US 2022/0186802 A1Published application

Dual brake slack adjuster and systems, components, and methods thereof

AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.

InventorPuning WEI

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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

Dependent claims

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 channel in a second direction of the longitudinal axis opposite the first direction,
a first sensing piston assembly associated with the first outlet port and a second sensing piston assembly associated with the second outlet port, and
a first floating piston assembly associated with the first outlet port and a second floating piston assembly associated with the second outlet port,
wherein the internal chamber includes a first chamber portion associated with the first outlet port, a second chamber portion associated with the second outlet port, 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 piston 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, and
wherein each of the at least one first backflow channel and each of the at least one second backflow channel remain in a same position when the first and second floating piston assemblies are respectively in each of the first and second positions.

8 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, and a center chamber portion that intersects the inlet channel and is in fluid communication with the first and second chamber portions,
a pair of floating piston assemblies respectively slidingly provided in the first 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

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

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 channel in a second direction of the longitudinal axis opposite the first direction,
a first sensing piston assembly associated with the first outlet port and a second sensing piston assembly associated with the second outlet port, and
a first floating piston assembly associated with the first outlet port and a second floating piston assembly associated with the second outlet port,
wherein the internal chamber includes a first chamber portion associated with the first outlet port, a second chamber portion associated with the second outlet port, 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 piston 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, and
wherein each of the at least one first backflow channel and each of the at least one second backflow channel remain in a same position when the first and second floating piston assemblies are respectively in each of the first and second positions.

8 more elements