Break lever stroke adjusting mechanism

Abstract

A brake lever arm is mounted to a base member, with the base member fixed to a bicycle handlebar. The lever arm is pivotal about a pivot point on the base. The lever arm includes an adjusting mechanism that adjusts the position of the lever arm when the lever arm is in a brake dis-engaged position. The adjusting mechanism is slideable in grooves in the lever arm such that the adjusting mechanisms may be moved to positions that are differing distances away from the pivot point. The adjusting mechanism includes a contact member that engages a brake cable connected to the lever arm when the lever arm is moved from the brake disengaged position toward a brake engagement position. The position of the contact member with respect to the pivot point determines the effect movement of the lever arm has on the cable. In this manner, the adjusting mechanism adjusts the length of the stroke or travel of the lever arm from the brake disengaged position to the brake engagement position.

1. A brake lever mechanism comprising:
 a base member formed with a cable guide and said base member having a pivot point defined thereon spaced apart from said cable guide;  
 a lever arm formed with a handle portion and a support portion, said support portion mounted for pivotal movement on said pivot point from a brake dis-engagement position to a brake engagement position and said handle portion formed with a cable connector;  
 an adjusting mechanism mounted in said support portion, said adjusting mechanism having a cable contact point, wherein said adjusting mechanism adjusts the relative position between said cable contact point and said pivot point;  
 wherein said support portion is formed with a first slot and a second slot generally parallel to said first slot, and said adjusting mechanism is formed with a pin extending through said first slot and said adjusting mechanism includes a screw extending through said second slot, and said adjusting mechanism confined to selective movement along said first and second slots.  
 
     
     
       2. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 1 , further comprising a fine adjusting mechanism extending through a portion of said base member for engagement with said support portion, wherein said fine adjusting mechanism adjusts the relative position between said lever arm and said cable guide with said lever arm in said brake dis-engagement position. 
     
     
       3. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 1 , further comprising a fine adjusting mechanism extending through a portion of said base member for engagement with said adjusting mechanism, wherein said fine adjusting mechanism adjusts the relative position between said lever arm and said cable guide with said lever arm in said brake dis-engagement position. 
     
     
       4. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 1 , therein  wherein said first slot extends lengthwise in said support portion from a point proximate said pivot point to a point further away from said pivot point. 
     
     
       5. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 1 , wherein said adjusting mechanism comprises a first portion having at least one  said pin member which extends through said first slot in said support portion, and said adjusting mechanism includes a contact body attached to said first portion, said cable contact point being formed on said contact body. 
     
     
       6. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 1 , wherein said cable guide comprises an aperture extending through a portion of said base member and a cable length adjusting member encircling one end of said aperture on threads formed on said base member. 
     
     
       7. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 1 , wherein said support portion of said lever arm comprises generally parallel first and second support portions spaced apart from one anotherextending from said lever portion, said first slot comprising parallel first and third slots formed in said first and second support portions, respectively,  , and said adjusting mechanism being disposed between said first and second support portions, and said adjusting mechanism having said pin which extends through said first and third slots . 
     
     
       8. The brake lever mechanism as in  claim 7 , wherein said support portion of said lever arm further comprises third and fourth slots, said first and second support portions are formed with said second slot and a fourth slot  said first, second, third and fourth slots that are generally parallel to said first and third slots  each other, and said pin extends through said first and fourth slots respectively, and said adjusting mechanism includes  said screw extending  extends through said second and fourth  third slots.