Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Anel Podinovic

Steffen Schoenfuss

Reiner Schmid

Apparatus for measuring an amount of force required to apply a mechanical parking brake of a motor vehicle. The apparatus includes a body adapted for mounting to a parking brake lever of the type which is manually pivotable about an axis to apply a parking brake. First and second force sensors are disposed on the body at different distances from a pivot axis of the lever when the body is mounted to the lever. The force sensors measure force applied to a lower surface of the lever to cause the lever to pivot when the lever is pulled upward to apply the parking brake. An angle sensor is disposed on the body and measures an actuation angle through which the lever pivots about the pivot axis during application of the parking brake. An electronic unit reads respective first and second forces applied to the force sensors during pivoting of the lever, calculating therefrom an effective actuation force applied at a reference point on the lever, and associates the effective actuation force with the actuation angle.

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Cologne, Germany

Anel Podinovic