Patent ID: 7694782
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: B60T,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A brake actuating system in a motor vehicle having wheels and brakes for braking rotation of the wheels, the brake actuating system comprising: a cable system including a plurality of cables operatively connected to the brakes of the vehicle such that increasing tension in the cables activates the brakes and then decreasing the tension in the cables deactivates the brakes; an actuator operatively connected to the cable system, the cable system including an input side cable operatively connecting the cables to the actuator and at least one output side cable operatively connecting the cables to the brakes of the vehicle, the actuator being operable by an occupant of the vehicle for movement between applied and released positions to selectively increase and decrease the tension in the cables of the cable system to thereby activate and deactivate the brakes of the vehicle, respectively; and a cable tensioner structured to interconnect the actuator and the cable system, the cable tensioner including a rotary input member that is constructed to be rotatably driven by a torque applying device, the rotary input member being selectively and adjustably coupled to the input side cable of the cable system and having a surface engaged with the actuator such that rotating the rotary input member in (1) a tensioning direction increases the tension in The cable system, and (2) a releasing direction decreases the tension in the cable system, wherein the input side cable includes a retaining structure on a free end thereof that prevents disengagement of the rotary input member from the input side cable when the rotary input member is rotated in the releasing direction, and wherein the rotary input member has a larger diameter than the retaining structure such that the torque applying device is configured to engage only with the rotary input member, when the rotary input member is driven in the tensioning direction or the releasing direction.