Patents by Inventor Richard Becker McClain

Richard Becker McClain has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9868427
    Abstract: A vehicle brake booster system includes a reservoir, a pump, and a brake booster. The brake booster includes an input member adapted to receive a manual braking input force and an output member adapted to apply a braking output force to a master cylinder. A supply line couples the pump to the brake booster, and a return line couples an outlet of the brake booster to the reservoir. A flow of hydraulic fluid pumped to the brake booster provides a boost factor by which the braking output force exceeds the braking input force. The brake booster is hydraulically lockable by a first valve in the supply line and a second valve in the return line such that when the first and second valves are closed, a quantity of hydraulic fluid is trapped within the brake booster to maintain operation of the brake booster without continued operation of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: William John Penninger, Richard Becker McClain
  • Publication number: 20170106845
    Abstract: A vehicle brake booster system includes a reservoir, a pump, and a brake booster. The brake booster includes an input member adapted to receive a manual braking input force and an output member adapted to apply a braking output force to a master cylinder. A supply line couples the pump to the brake booster, and a return line couples an outlet of the brake booster to the reservoir. A flow of hydraulic fluid pumped to the brake booster provides a boost factor by which the braking output force exceeds the braking input force. The brake booster is hydraulically lockable by a first valve in the supply line and a second valve in the return line such that when the first and second valves are closed, a quantity of hydraulic fluid is trapped within the brake booster to maintain operation of the brake booster without continued operation of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: William John Penninger, Richard Becker McClain
  • Patent number: 6990812
    Abstract: A control valve of a hydraulic brake booster for use in a brake system. The control valve is characterized by a shuttle member having a stem on a first end and an annular projection on a second end. The stem has an annular surface thereon that is matched with an orifice from an supply chamber such that metered pressurized fluid is uniformly presented to an actuation chamber to effect a brake application while the annular projection is matched with a flange on an actuator piston such that the pressurized fluid present in the actuation chamber is uniformly metered to a reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Richard Becker McClain, William John Penninger, Gary L. Doty, Timothy J. Albert
  • Patent number: 6959637
    Abstract: A control valve for a brake booster having a first member with a first bore, a second member located in the first bore and having a second bore, a plunger located in the second bore and connected to an input member. A gear fixed to the second member with teeth that engage a first rack retained in the first body and a stationary rack within the brake booster. A force applied to the input member controls the development of a pressure differential that moves a wall during a brake application. Movement of the wall causes a rotative torque to be transmitted from the first rack into teeth such that the gear moves with respect to the second rack and the second body to separates from the first body and as a result the travel of input member is less than the travel of the wall during a brake application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: William John Penninger, Gary L. Doty, Richard Becker McClain, John Edmund Mackiewicz
  • Patent number: 6561596
    Abstract: A hydraulic brake booster (12) for use in a brake system (10) having a first housing (100) with a first bore (102) separated from a second bore (104). The first bore (102) retains a power piston (118) and the second bore (104) retains a control valve arrangement (170). A push rod (30) of an input arrangement (49) is connected to the power piston (118) and linked to the control valve arrangement (170) by a lever arrangement (50). A second housing (200) encloses the control valve arrangement (170), lever arrangement (50) and a projection (117) that extends from the power piston (118) to define a cavity or relief chamber (202) having a permanent low pressure. The input arrangement (49) supplies the control valve arrangement (170) with an input force in response to a braking force applied to the push rod (30) to regulate the communication of pressurized supply fluid from the second bore (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: William John Penninger, Robert Keller Wilson, Richard Becker McClain, Kenneth Scott Towers
  • Publication number: 20030067218
    Abstract: A hydraulic brake booster (12) for use in a brake system (10) having a first housing (100) with a first bore (102) separated from a second bore (104). The first bore (102) retains a power piston (118) and the second bore (104) retains a control valve arrangement (170). A push rod (30) of an input arrangement (49) is connected to the power piston (118) and linked to the control valve arrangement (170) by a lever arrangement (50). A second housing (200) encloses the control valve arrangement (170), lever arrangement (50) and a projection (117) that extends from the power piston (118) to define a cavity or relief chamber (202). The input arrangement (49) supplies the control valve arrangement (170) with an input force in response to a braking force applied to the push rod (30) to regulate the communication of pressurized supply fluid from the second bore (104). The regulated supply fluid acts on and moves the power piston (118) to pressurize operational fluid in the first bore (102).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: William John Penninger, Robert Keller Wilson, Richard Becker McClain, Kenneth Scott Towers
  • Patent number: 6203119
    Abstract: A control apparatus (12) for a brake system (10) having a housing (40) with a first (42) and second (46) cylindrical members located in first (44) and second (46) bores. The first (42) and second (46) cylindrical members and corresponding first (50) and second (54) valve seat members define first (52) and second (56) chambers within the first (44) and second (46) bores which are connected to a source of pressurized fluid. First valve means (68) are located in the first chamber (52) and second valve means (70) are located in the second chamber (56). A first plunger means (72) in the first bore (40) and a first valve seat member (50) define a first brake chamber (74) which is connected to a first set (16) of wheel brakes and a second plunger means (76) in the second bore (48) and a second valve seat member (54) define a second brake chamber (78) in the second bore (46) which is connected to a second set (16′) of wheel brakes in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Scott Towers, John E. Mackiewicz, Richard Becker McClain, Raymon Kosarski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6038857
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a brake system having a housing with a first bore for retaining a spool valve and a second bore for retaining a selector valve. A cap separates the first bore into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber has an inlet port connected to a source of fluid under pressure, a gear port for connected the source of fluid under pressure to a hydraulically operated device, a relief port connected to a reservoir and an outlet passage connected to a selector valve which communicates pressurized fluid through an outlet port to a brake booster. The second chamber is connected to the reservoir and the second bore. The a spool valve has a peripheral surface with first and second grooves separated by lands and an internal operational passage connecting the second groove to the outlet passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Scott Towers, Richard Becker McClain, John e. Mackiewicz
  • Patent number: 5960629
    Abstract: A control apparatus (12) in a brake system (10) has a housing (20) with an inlet port (26), a gear port (32), a relief port (38), and an outlet port (42). A piston (44) located in a first bore (22) has a first peripheral surface (50) with first (52) and second (54) grooves separated by a land (56) and a second bore (60) respectively connected to the first (52) and second (54) grooves by first (62) and second (64) radial passages. A spool (68) which has a peripheral surface (74) with a control groove (76) is connected to a third bore (88) therein by a cross bore or passage (86) and retained in the second bore (60) by a snap ring (96). An input rod (92) which is located in the third bore (88) has a shoulder (94) which engages the spool (68) while an end cap (98) that is connected to the housing (20) retains the piston (44), spool (68) and input rod (92) in the housing (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Technology Corp
    Inventors: Richard Becker McClain, Kenneth Scott Towers