Brakes – Wheel – Transversely movable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-02-06
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Wheel
Transversely movable
C188S07700R, C192S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182802
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an elastic-tube-operated brake band suitable for use in an automatic transmission, brake or the like.
b) Description of the Related Art
For binding a brake band in a brake, it is the common practice to press a bracket attached to an end of a strap. The bracket is however subjected to localized force. The brake band of this type is therefore accompanied by an inconvenience that any attempt to enhance the strength of the bracket leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.
An apparatus was hence contemplated such that pressure can be applied by charging pressure fluid into a tube arranged between an inner member and an outer member and inflating the tube. In this design, however, the tube is required to have substantial strength as torques are borne by the tube itself. The tube must therefore be provided with a significant thickness, leading to an inconvenience in that the brake band cannot avoid a dimensional increase.
To solve the above-described inconvenience, it was then contemplated to arrange a strap, which carries a friction material bonded on an inner circumferential surface thereof, between the tube and the inner member.
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view, which illustrates the above-mentioned conventional elastic-tube-operated brake band at numeral
10
.
FIG. 8
shows an outer frame
20
, a folded portion
21
of the outer frame
20
, a pressure fluid supply hole
22
of an elastic tube
40
, a ring-shaped strap
30
, a folded portion
31
of the strap
30
, a bolt
32
connecting the outer frame
20
and the folded portion
31
of the strap
30
with each other, a friction material
50
bonded on an inner circumferential surface of the strap
30
, and a void space
60
which should be occupied by an unillustrated counterpart to be bound, namely, an inner member (for example, a drum). The strap is folded at opposite ends thereof to prevent the tube
40
from bulging out into direct contact with the counterpart when the tube
40
is inflated.
In the above-described conventional brake band, force is not applied directly to the tube
40
but is applied to the tube
40
via the strap
30
. This has made it possible to eliminate a circumferential load which would otherwise be applied from the counterpart to the tube. The strap
30
is however fixed at only one end thereof on the outer frame
20
, resulting in a drawback that in the illustrated case, self-engaging force can be produced between the strap and the inner member only when a torque acts counterclockwise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is therefore to solve the above-described drawback of the conventional elastic-tube-operated brake band, and specifically to provide an elastic-tube-operated brake band in which self-engaging force is produced between a strap and a counterpart no matter whether a torque acts counterclockwise or clockwise, that is, irrespective of the direction of the torque.
As a result of extensive research, the present inventor has found that the above-described object of the present invention can be achieved by fixing a strap at opposite ends thereof with play in a circumferential direction, respectively.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an elastic-tube-operated brake band for being arranged between an inner member and an outer member. The brake band comprises a ring-shaped strap with a friction material fixedly secured on a circumferential surface thereof and an elastic tube arranged on a side of an opposite circumferential surface of the ring-shaped strap, whereby by a pressure produced by charging pressure fluid into the tube, the friction material is brought into engagement with a counterpart via the ring-shaped strap to transmit a torque between the inner member and the outer member. The ring-shaped strap is fixed at opposite ends thereof with play in a circumferential direction, respectively.
Owing to the above-described construction of the elastic-tube-operated brake band according to the present invention, self-engaging force is assured to act between the ring-shaped strap and the counterpart irrespective of the rotating direction of the counterpart. The elastic-tube-operated brake band according to the present invention is therefore provided with a sufficient torque capacity.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2731122 (1956-01-01), Dodge
patent: 3049205 (1962-08-01), Ferris et al.
patent: 4360093 (1982-11-01), Wakabayashi et al.
patent: 5291978 (1994-03-01), Numata
patent: 5372227 (1994-12-01), Kinoshita et al.
patent: 5758755 (1998-06-01), Igari
patent: 35-26215 (1960-10-01), None
Butler Douglas C.
Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
Nguyen Xuan Lan
NSK-Warner K.K.
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