GB2327724A

GB2327724A - Brake actuating apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2327724A
Application number: GB9715520A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nai Shing Hu
Original assignee: EUROCHARM INNOVATION CO Ltd; FONG HSIANG METAL INDUSTRY CO
Current assignee: EUROCHARM INNOVATION CO Ltd; FONG HSIANG METAL INDUSTRY CO
Priority date: 1997-07-18
Filing date: 1997-07-24
Publication date: 1999-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-24
Also published as: GB9715520D0; NL1006672C2; CA2210836C; CA2210836A1; GB2327724B

Abstract

Apparatus for actuating a brake device, such as for use with a wheeled walker, comprises a bracket 20 and an operating device 30. An end portion 31 of the operating device is pivoted in a receiving chamber 22 of the bracket and is provided with an anchoring portion 32 and an operating portion 33. The operating portion defines first 331, second 332 and third 333 edges which are connected with each other. The bracket has a post 41 which passes through the receiving chamber. The operating device 30 can be moved such that the operating portion 33 is contacted with the post 41. When the operating device is moved upwards from a position in which the brakes are inoperative, a temporary braking function is effected, and when the operating device is moved downwards, a continuous braking function is effected.

Description

APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING A BRAKE DEVICE The present invention relates to an apparatus for actuating a brake device for stopping the movement of an object. Such apparatus may, for example, be installed with handles of a walker with wheels to control the movement of the walker.

A walker with wheels (i.e. rollator, or rolling walker) is becoming more and more popular. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4 907 794 and 5 020 560 discloses a foldable rolling walker. A braking system is needed to stop the wheels. However, such a braking system is a temporary braking device which is similar to that of a bicycle, i.e. a braking effect is actuated only when a user pulls up the braking handle.

U.S. Pat. No. 5 279 180 (Henriksson) discloses a braking system which can be operated in two manners, i.e. temporarily and continuously.

When a user pushes an operating arm downwards a "locking force" is utilised to maintain the operating arm in a continuously locking position.

Therefore, when the user releases the operating arm, for example, the wheels of a wheeled walker are still braked. However, the "locking force" must be larger than the returning force of a releasing spring installed in the braking system, which may cause the following defects: 1. the locking engagement between the operating arm and a bracket is affected by an interference fit therebetween, and as a result, after a period of usage, the contacting area becomes worn and the "locking force" decays; 2. because the "locking force" is larger than the returning force of the releasing spring, the force for pushing the operating arm downwards must be larger than the returning force of the releasing spring; this pushing force accelerates the wearing of the contacting area of the operating arm and the bracket.

It is an objective of this invention to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art. Another objective of this invention is to provide an apparatus for actuating a brake which is of a simplified construction.

According to a first aspect the present inventions consists in apparatus for actuating a brake device comprising: a bracket comprising a mounting device for mounting the apparatus with respect to the brake device and a receiving chamber; an operating device pivotally installed in the receiving chamber for manually operating the apparatus and having an end portion provided with an anchoring portion and an operating portion, and a post which is fixed on the bracket is engaged with the operating portion of the operating device in the receiving chamber and is spaced from the anchoring portion, the arrangement being such that the end portion of the operating device can be selectively located at a first, second or third position, the post being located at one part of the operating portion when the operating device is located in its first or second positions and being disposed at another part of the operating portion when the operating device is in its third position, and the operating device being located at its second position when the braking function is not effected, being movable to its first position by an external force in one direction such that the braking function is effected temporarily and becomes ineffective when the external force is removed and being movable to its third position by an external force in an opposite direction whereby the braking function is effected continuously and remains effective when the oppositely directed external force is released.

The apparatus may be mounted on another device, such a wheeled walker, to actuate a brake device operable on a wheel thereof.

According to a second aspect, the present invention consists in a wheeled walker having a brake device operable on a wheel thereof and including apparatus in accordance with the foregoing first aspect of the invention.

Preferably the operating portion of the operating device is defined by first, second and third edges thereof. The post may be located between the first and second edges when the operating device is located in its first or second positions and be disposed at the third edge when the operating device is in its third position.

A second post may be provided on the bracket which engages with a second operating portion of the operating device in the receiving chamber. The second operating portion may comprise a closed hole.

There may be a third post on the bracket which engages with a third operating portion of the operating device in the receiving chamber.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a walker in which apparatus in accordance with the present invention is installed; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the apparatus; Figures 3 and 4 are schematic illustrations of the apparatus of Figure 2; Figures 5 and 6 are schematic illustrations of a second embodiment of the apparatus; Figure 7 is the schematic illustration of a third embodiment of the apparatus, and Figures 8 to 10 are schematic illustrations of a fourth embodiment of the apparatus.

Referring to Figure 1 a wheeled walker 70 is shown which is fitted with apparatus 10 to brake the wheels of the walker through braking cables 72.

Referring to the embodiment of Figures 2 to 4, each apparatus 10 mainly comprises a bracket 20 and an operating device 30. In this first embodiment, the bracket 20 defines a mounting device 21 and a receiving chamber 22. The apparatus 10 can be readily fitted on a handlebar 71 of the walker by means of the mounting device 21 of the bracket 20. The receiving chamber 22 is provided with an opening 23 by way of which a front end portion 31 of the operating device 30 can be pivotally installed in the receiving chamber.

The front end portion 31 of the operating device 30 has an anchoring portion 32 for fixing an anchoring head of the braking cable 72 to the operating device. The other end of the braking cable 72 is connecting to braking mechanism disposed adjacent to the wheels 73 of the walker 70. Detail description is not provided herein of the braking mechanism since it is well known to those skilled in the art.

The bracket 20 is provided with first, second and third mounting holes 24, 25 and 26 in which first, second and third headed posts 41, 42 and 43 having internally screw-threaded recesses at their free ends are fixedly retained by means of locking screws 44. The front end portion 31 of the operating device 30 has first, second and third operating portions 33, 34 and 35 corresponding to the first, second and third posts 24, 25 and 26 respectively. The first operating portion 33 defines first, second and third edges 331, 332 and 333 respectively.

Normally, the operating device 30 is in a second position 52, Figure 3, when the braking mechanism is not actuated. When the operating device 30 is pulled upwards to a first position 51, Figure 3, a temporary braking is actuated. After the external force (e.g. force from the user's fingers) applied to the operating device 30 is released, the operating device 30 is returned to the second position 52 by the returning force of the braking cable 72. When the operating device 30 is located in the first and second positions 51 and 52, the first post 41 is positioned between the first and second edges 331 and 332 of the first operating portion 33.

When the operating device 30 is pushed downwards, the operating device 30 moves to a third position 53, Figure 4, such that a continuous braking is then effected. In this situation. the first post 41 is located at the third edge 333 of the first operating portion 33. An intersecting angle 334 is defined between the second edge 332 and the third edge 333.

Preferably, that angle 334 is less than 120 degrees such that the returning force of the braking cable 72 can be overcome.

Furthermore, because the first post 41 is disposed above the anchoring portion 32, the braking cable 72 can provide a counter clockwise torque to the first post 41, and therefore even the external force applied to the operating device 30 is removed. The operating device 30 will be maintained in the third position 53 by the torque applied from the braking cable 72. As a result, a continuous braking status is achieved.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the main function of the first operating portion 33 is to provide a locking force to the operating device 30 when in the third position 53. The second operating portion 34 has a triangular shape in this embodiment and is used to prevent the operating device 30 from escaping if the braking cable 72 is broken. Therefore, the second operating portion 34 is designed as a closed hole. The second operating portion 34 should be so designed that the operating device 30 will not be limited by the second post 42 when the operating device 30 is moved upwards or downwards. Consequently, the second operating portion 34 should be designed as a hole of appropriate size. The main function of the third operating portion 35 is to provide an ending point when the operating device 30 is pushed downward by a user.

As a result, a better operation feeling can be provided while the user is pushing the operating device 30 downwards. In fact, the third operating portion 35 may be omitted or be replaced by a modified shape (not shown) of the lower portion 311 of the front end portion 31. The lower portion 311 may also serve as an ending point for co-operation with the contacting area of the bracket 20.

In the second and third embodiments, illustrated by Figure 5 and by Figure 7 respectively, the third operating portion 35 is omitted. Because the braking functions of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment except for the lack of better operation feeling, no further description of that embodiment is given herein.

As described above, the main function of the second operating portion 34 is to prevent the operating device 30 from falling away when the braking cable 72 is broken. However, such a situation seldom happens, and therefore the second operating portion 34 may also be omitted. As will be seen from Figure 7, the second operating portion 34 is omitted in the third embodiment. Although the configuration is simplified, the braking effect is identical to that in the first embodiment, consequently no further detailed description of the third embodiment is given herein.

Figures 8 to 10 are schematic illustrations of the consecutive movements of the fourth embodiment. The difference in the fourth embodiment from the first embodiment is that the second operating portion 34' is provided with a projected portion 341'. As a result, the projected portion 341' can help (just a little) in keeping the operating device 30 in the third position 53, Figure 10. Because the working principle and braking operation are also identical to the first embodiment, no further detailed description of the fourth embodiment is given herein.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described, and departures may be made from such details without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages. For example, the first operating portion can be a closed hole or the number of the edges of the first operating portion may be more, or less, than three.

Claims

1. Apparatus for actuating a brake device comprising: a bracket comprising a mounting device for mounting the apparatus with resepct to the brake device and a receiving chamber: an operating device pivotally installed in the receiving chamber for manually operating the apparatus and having an end portion provided with an anchoring portion and an operating portion, and a post which is fixed on the bracket is engaged with the operating portion of the operating device in the receiving chamber and is spaced from the anchoring portion, the arrangement being such that the end portion of the operating device can be selectively located at a first, second or third position, the post being located at one part of the operating portion when the operating device is located in its first or second positions and being disposed at another part of the operating portion when the operating device is in its third position, and the operating device being located at its second position when the braking function is not effected, being movable to its first positions by an external force in one direction such that the braking function is effected temporarily and becomes ineffective when the external force is removed and being movable to its third position by an external force in an opposite direction whereby the braking function is effected continuously and remains effective when the oppositely directed external force is released.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating portion of the operating device is defined by first, second and third edges thereof, the post being located between the first and second edges when the operating device is located in its first or second positions and being disposed at the third edge when the operating device is in its third position.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the angle between said third and second edges of the first operating portion is less than 120 degrees.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the end portion of the operating device further comprises a second operating portion and the bracket is provided with a second post which engages with the second operating portion in the receiving chamber.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second operating portion is a closed hole in the end portion of the operating device.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the end portion of the operating device further comprises a third operating portion and the bracket is provided with a third post which engages with the third operating portion in the receiving chamber.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the second operating portion is provided with a projecting portion and the second post is located over the projecting portion when the operating device is located in its third position.

8. A wheeled walker having a brake device operable on a wheel thereof and including apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim operable to actuate the brake device.

9. Apparatus for actuating a brake device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. Apparatus for actuating a brake device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

11. Apparatus for actuating a brake device substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

12. Apparatus for actuating a bake device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A wheeled walker substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4, or Figure 1 as modified by Figures 5 and 6, by Figure 7 or by Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.