Device and method for pre-stressing the cable system of a vehicle brake actuating system

A method for pre-stressing a cable system of a brake actuating system in a motor vehicle having wheels and brakes for braking rotation of the wheels, the cable system including a plurality of cables operatively connected to the brakes of the vehicle such that increasing tension in the cables activates the brakes and decreasing the tension in the cables deactivates the brakes;

• the brake actuating system further comprising (i) an actuator operatively connected to the cable system, the actuator being operable by a vehicle driver to selectively increase and decrease the tension in the cables of the cable system to thereby activate and deactivate the brakes of the vehicle, respectively;
• and (ii) a cable tensioner mounted in the cable system and having an input connector, an output connector and a rotary input member;
• the cable system including at least one input side cable operatively connecting the input connector to the actuator and at least one output side cable operatively connecting the output connector to the brakes of the vehicle, the input and output connectors being movable relative to one another in (a) a tensioning direction to increase the tension in the cable system, and (b) a releasing direction to decrease the tension in the cable system;
• the rotary input member being operatively connected to the input and output connectors such that rotating the rotary input member moves the input and output connectors in an alternating manner in the tensioning and releasing directions;
• the method comprising:
• rotating the rotary input member with a torque applying device to move the input and output connectors of the cable tensioner in the alternating manner in the tensioning and releasing directions to cyclically increase and decrease the tension in the cable system.

A cable tensioner for use in a brake actuating system in a motor vehicle having wheels and brakes for braking rotation of the wheels, the brake actuating system comprising:

• a cable system including a plurality of cables operatively connected to the brakes of the vehicle such that increasing tension in the cables activates the brakes and decreasing the tension in the cables deactivates the brakes, and an actuator operatively connected to the cable system, the actuator being operable by a vehicle driver to selectively increase and decrease the tension in the cables of the cable system to thereby activate and deactivate the brakes of the vehicle, respectively, the cable system including at least one input side cable operatively connected to the actuator and at least one output side cable operatively connected to brakes of the vehicle;
• the cable tensioner comprising:
• an input connector constructed to be operatively connected to the at least one input side cable of the cable system;
• an output connector constructed to be operatively connected to the at least one output side cable of the cable system, the input and output connectors being movable relative to one another in (1) a tensioning direction to increase the tension in the cable system, when the input and output connectors are operatively connected to the at least one input side cable and the at least one output side cable of the cable system, and (2) a releasing direction to decrease the tension in the cable system, when the input and output connectors are operatively connected to the at least one input side cable and the at least one output side cable of the cable system;
• and
• a rotary input member constructed to be rotatably driven by a torque applying device, the rotary input member being operatively connected to the input and output connectors such that, when the input and output connectors are operatively connected to the at least one input side cable and the at least one output side cable of the cable system, rotating the rotary input member moves the input and output connectors in an alternating manner in the tensioning and releasing directions to cyclically increase and decrease the tension in the cable system