Quick check brake indicator

• US 6,237,723 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tony W. Salsman
• Original Assignee: Tony W. Salsman
• Inventors: Salsman, Tony W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, Benjamin A.
• Application Number:
  US09/388,603
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 188/1.11 W, 188/1.11 R, 116/208, 33/609, 33/610
• US Class Current: 188/1.11W
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature

Abstract

A visual brake wear indicator gauge for a vehicle'"'"'s disc brake system. A mounting bracket is fixed to the existing brake'"'"'s caliper with a hollow housing extending from the bracket. The visual gauge has an indicator bar with straight length and a right angled indicator foot on one end that contacts an inside disc pad. This indicator bar extends through and within the gauge housing and is normally biased by a housing spring to contact the brake'"'"'s disc pad. Two different adjacent visual color coded segments on the bar indicate the contacted disc pad are properly operating, when both are color segments are displayed to one side of the housing, or that the system needs repair if only one color coded segment is so displayed. The gauge bar indicates wear to either the vehicle'"'"'s disc pads or the associated rotor of the vehicle'"'"'s braking system.

Claims

1. A gauge on a vehicle braking system for measuring disc pad wear comprising:

a movable bar having a first end and second end, said bar being movable with the disc pad and rotor on the wheel of a vehicle'"'"'s braking system;

a disc pad for a vehicle braking system;

said bar having a substantially right angle segment adjacent the second end of the bar which engages said disc pad;

said bar having two different color coded sections between the first end of the bar and the second end,

a hollow housing having a first end and a second end, said housing mounting said bar partially within the hollow confines of the housing such that the first end of the bar can extend from the first end of the housing;

said housing having an opened slot, said bar having an extending stop member fixedly mounted to the bar, said stop member being within the housing and extending through said housing opened slot to limit the movement of the bar within the housing;

biasing means within said hollow housing for forcing said right angled segment of the bar into contact with the disc pad of the braking system; and

a mounting bracket for mounting said housing and bar to the caliper of a vehicle'"'"'s braking system, said bracket having an opening through which the first end of the bar can be extended when mounted within said housing, said bar first end when extending through said bracket displaying said two different color coded sections when the braking system is in an acceptable condition and only one of said two color coded sections when excessive wear is detected.

2. The gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bar has a straight length with a free end, said two color coded segments being adjacent to each other along the straight length of said bar, one of the color coded segments extending to near the straight free end of the bar to visually indicating the wear on the engaged braking system is excessive when only this segment is displayed from the mounting bracket opening.

3. The gauge as claimed in claim 2, wherein biasing means is a coil spring member having two ends within the hollow housing.

4. The gauge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bar has a hole adapted to receive said stop member, said stop member being a pin sized and shaped to fit snugly with said bar hole.