Dura Mechanical Components, Inc.

Gerald G Scott

Anthony R Gurney

Stephanie J Riffle

A foot operated actuator is provided for actuating a cable operated vehicle parking brake. The actuator comprises an input lever pivotally mounted on a support for movement to a plurality of brake applied positions where it is held by a pawl-and-sector latch. The lever is standardized and is adapted to receive a plurality of different interchangeable sectors. The sectors have outer peripheral cable-receiving grooves which can have a variety of outer profiles which determine the constant or variable output/input ratio of output cable travel per unit of input lever travel. The lever has a hub having an arcuate surface which receives a mating arcuate surface on the sectors. The sectors each have a radially inwardly depending lobed tab that is axially received in an axially open mating slot on the hub to lock the sectors to the hub.

Parking brake actuator with variable ratios

A cable-operated park brake actuator for a vehicle park brake is shiftable between engaged and disengaged positions; it includes an operating cable for shifting the park brake between positions, and a cable acutating pedal lever located in the vehicle operator compartment for operating the cable to shift the park brake from disengaged to engaged position upon pedal lever movement from deactuated to actuated position. The park brake actuator is provided with means for positioning the pedal lever in deactuated position, characterized by a stop member located adjacent the pedal lever for engagement thereby in deactuated position. The stop member is mounted for movement between a shipping position, enabling movement of the pedal lever from an operational condition to a non-operational condition to create slack in the cable, and an operating position for engagement by the pedal lever in deactuated position. A spring biases the stop member to its operating position. In one embodiment, the biasing spring rotates the stop member from shipping position overcenter to an unbiased neutral operating position, and subsequent engagement by the pedal lever further rotates the stop member against the spring beyond neutral position to dampen pedal lever movement.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Gerald G Scott