Brakes – Vehicle – Velocipede
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-16
2001-04-17
Oberleitner, Robert J. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Vehicle
Velocipede
C188S019000, C074S489000, C074S536000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216825
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a brake mechanism for fastening to a particular part of a wheeled apparatus, for example, the hand grip of a wheeled chair, for controlling movement of the wheels.
A variety of wheeled chairs have been disclosed, and intensively used to help people walk. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,907,794 and 5,020,560 disclose different folding collapsible wheeled chairs. Because these wheeled chairs are moved by means of wheels, brake means should be installed. However, regular brake means for this purpose can only temporarily stop the wheeled chair. Recently, dual braking mode brake means with temporary braking function and continuous braking function have been developed. When the brake lever is pushed downwards, the brake means is shifted to the continuous braking position (the braking status remains unchanged when the user releases the brake lever). Similar disclosures are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,180 and Taiwan Pat. No. 199339.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,180 discloses another type of brake structure having a driving member. When the brake lever is pushed downwards, the brake lever is “locked” at the base frame to achieve a continuous braking operation. The locking force must surpass the return force of the brake cable so that the brake cable can be maintained pulled up. However, this design has drawbacks as follows:
1. Frequently operating the continuous braking function causes the contact area between the brake lever and the base frame to wear quickly. When the contact area between the brake lever and the base frame starts to wear, the locking of the brake becomes unstable.
2. Because the locking force of the brake lever must surpass the return force of the brake cable, much effort should be employed to the brake lever against the return force of the brake cable when pushing the brake lever downwards, and the applied force greatly increases the rubbing of the brake lever against the base frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the main object of the present invention to provide a brake mechanism, which is highly stable in function, and durable in use. According to the present invention, the brake mechanism comprises a mounting base, a brake lever, and an actuating bar.
The mounting base comprises a mounting portion and a chamber. The mounting portion is for enabling the brake mechanism to be fastened to a particular part of the wheeled apparatus to be controlled. The actuating bar and the front end of the brake lever are inserted into the chamber and respectively pivoted to the mounting base in such a manner that the actuating bar can be moved by the brake lever.
The brake lever has a front actuating portion pivoted to the mounting base. The actuating portion comprises two hooked angles bilaterally disposed at the back.
The actuating bar is suspended behind the actuating portion of the brake lever and coupled between the mounting frame and the brake cable at the wheeled apparatus to be controlled, having a first peripheral edge, a second peripheral edge, and a third peripheral edge.
The brake lever is operated to move the hooked angles between the first peripheral edge, second peripheral edge and third peripheral edge at the actuating bar, so as to further provide three operation modes, namely, the temporary braking function, the continuous braking function, and the brake release function.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4907794 (1990-03-01), Rose
patent: 5020560 (1991-06-01), Turbeville
patent: 5279180 (1994-01-01), Henriksson
patent: 5927441 (1999-07-01), Luo
patent: 6032765 (2000-03-01), Hsi-Chia
patent: 6098487 (2000-08-01), Chien
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Oberleitner Robert J.
Williams Thomas J.
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