking element. 
         [0055]    This is the case, for example, if the actuating lever is made of plastics. 
         [0056]    Furthermore, it is suitably provided, for the configuration of the first locking element so that it can carry out a resilient movement relative to the actuating lever, that the first locking element is movable into a recess of the actuating lever in order, for example, to be able to carry out a resilient diversion during the transition between different locking positions of the second locking element. 
         [0057]    This solution can also be realised in a particularly easy and space-saving manner if the actuating element is made of plastics. 
         [0058]    With regard to the exemplary embodiments described so far, no details have been given concerning how the actuating lever should be held in each starting position. 
         [0059]    In this regard, it is particularly advantageous if the actuating lever is spring-loaded in the direction of the respective starting position and is thereby held in said position in the non-actuated state, which means that, in the non-actuated state, the actuating lever always transfers automatically into the starting position. 
         [0060]    For this purpose, a separate spring unit which moves the actuating lever independently into the respective starting position can be provided. 
         [0061]    However, a particularly advantageous solution provides that the actuating lever is acted upon by the master cylinder in the direction of the starting position and thus the master cylinder acts upon the actuating lever such that the actuating lever assumes the respective starting position. 
         [0062]    This solution has the further advantage that thereby the respective starting position of the actuating lever simultaneously represents a starting position for the master cylinder. 
         [0063]    Thus the starting position of the actuating lever is always associated with a corresponding starting position of the master cylinder. 
         [0064]    However, this starting position of the master cylinder can also be set by means of the adjustability of the plunger. 
         [0065]    In particular, such an influence of the master cylinder on the actuating lever can be realised in that the master cylinder is provided with a resilient element which acts constantly upon the master cylinder in its direction guiding the actuating lever into the starting position. 
         [0066]    Further features and advantages of the invention are the subject matter of the following description and of the illustration in the drawings of some exemplary embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0067]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a transmitter unit mounted on a portion of a handlebar; 
           [0068]      FIG. 2  shows a longitudinal section through the transmitter unit in  FIG. 1  in a sectional plane parallel to the drawing plane in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0069]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a pressure arm of the actuating lever in the direction of the arrow A in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0070]      FIG. 4  shows an enlarged longitudinal section through the actuating lever in the region of the pressure arm, but without the plunger; 
           [0071]      FIG. 5  shows a section similar to  FIG. 4  with the plunger; 
           [0072]      FIG. 6  shows a section along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0073]      FIG. 7  shows an enlarged longitudinal section similar to  FIG. 2  through a housing of the transmitter unit together with part of the actuating lever and a plunger provided thereon and a reach adjust device in a position corresponding to a maximum reach; 
           [0074]      FIG. 8  shows a section according to  FIG. 7  with the reach adjust device in a position corresponding to a relatively small reach; 
           [0075]      FIG. 9  shows a representation according to  FIG. 7  with the reach adjust device in a position corresponding to a minimum reach; 
           [0076]      FIG. 10  shows a section similar to  FIG. 2  in a position of the reach adjust device corresponding to a middle position according to  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0077]      FIG. 11  shows a section similar to  FIG. 2  in a position of the reach adjust device with a minimum reach according to  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0078]      FIG. 12  shows an enlarged partial representation of the reach adjust device according to the position at maximum reach according to  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0079]      FIG. 13  shows an enlarged representation of the reach adjust device in a position corresponding to the middle reach according to  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0080]      FIG. 14  shows an enlarged representation of the reach adjust device in a position corresponding to the minimum reach according to  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0081]      FIG. 15  shows a section along the line  15 - 15  in  FIG. 1 ; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0082]    An exemplary embodiment of a transmitter unit  10  according to the invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , for vehicles, particularly handlebar-controlled vehicles, comprises a housing  14  mountable on a handlebar  12  of the vehicle, said housing having a holding unit  16  which is clampingly fixable on the handlebar  12 . 
         [0083]    The housing  14  further comprises a housing body  18  on which an actuating lever  22  is mounted pivotable about a pivot axis  24 , wherein the actuating lever  22  has a manually actuatable handle arm  26  with a handle surface  28  for manual actuation of the actuating lever  22 , wherein a manual pressure on the handle surface  28  leads to pivoting of the actuating lever  22  in an actuating direction  32  about the pivot axis  24  starting from a starting position. 
         [0084]    As  FIGS. 1 and 2  show, as well as the handle arm  26 , the actuating lever  22  also comprises a pressure arm  36  on which a plunger identified altogether as  42  is mounted. 
         [0085]    A master cylinder  44  which is mounted in the housing body  18  is actuable by the plunger  42 . 
         [0086]    The master cylinder  44  is preferably formed by a cylinder housing  46  arranged, in particular integrally, in the housing body  18 , in which cylinder housing a piston  48  is arranged movable in a movement direction  52 , wherein the cylinder housing  46  and the piston  48  delimit a cylinder chamber  54  the volume of which varies depending on the position of the piston  48  so that in the event that a hydraulic medium is provided in the cylinder chamber  54 , the master cylinder  44  operates as a hydraulic master cylinder by which the hydraulic medium can be fed via a hydraulic line  55  to a slave unit, for example, for actuating a brake unit. 
         [0087]    In order to move the piston  48  in the movement direction  52 , it is provided with a pressing surface  56  on which the plunger  42  acts with a plunger head  58 . 
         [0088]    Furthermore, the piston  48  is acted upon in the direction of an end position defining a maximum volume of the cylinder chamber  54  by a compression spring  62  arranged in the cylinder chamber  54  which therefore constantly displaces the piston  48  toward an enlargement of the cylinder chamber  54 , so that the piston preferably acts constantly with the pressure surface  56  against a rounded plunger head surface  64  of the plunger head  58  and constantly pivots the actuating lever  22  until a contact arm  66  abuts a reach adjust device  72  which is also provided in the housing  14  and which defines the starting position of the actuating lever  22 . 
         [0089]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , provided in the pressure arm  36  itself is an internal thread  82  in which an external thread  84  of the plunger  42  engages so that the internal thread  82  of the pressure arm  36  and the external thread  84  of the plunger  42  together form a threaded guide  86  by means of which the plunger  42  is rotatable and displaceable in the direction of a longitudinal axis  88  thereof which is simultaneously the central axis of the threaded guide  86 , in order to be able to set the spacing of the plunger head  58  from the pressure arm  36 . 
         [0090]    In order to turn the plunger  42 , it is provided at its end remote from the plunger head  58  with a rotary control element  92  which is held non-rotatably on an end portion  94  of the plunger  42  opposite to the plunger head  58 . 
         [0091]    The threaded guide  86  and the pressure arm  36  thus lie between the plunger head  58  and the rotary control element  92 . 
         [0092]    The rotary control element  92  is herein provided peripherally, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , with grip recesses  96  which lie respectively between raised portions  98  of the rotary control element  92 . 
         [0093]    Due to the arrangement of the internal thread  82  of the threaded guide  86  directly in the pressure arm  36 , the orientation of the longitudinal axis  88  of the plunger  42  relative to the actuating lever  22  is also pre-determined, so that the plunger  42  is always oriented in a defined manner relative to the actuating lever  22  and particularly also to the handle arm  26 . 
         [0094]    For this reason, the plunger head  58  is preferably provided with the rounded head surface  64  which acts on the pressing surface  56  of the piston  48 . 
         [0095]    In order to prevent the free rotatability of the plunger  42  in the threaded guide  86 , a locking element  102  is preferably provided which has a locking nose  104  which can be brought into engagement with the grip recesses  96  of the rotary control element  92  in order thereby to fix the rotary control element  92  in a rotary position. 
         [0096]    The locking nose  104  is herein preferably mounted on a tongue  106  which is elastically movable relative to the actuating lever  22 , particularly relative to the handle arm  26  of the actuating lever  22 . 
         [0097]    In the exemplary embodiment shown, the actuating lever  22  is provided in the region of the handle arm  26  with a recess  116  lying between side cheeks  112  and  114  of the handle arm  26 , and extending as far as the tongue  106  with the locking nose  104 , wherein a U-shaped slit  118  which extends round the tongue  106  and the locking nose  104  is provided which frees the tongue  106  with the locking nose  104 , so that consequently the tongue  106  is connected on one side only by a tongue root  122  to the handle arm  26  ( FIG. 3 ) and thus can move resiliently in a springing direction  124  in the recess  116 , particularly thereinto. 
         [0098]    This design enables the tongue  106  with the locking nose  104  to be configured as one part integrally with the handle arm  26  if the actuating lever  22  is manufactured, for example, with the handle arm  26  as a plastics part. 
         [0099]    If, however, the actuating lever  22  is configured with the handle arm  26  as a metal part, the tongue  106  bearing the locking nose  104  is to be configured as a resilient element and is to be connected to the actuating lever  22 , in particular the handle arm  26 . 
         [0100]    By means of the locking of the rotary control element  92  in the different positions, a setting of the plunger  42  once pre-determined by means of the threaded guide  86  and thus the position of the piston  48  pre-determined by the plunger  42  in the starting position of the actuating lever  22  pre-determined by the reach adjust device  72  can thus be maintained without any change in the position of the plunger  42  taking place independently. 
         [0101]    In this way, in particular, adaptations of the master cylinder  44  to slave-side changes, for example, changes of brake linings through wear can be carried out. 
         [0102]    As mentioned above, with the transmitter unit  10  according to the invention, by means of the reach adjust device  72  in cooperation with the contact arm  66 , the starting position of the actuating lever  22  and thus a reach, that is, the spacing of the handle arm  26  from the handlebar  12  can also be set. 
         [0103]    For this purpose, as shown in  FIGS. 7 to 9 , arranged in the housing body  18  an adjustment element  132  is provided which is movable relative thereto and which, as shown enlarged in  FIGS. 12 to 15 , has altogether three stop surfaces  134 ,  136 ,  138 , each of which can be brought by means of a movement of the adjustment element  132 , for example, by means of linear displacement thereof in a displacement direction  142  into an active position in which said stop surfaces delimit a pivoting of the actuating lever  22  contrary to the actuating direction  32  in that the contact arm  66  comes to rest on the respective stop surface  134 ,  136 ,  138  which is in the active position, wherein by this means a fixing of the respective starting position of the actuating lever  22  takes place. 
         [0104]    As shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 2 , a first stop surface  134  is provided for a maximum reach, that is, a maximum spacing of the handle arm  26  from the handlebar  12  and the contact arm  66  can be placed on said stop surface when the adjustment element  132  is situated in a first position in which it has a maximum spacing from the pivot axis  24 , so that the contact arm  66  abuts on the first stop surface  134  lying closest to the pivot axis  24 . 
         [0105]    This first stop surface  134  is arranged so that it permits a starting position of the handle arm  26  which, relative to the pivot axis  24 , represents a maximum angular spacing W 1  from the holding unit  14 , as  FIG. 2  shows. 
         [0106]    The second stop surface  136  is effective when the adjustment element  132  is displaced, starting from the first position shown in  FIGS. 7 and 2 , into a second position shown in  FIGS. 8 and 10  and lying closer to the pivot axis  24 , so that the contact arm  66  abuts against this second stop surface  136 , wherein this second stop surface is arranged so that when the contact arm  66  abuts thereon, the handle arm  26  has an angular spacing W 2  from the holding unit  16  which is smaller than the angular spacing W 1 . 
         [0107]    In order to move the third stop surface  138  into its active position, the adjustment element  132  is to be displaced in the direction of the pivot axis  24  far enough so that the adjustment element assumes the position closest to the pivot axis  24 . 
         [0108]    The third stop surface  138  is herein arranged so that the angular spacing W 3  between the handle arm  26  and the holding unit  16  is smaller than the angular spacing W 2  ( FIGS. 9 and 11 ). 
         [0109]    In order to be able to position the adjustment element  132  reliably in the different positions corresponding to the different angular spacings W 1 , W 2 , W 3  in which the different stop surfaces  134 ,  136  and  138  are effective, the adjustment element  132  is lockable relative to the housing body  18  with a locking device identified overall as  152 , as shown in  FIGS. 12 to 16 . 
         [0110]    The locking device  152  herein comprises a first locking element  154  which is connected, for example, to the housing body  18  and can be configured as a cam or a pin, and comprises a second locking element  156  which has a plurality of locking surfaces  162 ,  164  and  166  with which the first locking element  154  can cooperate in order to fix the adjustment element  132  in the different positions corresponding, for example, to the angular spacings W 1  or W 2  or W 3  relative to the housing body  18 . 
         [0111]    Preferably, the second locking element  156  is configured as a resilient tongue  168  formed onto the adjustment element  132 . 
         [0112]    In order to guide the adjustment element  132  in the housing body, as shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , provided lying laterally on the adjustment element  132  are guide bodies  172  and  174  which engage in corresponding guide grooves  176  and  178  of the housing body  18  and thus guide the adjustment element  132  displaceably in the displacement direction  142  between the different positions fixable by the locking device  152 .