Self-adjusting Means Patents (Class 188/71.8)
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Patent number: 6619441Abstract: A brake assembly utilizes a conical brake drum and matching conical brake lining assembly to provide a more efficient braking system. An adjuster mechanism with a pair of conical adjuster members is controlled by an electric motor and worm gear drive. As the lining wears, the adjuster mechanism pulls the conical adjuster members towards one another to force the brake linings outwardly to maintain a predetermined distance between the drum and the brake lining assembly.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2001Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, LLCInventor: Steven Baldwin
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Patent number: 6585086Abstract: The present invention concerns a brake mechanism for a brake disc. The brake mechanism comprises a brake lever, a cross bar, one or more thrust plates and a closing plate. The brake mechanism is of a modular form comprising two or more units.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: Haldex Brake Products ABInventors: Anders Örtegren, Stefan Sandberg
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Patent number: 6543585Abstract: The present automatic clearance adjuster mechanism maintains a predetermined maximum brake clearance regardless of the wear condition of the brake. The brake includes a longitudinally extending rod mounted to the brake housing external to the piston element. The present automatic clearance adjuster mechanism includes a sleeve element disposed about the rod, and a biasing element disposed for releasably holding the sleeve element against the rod for preventing movement thereof along the rod to limit the retraction of the piston element to a predetermined distance relative to the sleeve element.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2002Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Robert A. Stinson
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Patent number: 6536561Abstract: An electromechanical wheel brake device for a motor vehicle, having an electric motor for driving two planetary gears, connected in series with one another, which actuate the wheel brake device via a threaded roller gear. The planetary gear is provided with a first electromagnetic coupling, with which a sun wheel of the second planetary gear can be locked, or can be connected in a manner fixed against relative rotation to a sun wheel of the first planetary gear, and with a second electromagnetic coupling, with which a ring gear of the second planetary gear can be stopped or can be connected in a manner fixed against relative rotation to a ring gear of the first planetary gear. By means of the electric motor, by switching of the two couplings, the rolling thread drive can be driven fast to overcome an air gap, slowly and with major speed reduction for the ensuing exertion of a high braking force, and fast for releasing without a reversal of the direction of rotation of the electric motor.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2001Date of Patent: March 25, 2003Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Frieder Keller
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Patent number: 6533079Abstract: A guide pin (36,42) for caliper (16) of a disc brake assembly (10) having a first cylindrical body (102,202) having a first head (104,204) thereon secured to a second cylindrical body (112,212) having a second head (114,214) on a first end and a threaded section (116,216) that extends from a shoulder (120,220) to a second end. A resilient washer (110,210) is located between the second head (114,214) and an ear (38,44) on an actuation section (18) of the caliper (16).Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2001Date of Patent: March 18, 2003Assignee: Robert Bosch CorporationInventor: Djamel Charmat
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Publication number: 20030037998Abstract: A brake apparatus includes a brake disk secured to a shaft and a reaction plate secured to a housing. The brake apparatus further includes a fluid actuated piston which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft and an adjustment member positioned by the piston. The brake apparatus yet further includes a spring interposed between the adjustment member and the piston. The piston positions the adjustment member relative to the brake disk when fluid is applied to said piston. The spring urges the piston away from the adjustment member and brake disk when fluid pressure is removed from the piston.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2002Publication date: February 27, 2003Inventors: Randall R. Bendtsen, Jens M. Erp, Mark D. Fabry, Alan D. Gustafson, Cary J. Lyons
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Publication number: 20030019695Abstract: An automatic adjustment device for a disc of a bicycle brake includes a seat adapted to be mounted to a brake device, and a sliding rod adapted to be attached to a fork of the bicycle, and the sliding rod slidably mounted on the seat. The brake device is moved horizontally relative to a brake disc of the bicycle to balance the pressure of the two opposite sides of the brake disc.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2001Publication date: January 30, 2003Applicant: Falcon Cycle-Parts Co. Ltd.Inventors: Chin-Lang Lai, Chin-Shen Liu, Jui-Yu Ho, Chih-Tsung Hou
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Publication number: 20020157905Abstract: A brake apparatus includes a brake disk secured to a shaft and a reaction plate secured to a housing. The brake apparatus further includes a fluid actuated piston which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft and an adjustment member positioned by the piston. The brake apparatus yet further includes a spring interposed between the adjustment member and the piston. The piston positions the adjustment member relative to the brake disk when fluid is applied to said piston. The spring urges the piston away from the adjustment member and brake disk when fluid pressure is removed from the piston.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2001Publication date: October 31, 2002Inventors: Randall R. Bendtsen, Jens M. Erp, Alan D. Gustafson, Cary J. Lyons
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Publication number: 20020112927Abstract: A brake adjuster is provided for a vehicle brake such as for heavy duty vehicle. The brake adjuster includes a brake module that produces an electrical signal for adjusting the vehicle brake. The heavy duty vehicle brake typically includes a pair of pistons each having first and second portions that are movable relative to one another. A friction element or brake pad is arranged proximate to the second portion and is movable from a desired position to a worn position as the brake pads wear during operation of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second portions are slip fit within a sleeve assembly. At least one adjustment member is arranged between the first and second portions. The adjustment member is constructed from a material which expands in response to an electrical signal, such as a magnetostrictive or a piezoelectric material.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2001Publication date: August 22, 2002Applicant: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLCInventors: Wilfried Giering, Roy Lee Hayford, Neil Williams, Juergen Dreher, Christos T. Kyrtsos, Gerald D. Anderson, David L. Brademeyer
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Patent number: 6397983Abstract: A mechanism for a sliding-pin type disc brake assembly provides a gap between a brake pad and the rotor. The mechanism includes a bushing that receives a sliding pin and a resilient element between the end of the pin and the end of the bushing. The pin reciprocates in the bushing during operation of the brakes, and the bushing moves along the bore as the brake pads wear.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2001Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Akebono Corporation North AmericaInventors: Eric John Roszman, Chris William Henley, Sean Christopher Barrett
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Publication number: 20020063022Abstract: A disc brake caliper assembly has a housing with a bore. A piston in the bore is movable between applied, retracted and knock-back positions. The piston is activatable by hydraulic pressure to move from the retracted position to the applied position; and a retracting seal is effective in the absence of the hydraulic pressure to move the piston from the applied position to the retracted position. A linkage adjacent the piston carries a stop; and an actuator is responsive to an end of brake activation signal to cause the linkage to engage the stop with the piston when the piston is retracted from its applied position to its retracted position so as to prevent the piston from moving from the retracted position to the knock-back position. The actuator is preferably a comparatively weak electric motor that stalls as the stop engages the piston; and the stall is sensed to end motor activation. The end of brake activation signal is preferably provided by a brake position or pressure sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2001Publication date: May 30, 2002Inventors: Schuyler Scott Shaw, Bryan Peter Riddiford, John Benjamin Hageman, Donald Edward Schenk, David Bernard Drennen
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Publication number: 20020056596Abstract: The present automatic clearance adjuster mechanism maintains a predetermined maximum brake clearance regardless of the wear condition of the brake. The brake includes a longitudinally extending rod mounted to the brake housing external to the piston element. The present automatic clearance adjuster mechanism includes a sleeve element disposed about the rod, and a biasing element disposed for releasably holding the sleeve element against the rod for preventing movement thereof along the rod to limit the retraction of the piston element to a predetermined distance relative to the sleeve element.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2002Publication date: May 16, 2002Inventor: Robert A. Stinson
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Patent number: 6367591Abstract: The present automatic clearance adjuster mechanism maintains a predetermined maximum brake clearance regardless of the wear condition of the brake. The brake includes a longitudinally extending rod mounted to the brake housing external to the piston element. The present automatic clearance adjuster mechanism includes a sleeve element disposed about the rod, and a biasing element disposed for releasably holding the sleeve element against the rod for preventing movement thereof along the rod to limit the retraction of the piston element to a predetermined distance relative to the sleeve element.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1999Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Gosda
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Patent number: 6354407Abstract: A disc brake includes a housing which straddles a braking disc and is slidably mounted in a torque taking member. The housing includes a brake actuator mechanism having at least one adjustable tappet assembly. The tappet assembly extends through a bearing aperture and a cover plate and is sealed thereto by a seal assembly. The bearing aperture is defined by the inside wall of a bearing projection formed with the cover plate. A lever and eccentric arrangement operates the tappet assembly via a force transmission member located in a groove in the eccentric. An intermediate member also located in the groove carries a gear drive which operates an adjuster mechanism for the brake.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2000Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: Meritor Automotive Inc.Inventors: Carl Edward Heinlein, Philip Leonard Trott, Jonathan Leslie Christopher Jackson
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Patent number: 6332514Abstract: A mechanically actuated brake or a mechanically actuated clutch comprises a lever block (24) installed between a supporting member (22) and a first driving part (6), a voussoir (21) installed between the supporting member (22) and the lever block (24). Abutting against the supporting member (22), the voussoir (21) is connecting with an operating device and is moved by the operating device which is equipped with a restoring spring (11, 35) for resetting the voussoir (21) while the brake is relieved or the clutch is jointed. There are three force-bearing points (A, B, C) on the lever block (24) which may swing around the second force-bearing point (B) under the coition of the voussoir (21).Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2000Date of Patent: December 25, 2001Inventor: Kun Chen
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Patent number: 6328137Abstract: An annular disk brake assembly having a housing mounted to a vehicle and a rotor disk mounted to a wheel of the vehicle. Annular brake pads extend parallel to the rotor disk within the housing and are mounted thereto with at least one brake pad being movable axially by an oil applied bladder mounted to the housing to move the first brake pad axially against the rotor disk. The rotor disk is adapted to slide axially to engage the second brake pad when pressure is applied to the rotor disk by the first brake pad and the bladder.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1999Date of Patent: December 11, 2001Inventor: Yvon Rancourt
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Patent number: 6308807Abstract: A disk brake having members for keeping the friction pads in contact with the disk rotor in such a way that the wear of the friction members and the energy loss are kept to a minimum. The disk brake has a disk rotor, friction pads provided opposed to each other on both sides of the disk rotor, a caliper formed with a fluid pressure cylinder at least on one side of the disk rotor, and a piston slidably received in the cylinder for selectively applying braking force to the disk rotor by pushing the friction pads into sliding contact with the disk rotor. A resilient member is disposed between the piston and one of the friction pads provided opposite the piston for biasing the friction pads toward the disk rotor by a predetermined stroke, thereby keeping the friction pads in contact with the disk rotor at a predetermined surface pressure even while the brake is not applied.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1998Date of Patent: October 30, 2001Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industrial, Ltd.Inventors: Atsuo Matsumoto, Yoshiki Matsuzaki
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Patent number: 6293370Abstract: A vehicle braking system adapted to apply a brake lining to a brake rotor, and having a clearance control device for maintaining the free running clearance between the brake lining and the brake rotor during the non-braking phase, comprising an electric motor (40) for adjustment of the brake lining position relative to the brake rotor, with the adjustment being arranged to take place only during the brakes-off condition.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 1999Date of Patent: September 25, 2001Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLCInventors: Denis John McCann, Andrew John Ward
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Patent number: 6286635Abstract: A vehicle braking system having a brake rotor (10) and brake pedal-actuated hydraulic piston (24) that actuates a brake caliper (22) to engage a friction brake (25a, 25b) with the rotor (10) and further having a brake caliper retractor mechanism (40) including an actuator (46) for actively controlling retraction of the caliper (22) relative to the rotor (10) to provide either a friction brake force versus pedal brake force curve where the friction brake initially contacts the rotor (10) such that braking force from the brake pedal P begins at zero pedal force or a friction brake force versus pedal brake force curve that is displaced relative thereto where the friction brake initially is positioned out of contact with the rotor (10) such that braking force from the brake pedal begins at a finite preselected pedal force greater than zero.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1999Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Michael Alan Tamor
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Patent number: 6250434Abstract: The invention relates to a wear adjusting device for a motor vehicle disk brake and a method for controlling the device. A brake actuated rotating lever primarily effects a slidable element which actuates at least one adjusting spindle. The spindle presses a brake lining in the direction of a brake disk. According to the invention, the adjustment device consists of an electric drive which adjusts at least one of the adjusting spindles through rotary operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 1999Date of Patent: June 26, 2001Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme fur Nutzfahrzeuge GmbHInventors: Hans Baumgartner, Dieter Bieker
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Patent number: 6250435Abstract: An actuation device for machine elements having wear-induced play, especially for brakes in rail vehicles, has an actuating piston-cylinder unit which generates actuation force and has a piston rod. The piston rod cooperates with a readjusting device which compensates for play caused by wear and which supplies the actuation force to the machine element to be actuated such that wear play is compensated. The readjusting device comprises a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit which carries out the wear play readjustment through the extension of an adjusting piston. To actuate the adjusting piston, a sensor element detects the wear-induced play and, when a threshold amount of wear-induced play is reached, opens a valve which admits a hydraulic medium to the readjusting piston-cylinder unit by utilizing the operating pressure of the actuating piston-cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 1999Date of Patent: June 26, 2001Assignee: Mannesmann AGInventors: Torsten Dellmann, Axel Kemner, Harald Neumann, Arne Heymer
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Patent number: 6244393Abstract: A disc brake caliper including a brake piston movably arranged therein. The brake piston is sealed in relation to the brake cylinder by a sealing ring, which is arranged in a circumferential annular groove of the brake cylinder. The sealing ring functions to retract the brake piston in the brake cylinder after a braking operation in order to provide a clearance between a brake shoe and a brake disc. According to the present invention, the annular groove includes a recess, which is arranged in the area of transition between a groove wall and the cylinder surface . The contour line, which defines the cross-section of the recess, starting from the groove wall of the annular groove, passes from a convexly curved portion over into a concavely curved portion. This permits ensuring an unchangingly constant clearance between the brake shoe and the brake disc roughly irrespective of the hydraulic pressure.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1999Date of Patent: June 12, 2001Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co., OHGInventors: Michael Weidenweber, Helmut Rückert
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Patent number: 6234279Abstract: An adjustment arrangement for a hydraulic brake actuator (11) of the type having a piston (17) which moves a preferred distance within a cylindrical bushing (15) portion of a housing between a quiescent retracted position with a preferred clearance space between one piston end and a brake mechanism, and an extended position with the piston end engaging and actuating the brake mechanism in response to the application of hydraulic fluid pressure includes a return spring (23) which, upon relief of the hydraulic pressure, urges the piston (17) back from the brake mechanism engaging position to the retracted position. There is an internally disposed mechanical piston clearance space adjustment feature including an expandable sleeve (33) which surrounds a cantilevered pin (37) having a split expander ring (35a, 35b) near a free end thereof. Upon excessive piston (17) travel, the sleeve moves along the expander ring (35a, 35b) to establish a new retracted piston position.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 1999Date of Patent: May 22, 2001Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.Inventors: Richard B. Jankowski, Chad N. Zigler
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Patent number: 6209689Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for actuating a parking brake which is electromechanically operable by an actuator by way of a force-transmitting element, the actuator being composed of an electric motor and a self-locking gear which is interposed between the electric motor and the force-transmitting element, and it also relates to a system for actuating an electromechanically operable parking brake. To permit an adjustment of necessary actuating force nominal values, according to the present invention, the current to be supplied to the actuator and the actuator position are evaluated to determine a voltage that is to be applied to the actuator corresponding to the desired actuating force and the actuating force gradient.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2000Date of Patent: April 3, 2001Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co., OHGInventor: Jürgen Böhm
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Patent number: 6173820Abstract: The invention relates to a brake apparatus with an electric service motor, which serves to actuate the brake via an actuating device. To enable setting an air clearance, the apparatus includes a readjuster for setting the air clearance, the brake is actuated with the readjuster and then reversed by a defined length. To realize a parking braking function, the apparatus includes a parking brake that can be repositioned from a released position to a braking position and that acts on the actuating device.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1999Date of Patent: January 16, 2001Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Georg Blosch, Dieter Blattert