US 4,391,159 A · Parking brake actuating device

Abstract

A device for pulling upon a parking brake actuating cable in response to movement of a pedal actuated lever in a selected path between a brake release first position and a brake engaging second position wherein the device comprises a motion translating element having first and second mechanical couplings spaced from each other for securing to the lever and to the actuation cable, respectively, mechanism for moving the first mechanical coupling in a selected first path by the pedal lever and a cam coacting with the motion translating element for causing the second mechanical coupling to move in a selected second path controlled jointly by movement of the first coupling and the cam. In this device, the motion translating element is a link and the cam includes a curvilinear surface on the link and a fixed rotary pin against which the cam surface is biased by the pulling force of the cable against the link so that the fulcrum formed by the pin and surface progressively changes as the pedal lever is depressed.

Claims23

Dependent claims

In a parking brake operating mechanism for a vehicle, which mechanism includes a support structure;

a pedal actuated lever;
means for mounting said lever on said structure to pivot about a fixed axis;
a movable force transmitting means for applying an actuating force to a brake actuating element upon movement of said force transmitting means along a preselected path between a brake release position and a brake actuating position;
coupling means for connecting said force transmitting means to said pedal actuated lever to move said force transmitting means along said preselected path as said pedal actuated lever is pivoted about said fixed axis;
and, means for releasably locking said force transmitting means in said brake actuating position on said path, the improvement comprising:
said coupling means comprises a drag link having first and second spaced ends;
means for pivotally connecting said first end to said pedal actuated lever on a second axis spaced from said fixed axis whereby said first end of said drag link is moved with said second axis in an arcuate path generally concentric with said fixed axis;
means for connecting said force transmitting means onto said second end of said drag link;
and, cam means for pivoting said drag link about said second axis on said pedal actuated lever as said first end of said drag link is moved in said arcuate path by pivotal movement of said pedal actuated lever.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Parking brake actuating device

Life of this patent

Parking brake actuating device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23