Machine element or mechanism – Elements – Pawls and ratchets
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-16
2001-09-18
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Elements
Pawls and ratchets
C074S512000, C074S560000, C074S575000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289766
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a foot-operated parking brake of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an apparatus disclosed in the Japanese laid-open patent application publication H8-318835, the peripheral surface of a bearing hole formed in a pawl for locking the position of a foot-operating brake level is covered with a resin material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the above related art, when the foot-operated pedal lever is operated so as to apply the parking brake and lock the pedal in place, a high load is applied to the peripheral surface of the bearing hole, thereby resulting in plastic flow of the resin material covering the peripheral surface of the bearing hole, which results in protrusion of the resin material toward the outside, which can interfere with the rotation performance of the locking pawl.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a foot-operated parking brake in which there is no interference with the rotation of the locking pawl, and which features reduced noise when applying and releasing the parking brake.
To achieve the above-noted object, a foot-operated parking brake of the present invention has a base plate, a pedal lever, a sector gear, and a locking pawl. The-base plate has a pivot and is fixed with respect to the body of the vehicle. The pedal lever is rotatably supported by the base plate. The pedal lever is linked to a parking break via a brake cable. By stepping on the pedal lever, the pedal lever rotates, thereby pulling the brake cable, and applying the parking brake. The sector gear is provided on the pedal lever. The locking pawl has a covering of resin covering its surface. The locking pawl has a bearing hole that is rotatably supported by the pivot of the base plate, and a meshing surface that meshes with the sector gear. The mating surface and the peripheral surface of the bearing hole are exposed metal surfaces which are not covered with the resin. By a meshing between the sector gear and the locking pawl, the pedal lever is locked at the position to which it has been pressed.
According to the present invention as described above, because the peripheral surface of the locking pawl is integrally covered by the covering of resin, sliding noise between the locking pawl and the sector gear when the brake is operated and contacting noise and the like between a parking brake release lever and the locking pawl when the brake is released are reduced. Additionally, because the meshing surface of the locking pawl and the peripheral surface of the bearing hole are exposed metal surfaces not covered with resin, when the parking brake is applied, there is a secure meshing between by a metal-to-metal contact between the sector gear and the locking pawl, and the relative position between the pivot and the bearing hole does not change. For this reason, the depressed locked position (parking position) of the pedal lever does not become displaced, thereby avoiding a situation in which the brake fails to hold properly, and in addition interference with the rotation of the locking pawl is eliminated.
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Akutsu Yukiyoshi
Matsumoto Tetsuya
Sukeshita Kazumi
Tomura Hitoshi
Bucci David A.
Kim Chong H.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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