Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-06-05
Green, Mary Ann (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Elements
C074S535000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240804
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is a safety brake mechanism for automobile vehicles, of the type of safety brake also known as emergency brake habitually used to ensure immobilization of the vehicle when parked. The safety brake mechanism of the invention comprises a brake lever to which are fitted a self-adjusting device, a self-regulating device and a device for fixing the position reached by the brake lever during operation thereof by the user. The self-adjusting device is for initial adjustment of the length of the sheathed portion of steel cable of the control cable which links the brake mechanism of the invention with the mechanism which actuates the braking means of the wheels linked to the safety brake mechanism, such adjustment having the objective of taking up the tolerances presented by each particular vehicle as supplied ex-works in respect of the arrangement of said mechanisms; and the self-regulating device is for permanent and automatic adjustment of said sheathed portion of steel cable, this in order to compensate for wear of the braking elements, thereby maintaining the envisaged safety brake service conditions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Amongst the known embodiments of safety brake mechanisms whose structure includes a lever mounted in the driving compartment of the vehicle and operated by the user, whether by hand or by means of a pedal, a self-adjusting device, a self-regulating device and a device which fixes the rest or braking position of the lever when actuated by the user, it should be noted the device disclosed in the Spanish Patent Application No. P 9501758, equivalent to the European Patent Application No. 96923987.0 (EP 0 792 781 A).
The safety brake mechanism described in patent document PCT/ES96/00149 comprises in essence the elements detailed below. A support fixed to the structure of the vehicle and provided with retaining toothing; a brake lever attached by means of a pin for pivoting on the support, which brake lever can pivot between two positions, rest and braking respectively; a ratchet which comprises a lever fixed to the brake lever, the ratchet lever having one of its arms linked to a control device which can be actuated by the user and its other arm having a retaining extension which can mesh with the retaining toothing of the support in order to fix the position of the brake lever; a self-regulating device which comprises a traction body attached to the pivot pin of the brake lever and to which is fixed the corresponding end of the steel cable of the control cable, the traction body being able to pivot around said pin, a thrust body linked to the ratchet and couplable to the traction body during actuation of the brake lever, so that pivoting of the brake lever causes pivoting of the traction body, and a traction spring coaxially mounted with respect to the pivot pin of the brake lever which permanently imparts to the traction body a pivoting motion in the direction of traction of the steel cable; and a self-adjusting device comprising a pin which traverses the support and the traction body, fixing the position of each with respect to the other.
The operation of the safety brake mechanism according to patent document PCT/ES96/00149 is described below. The self-regulating device is supplied ex-works with the traction spring totally compressed; under these conditions, and once the mechanism has been mounted on the vehicle, initial adjustment of the length of the sheathed portion of cable consists in withdrawing the pin which fixes the position of the traction body, in such a way that the latter pivots and subjects the steel cable to traction to the extent required by each particular vehicle. On the basis of said initial adjustment, the self-regulating device then automatically and permanently adjusts the length of said sheathed portion; to that end, when the brake lever is in the rest position the traction spring permanently subjects the steel cable to traction, adjusting the length of its sheathed portion by pivoting of the traction body, so that when the brake lever is moved from the rest position to the braking position, the coupling of the thrust and traction bodies takes place in that position of the traction body for which the portion of sheathed cable is operative under the conditions pre-set ex-works. Fixing the braking position of the brake lever is implemented by meshing the retaining extension of the ratchet lever with the retaining toothing of the support, while passing from the braking position to the rest position is implemented by acting upon the ratchet control device.
The patent document JP-A-09024808 (Patent Abstracts of Japan, Vol. 97, No. 5) discloses a safety brake mechanism for automobile vehicles which includes a support, a brake lever linked to the support, a self-regulating device and a self-adjusting device for length of the portion of the sheathed steel cable, and a device for fixing the position of the brake lever.
In general, the known embodiments of safety brake mechanisms of the type described above have as their main disadvantage that they comprise a large number of components, which considerably increases brake mechanism manufacturing costs.
EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION
A safety brake mechanism of new structure and functioning for automobile vehicles is made known hereby in order to provide a new embodiment of safety brake mechanism which, due to its relatively small number of components, is of lower production cost without thereby sacrificing any operational reliability.
The safety brake mechanism of the invention for automobile vehicles comprises:
a support provided with means for fixing same to the structure of the vehicle;
a brake lever attached to the support by means of a pivot pin, with the lever able to pivot about the pin in both directions between two positions, rest and braking positions respectively;
a self-regulating device and a self-adjustment device for the length of the portion of sheathed steel cable of the control cable which links the safety brake mechanism with the actuating mechanism of the braking means of the vehicle wheels linked with the safety brake mechanism; and
a device for fixing the position taken up by the brake lever.
The self-regulating device of the safety brake mechanism of the invention includes a traction body, a spiral traction spring and a helical locking spring in which:
the traction body is of generally cylindrical shape and can pivot in both directions, having one traction end facing the support and one locking end, the traction body having means for fixing and guiding the corresponding end of the steel cable of the control cable;
the spiral traction spring works permanently under torsion and has one of its ends fixed to the support; and
the helical locking spring works permanently under torsion so that by elastic reaction it exercises a pressing action on the locking end of the traction body, with one of its ends fixed to the brake lever.
The safety brake mechanism of the invention is characterized in that:
the traction body, the spiral traction spring and the helical locking spring of the self-regulating device are coaxially arranged with respect to the pivot pin on which the brake lever pivots;
the traction end of the traction body has a cavity designed to receive the spiral traction spring, while the helical locking spring is coaxially arranged to the locking end of said traction body;
one end of the spiral traction spring is fixed to the traction body, in such a way that it permanently imparts to the traction body a pivoting force which subjects the steel cable to traction; and in that
one end of the helical locking spring is linked to an opening stop mounted on the support,
all of this so designed that:
when the brake lever is in the rest position, the opening stop pushes the corresponding end of the helical locking spring which is subjected to a torsion torque in a direction opposite to that of its elastic reaction pressing upon the locking end of the traction body, so that the latter can pivot by actuation of the traction
Fico Cables S.A.
Green Mary Ann
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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