Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2001-09-11
Green, Mary Ann (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Elements
C074S529000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286389
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a parking brake actuating assembly for installation in a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle that has a brake system actuated by applying tension in a brake activating direction to a brake cable. More particularly, the present invention relates to a parking brake actuating assembly having a spring-biased cable take-up member and improved lockout structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,867 to Wortmann et al., the entirety of which is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference, discloses a parking brake assembly that has a take-up member for taking up slack in a brake cable. The take-up member is spring biased to rotate the same in a cable take-up direction to pretension one or more brake cables attached thereto. In order to facilitate connection of the vehicle brake cable(s) to the take-up member, a lockout structure is provided. The '867 discloses the lockout structure in the form of either an axially displaceable pin, a spring, or a lockout pawl. The lockout structure engages the take-up member to retain the same against rotational movement, thereby eliminating the need to manually restrain the take-up member against spring-biased rotational movement during connection of the brake cable(s) thereto.
In the embodiments of the '867 patent, two steps are required to reset the lockout structure in the position wherein it retains the take-up member in the lockout position thereof to facilitate disconnection and subsequent reconnection of the brake cable during repair situations. In each embodiment, the repair technician is required to (a) apply tension to the brake cable opposite the brake activating direction thereof until the take-up member is rotated into the lockout position thereof, and (b) while maintaining the take-up member in the lockout position thereof, manually move the lockout structure into its operative position for retaining the take-up member in its lockout position. This can be extremely difficult to accomplish for one technician and routinely two technicians are employed to reset the lockout structure: one to apply the required tension to the cable and the other to manually move the lockout structure into its operative position.
Consequently, there exists a need in the art for a hand-operated parking brake actuating assembly that eliminates the difficulties encountered when attempting to reset the lockout structure of the aforementioned '867 patent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to meet the above-described need. To achieve this object, the present invention provides a parking brake actuating assembly for installation in a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle of the type having a brake system that is actuated to prevent vehicle wheel rotation and hence rolling movement of the vehicle by applying tension in a brake activating direction to a one or more vehicle brake cables that connect to the brake system. The parking brake actuating assembly comprises an actuator member constructed and arranged to be moved in a brake applying direction and a brake releasing direction. The actuating assembly may be of either the hand or foot operated type and thus the actuator member may be a hand-operated actuator member with a grip portion or a foot-operated actuator member such as a pedal. A cable take-up member is mounted to the actuator member. The cable take-up member is rotatable relative to the actuator member in a cable tensioning direction and a cable slackening direction opposite the cable tensioning direction and is connectable to the vehicle brake cable(s).
A take-up spring is constructed and arranged to apply a biasing force to the cable take-up member that tends to rotate the take-up member relative to the actuator member in the cable tensioning direction thereof Lockout structure is movable between (a) a releasable retaining position wherein, when the cable take-up member is in a lockout position thereof, the lockout structure releasably retains the take-up member in the lockout position thereof and prevents rotation thereof under the biasing force of the take-up spring in the cable tensioning direction, thereby enabling the vehicle brake cable(s) to be connected to or disconnected from the take-up member, and (b) a releasing position wherein the lockout structure releases the take-up member for rotation under the biasing force of the take-up spring in the cable tensioning direction thereof away from the lockout position and towards and into a pretensioning position so as to pretension the brake cable(s) in the brake activating direction. Retaining structure is constructed and arranged to releasably retain the take-up member in the pretensioning position with respect to the actuator member such that moving the actuator member in the brake applying direction moves the take-up member so as to apply further tension to the brake cable in the brake activating direction and such that thereafter moving the actuator member in the brake releasing direction moves the take-up member so as to release the further tension applied to the brake cable in the brake activating direction.
The lockout structure is constructed and arranged to enable a lockout operation to be performed by applying tension to the brake cable opposite the brake activating direction so as to rotate the take-up member in the cable slackening direction against the biasing force of the take-up spring until the take-up member reaches the lockout position and the lockout structure is caused to move towards and into the releasable retaining position thereof in response to the take-up member moving into the lockout position thereof to thereby releasably lock the take-up member in the aforesaid lockout position thereof. As a result, the lockout operation can be performed by a single technician simply by pulling or otherwise applying tension to the brake cable.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4267748 (1981-05-01), Grunewald et al.
patent: 4515036 (1985-05-01), Dotson
patent: 4612823 (1986-09-01), De Leeuw et al.
patent: 4819501 (1989-04-01), Kraus et al.
patent: 4841798 (1989-06-01), Porter et al.
patent: 4949592 (1990-08-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 5211072 (1993-05-01), Barlas et al.
patent: 5217094 (1993-06-01), Walter et al.
patent: 5235867 (1993-08-01), Wortmann et al.
patent: 5272935 (1993-12-01), Heinemann et al.
patent: 5309786 (1994-05-01), Pare' et al.
patent: 5533420 (1996-07-01), Perisho
patent: 5611249 (1997-03-01), Perisho et al.
patent: 5758547 (1998-06-01), Smale
patent: 5787761 (1998-08-01), Wang
patent: 5907977 (1999-06-01), Huebner et al.
patent: 6131483 (2000-10-01), Kuller et al.
patent: 3900661 (1990-07-01), None
Green Mary Ann
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Ventra Group Inc.
LandOfFree
Parking brake actuating assembly with improved lockout... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Parking brake actuating assembly with improved lockout..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Parking brake actuating assembly with improved lockout... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2501032