The present invention relates to a parking brake lever system for the actuation of a parking brake, particularly of a parking brake for motor vehicles, wherein the parking brake lever system is manually actuated.
In the prior art different possibilities are disclosed to tighten a parking brake. Parking brakes in motor vehicles in general act on the rear wheels of the vehicle and are actuated via brake cables. For tightening of the brake cable either a parking brake lever or a foot pedal is used. Usually parking brake levers are mounted at the middle tunnel of the motor vehicle between the front seats.
During design and ergonomic considerations, however, other positions in a motor vehicle are conceivable. So, it can for example be desirable to integrate a parking brake lever in the dashboard or center console of a motor vehicle. So, for example the EP 1 205 368 A2 shows a parking brake lever which is integrated in the center console of a vehicle. Therein, the mentioned parking brake lever is vertically arranged at one side of the center console and performs a pure pivoting movement around a horizontal axis in direction of the passenger compartment during tightening of the parking brake.
Such a pivoting movement of a parking brake lever can be undesired for design or ergonomic reasons.
From the DE 101 56920 A1 and the DE 101 23 525 parking brakes are known, which transform a pure axial displacement of a hand grip into a tension of the brake cable. The shown parking brakes comprise a plurality of intermediate elements, which is intended to act force-intensifying, for transforming the pure axial movement into the tension of the brake cable.
Such a pure axial movement of a parking brake lever can also be undesired for design or ergonomic reasons, such that there is the need for a parking brake lever system, which can on the one hand be flexibly integrated into the design of the vehicle and on the other hand comprises an enhanced ergonomics during the actuation. Further, since the parking brake lever system is a security relevant part it must meet particular requirements with respect to stability and reliability. A further goal of the invention is it to provide a cost-efficient parking brake lever system.
The present invention solves this problem by a parking brake lever system according to the subject matter of independent claim 1.
Particularly this problem is solved by a parking brake lever system for manually tightening and releasing of at least one brake cable, wherein the parking brake lever system comprises at least one rotation arm pivotably supported at a fixed support, wherein the rotation arm is connected to the brake cable, and at least one actuation lever, which at a first end thereof is pivotably connected to the rotation arm and which at a second end thereof is rigidly connected to a hand grip, wherein the actuating lever is slidingly supported at the fixed support, such that the hand grip defines a curved path during actuation of the parking brake lever system.
The special kinematic arrangement of the actuation lever with respect to the pivotably supported rotation arm leads to a particular actuation kinematics. For the tightening of a parking brake, the hand grip of the parking brake lever system according to the invention can be manually actuated by means of a movement, which is combined of an axial movement and a pivoting movement. Therefore, on the one hand a particularly harmonic and ergonomic way of actuation results, in that the user does not have to unnaturally bend its wrist. On the other hand such a parking brake lever system can particularly preferred be arranged at the dashboard or center console of a motor vehicle, due to its compact construction. A long actuation lever, as used in conventional parking brake is not necessary. Therefore, particular design possibilities result, which would not be possible having a conventional parking brake lever system.
In a preferred embodiment the actuation lever of the parking brake lever system comprises a bar-like shape and it is slidingly supported in-between the first end, which is connected to the rotation arm, and the second end, which is connected to a hand grip. Due to the bar-like shape and the sliding support, it results a particularly simple and cost-efficient embodiment of the parking brake lever system according to the invention.
In a further preferred embodiment the parking brake lever system further comprises a slide support element, which is pivotably supported at the fixed support, for the sliding support of the actuation lever. During this motion the actuation lever does not only slide along the fixed support, but it is simultaneously also slightly tilted. In order to guarantee during this movement a guiding of the actuation lever at the fixed support without clearance, the connection between the actuation lever and the fixed support can be pivoted.
In a further preferred embodiment the parking brake lever system further comprises at least one tension spring, which is suspended between the rotation arm and the fixed support, to apply a tension force to the rotation arm in tightening direction. The at least one tension spring therefore acts force-intensifying, so that the user has only to apply a smaller force as without a spring to actuate the parking brake. Further, a tension spring is easier to mount and substantially more cost-efficient than for example compression springs or gas pressure elements. Preferably, the tension spring is dimensioned, such that the user on the one hand is effectively assisted during actuation, but on the other hand the parking brake lever system is automatically returned to its non-actuated state.
In a further preferred embodiment the parking brake lever system further comprises a cable guiding, which is rigidly connected to the rotation arm and which comprises a recess in which the brake cable is guided. By means of such a simple cable guiding additional cable guiding elements are spared, which further leads to a cost reduction and increase of lifetime.
Preferably, the cable guiding comprises a receptacle, at which the brake cable is length-adjustably connected. In that way the initial suspension of the brake cable can be adjusted in a simple manner and without additional adjustment means.
In a further preferred embodiment the parking brake lever system comprises at least one support lever, which is rigidly connected to the fixed support and which is pivotably connected to the slide support element, to support the actuation lever. In this embodiment the actuation lever is not directly supported at the fixed support, but via an additional support lever, which is rigidly connected to the fixed support. The support lever can be very stiffly provided, since it must not be manufactured together with the fixed support, but separately. Further, the kinematic structure of the parking brake lever system can easily be varied by different lengths of the support lever. In this manner, particularly the curved path of the hand grip can be adjusted to the design of the vehicle and the ergonomic requirements.
In a further preferred embodiment the parking brake lever system comprises two actuation levers and/or two rotation arms and/or two support levers and/or two tension springs, wherein the hand grip connects the two actuation levers with each other to form a substantially U-shaped arrangement. A substantially U-shaped arrangement has stability advantages with respect to a substantially flat arrangement. Such a parking brake lever system forms a very stable framework, such that the reliability and security of the parking brake lever system is further improved.
In a further preferred embodiment, the angle between the rotation arm and the actuation lever ranges between 85° and 95° when the brake cable is tightened. If the angle between the rotation arm and the actuation lever ranges between 85° and 95° the parking brake lever system according to the invention comprises the largest effective lever arm, that means the pulling force, which is introduced by the user to the hand grip is most effectively converted into a pulling force on the brake cable. This is particularly advantageous in that range, in which the force on the brake cable should be maximum, namely in the tightened condition.
In a further preferred embodiment the parking brake lever system further comprises an actuation plate arranged within the hand grip, for releasing of the parking brake.
In another preferred embodiment the releasing of the parking brake is performed by rotating the hand grip.
Preferably, the parking brake lever system further comprises a wing, which connects the ends of the support levers with each other. This wing stabilizes the ends of the support lever. Preferably, the wing is rigidly mounted to a vehicle. In this case, the wing acts for the more stable mounting of the upper part of the parking brake lever system, such that the parking brake lever system is particularly warp resistant although the support levers can be made thinner.
Preferably, the parking brake lever system farther comprises a damping plate, which is mounted between the support and the vehicle for damping of vibrations. The damping plate prevents incommoding motor vibrations of the vehicle from being transmitted to the hand of the driver during tightening of the parking brake.
Preferably, the parking brake lever system further comprises at least one cover element for passing through the at least one actuation lever into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. To this end the cover element comprises a support frame, which is rigidly mounted at the vehicle, and a slide element, which is displaceably supported within the support frame, wherein the actuation lever extends through the slide element. The cover element is integrated into the interior lining and provides a tight and optical pleasing passageway for the actuation levers. Further, it acts for the acoustic insulation and prevents draft. Due to the displaceable support of the slide element within the support frame, the cover element is nearly wear resistant and optimally adapted to the movement of the actuation lever.
Preferably, the support frame is curved perpendicularly to the displacement direction of the slide element. By means of the curvature of the support frame, and therefore also of the slide element, on the one hand particular design aspects can be realized, on the other hand the path of displacement of the slide element can be deflected. For example, the slide element can then be guided beneath the mounting areas of the cover element. Preferably, the curvature of the support frame comprises a wave shape.
Further preferred embodiments of the invention relate from the sub-claims.
In the following, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described by reference to the drawing. Therein shows:
In the following preferred embodiments of the invention are described by reference to the accompanying drawings.
In
The parking brake lever system 1 comprises a fixed support 50, preferably of sheet metal, which is suitably connected to the vehicle. A rotation axis 100 is rotatably supported within support 50. The rotation axis 100 is rigidly connected with a rotation arm 10, 12 and with a cable guiding 70.
The rotation arm 10, 12 is rotatably connected directly to the support 50 and a rotation movement of the rotation arm 10, 12 is transmitted to the cable guiding 70 via the rotation axis 100. The cable guiding 70 is an essentially flat part, at which the brake cable 90 is suitably connected, wherein the brake cable 90 can wind around the cable guiding 70. During a rotation of the cable guiding 70 in
The rotation arm 10, 12 consists of an essentially elongated part, which is at one end thereof directly connected to the rotation axis 100 and thereby is rotatably supported within support 50. At the other end thereof, the rotation arm 10, 12 is pivotably connected directly with an actuation lever 20, 22. The actuation lever 20, 22 consists of a rod or bar-shaped part. As already discussed, the actuation lever 20, 22 is at one end thereof pivotably connected to the rotation arm 10, 12. At the other end thereof the actuation lever 20, 22 is connected to a hand grip 40. The handgrip 40 serves for the manual actuation of the parking brake lever system 1. A user of the parking brake lever system 1 grabs the hand grip 40 and can actuate the parking brake by means of a curved pulling movement at the hand grip 40.
Preferably, the parking brake lever system is provided, such that the hand grip 40 can be horizontally arranged within the vehicle. The curved movement of the hand grip 40 during actuation enables a particularly pleasant tightening movement, which is adapted to the ergonomics of the driver.
The actuation lever 20, 22 is slidingly supported by means of a slide support element 34, 35, which is pivotably connected with the support 50 by means of a joint respectively axis 36. In the embodiment shown in
If the support lever 30, 32 is a separate part, which is rigidly connected to the support 50, its shape and particularly its cross section can be chosen, such that it provides a particular stability and stiffness of the parking brake lever system 1.
As shown in
For releasing, the pawl 110 is connected to an appropriate linkage and connecting means. The connecting means preferably run through the inner of the actuating lever 20, 22, and they are connected to an appropriate actuating plate 42 within hand grip 40. A pressure onto the actuating plate 42 is transmitted via the linkage to the pawl 110, such that its locking with the ratchet plate 80 is released and the rotating arm 10, 12 can again be rotated in counter clockwise direction.
As shown in
For releasing the parking brake, a pressure has to be applied to the actuation plate 42, which thereby pivots preferably around axis 44. Of course, other possibilities of supporting the actuation plate 42 within hand grip 40 are also conceivable. The pulling cable 120 is tightened by the pressure on the actuation plate 42 and the pivotable element 116 is pivoted in clockwise direction (see
For releasing of pawl 110 of course also other actuation means can be used. For example, the pawl 110 can be released by means of a rotation of the hand grip 40 around the longitudinal or around the transversal axis.
As indicated above,
In a comparison of
The parking brake lever system 1 preferably further comprises at least one spring 60, 62 which is suspended between the support 50 and the rotating arm 10, 12. The spring 60, 62 acts force intensifying onto the pulling force F which has to be exerted onto the handgrip 40 to tighten the brake. To this end, the springs 60, 62 are appropriately connected with the rotating arm 10, 12 and the support 50 by means of two connecting points 14, 52. In
In the position shown in
With reference to
In this embodiment the rotating arms 10, 12, the actuation levers 20, 22, the support lever 30, 32 and the springs 60, 62 are provided in duplicate. This leads to a stable, warp resistant arrangement, which guarantees a secure actuation of the parking brake. By this arrangement the single components can be made comparatively small, since each part only receives a small load.
During an actuation of the parking brake lever system 1, the hand grip 40 performs a linear motion, which is combined with a small pivoting motion. Ergonomic problems, as for example by an exclusive pivoting motion or an exclusive axial respectively linear movement of the hand grip are therefore avoided. The movement of the handgrip 40 as well as the direction of the required pulling force F is shown in the movement sequence of
A further preferred embodiment of the parking brake lever system 1 is shown in
At first, the parking brake lever system 1 now comprises a wing 120 instead of axis 16, wherein the wing 120 connects the ends of support levers 30, 32 with each other. Thereby, these are stabilized. Preferably, the wing 120 consists of a shaped sheet metal material and is provided with two mounting flaps 122, by means of which the wing 120 can be mounted to the vehicle. Therefore, the ends of the support levers 30, 32 are particularly fixed and the complete parking brake lever system 1 is particularly stiff.
Further, the parking brake lever system 1 preferably comprises a damping plate 150 of a plastic or a rubber material. The damping plate 150 is arranged between the support 50 and the vehicle (not shown) and acts for a damping of oscillations or vibrations. In this way, the actuating sounds of the parking brake lever system 1 are not transmitted to the car body of the vehicle and motor vibrations are not introduced into the parking brake lever system 1.
As shown in
Further, the parking brake lever system 1 can comprise at least one cover element 140, 142 for passing through of the actuation lever(s) 20, 22 into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The passageway of the actuation lever 20, 22 is therefore nicely closed and draft or the ingress or leaking of dirt is avoided.
As shown in detail in
In the support frame 144 a flat shaped slide element 146 is displaceably supported. The slide element 146 consists of a plastic strip, which can be provided with small lateral ribs, such that it can easily be bent in longitudinal direction but is comparably stiff in lateral direction. The slide element 146 is provided with a central opening 147, through which the actuation lever 20, 22 can extend. The opening 147 is adapted to the cross section of the actuation lever 20, 22.
During an actuation of the parking brake lever system 1 on the one hand the actuation lever 20, 22 moves axially within opening 147, on the other hand the slide element 146 is displaced within the support frame 144 due to the pivoting movement of the actuation lever 20, 22.
The
Preferably, the support frame 144 comprises a double wave shape, as shown in
In
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 000 804.6 | Jan 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP06/00054 | 1/5/2006 | WO | 00 | 1/24/2008 |