The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 11, 1989
Filed:
Apr. 13, 1988
Hideyuki Fujinami, Kitamoto, JP;
Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A hydraulic retarder and brake unit mounted on a rotating vehicle drive shaft has a first rotatable member forming a brake drum and mounted on the drive shaft for rotation therewith. A non-rotatable member supports brake shoes movable into frictional engagement with a lining of the brake drum and are actuated by the lever for frictionally braking rotation of the drive shaft. A plurality of stator vanes are formed on the non-rotatable member. A second rotatable member is mounted on the drive shaft for free rotation independently of the rotation of the drive shaft, while a plurality of rotor vanes are freely rotatably mounted around the drive shaft and in facing opposition to the stator vanes for providing a hydraulic coupling. A clutch selectively rotatably couples the second rotatable member with the first rotatable member so that the rotor vanes are rotated with the drive shaft and the rotation of the drive shaft retarded. In an alternative embodiment, the clutch selectively rotatably couples the second rotatable members with the non-rotatable member and there is also included a planetary gear system including a sun gear formed on the second rotatable member, a ring gear formed with the rotor vanes and planet gears meshing with the sun and ring gears and rotatably mounted to the first rotatable member.