Brake monitoring system

Patent 6352137 Issued on March 5, 2002. Estimated Expiration Date:

March 22, 2020. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Assignee

Indian Head Industries, Inc.

Application

No. 532542 filed on 03/22/2000

US Classes:

188/1.11L, Electrical188/1.11E, Electrical340/454Wear

Examiners

Primary: Oberleitner, Robert J.
Assistant: Williams, Thomas J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Howard & Howard

International Class

F16D 066/00

Abstract

A vehicle brake monitor for a brake actuator having a housing and a rod reciprocal through an opening in the housing. The brake monitor includes a magnet and a sensor located within the magnetic field of the magnet and fixed relative to the housing, and a shunt which is reciprocal with the brake actuator rod between the magnet and the sensor which interrupts a signal between the sensor and the magnet when the shunt is located between the magnet and the sensor during reciprocal movement of the rod, signaling at least one position of the rod relative to the housing. The disclosed embodiment of the brake monitor includes a sensor sleeve having two pairs of generally opposed magnets and sensors and a shunt sleeve surrounding the brake actuator rod having a pair of circumferentially spaced shunts which reciprocate with the brake actuator rod between each of the pairs of sensors and magnets, sensing and indicating several conditions of the brake actuator, including an overstroke condition, dragging brake, a failure of the brake monitoring system and normal operation.