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US 11,619,274 B2Granted
Dual brake slack adjuster and systems, components, and methods thereof
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorPuning Wei
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slack adjuster and systems, components, and methods can comprise a base enclosure, a pair of floating piston assemblies, and a pair of sensing piston assemblies. The base enclosure can define an internal chamber that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base enclosure and an inlet channel that extends along a transverse axis of the base enclosure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The internal chamber can have a first chamber portion, a second chamber portion, and a center chamber portion that intersects the inlet channel. The floating piston assemblies can be respectively provided in the first and second chamber portions. Likewise, the sensing piston assemblies can be respectively provided in association with the floating piston assemblies.
Claims20
A multi-wheel braking system for a vehicle comprising:
- a hydraulic fluid source adapted to control supply of hydraulic fluid responsive to a braking input;
- and
- a dual slack adjuster having an inlet port to receive the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid source, a first outlet port to selectively pass the hydraulic fluid to control braking of a first wheel of the vehicle, and a second outlet port to selectively pass the hydraulic fluid to control braking of a second wheel of the vehicle, the dual slack adjuster including:
- a base enclosure defining an internal chamber that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base enclosure, an inlet channel that extends from the inlet port along a transverse axis of the base enclosure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, at least one first backflow channel that extends from the inlet channel in a first direction of the longitudinal axis, and at least one second backflow channel that extends from the inlet chap a second direction of the longitudinal axis opposite the first direction,
- a first sensing piston assembly at a first outlet port side and a second sensing piston assembly at a second outlet port side, and
- a first floating piston assembly at the first outlet port side and a second floating piston assembly at the second outlet port side,
- wherein the internal chamber includes a first chamber portion at the first outlet port side, a second chamber portion at the second outlet port side, and a center chamber portion that intersects the inlet channel and intervenes between the first and second chamber portions,
- wherein the first chamber portion accommodates the first floating piston assembly and the second chamber portion accommodates the second floating piston assembly such that each of the first and second floating piston assemblies is movable to each of a first position and a second position within the first and second chamber portions, respectively,
- wherein in the first position of the first floating piston assembly the first sensing piston assembly is entirely in the first chamber portion and in the second position of the first floating piston assembly the first sensing pi ston assembly is partly in the center chamber portion,
- wherein in the first position of the second floating piston assembly the second sensing piston assembly is entirely in the second chamber portion and in the second. position of the second floating piston assembly the second sensing piston assembly is partly in the center chamber portion,
- wherein all portions of each of the at least one first backflow channel and all portions of each of the at least one second backflow channel remain in a same position relative to the base enclosure and the inlet channel when the first and second floating piston assemblies are respectively in each of the first and second positions,
- wherein each of the at least one first backflow channel and each of the at least one second backflow channel are entirely distinct from the first chamber portion, the second chamber portion, and the center chamber portion of the internal chamber, and
- wherein no portion of each of the at least one first backflow channel and the at least one second backflow channel extends along the longitudinal axis of the base enclosure.
10 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a dual slack adjuster assembly having an inlet port to receive brake fluid, a first outlet port to selectively pass the brake fluid, and a second outlet port to selectively pass the brake fluid;
- and
- providing the brake fluid within the dual slack adjuster assembly,
- wherein the dual slack adjuster assembly includes:
- a base enclosure defining an internal chamber that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base enclosure and an inlet channel that extends from the inlet port along a transverse axis of the base enclosure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the internal chamber having a first chamber portion, a second chamber portion, a center chamber portion that intersects the inlet channel and is in fluid communication with the first and second chamber portions, a first backflow channel that extends from the inlet channel in a first direction of the longitudinal axis, and a second backflow channel that extends from the inlet channel in the direction of the longitudinal axis opposite the first direction, the first and second backflow channels being parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other in a direction of the transverse axis,
- a pair of floating piston assemblies respectively slidingly provided in the f rst and second chamber portions, and
- a pair of sensing piston assemblies respectively supported on the floating piston assemblies,
- wherein said providing the brake fluid to the dual slack adjuster assembly causes each set of floating piston and sensing piston assemblies to respectively slide within the first and second chamber portions to one of a first position and a second position, and
- wherein in the first position each of the sensing piston assemblies is entirely outside of the center chamber portion of the internal chamber.
6 more elements
A slack adjuster comprising:
- a base enclosure defining an internal chamber that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base enclosure and an inlet channel that extends along a transverse axis of the base enclosure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the internal chamber having a first chamber portion, a second chamber portion, and a center chamber portion that intersects the inlet channel and is in fluid communication with the first and second chamber portions of the internal chamber;
- a pair of floating piston assemblies respectively provided in the first and second chamber portions;
- a pair of sensing piston assemblies respectively interfacing with the pair of floating piston assemblies in the first and second chamber portions;
- and
- a pair of first channels that extend from the inlet channel to the first and second. chamber portions of the internal chamber, respectively, without passing through the sensing piston assemblies and the floating piston assemblies,
- a pair of second channels, different from the pair of first channels, that extend from the inlet channel to the first and second chamber portions of the internal chamber. respective without passing through the sensing piston assemblies and the floating piston assemblies, each of the second channels being parallel to each of the first channels,
- wherein the first and second chamber portions are sized in a direction of the longitudinal axis to respectively accommodate an entirety of the sensing piston assemblies without the sensing piston assemblies extending from the first and second chamber portions and into the center chamber portion of the internal chamber at least in a first position of each set of floating piston and sensing piston assemblies, and
- wherein each of the first and second channels is entirely distinct from the first chamber portion, the second chamber portion, and the center chamber portion of the internal chamber.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.