FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a reverse gear shift operation in three wheelers and more particularly to reverse gear shift operation in three wheelers having handlebar type steering control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Presently, for reverse gear shift operation of three-wheeler, a lever is provided. When the gear shifting twist grip located on the handle bar is shifted to 1st gear position and clutch is released subsequently, the three-wheeler moves in reverse direction. Here, the 'final drive gear" is moved towards its right to engage with the reverse idler shaft that in turn is in constant mesh with the 'final driven gear'.

Thus introducing reverse direction to 'differential shaft' when the 'cross' is engaged with the 1st forward speed gear, the three-wheeler moves in reverse direction. Therefore, it is necessary to engage the first gear with reversing gear lever for necessary movement in the reverse gear.

However, with the present arrangement, when the reverse gear lever remains in engaged position and if the driver puts other forward gears in the reverse gear driving condition and releases the clutch three wheeler may move with more speed than it is intended.
Hence to overcome the lacunae in the related art, a new type of reverse gear arrangement was introduced where the cross was adapted with the main shaft for engaging desired forward gears for reverse motion. Moreover, the main shaft was provided with a plurality of forward fears such that the idling gears were positioned so that they would be operated by reverse gear actuating lever.

Moreover, the present system is complex and involves a large number of moving parts such as additional forward gears on the main shaft as well as reverse gear actuating lever leading to complex system design and increased cost. Moreover, it involved additional forward gears on the main shaft.

In order to alleviate the problems in the prior art, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a reverse gear arrangement that avoids a separate gear shift lever and also prevents the three-wheeler movement in reverse direction with more speed than it is intended.

Another objective of the present invention is to avoid sudden change in direction of rotation of shaft and gear, which may result in torsional failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a reverse gear arrangement for a three wheeler having a gear select mechanism coupled with a reverse gear selector mechanism. Said reverse gear mechanism further has a reverse gear select assembly and a reverse gear stopper mechanism. The reverse gear select assembly has a reverse select lever which is configured to activate a reverse drive gear. Further, reverse gear stopper mechanism has a counter weight and a stopper arm integrated with each other and secured aligning the horizontal axis of a drive shaft. Said reverse gear stopper mechanism is configured to lock the reverse drive gear. The reverse select lever activates the reverse drive gear as the stopper arm unlocks the reverse drive gear on no gear select mode or neutral mode of the gear select mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawing which is incorporated in and constitute embodiments of the invention, illustrate several aspects of the invention and together with a description of the embodiments serve to explain the principles of the invention and thus are not limited of the present invention and a brief description of the drawing is as follows:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the claimed mechanism in order to explain the arrangement of the embodiments of the invention.

Figure 2 is depicting the gear selection arrangement of the claimed mechanism.

Figure 3 is explaining the reverse gear selector mechanism and reverse gear stopper mechanism of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings. The invention may have application to all types of gear based vehicles.

Reference is made to figure 1 to figure 3, in order to explain the arrangement of the embodiments of the claimed invention. Claimed mechanism has gear selector mechanism defined by a gear selector pulley 101 attached with a vertical gear selector lever 112 and a horizontal gear selector lever 113 and a slider block 114. This mechanism operates manually and hence selects the required gear from gear cluster 103 as intervention of slider block 114 enables coupling of respective drive and driven gear.

Mentioned gear selector pulley 101 has grooves through which a cable or any other connecting or joining unit is passing (not shown in drawings) and attached to the reverse gear selector mechanism 107. Said reverse gear selector mechanism 107 has a reverse gear select lever 118 which facilitates the coupling of reverse drive gear 108 with reverse idler gear 111 so that the vehicle can move in reverse direction.

In order to avoid sudden reverse gear activation 108 specially while driving a reverse gear stopper mechanism is provided. This mechanism is defined by counter weight 117 attached with a stopper arm 110 secured in the same horizontal line of the drive shaft 104. A reverse stopper plate 119 is secured between the stopper arm 110 and the drive shaft 104 such that a bracket (not shown in drawing) is holding a spring unit 116 passing
through the reverse stopper plate and the junction of stopper arm 110 and the counter weight 117.

During motion of the vehicle drive shaft 104 rotates and due to presence of the spring mechanism between the reverse gear stopper mechanism and the drive shaft 104 the stopper arm 110 sits in a grove on the counter shaft 115. Due to this position of the stopper arm reverse drive gear 108 and the reverse idler gear does not get engaged even when the reverse selection mechanism 107 and the counter shaft 115 are in operation.

As soon as the vehicle stops no gear select condition occurs i.e. no gear is selected by the slider clock 114 and vehicle goes into neutral mode. At neutral mode, due no absence of motion in the drive shaft and spring movement 116 stops and then due to gravitational power counter weight 117 comes down and hence the stopper arm 110 lift up. As soon as stopper arm 110 lifts up reverse gear select mechanism 107 activates the reverse drive gear 108 and it moves forward and gets engages with the reverse idler gear 111. This idler gear is in constant mesh with the gear cluster 103 and engagement of reverse drive gear 108 with reverse idler gear 110 introduces reverse direction to the differential gear 109 and hence the vehicle moves in reverse direction with specified ratio and speed.

Therefore in the above arrangement, the slider block 114 is not used to drive the reverse gear select mechanism 107. Additionally, the reverse gear actuating lever is eliminated. The reverse idler gear 111 is designed for one fixed axial position and need not be engaged or disengaged for transmitting motion. The reverse drive gear 108 carries out function of engaging and disengaging with the reverse idler gear 111. This reverse drive gear 108 engagement is done by the twist grip located on the left side of the handle bar normally used for forward gear shifting as both gear select mechanism 101 and the reverse gear select mechanism 107 are connected with each other through the cable or any other connecting or joining unit.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS

1. A reverse gear arrangement for a three wheeler comprising a gear select mechanism, configured to activate a gear from a gear cluster, coupled with a reverse gear selector mechanism comprising a reverse gear select assembly defining a reverse select lever configured to activate a reverse drive gear and a reverse gear stopper mechanism defining a counter weight and a stopper arm integrated with each other and secured aligning the horizontal axis of a drive shaft and configured to lock the reverse drive gear, wherein the reverse select lever activates the reverse drive gear as the stopper arm unlocks the reverse drive gear on no gear select mode of the gear select mechanism.

2. The reverse gear arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the a gear select mechanism is coupled with the reverse gear selector mechanism through a connecting unit.

3. The reverse gear arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein stopper arm secured in a groove on a counter shaft during gear select mode of the gear select mechanism enabling disengagement of the reverse drive gear and the reverse idler gear.

4. The reverse gear arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the counter weight falls down on no gear select mode of the gear select mechanism facilitating lifting of the stopper arm and unlocking the reverse drive gear.

5. The reverse gear arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reverse select lever is engaged with the reverse drive gear on no gear select mode of the gear select mechanism facilitating coupling of reverse idler gear with the reverse drive gear.

6. The reverse gear arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.