Electric park brake for a multiple piston caliper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879739-B2
Application number	US-201615140689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A brake system comprising: (a) a body assembly comprising: (i) an outboard side, (ii) an inboard side, (iii) a bridge extending between and connecting the inboard side and the outboard side, and (iv) two or more piston assemblies located entirely on the outboard side, entirely on the inboard side, or located both on the inboard side and the outboard side; and (b) an electric brake assembly comprising: (i) one or more differential assemblies in communication with the body assembly and each of the two or more piston assemblies; wherein the one or more differential assemblies provide power equally to each of the two or more piston assemblies so that each of the piston assemblies are moved axially in unison until a resistance of one of the two or more piston assemblies becomes higher than a remainder of the two or more piston assemblies and the one or more differential assemblies transfer power from the piston assembly with the higher resistance to the remainder of piston assemblies with a lower resistance so that the piston assembly with the higher resistance ceases to move and additional power is supplied to the remainder of the piston assemblies.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of creating a parking brake force, the method comprising:
providing power equally to two or more piston assemblies so that each of the piston assemblies are moved in unison until a resistance of one of the piston assemblies becomes higher than a remainder of the piston assemblies, and
transferring power with a differential assembly from the piston assembly with the higher resistance to the remainder of the piston assemblies with a lower resistance so that the piston assembly with the higher resistance ceases to move and additional power is supplied to the remainder of the piston assemblies,
wherein the power is provided by an electric brake assembly, which is part of a hydraulic brake system that provides a braking force, and
wherein the differential assembly is located between a first drive gear and a second drive gear, the first drive gear is in communication with one of the piston assemblies, and the second drive gear is in communication with another one of the piston assemblies.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric brake assembly includes two or more shafts that extend from the differential assembly, and each one of the shafts is in communication with a respective one of the two or more piston assemblies.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the two or more shafts extend from opposing sides of the differential assembly.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein one or more transfer gears are located between one or more of the two or more piston assemblies and one or more of the two or more shafts so that the power is indirectly provided from the differential assembly to the one or more of the two or more shafts through the one or more transfer gears and to the one or more of the two or more piston assemblies.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein one or more transfer gears are located between one or more of the two or more piston assemblies and one or more of the two or more shafts so that the power is indirectly provided from the differential assembly to the one or more of the two or more shafts through the one or more transfer gears and to the one or more of the two or more piston assemblies.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first drive gear extends from the differential assembly and provides the power to a first piston assembly, and
wherein a shaft extends from differential assembly through the first drive gear to provide the power from the differential assembly to a second piston assembly, and
wherein the first drive gear and the shaft are concentric.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein all of the two or more piston assemblies are located on an inboard side of a brake caliper.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more piston assemblies are located on an outboard side of a body assembly and at least one of the two or more piston assemblies are located on an inboard side of the body assembly.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein all of the two or more piston assemblies are located on an inboard side of a brake caliper.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more piston assemblies include a piston and a drive screw that moves the piston when the electric brake assembly provides the power to the two or more piston assemblies during the providing step, and
wherein the drive screw includes a pushing portion that is connected to an elongated portion, and the elongated portion includes threads that axially move the drive screw and the piston to create the parking brake force.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the differential assembly is a spur gear differential that includes a plurality of spur gears.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the differential assembly comprises:
i. a first shaft extending directly from the differential assembly,
ii. a first shaft gear located at an end of the first shaft;
iii. a second shaft extending directly from the differential assembly,
iv. a second shaft gear located at an end of the second shaft;
wherein the first shaft gear connects the first shaft to the first drive gear, and the second shaft gear connects the second shaft to the second drive gear.

13. A brake system comprising:
a. a body assembly comprising:
i. a first piston assembly; and
ii. a second piston assembly;
iii. an outboard side;
iv. an inboard side; and
v. a bridge extending between and connecting the inboard side and the outboard side,

 wherein the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly are located entirely on the outboard side, entirely on the inboard side, or one of the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly is located on the inboard side and the other of the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly is located on the outboard side,
b. an electric brake assembly comprising:
i. a differential assembly;
ii. a first shaft extending directly from the differential assembly into communication with the first piston assembly via a first drive gear;
iii. a second shaft extending directly from the differential assembly into communication with the second piston assembly;

wherein the differential assembly provides power equally to both of the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly so that both the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly are moved in unison until a resistance of one of the piston assemblies becomes higher than the other piston assembly, and the differential assembly then transfers the power from the piston assembly with the higher resistance to the piston assembly with a lower resistance so that the piston assembly with the higher resistance ceases to move and the power is supplied to the piston assembly with the lower resistance.

14. The brake system of claim 13 , wherein the differential assembly includes one or more spur gears.

15. The brake system of claim 13 , wherein the first shaft includes a first shaft gear that is in communication with the first drive gear, and the second shaft includes a second shaft gear that is in communication with the second drive gear.

16. The brake system of claim 13 , wherein each of the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly include a piston and a drive screw that moves the piston when the electric brake assembly provides the power, and
wherein the drive screw includes a pushing portion that is connected to an elongated portion and the elongated portion includes threads that axially moves the drive screw and the piston to create the parking brake force.

17. The brake system of claim 13 , wherein the electric brake assembly is part of a hydraulic brake system that provides a braking force.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly are located on an inboard side of the body assembly.

19. A method of creating a brake force the method comprising steps of:
providing power equally to a first piston assembly and a second piston assembly with a differential assembly so that both of the of the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly move in unison until resistance of one of the piston assemblies becomes higher than a resistance of the other piston assembly,
transferring the power with the differential assembly from the piston assembly with the higher resistance to the piston assembly with a lower resistance so that the piston assembly with the higher resistance ceases to move while the power is supplied to the piston assembly with the lower resistance,
wherein the differential assembly is located between a first drive gear and a second drive gear, the

Assignees

• Akebono Brake Ind

Inventors

• Gutelius Kenneth Eric
• Chelaidite Galus

Classifications

• F16D65/183

  with force-transmitting members arranged side by side acting on a spot type force-applying member · CPC title

• F16D55/226

  in which the common actuating member is moved axially {, e.g. floating caliper disc brakes} · CPC title

• B60T13/741 Primary

  acting on an ultimate actuator · CPC title

• F16D2055/0016

  Brake calipers · CPC title

• F16D2125/24

  Rack-and-pinion · CPC title