Sensor for braking systems

In a sensor for responding to the rate of change of changing rotational speeds of a vehicle wheel and including a flyweight coupleable for rotation in response to wheel rotation and selectively decoupleable in response to the exertion on the flyweight of a torque having a magnitude greater than a threshold magnitude due to a change in rotational speed of the wheel, control means including an electrically controllable coupling device operatively connected with the flyweight for successively exerting on the flyweight torques resisting decoupled rotation of the flyweight and accelerating the decoupled rotating flyweight, and signalling means operatively connected with the control means and responsive to decoupled rotation of the flyweight for signalling occurrences of an excessive rate of change in changing rotational speeds of the wheel, an improvement in said control means comprising electrical circuit means electrically connected to said coupling device and responsive to said signalling means for selectively applying to said coupling device an electrical current effective for limiting the rate of acceleration of the decoupled rotating flyweight to a rate less than a controlled, substantially constant rate.

In a sensor for responding to the rate of change of changing rotational speeds of a vehicle wheel and including a flyweight coupleable for rotation in response to wheel rotation and selectively decoupleable in response to the exertion on the flyweight of a torque having a magnitude greater than a threshold magnitude due to a change in rotational speed of the wheel, control means operatively connected with the flyweight for successively exerting on the flyweight torques resisting decoupled rotation of the flyweight and accelerating the decoupled rotating flyweight, and signalling means operatively connected with the control means and responsive to decoupled rotation of the flyweight for signalling occurrences of an excessive rate of change in changing rotational speeds of the wheel, an improvement in said control means comprising a contact coupling device for limiting the rate of acceleration of the decoupled rotating flyweight to a rate less than a controlled, substantially constant rate.

In a sensor for responding to the rate of change of changing rotational speeds of a vehicle wheel and including a flyweight coupleable for rotation in response to wheel rotation and selectively decoupleable in response to the exertion on the flyweight of a torque having a magnitude greater than a threshold magnitude due to a change in rotational speed of the wheel, control means operatively connected with the flyweight for exerting on the flyweight torques resisting decoupled rotation of the flyweight, and signalling means operatively connected with the control means and responsive to decoupled rotation of the flyweight for signalling occurrences of an excessive rate of change in changing rotational speeds of the wheel, an improvement in said control means comprising means for controlling the level of torque transmitted by said control means and operable in response to an occurrence of a rate exceeding the threshold rate for changing the level of torque from a first level to a second level and thereby for causing said signalling means to signal continuously for the interval of time during which the rotational speed of the vehicle wheel is above a corresponding rotational speed of the flyweight.

In a braking system for a vehicle wheel and having anti-lock control means;

• and sensor means for actuating the anti-lock means including a flyweight coupleable for rotation in response to wheel rotation, means operatively interconnecting the flyweight and the wheel for selectively decoupling the flyweight from the wheel upon a torque having a magnitude greater than a threshold magnitude being exerted therebetween due to a change in rotational speed of the wheel and control means for exerting on the flyweight a torque resisting decoupled rotation of the flyweight, the improvement in said control means comprising means for controllably exerting on the flyweight a first torque of a predetermined magnitude and a second torque of a lesser magnitude and operable in response to exertion of a torque between the flyweight and the wheel having a magnitude greater than the threshold magnitude for changing the torque controllably exerted on the flyweight from the first torque to the second torque.