Patent ID: 6696937
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: B60T,F16D

Abstract:
A solid-state brake condition monitoring system for a vehicle brake system having a rotatable member connected with a wheel rotatable about an axis and a pad mounted on an extendable metal shoe that frictionally engages the pad with the rotatable member for creating braking force, the monitoring system comprising:thermoelectric power converter means secured on a heat absorbing surface of the brake system for producing electrical power in response to thermal energy; electronic distance sensing transducer means powered by said power converter means for sensing the distance of the metal shoe relative thereto when extended and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the sensed distance, said signal indicative of pad wear; and signal processing and RF transmitting means coupled with said distance sensing transducer means and powered by said power converter means for receiving said electronic signal from said distance sensing transducer means and transmitting a RF signal corresponding to said signal indicative of pad wear to a remote RF receiver.