Abstract:
An electric parking brake device 10 includes an actuator 16 capable of operating and releasing the center brake 6, a power transmission cable 17 connected to the actuator 16, and a manual operation portion 21. The actuator 16 includes an electric motor, and the center brake 6 of the vehicle 1 can be operated or released by a driving force of the electric motor. The manual operation portion 21 is an operation portion for manually operating the actuator 16 without using the driving force of the electric motor in an emergency or the like when the electric motor stops working. An arrangement position of the manual operation portion 21 is a position that is exposed to the wheel house, and is covered from an outer side in a vehicle width direction by the front wheel 11 in a state where the front wheel is oriented in a straight direction.
Abstract:
Conventional linkages between bicycle handlebar-mounted controls and rear brakes and gears are unable to accommodate unlimited rotation of the handlebars as is required on some so-called “freestyle” bicycles. A prior attempt to solve the problem employs a linkage comprising a bearing having two parts that are relatively rotatable about an axis. However this proposal is unable to handle situations where there are two or more mechanisms to be controlled e.g. a rear brake and a gear. Another problem is that dirt between the bearing surfaces may cause the bearing to jam. The invention provides pins (15C) that fit into slots (8A) for restricting rotation, relative to the handlebars, of a first bearing part (15A) and pins (15F) that fit in slots (9A) for restricting rotation, relative to the bicycle frame, of a second bearing part (15B). The aforementioned slots are formed in cylindrical guide walls not visible in FIG. 5. The use of the bearing (15) avoids any twisting of Bowden cables (7A, 7B) or the like such as are used on conventional linkages and, if any grit were to find its way between the two parts (15A, 15B) of the bearing, the latter are nevertheless forced to rotate relative to each other thus avoiding seizing of the bearing. The invention is not exclusively applicable to bicycles and can be used in linkages between parts of robotic machinery and other equipment.
Abstract:
A single rear bicycle brake control cable core is employed to operate the rear brake of a freestyle bicycle that employs a rotatable coupling that allows the handlebars, front wheel, and front wheel fork of a bicycle to be rotated through a complete revolution about the axis of the head tube of the bicycle frame. The single brake control cable core is looped about a roller which may be a pulley attached to the cable-engaging end of the handlebar-mounted rear brake lever, so that the point of contact between the control cable loop relative to the brake lever is not fixed. Cable sheaths surround portions of the cable core and are seated in a cable segment connector that in turn is rotatably mounted in a cable coupler attached to a handlebar-mounted brake lever assembly body. The coupler rotates about its own axis to maintain the unsheathed, proximal portions of the loop adjacent the pulley in coplanar alignment with the pulley. The brake lever rotates relative to the brake lever assembly body so as to move the pulley closer to or further from the cable coupler. Because the control cable loop passes about the pulley, tension on the cable brake line allows the gyroscopic system to self-adjust the balance of its bearing unit. Preferably, a toggle link is provided between the cable-engaging end of the brake lever and the cable core loop. The pulley is mounted at the end of the toggle link, remote from the brake lever.
Abstract:
A braking force distribution linkage for a muscular energy-actuated parking brake system of a motor vehicle, in which the braking force is transferred at least via control cables both to one gear of the vehicle's transmission and to the wheels of at least one driven vehicle axle, the wheel brakes on each vehicle axle being respectively articulated via a compensation element. A linkage, lever and balance arm arrangement ensures a sufficient parking-hold effect on a road surface with differing nonskid properties, even in the event of failure of a portion of the braking system.
Abstract:
A parking brake device is provided in which an actuating arrangement is positioned on a fixed bracket and cooperates with a spring device so as to control a switch system. The spring device is mounted on the parking brake device so as to ensure proper contact with the switch while reducing vibration and resultant noise.