Granted Patent B2

US 12,529,405 · App. 17/859,295 · Granted Jan 20, 2026

Inventors: Jay D. White (Lenoir, NC); Matthew G. Chapman (Canal Fulton, OH); Jeffrey R. Wittlinger (Uniontown, OH); Francisco J. Arevalo (Joliet, IL); Kurtis R. Bowen (Barrington, IL); Nathan A. Nicholas (Akron, OH); Jeff R. Zawacki (Channahon, IL); Dhawal P. Dharaiya (Twinsburg, OH)

Assignee: Hendrickson USA, L.L.C.

F16D66/00F16D65/22F16D2066/003F16D2125/30

Abstract

Claims (22)

1 . A sensor mounting arrangement for a drum brake assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle, the sensor mounting arrangement comprising:

a sensor assembly mounted on a cam tube of said drum brake assembly, said cam tube being formed with an opening;

said sensor assembly including a detector and a target;

said detector being at least partially disposed in or adjacent to said opening of the cam tube and comprising a Hall effect element in close proximity to said target; and

the target comprising a stretchable elastomer with a magnetic material being formed as an annular shape and disposed about an outer surface of a camshaft of the drum brake assembly;

wherein said magnetic material is suspended within said elastomer and distributed in a circumferentially-spaced arrangement about the target.

2 . A sensor mounting arrangement for a drum brake assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle, the sensor mounting arrangement comprising:

a sensor assembly mounted on a cam tube of said drum brake assembly, said cam tube being formed with an opening;

said sensor assembly including a housing connected to the cam tube, a detector, a target, and a seal;

said housing engaging and forming an interface with the opening of the cam tube;

said detector comprising an eddy current sensor in close proximity to said target and being at least partially disposed in or adjacent to said opening of the cam tube and at least partially disposed within the housing;

said seal formed about said interface to prevent the ingress of water, chemicals, and debris into the housing and the cam tube; and

the target being formed from a conductive material with an annular shape having an axial profile with an axial width that varies about the circumference of the target, the target being disposed about an outer surface of a camshaft of the drum brake assembly.

3 . The sensor mounting arrangement of claim 2 , said target having a pair of axial profiles;

wherein each of said pair of axial profiles is circumferentially-spaced 180 degrees apart about said camshaft, each of the pair of axial profiles having a respective axial width that varies circumferentially about the camshaft.

4 . A sensor mounting arrangement for a drum brake assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle, the sensor mounting arrangement comprising:

a sensor assembly mounted on a cam tube of said drum brake assembly, said cam tube being formed with an opening;

said sensor assembly including a detector, a target, and a flexible pad;

said detector comprising an induction sensor in close proximity to said target, the detector being at least partially disposed in or adjacent to said opening of the cam tube;

said induction sensor comprising wires arranged on a flexible film at least partially encompassing the target;

said target comprising a curved substrate having a combination of conductive and non-conductive material arranged in sections about the circumference of the target, the target being disposed about an outer surface of a camshaft of the drum brake assembly; and

said flexible pad being disposed between said cam tube and said flexible film of the detector to provide contact pressure to the detector to maintain close proximity between the detector and said target.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (28)