Brakes – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-19
2003-11-04
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3683)
Brakes
Vehicle
C188S325000, C188S10600P, C074S502600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06640936
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a brake-actuating mechanism for use on a drum brake device, designed to mechanically move a pair of brake shoes away from each other in response to operation of a brake lever. More particularly, it relates to a brake cable connecting apparatus designed to prevent the inadvertent disconnection of a brake cable from the brake lever, even during the transportation of the drum brake device with the brake cable already connected to the brake lever of the brake-actuating mechanism.
2. Description of Related Art
Previously, one known type of a prior art brake cable connecting apparatus in a brake-actuating mechanism as described above is illustrated in
FIG. 15
, disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,793.
In
FIG. 15
, a pair of brake shoes is identified by reference numerals
1
and
2
, respectively. A strut, a brake lever and a brake cable are identified by reference numerals
3
,
4
and
5
, respectively. The strut
3
and the brake lever
4
comprise an actuating mechanism
6
.
One brake shoe
1
is functionally engaged with one end of the strut
3
. The brake lever
4
is pivotally supported on the strut
3
in a state in which a proximal end of the brake lever
4
is pivoted about the other end of the strut
3
by means of a pivot pin
7
. The other brake shoe
2
is functionally engaged with the proximal end of the brake lever
4
. Notched grooves
4
a
are formed on a free end of the brake lever
4
, with which a cable end
5
a
of the brake cable
5
is engaged in a cable operating direction.
If a cable operating force as shown in “W” is applied to the brake lever
4
via the brake cable
5
, the brake lever
4
rotates around the pivot pin
7
in a correspond direction so as to push the brake shoe
2
.
On the other hand, a rotation of the brake lever
4
around the pivot pin
7
as described above furnishes the strut
3
with a counteracting force via the pivot pin
7
so as to push the strut
3
leftward
FIG. 15
together with the brake shoe
1
.
Due to the movement of both brake shoes away from each other, the brake shoes
1
,
2
are pushed against an inner circumferential surface of a brake drum not shown in
FIG. 15
, thereby providing a predetermined braking action.
However, the drum brake device is often transported in a condition that the cable end
5
a
is engaged with the brake lever
4
. In such a case, the brake cable
5
can easily be disconnected from the brake-actuating mechanism
6
, causing a notable decrease in work efficiency for connecting the brake cable and increasing a chance of misassembling of the brake cable.
The following structure is added to the brake-actuating mechanism
6
in order to prevent the inadvertent disconnection of the brake cable
5
.
A distance between a free end surface of the brake lever
4
and an inner end wall
3
a
of the strut
3
is sized to reserve a sufficient clearance for the cable end
5
a
to pass through, into which a V-shaped plate spring
8
is inserted so as to normally plug the clearance. However, a tapered space
9
is formed between the V-shaped plate spring
8
and the free end surface of the brake lever
4
so as to guide an insertion of the cable end
5
a.
For connecting the brake cable
5
to the brake lever
4
, the cable end
5
a
is temporary inserted in the tapered space
9
from the outside of the drum brake device as shown in a two-dot chain line in
FIG. 15
, and then the brake cable
5
with the cable end
5
a
is pushed into the tapered space
9
in the direction of an arrow &agr;.
During this process, the cable end
5
a
approaches against the tapered space
9
with resilient deformation, in the direction of an arrow &bgr;, of the V-shaped plate spring
8
. When the cable end
5
a
moves beyond the free end surface of the brake lever
4
, the cable end
5
a
is snapped in and engaged with the notched grooves
4
a
of the brake lever
4
because of a resilient force, in an opposite direction of the arrow &bgr;, of the V-shaped plate spring
8
. Then, the V-shaped plate spring
8
returns to the initial position by the resilient force; therefore the clearance for the cable end
5
a
to pass through is plugged, thereby eliminating a chance of the disengagement of the cable end
5
a
from the brake lever
4
.
Previously, another type of a conventional brake cable connecting apparatus in a brake-actuating mechanism is illustrated in FIGS.
16
(
a
) and
16
(
b
), disclosed in the Japanese Provisional Patent Publication Number 2000-103855. Same reference numerals in
FIG. 15
are used for members and portions with same functions in FIGS.
16
(
a
) and
16
(
b
).
When the cable end
5
a
of the brake cable
5
engages with the notched grooves
4
a
on the free end of the brake lever
4
, the cable end
5
a
is temporary positioned above the notched grooves
4
a
according to a process as shown in FIG.
16
(
a
). Then, the brake cable
5
is operated as shown in arrows in FIG.
16
(
b
) to snap the cable end
5
a
in the notched grooves
4
a.
If a drum brake device is transported in the condition that the cable end
5
a
is being engaged with the brake lever
4
, in order to prevent the inadvertent disconnection of the brake cable
5
from the brake-actuation mechanism
6
, the size of mouths on the notched grooves
4
a
is designed to be smaller than a diameter of the cable end
5
a
so as to snap in the notched grooves
4
a
with applying a large cable operating force “W” to the brake cable
5
at a final process as shown in the arrows in FIG.
16
(
b
), thereby preventing the inadvertent disconnection of the brake cable
5
.
However, between the above-described conventional ways of preventing the inadvertent disengagement of the cable end from the brake lever, the former way described in
FIG. 15
requires the high-costly V-shaped plate spring
8
as an additional member which relatively increases the cost of the brake-actuating mechanism
6
while the latter way described in FIGS.
16
(
a
) and
16
(
b
) requires a larger cable operating force in a process of snapping the cable end in the notched grooves
4
a
, which not only decreases work efficiency for snapping the cable end in but also creates a chance of damaging and deforming the cable end
5
a
and/or the mouths of the notched grooves
4
a
during the process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of a first invention is to provide a brake cable connecting apparatus which realizes a way to prevent the inadvertent disengagement of a cable end of a brake cable from a brake lever of a brake-actuating mechanism based on a different concept as used in the conventional ways or methods. This invention, which fundamentally using existing members without an additional member, accurately prevents the inadvertent disengagement of the cable end from notched grooves of a free end of the brake lever. Further, this invention eliminates necessary large cable operation force at the time of snapping the cable end in the notched groove. Accordingly, there is no need to sacrifice the work efficiency for connecting the brake cable and create a chance of damaging or deforming the cable end and/or the mouths of the notched grooves, thereby surely preventing the inadvertent disengagement of the cable end from the notched grooves.
An object of a second invention is to provide a brake cable connecting apparatus which achieves the same level of effectiveness as in the first invention by way of using a shoe return spring of a drum brake device.
An object of a third invention is to provide a brake cable connecting apparatus which achieves the same level of effectiveness as in the first invention by way of using a lever return spring comprising a brake-actuating mechanism.
This invention is a brake cable connecting apparatus of a brake-actuating mechanism for a drum brake. The brake-actuating mechanism comprising: a strut engaging with one of a pair of brake shoes at one end thereof; and a brake lever, being pivotally attached to the other end of the strut, engaging with the other of the brake
Apex Juris pllc
Butler Douglas C.
Heims Tracy M.
Nisshinbo Industries Inc.
LandOfFree
Brake cable connecting apparatus for drum brake does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Brake cable connecting apparatus for drum brake, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Brake cable connecting apparatus for drum brake will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3169137