| 摘要 |
A parking brake operating mechanism having a brake apply pedal arm module and a housing module pivotally mounted on a vehicle. The housing contains a linearly movable toothed rack operatively connected to one end of the pedal arm for movements by that arm and operatively connected at its other end to a front brake cable which is operatively connected to one or more vehicle parking brakes to be tensioned for parking brake application, a pawl member having a pawl tooth selectively engaged with a tooth of the rack to lock the rack in a brake applied position, and a pawl release mechanism which when activated moves the pawl tooth out of engagement with the rack tooth, permitting the rack and the pedal arm to be returned to the parking brake released position by the brake apply tension in the brake cable. A brake lamp switch mounted on the housing is actuated and deactuated by movements of the rack toward the brake applied position and back to the brake release position to energize and deenergize a lamp signifying that the parking brake operating mechanism is in its brake apply mode. Once the pawl tooth is engaged with a rack tooth in locking relation and the operator has released the pedal arm, all reaction to the tension force in the brake cable bypasses the pedal arm, relieving that arm and it pivot from stress from that force while the parking brake remains applied. The pawl release mechanism may be of the spring clutch type or of a pedal arm push-to-release type which is automatically reset upon the completion of the brake release operation so as to be ready upon another parking brake apply to lock the rack, and therefore the brake cable in the applied position. |
