Wheel deceleration sensor
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorLawrence E. Scheer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an anti-skid braking system, an improved sensor responsive to forces aciated with decleration of the vehicle road wheel. The sensor comprises a housing driven at a speed related to road wheel speed; an annular inertia mass is connected to the rotary housing via a multi-convolution hair spring wound to bias the inertia mass against the direction of housing rotation. Deceleration of the housing causes the inertia mass to angularly advance relative to the housing. A cam-follower mechanism translates the angular advance into linear motion of an output stem member located on the housing rotational axis. Stem member movement can be used to effect pulse control of the anti-skid braking system.
Claims4
In a wheel deceleration control mechanism for a vehicle skid control brake system, an improved sensor for measuring road wheel deceleration;
- said improved sensor comprising a circular housing (16) driven at a speed related to road wheel speed;
- an axially shiftable output member located within the housing, said output member comprising a stem on the housing rotational axis;
- means for suspending the stem out of direct contact with the housing surface, said suspending means comprising two archimedes springs trained between the housing and stem at axially spaced points along the stem length for accommodating axial motion of the stem while preventing relative rotation between the stem and housing;
- an annular inertia mass (34) disposed within the housing out of direct contact with the housing surface;
- a suspension spring (30) trained between the housing and the inertia mass to exert a resilient force tending to rotate the inertia mass against the direction of housing rotation, whereby angular deceleration of the housing enables the inertia mass to advance angularly relative to the housing, and angular acceleration of the housing enables the suspension spring to angularly retard the inertia mass relative to the housing;
- amd cam-cam follower means between the inertia mass and output member for translating advance or retard action of the inertia mass into axial motions of the output member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.