DR. RICHARD E MCCLAIN, D.O.
Medical Practice at Lake Ave, Inwood, IN

6729450, May 4, 2004

Dec 2, 2002

10/307835

Timothy J. Albert - Niles MI
William J. Penninger - Niles MI
Richard B McClain - South Bend IN

Robert Bosch Corporation - Broadview IL

B60T 1100

188359, 3031134, 3031141, 60534, 60545

A brake booster amplifies driver brake pedal input into an output force and travel for operating a master cylinder. A power unit builds and stores high pressure fluid to provide boost. Inlet and outlet solenoid valves regulate pressurized fluid to the amplifying mechanism. In one embodiment, a single boost chamber provides fluid pressure to operate the master cylinder and to provide a brake pressure indicative opposing force to driver input. One travel sensor monitors the position and movement of an input rod and piston, and a second travel sensor monitors the position and movement of an output piston. An ECU monitors system parameters and controls a motor pump, inlet and outlet valves and peripherals. In another embodiment, the opposing force to the brake pedal input is provided by a separate pressure fluid chamber located within and movable with the output piston. Boost chamber pressure and, optionally, output piston travel are monitored to provide a braking force indication.

6561596, May 13, 2003

Jun 28, 2001

09/894106

William John Penninger - Niles MI
Robert Keller Wilson - Granger IN
Richard Becker McClain - South Bend IN
Kenneth Scott Towers - Granger IN

Robert Bosch Corporation - Broadview IL

B60T 844

3031141, 188359, 60560, 605471

A hydraulic brake booster ( ) for use in a brake system ( ) having a first housing ( ) with a first bore ( ) separated from a second bore ( ). The first bore ( ) retains a power piston ( ) and the second bore ( ) retains a control valve arrangement ( ). A push rod ( ) of an input arrangement ( ) is connected to the power piston ( ) and linked to the control valve arrangement ( ) by a lever arrangement ( ). A second housing ( ) encloses the control valve arrangement ( ), lever arrangement ( ) and a projection ( ) that extends from the power piston ( ) to define a cavity or relief chamber ( ) having a permanent low pressure. The input arrangement ( ) supplies the control valve arrangement ( ) with an input force in response to a braking force applied to the push rod ( ) to regulate the communication of pressurized supply fluid from the second bore ( ). The hydraulic brake booster is characterized in that the regulated supply fluid acts on the first piston ( ) to develop a corresponding operational fluid pressure which is communicated to a first set of wheel brakes ( ) while the regulated supply fluid is directly communicated to a second set of wheel brakes ( ) to effect a brake application.

6203119, Mar 20, 2001

Aug 2, 1999

9/365577

Kenneth Scott Towers - Granger IN
John E. Mackiewicz - Niles MI
Richard Becker McClain - South Bend IN
Raymon Kosarski - Niles MI

Robert Bosch Corporation - Broadview IL

B60T 844

3031141

A control apparatus (12) for a brake system (10) having a housing (40) with a first (42) and second (46) cylindrical members located in first (44) and second (46) bores. The first (42) and second (46) cylindrical members and corresponding first (50) and second (54) valve seat members define first (52) and second (56) chambers within the first (44) and second (46) bores which are connected to a source of pressurized fluid. First valve means (68) are located in the first chamber (52) and second valve means (70) are located in the second chamber (56). A first plunger means (72) in the first bore (40) and a first valve seat member (50) define a first brake chamber (74) which is connected to a first set (16) of wheel brakes and a second plunger means (76) in the second bore (48) and a second valve seat member (54) define a second brake chamber (78) in the second bore (46) which is connected to a second set (16') of wheel brakes in the vehicle. A first stem (82) of the first plunger means (72) and a second stem (88) of the second plunger means (76) is connected to a balance lever (100) connected to an input rod (18). An input force applied to the input rod (18) simultaneously moves the stems (82,88) to initially interrupt communication between chambers (74,78) and a reservoir 84.

5960629, Oct 5, 1999

Jan 29, 1998

9/015166

Richard Becker McClain - South Bend IN
Kenneth Scott Towers - Granger IN

Robert Bosch Technology Corp - Broadview IL

B60T 1300

605472

A control apparatus (12) in a brake system (10) has a housing (20) with an inlet port (26), a gear port (32), a relief port (38), and an outlet port (42). A piston (44) located in a first bore (22) has a first peripheral surface (50) with first (52) and second (54) grooves separated by a land (56) and a second bore (60) respectively connected to the first (52) and second (54) grooves by first (62) and second (64) radial passages. A spool (68) which has a peripheral surface (74) with a control groove (76) is connected to a third bore (88) therein by a cross bore or passage (86) and retained in the second bore (60) by a snap ring (96). An input rod (92) which is located in the third bore (88) has a shoulder (94) which engages the spool (68) while an end cap (98) that is connected to the housing (20) retains the piston (44), spool (68) and input rod (92) in the housing (20). Resilient (104,97) respectively, positioning the piston (44) within the first bore (22) and the spool (68) within the second bore (60) to assure that pressurized fluid is always communicated by way of the inlet port (26), first groove (52), first radial passage (62), control groove (76), second radial passage (64) and gear port (32) to operate the hydraulically operated device (28). The input rod (92) responds to an input force by moving the spool (68) in bore 22 to restrict communication between the inlet port (26) and gear port (32) and diverting pressurized fluid to the outlet port (42) and supply the brake booster (18) with pressurized fluid to effect a brake application.

6038857, Mar 21, 2000

Jun 15, 1998

9/097778

Kenneth Scott Towers - Granger IN
Richard Becker McClain - South Bend IN
John e. Mackiewicz - Niles MI

Robert Bosch Technology Corporation - Broadview IL

F16D 3102

60422

A control apparatus for a brake system having a housing with a first bore for retaining a spool valve and a second bore for retaining a selector valve. A cap separates the first bore into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber has an inlet port connected to a source of fluid under pressure, a gear port for connected the source of fluid under pressure to a hydraulically operated device, a relief port connected to a reservoir and an outlet passage connected to a selector valve which communicates pressurized fluid through an outlet port to a brake booster. The second chamber is connected to the reservoir and the second bore. The a spool valve has a peripheral surface with first and second grooves separated by lands and an internal operational passage connecting the second groove to the outlet passage. A first return spring positions the spool valve in the first bore such that pressurized fluid is communicated to the hydraulically operated device by way of the inlet port, first groove and gear port. An actuating apparatus has an input piston that is located in the second chamber for receiving an input force of an operator, a plunger which extends through the cap to be partly located in the first and second chambers, a second return spring for urging the input piston toward a rest position and an actuation spring for connecting the input piston with the plunger.

6990812, Jan 31, 2006

Apr 29, 2004

10/709349

Richard Becker McClain - South Bend IN, US
William John Penninger - Niles MI, US
Gary L. Doty - Berring Springs MI, US
Timothy J. Albert - Niles MI, US

Robert Bosch GmbH - Stuttgart

B60T 13/20

60551, 605471

A control valve of a hydraulic brake booster for use in a brake system. The control valve is characterized by a shuttle member having a stem on a first end and an annular projection on a second end. The stem has an annular surface thereon that is matched with an orifice from an supply chamber such that metered pressurized fluid is uniformly presented to an actuation chamber to effect a brake application while the annular projection is matched with a flange on an actuator piston such that the pressurized fluid present in the actuation chamber is uniformly metered to a reservoir.

2007019, Aug 30, 2007

Feb 27, 2006

11/307896

John Mackiewicz - Niles MI, US
William Penninger - Niles MI, US
Richard McClain - South Bend IN, US

ROBERT BOSCH CORPORATION - Broadview IL

F16D 55/46, B60T 11/00

188370000, 188072200

A disc brake has a first caliper with first and second friction members that are moved into engagement with a rotor to effect a brake application. The actuator includes a second caliper retained on a pin and third and fourth friction member aligned with the rotor. First and second linkage members connect the second caliper to the first and second friction members. The second caliper when activated moves the third and fourth friction members into engagement with the rotor to create a tangential force that causes the second caliper to pivot on the pin and provide an input force that moves first and second ramp surfaces on the first and second linkage members to produce an actuation force that moves the first and second friction members into engagement with the rotor to produce a braking force that retards the rotation of the rotor.