Motorcycle front brake master cylinder assembly

Abstract

A brake assembly has a lever configured to press a knee against a pushrod of a piston of a master cylinder assembly. The knee is configured to receive removable inserts that allow a user to modify the angle at which the lever activates the master cylinder assembly. The master cylinder assembly can include protrusions on the outer surface of the cylinder to protect the cylinder from impact damage.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A brake assembly comprising:
 a master cylinder assembly comprising a cylinder that surrounds a channel, the channel having a longitudinal axis;   a piston configured to move within the channel along the longitudinal axis;   a raised ridge disposed on an outer surface of the cylinder, the raised ridge extending along the outer surface in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis;   a pushrod coupled to the piston;   a lever coupled to the master cylinder assembly for rotation about a pivot, the lever configured to rotate about the pivot in a first direction toward the cylinder;   a recess disposed in a piston-facing surface of the lever; and   an insert sized to fit within the recess, the insert comprising a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the pushrod.   
     
     
         21 . The brake assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the raised ridge extends along the longitudinal axis in a sinusoidal form or a zig-zag form. 
     
     
         22 . The brake assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the raised ridge is a linear ridge. 
     
     
         23 . The brake assembly of  claim 22 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the linear ridge is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the channel. 
     
     
         24 . The brake assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising a second ridge disposed on the outer surface of the cylinder and spaced apart from the first ridge, the second ridge extending along the outer surface in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         25 . The brake assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the pushrod is configured to articulate relative to the piston. 
     
     
         26 . The brake assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the insert is a removable insert. 
     
     
         27 . The brake assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the lever comprises a port configured to facilitate removal of the removable insert from the recess. 
     
     
         28 . The brake assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the port is a through hole disposed within the recess. 
     
     
         29 . The brake assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the master cylinder assembly further comprises an abutment having a cap surface, the cap surface configured to contact a stop surface disposed on the lever to hold the lever in an at-rest position, the cap surface being adjustable to allow adjustment of the at-rest position of the lever. 
     
     
         30 . The brake assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the cap surface comprises a threaded screw configured to be advanced longitudinally away from or toward the cylinder, thereby changing a rotational angle of the lever at which the stop surface contacts the cap surface. 
     
     
         31 . A brake master cylinder assembly comprising:
 a body defining a cylinder that surrounds a channel;   a piston configured to move within the channel along a longitudinal axis of the channel;   a pushrod coupled to the piston;   wherein the brake master cylinder assembly is configured to support a lever for rotation about a pivot;   a perch configured to connect the brake master cylinder assembly to a handlebar, the perch having a width defined between a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, wherein the pivot is located along the longitudinal axis between the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface.   
     
     
         32 . The brake assembly of  claim 31 , further comprising one or more protrusions disposed on an outer surface of the cylinder, the one or more protrusions configured to protect the cylinder from an impact damage without increasing an entire wall thickness of the cylinder. 
     
     
         33 . The brake assembly of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more protrusions comprises a linear ridge that extends in a direction that is parallel with the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         34 . The brake assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the pushrod is configured to articulate relative to the piston. 
     
     
         35 . The brake assembly of  claim 31 , further comprising a recess and a removable insert sized to fit within the recess, the recess disposed on a piston-facing surface of the lever, the insert comprising a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the pushrod. 
     
     
         36 . The brake assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the removable insert is sized to fit within the recess in a first orientation and in a second orientation, wherein in the first orientation the removable insert is rotated 180 degrees in the plane of the piston-facing surface compared to the second orientation of the removable insert. 
     
     
         37 . The brake assembly of  claim 36 , wherein the removable insert seated in the recess in the first orientation defines a first radius of the cavity from the pivot, wherein the removable insert seated in the recess in the second orientation defines a second radius of the cavity from the pivot, the first radius different from the second radius. 
     
     
         38 . The brake assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the lever comprises a through hole disposed within the recess.