Abstract: A brake caliper formed without machining for a spot-type disc brake, in which the brake caliper after subsequent machining forms a floating caliper, has a braking force generator (12) and an opposite-lying abutment (22). For the non-machining forming of the brake caliper (10) two mould parts (34, 36) each partially receiving the brake caliper (10) are used, in which support surfaces (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5) and action surfaces (S1/2, S3, S4, S5) are formed on the brake caliper (10) in such a way that the brake caliper (10) for the subsequent machining is supportable by its support surfaces (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5) in a defined manner and clampable by means of clamping forces acting upon its action surfaces (S1/2, S3, S4, S5). To keep the extent of the subsequent machining to a minimum, during the non-machining forming the abutment (22) and the support surfaces (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5) of the brake caliper (10) are formed in one and the same mould part (34).

Abstract: A method, computer usable medium including a program, and a system for braking a vehicle during brake failure. The method and computer usable medium include the steps of determining a brake force lost corresponding to a failed brake, and determining a brake force reserve corresponding to at least one non-failed brake. At least one command brake force is determined based on the brake force lost and the brake force reserve. The at least one command brake force is applied to the at least one non-failed brake wherein at least one of an undesired yaw moment and a yaw moment rate of change are limited to predetermined values. The system includes a plurality of brake assemblies wherein a command brake force is applied to at least one non-failed brake.

Abstract: A brake squeal control device is proposed in which specific control for reducing brake squeals can be carried out to meet the will of a driver, and squeal control conditions for starting squeal reduction can be set individually to meet the requirements of drivers. Signals from wheel speed sensors, which indicate travel state, a hydraulic pressure sensor in a hydraulic circuit, which indicates the braking state, interior and exterior temperature sensors, which indicate the temperature state, and a manual switch operated by the will of a driver are sent to a control circuit. Conditions when squeals which the driver wishes to reduce or eliminate are produced, are stored in the control circuit, and when certain data are prepared, thereafter, by detecting the conditions at the time of generation, automatic squeal control is carried out.

Abstract: An Electronic Brake Control System having four channels and three wheel speed sensors. The wheel speed sensors include a pair or speed sensors for monitoring the speeds of the individual front wheels and a single speed sensors for monitoring the speed of both rear wheels. The system monitors front wheel speeds during wheel acceleration and, upon detecting excessive slippage of one of the front wheels and the rear axle, applies the front and rear wheel brakes on the side of the slipping front wheel to transfer driving torque to the side of vehicle with a higher coefficient of road surface friction. Alternately, with a four wheel drive vehicle, both rear wheel brakes can be applied to transfer driving torque to the front wheels. The system also senses vehicle parameters during turning maneuvers and, upon detecting an understeer situation, the system is operative to apply one of the rear wheel brakes to correct the undeersteer.

Abstract: An air spring having a relatively low and a relatively high spring height includes a retainer, a base housing, an elastomeric sleeve secured to the retainer at a first end and secured to the base housing at a lower end to form a chamber, the elastomeric sleeve expanding from a relatively collapsed configuration at the low air spring height into an expanded configuration at the high air spring height. A confined bladder is disposed within the chamber, the bladder being inflatable to displace a variable portion of an expanded volume within the sleeve chamber at the high air spring height. The spring rate of the air spring is adjusted by an adjustment to the volume of air displaced by the inflated bladder within the sleeve chamber and by overpressurizing the bladder relative to the air spring sleeve, whereby the air spring is adapted to provide a relatively low spring rate at the lower height and a relatively high spring rate at the higher height.

Abstract: Pneumatic spring with at least one control valve inside the pneumatic spring with control positions for feeding, blocking, and discharging compressed air, which valve is actuated by a control element also installed inside the pneumatic valve. The control element acts on one of the two pneumatic spring assemblies which can move relative to each other, namely, either on the outer tube or on the roll tube, where the control element has a working length which is shorter than the stroke length of the pneumatic spring and is pretensioned by a first spring against one of the pneumatic spring assemblies which can move relative to each other. The control element is supported in a floating manner relative to the pneumatic spring assemblies, and a second spring, the force of which is directed against the first spring, co-determines the position of the control element.

Abstract: A brake actuating assembly includes a cam member that has first and second cam surfaces. A first piston in a first hydraulic circuit is selectively enabled to axially translate the cam member from a released position to an actuation position while an actuation piston moves friction surfaces into engagement with a rotor to effect a brake application. During a brake application, pressurized fluid is diverted away from a second piston in a second hydraulic circuit that is later enabled to return the cam member to the released position. A resilient assembly selectively engages the second cam surface to obliquely move the cam member toward the actuation piston during a brake application. An electrically actuable valve supplies pressure fluid that acts on and moves the resilient assembly away from the second cam surface and thereafter allow a second hydraulic piston to return cam member to the released position.

Abstract: A method for controlling a braking device equipping a trailer includes braking the towing vehicle. The force induced in a coupling device is measured, at least at a given moment, and compared with a target value. When the difference between the force and the target value deviates from a predetermined tolerated threshold, the braking elements may be actuated. The method may be repeated until the difference between the intensity of the measured induced force and the target value is less than the predetermined tolerated threshold. The moment when the towing vehicle and the trailer are about to roll may be detected and monitored. Starting from that moment, the intensity of the force induced in the coupling device is measured and the average of the intensity of the induced force may be calculated and stored. The target value may be the average value of the induced force.

Abstract: A torsion spring is equipped to provide a resilient force toward an opposite direction of a manipulation force of a driver's pedal and an magnetorheological damper is equipped to promptly actively attenuate the resilient force of the torsion spring and the manipulation force of the driver's pedal. Thereby, contributing to a wide control range of the reaction force of the pedal, an effective response, and a proper formation of hysteresis of the reaction force of the pedal.

Abstract: Oscillation damper with variable damping force, comprising a valve device, in which an actuator for adjusting the valve device performs a rotary motion against the spring force of a torsion spring, the position of the valve device being determined from the manipulated variable of the actuator and the reaction force of the torsion spring.

Abstract: A damper includes a housing having a cylindrical shape and filled with a viscous fluid, a first rotor rotatably received in the housing and having a first connecting portion formed at an end portion thereof, and a second rotor rotatably housed in the housing coaxially with the first rotor and having a second connecting portion formed at an end portion thereof. The first and second connecting portions engage to allow the first and second rotors together, and forms a space therebetween to allow the viscous fluid to pass therethrough. An elastic member urges the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion to connect together, and accumulates an elastic force in a state that the connection between the first and second connecting portions is released.

Abstract: A motion control device 10 for a vehicle exerts braking force only on the rear wheel at the inner side of the turning direction for generating a yawing moment on the vehicle only in the turning direction of the vehicle when an absolute value of an actual lateral acceleration Gy is not more than a value Gyth, i.e., when there is a small possibility of the occurrence of an excessive roll angle on the vehicle body, in case where the turning state of the vehicle is the understeer state. On the other hand, it exerts braking force not only on the rear wheel at the inner side of the turning direction, but also on the front and rear wheels at the outer side of the turning direction for generating a yawing moment in the direction opposite to the turning direction too, when the absolute value of the actual lateral acceleration Gy exceeds the value Gyth, i.e.

Abstract: A Safe Auto-Locking Belay Override Mechanism (24) is provided which causes an auto-locking belay device to lock a rope against movement if a belayer panics, as sometimes happens if a climber falls, after the belayer has overridden the normal function of the auto-locking belay device. The mechanism of the subject invention makes use of the realization that a belayer tends to grip an auto-locking belay device tightly when the belayer panics. The subject invention contains a pressure sensitive activation mechanism that acts on an override mechanism such that the normal function of the belay device will be overridden by only one of three different force levels. At either relatively low or relatively high levels of force exerted by the belayer on the pressure sensitive activation mechanism, the auto-locking belay device will function normally and lock a rope against further movement in the event that the rope exerts sufficient force on the auto-locking belay device such as when a climber falls.

Abstract: An antilock brake control system for a vehicle including normally-opened solenoid valves, normally-closed solenoid valves, and diodes. Each of the normally-opened solenoid valves is switched over among a turned-on state in which a predetermined first electric current is permitted to flow through the coil, a turned-off state in which the supply of the electric current to the coil is topped, and a middle state in which a second electric current lower than the first electric current is permitted to flow. In addition, the system includes a switch that is maintained in an electrically disconnecting state during shifting of each of the normally-opened solenoid valves from the turned-on state to the middle state, until the shifting is completed.

Abstract: In an abnormality detecting device and method for a vehicular hydraulic pressure control circuit, which determines an abnormality that has occurred in a hydraulic pressure control circuit including an electromagnetic control valve which generates hydraulic pressure corresponding to a signal supplied from an electronic control unit, and a hydraulic switch which is turned ON when the hydraulic pressure generated by the electromagnetic control valve is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, a power supply of the electronic control unit is kept ON for a predetermined time after an ignition switch is turned from ON to OFF, and an abnormality that has occurred in the hydraulic pressure control circuit is detected within the predetermined time. Thus, it is possible to reliably detect an abnormality that has occurred in the vehicular hydraulic pressure control circuit.

Abstract: A vehicle regenerative braking apparatus of simple structure is provided, which prevents adverse effects on a battery while handling excess power appropriately. In a vehicle regenerative braking, when excess power which exceeds a preferable charge amount of a battery has been generated as a result of regeneration, the excess power is consumed by increased power consumption of a plurality of electrical loads selected from among several electrical loads.

Abstract: A shock absorbing apparatus and method includes a shaft travelling north and south within a tube. The tube is positioned south of a sucker rod. The shaft has a piston head coupled at a south end thereof, which piston head is received in an area of reduced diameter with the shaft. North pores and south pores permit the movement of fluid into and out of the interior of the tube, in response to the northward/southward movement of the piston head. Fluid entering through the pores provides a shock absorbing effect on both the upstroke and the downstroke. The shock absorbing effect on the upstroke can be rapidly eliminated and an upward shock force generated, through the shearing of a shear pin that maintains a bushing in position on the shaft, restricting northward travel of the piston head.

Abstract: An electric parking brake system that includes a parking brake, and an electric motor, wherein the parking brake is activated by the electric motor. Operation of the parking brake is controlled such that a vehicle is decelerated at a target deceleration of a predetermined magnitude when an operation command to operate the parking brake is issued by a driver via an operation switch while the vehicle is running. If a service brake fails while a vehicle is running, when the driver depresses the operation switch to issue the operation command to a parking brake to brake the vehicle, the parking brake is controlled such that the vehicle is decelerated at the target deceleration of the predetermined magnitude set on the basis of the number of times of depressing the operation switch.

Abstract: A double rolling-lobe flexible member spring arrangement (2) includes two coaxial spring components (4a and 4b) which are arranged opposed to each other. The spring components essentially each include a rolling-lobe flexible member (6a and 6b) and respective roll-off pistons (8a and 8b). The two rolling-lobe flexible members (6 and 6b) define a common double rolling-lobe flexible member (6) and the two spring components (4a and 4b) have a common outer jacket (10). A reliable effective fixing of the flexible member (6) to the inner side of the outer jacket (10) is ensured. To provide this fixation, the double rolling-lobe flexible member (6) has a support ring (14) lying centrally on the inner side thereof and this support ring has a radial recess (16) on its periphery. The outer jacket (10) has a peripherally-extending raised portion at its inner periphery which engages into the recess (16) of the support ring (14) and defines a clamp contour.

Abstract: The pivoting knuckle joint for an outdoor lighting fixture comprises a base knuckle, a top knuckle and a fastener for locking the base and top knuckles in position. Each of the base knuckle and top knuckle has a generally cylindrical body with a domed top, a portion of which is cut-away to form a flattened face, and circular cavity formed in the flattened face with a tapered ferrule formed in and extending from the cavity. The ferrule of one of the knuckles has a smaller diameter than the other, so that the smaller ferrule fits within the larger ferrule, forming a pivot point. The relative diameters are adapted to closely fit such that friction is generated between the interfitting ferrules to form a taper lock, resisting rotation of one knuckle relative to the other.