Abstract: This invention relates to an improved structure for a wheel cylinder for use in a drum brake assembly having a pair of brake shoes which are adapted to be urged into frictional engagement with a brake drum. The wheel cylinder includes a pair of opposed piston assemblies each having a piston body formed from a plastic material and a piston insert formed from metal. In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the piston insert is molded in situ with the piston body and the piston insert includes a radially outwardly extending first flange and a radially outwardly extending second flange. The first flange defines a first flange outer diameter, and the second flange defines a second flange outer diameter which is less than the first flange outer diameter.

Abstract: An electric powered brake system (10) for braking road-engaging wheels of a motor vehicle. An ignition switch for turning a motor of the vehicle on and off also controls the application of electric power to the electric powered brake system. A control and method (FIGS. 2 and 3) for maintaining application of full electric power to the electric powered brake system when the ignition switch is operated from ON to OFF so long as at least one parameter (60, 62, 64, 66) related to a respective component of the vehicle and indicative of a need to maintain full electric power application to the brake system continues to exist and for discontinuing application of full electric power to the brake system when all of selected ones of several such parameters are indicative of lack of need to maintain full electric power application to the brake system.

Abstract: A linear motion damping device comprises a cylindrical body having a receiving compartment and an axial hole, in which a dragging rod is slidably disposed such that the threaded portion of the dragging rod is engaged with a fastening member which is confined to turn around the dragging rod at such time when the dragging rod is exerted on by an external force along the axial direction of the dragging rod. The fastening member acts to provide the dragging rod with a damping force at the time when the dragging rod is engaged in a displacement along the axial direction thereof.

Abstract: An electric trailer brake control device includes a delay circuit to prevent actuation of the trailer brakes when the towing vehicle hazard flasher is actuated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a motor driven brake system for generating and releasing braking forces by reciprocal movement of a pair of pads disposed at opposite sides of a disk having an axis. The system comprises a single electric motor, an output portion adapted to be rotated by the electric motor, a first pad pressing member for pressing a first pad against the disk a second pad pressing member for pressing a second pad against the disk, a first converting mechanism and second converting mechanism. The first converting mechanism converts rotation of the output portion to a linear motion so as to move the first pad pressing member reciprocally along the axis of the disk. The second converting mechanism converts rotation of the output portion to a linear motion so as to move the second pad pressing member reciprocally along the axis of the disk.

Abstract: A brake system control for use in a vehicle with four wheels comprising the steps of: determining a desired yaw rate (454); determining a yaw torque command responsive to the desired yaw rate (806); if the vehicle is in an anti-lock braking mode during driver commanded braking, applying the yaw torque command to only one of the four wheels to release brake pressure in said one of the four wheels (258-266, 274, 278, 280, 410-418); if the vehicle is in a positive acceleration traction control mode during driver commanded acceleration, applying the yaw torque command to only one of the four wheels to apply brake pressure in said one of the four wheels (258-266, 288-292, 410-418); and if the vehicle is not in the anti-lock braking mode or in the positive acceleration traction control mode, then: (i) determining whether a vehicle brake pedal is depressed (370); (ii) if the vehicle brake pedal is depressed, applying brake force to the vehicle wheels responsive to the depression of the brake pedal (374, 412, 418), w

Abstract: An ectropneumatic brake control valve unit capable of operating at the interface of the emergency brake portion or the service brake portion of a standard brake control valve as a retrofit unit or operating as a stand alone electropneumatic unit. The unit includes electric valves responsive to electrical signals and sensed brake pipe pressures to operate pneumatic valves to control the brake cylinder. The pneumatic valves are also operable independent of the electric control valves so as to allow braking with the electrical controls off or disabled. The unit can operate in combination with a complete brake control valve or with either or none of its emergency and service portions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing regenerative and friction braking on a vehicle having one or more wheels driven by a drive motor includes a master cylinder (28), a hydraulic control unit (30), a brake control unit (38), a drive motor control unit (52) and a drive motor (18). The drive motor control unit determines a coast down regenerative torque signal and a driver brake command regenerative torque signal and commands the drive motor to regeneratively brake the driven left and right wheels in response to whichever of the coast down regenerative torque signal and the driver brake command regenerative torque signal is greatest, thereby maintaining a desirable proportioning of front to rear braking.

Abstract: An electronically controllable brake actuation system for motor vehicles is proposed, with a master brake cylinder (2), with a pressureless pressure medium reservoir (3), with a pressure source (20) which can be controlled by means of an electronic control unit (32), by means of which pressure can be applied to the wheel brakes (7, 8, 9, 10) of the vehicle, which can be connected by means of at least one hydraulic connection (11, 14), which can be shut off by means of a separating valve (12, 15), to the master brake cylinder (2), with a device (13, 33) for the recognition of the driver's wish to slow down, and with at least one separating piston arrangement (16) which is connected before the wheel brakes (7-10), where the first chamber (17) of this separating piston arrangement can be connected to the master brake cylinder (2), and its second chamber (19) can be connected through a valve device (27) to the pressure source (20) or to the pressure medium reservoir (3).

Abstract: A damper (40) for damping tactile vibration (FIG. 4) caused by pressure changes induced in hydraulic fluid by an operational characteristic of a hydraulic-operated brake (22; 24) when the brake is braking a rotating object (14; 16). A piston (54) is displaceable within a housing bore (52) and divides the bore into a first chamber (56) confronting one axial face of the piston and a second chamber (58) confronting an opposite axial face of the piston. A port (59) communicates hydraulic fluid to the first chamber such that increasing hydraulic fluid pressure is effective to displace the piston toward the second chamber. A spring (60) that is operated by displacement of the piston within the bore resists piston displacement toward the second chamber as hydraulic fluid pressure increases and aids piston displacement toward the first chamber as hydraulic fluid pressure decreases. The invention is useful in hydraulic-operated motor vehicle brakes.

Abstract: A shoe driving mechanism for a drum brake for pressing brake shoes against a drum is formed as an assembly in which the following are assembled to base plates which are rotatably fitted to an anchor pin for a primary shoe: an anchor pin for the secondary shoe; first and second lever supporting pins; a balance lever which is swingably supported by the first and second lever supporting pins whose distal-end side outer periphery is brought into contact with one end of the primary shoe; and an input lever for transmitting to the balance lever and the secondary shoe a shoe operating force inputted from an operating-force generating mechanism.

Abstract: A fluid spring assembly. The spring assembly preferably includes a body that slidably supports a piston that is attached to a piston rod. The piston serves to define a fluid chamber within the body that is charged with a pressurized fluid medium. The piston is retained within the body by a rigid retainer member. A biasing member is provided between the retaining member and the piston for resisting the force generated by the fluid medium within the fluid chamber.

Abstract: The pump is connected on its delivery side through an auxiliary passage to a primary passage connecting the master cylinder and brake cylinder to each other, and a pressure control valve is provided in a portion of the primary passage between the master cylinder and a point of connection thereof to the auxiliary passage. The pressure control valve releases working fluid from the pump to the master cylinder when delivery pressure of the pump is higher than the master cylinder pressure by more than a predetermined amount, and the pump is activated when the fluid pressure generated in the brake cylinder is required to be higher than the master cylinder pressure, during brake operation.

Abstract: A composite casting process for the production of brake elements is described. The brake element has a hub and a flange for fastening to a vehicle wheel, and brake body component bearing a friction surface for interaction with brake jaws for braking The brake body component is made of a first cast iron material having lamellar graphite with a high resistance to thermal shocks, and the hub and the flange are made of a second cast iron material with a higher-grade tensile strength greater than the tensile strength of the first cast iron material. The brake body component is connected to the hub by forming a material union between the hub and the brake body component by casting a melt of one of the cast iron materials on a solid body of the other cast iron material that is placed into a mold cavity. After the casting of the melt forming the material union, which forms a juncture between the cast iron materials, a temperature is provided that is at least 10° C.

Abstract: A damper for damping movement of a shaft, the damper including a housing having an inner surface defining a chamber and a rotor rotatably mounted in the chamber. The chamber is filled with magnetorheological fluid such that when the rotor is moved in the chamber the magnetorheological fluid damps the movement of the rotor. The rotor has an outer surface adjacent to and spaced apart from the inner surface. The damper further comprises shaft coupled to the rotor and an outer magnet adjacent the space between the outer surface and the inner surface for restricting the flow of the magnetorheological fluid in the space between the outer surface and the inner surface.

Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system for motor vehicles. The system includes a brake pedal and a braking device associated with at least one vehicle wheel which is brought into communication with an electronically controlled valve arrangement in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking device. A fluid pressure accumulator fed by the pump provides a pressurized hydraulic fluid which can be passed to the braking device by way of an electronically controlled valve arrangement in order to apply hydraulic fluid in proportion to the driver braking demand as sensed at the brake pedal in the “brake by wire” mode. A first device within the system provides a level of fluid pressure supply within the electro-hydraulic system whose highest value is less than that sufficient for the maximum possible braking demand level which may be required.

Abstract: Disclosed is an upper seat structure for a rear coil spring, which is arranged on a side frame member so as to support an upper portion of the rear coil spring installed on a rear axle and thereby to prevent occupant's comfort from being degraded due to vibration generated while a motor vehicle runs. The upper seat structure comprises an inner seat part; an outer seat part, the inner and outer seat parts being disposed on an inner side surface of the side frame member; a pair of cross members extending, parallel to each other, through a wall of the side frame member into a space defined in the side frame member; and a reinforcing plate coupled at both ends thereof to the pair of cross members, respectively, thereby to support the inner and outer seat parts, the reinforcing plate being formed with at least one reinforcing bead.

Abstract: In a sleevelike hydraulically damping rubber bearing with at least two hydraulic working chambers, at least one throttle duct for the damping of vibrations of low amplitudes and one bypass duct for opening the bearing for shock amplitudes are provided. In order to improve the impermeability of the bearing to low disturbing noises, the natural resonance, typically located in the subacoustic range for such bearings, can be shifted into a frequency range around 200 Hz by the insertion of an uncoupling element.

Abstract: An electromechanical brake, in particular for vehicles, has an electric actuator which generates an actuation force and acts on at least one frictional element so as to press the latter, in order to bring about a frictional force, against a rotatable component of the brake which is to be braked. In order to keep the actuation force to be applied by the actuator low, there is, between the component to be braked and the electric actuator, an arrangement which brings about the self-energization of the actuation force generated by the electric actuator. In the event of a deviation between the setpoint value and the actual value, a device for comparing a setpoint value of the frictional force with the actual value of the frictional force controls the electric actuator, in order to correspondingly increase or decrease the generated actuation force, with the result that the actual value is approximated to the setpoint value of the frictional force.

Abstract: An emergency brake backup system is achieved by selectively interconnecting the air suspension as an additional reservoir to the air brake system. That is, if the charging system or primary reservoir fails, compressed air in the air spring reservoirs is used as an energy source to supply the pressurized air required for brake function. This can be achieved with minor modification to existing tractor and trailer brake systems that employ air suspension assemblies.