Patent ID: 7063190
Filing Date: 2006-06-20
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
1. A braking system for a shaft mounted for rotation, the braking system comprising: a brake disc coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith, the disc including a disc face having a plurality of disc plateaus positioned around the circumference of the disc, each disc plateau including a pair of disc ramps disposed at opposite ends of the disc plateau, each of the disc ramps extending between the disc face and a top surface of the disc plateau at an angle of approximately 10° relative to the disc face; a brake plate mounted to be relatively stationary, the brake disc being rotatable with respect to the brake plate, the brake plate including a plate face positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to the disc face and including a plurality of plate plateaus corresponding to the number of disc plateaus, each plate plateau including a pair of plate ramps disposed at opposite ends of the disc plateau, each of the plate ramps extending between the plate face and a top surface of the plate plateau, the plate ramps being angled relative to the plate face at approximately the same angle at which the disc ramps are angled relative to the disc face, the plate plateaus defining recesses between consecutive plate plateaus that are dimensioned to correspond to the disc plateaus such that the disc plateaus mate with the recesses; and a spring, the disc face and the plate face being biased against each other by the spring to cause a braking force from sliding contact between the disc plateaus and the plate plateaus and to cause a locking force when said plateaus mate with the recesses.