System and method for determining brake lining wear based on cooling wave propagation time
First Claim
1. A system for determining the amount of material in a brake lining comprising:
- a frictional brake surface;
a brake lining having a thickness including a sensor for producing an output signal indicating the temperature of the sensor;
a brake actuation system for actuating said brake lining against said frictional brake surface and thereafter releasing said brake lining from said frictional brake surface; and
a timer for measuring a time period beginning when said brake lining is released from said frictional brake surface and ending when said sensor output signal reaches a return temperature condition, said time period represents the brake lining wear condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for determining the amount of material in a brake lining includes a frictional brake surface and a brake lining having a sensor for producing an output signal indicating the temperature of the sensor. A brake actuation system actuates the brake lining against the frictional brake surface and, thereafter, releases the brake lining from the frictional brake surface. A timer measures a time period beginning when the brake lining is released from the frictional brake surface and ending when the sensor output signal reaches a return point indicative of the brake lining having cooled. A controller compares the measured time period to electronically stored predetermined values to determine the thickness of the brake lining. The invention further includes a method for determining the amount of brake lining material based upon this structure.
68 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system for determining the amount of material in a brake lining comprising:
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a frictional brake surface;
a brake lining having a thickness including a sensor for producing an output signal indicating the temperature of the sensor;
a brake actuation system for actuating said brake lining against said frictional brake surface and thereafter releasing said brake lining from said frictional brake surface; and
a timer for measuring a time period beginning when said brake lining is released from said frictional brake surface and ending when said sensor output signal reaches a return temperature condition, said time period represents the brake lining wear condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 11)
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6. A method for determining the amount of material in a brake lining comprising the steps of:
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1) providing a frictional brake surface, a brake lining including a sensor for producing an output signal indicating the temperature of the sensor, and a brake actuation system;
2) actuating the brake lining against the frictional brake surface thereby increasing the temperature of the brake lining and the sensor;
3) releasing the brake lining from the frictional brake surface; and
4) measuring a time period beginning when the brake lining is released from the frictional brake surface and ending when the sensor output signal reaches a return temperature condition, said time period represents the brake lining wear condition. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
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Specification