Aspects of the technology relate to a braking assembly for a lateral propulsion system of a high altitude platform (HAP) configured to operate in the stratosphere. Power is supplied to a propeller assembly as needed during lateral propulsion so that the HAP can move to a desired location or remain on station. When lateral propulsion is not needed, power is no longer supplied to the propeller assembly and it may slowly cease rotating. However, in certain situations, it may be necessary to cause the propeller assembly to stop rotating as soon as possible. This can include an unplanned descent. Rapid braking can avoid the propeller blades from entangling in the envelope, parachute or other parts of the HAP. A reusable brake is employed to prevent uncontrolled rotation of the propeller on descent, or otherwise to prevent the propeller from spinning freely when not being used to propel the HAP laterally.

A cable-pull actuation system for a parking brake may have a body which houses an electric motor device. A rod, adapted to operate along an actuation direction, at a first end thereof, an actuation member of a drum brake and/or of a parking brake. A transmission device may operatively connect the electric motor device to a second end of the rod which is translationally integral with a screw. The screw may be engaged with a nut screw rotationally actuated by the transmission device. A pre-loading device may act in contrast on the screw. The pre-loading device may be compressively pre-loaded to exert a pre-load traction on the rod to offset variations of load on the rod. The pre-loading device may be configured to exert a thrust action on the rod following the annulment of axial clearances for an incremental compression of the pre-loading device with respect to the pre-load value.

A patient transport apparatus includes a height-adjustable assembly having a longitudinal axis. The apparatus includes a brake cable. The brake cable includes an elongate portion extending along the height-adjustable assembly and includes a slack portion. The apparatus includes a brake cable housing coupled to and axially offset from the height-adjustable assembly. The slack portion of the brake cable is enclosed within a hollow interior of the brake cable housing.

A method for determining design parameters of an electromechanical brake is provided. The brake comprises an electric motor connected to a brake lining by a transmission. The brake lining can be pressed against a friction lining movable relative to the brake lining. The electric motor is connected to the brake lining by a transmission that has a transmission ratio which is not constant over an actuation stroke. A reliable and economical brake is achieved in that an electric motor, a brake lining and a friction lining are selected, whereupon the transmission ratio is selected on the basis of the counter-torque acting over the actuation stroke, which counter-torque acts on the transmission. The transmission ratio is selected in such a way that the electric motor is operated at an optimal operating point, in particular at an operating point of maximum power, substantially over the entire actuation stroke.

An electric actuator having a hand-screw release device, including: housing, drive motor, transmission assembly, rotary screw rod and driving nut, and further including: clutch device configured to engage or disengage power transmission between the transmission assembly and the rotary screw rod; a self-locking device configured to produce a friction resistance against the rotary screw rod when the rotary screw rod rotates reversely; and a hand-screw release device including a release rotary knob, the first driving member being connected to the clutch device, the second driving member being configured to connect the self-locking device, and the release rotary knob being turned to present an initial state and a completely released state, wherein in the course of switching from the initial state to the completely released state, the first driving member activates the clutch device to disengage the power connection, and the second driving member activates the release torsion spring to release.

A bicycle braking device includes a caliper, two operation units and two links. Each operation unit is installed to the two respectively threaded holes of the caliper and includes an operation assembly and a ring. Two links are respectively connected to the two operation assemblies. Each operation assembly includes multiple curve slots, and multiple balls are partially rotatably accommodated in each curve slot. Each ring is movably mounted to the core part of each operation assembly and includes multiple spiral grooves. The balls are accommodated in the spiral grooves and the curve slots. When the two links are pivoted by pulling the brake cable, the two core parts are rotated, and the two rings rotatably move to push the linings to clamp the brake disk. The balls ensure the rings to move smoothly so as to precisely clamp the brake disk.

A patient support apparatus includes a base having a length and including a plurality of caster wheels enabling movement of the patient support apparatus across a floor surface. An auxiliary wheel support structure is secured to the base and rotatably supports at least one non-castered auxiliary wheel. A drive mechanism including a motor may be configured to drive the auxiliary wheel. A braking system including at least one brake member may be configured to apply a braking force to decelerate the auxiliary wheel and is movable between a first position wherein the at least one brake member is disengaged from the auxiliary wheel and a deployed position wherein the at least one brake member is frictionally engaged with the auxiliary wheel to restrict rotation of the auxiliary wheel. The braking system may be configured to synchronize the braking forces applied to first and second auxiliary wheels.

In an electric parking brake device configured in such a way that a parking brake state resulting from pulling of a brake cable is released by loosening the brake cable, the brake cable is formed by twisting together a plurality of wires in such a way as to generate a twisting force in a fixed direction when pulled, and the direction in which the twisting force generated by the brake cable in a pulled state acts on a screw shaft is set to be the same direction as the direction in which a nut is rotated to loosen the brake cable. This makes it possible to reduce an operating sound and to reduce wear of members constituting a rotation restricting device.

A cable-pull actuation system for a parking brake may have a body which houses an electric motor device. A rod, adapted to operate along an actuation direction, at a first end thereof, an actuation member of a drum brake and/or of a parking brake. A transmission device may operatively connect the electric motor device to a second end of the rod which is translationally integral with a screw. The screw may be engaged with a nut screw rotationally actuated by the transmission device. A pre-loading device may act in contrast on the screw. The pre-loading device may be compressively pre-loaded to exert a pre-load traction on the rod to offset variations of load on the rod. The pre-loading device may be configured to exert a thrust action on the rod following the annulment of axial clearances for an incremental compression of the pre-loading device with respect to the pre-load value.

An omni-wheel may include a shaft, a plurality of rollers, and a braking device. The plurality of rollers may be circumferentially arranged about the shaft and arranged radially outward from the shaft. The braking device may include an at least one flexible clutch member, an at least one brake pad, and an actuator. The at least one flexible clutch member may have an outer diameter arranged about the shaft. The at least one brake pad may be arranged on the outer diameter of the at least one flexible clutch member. The actuator may be arranged to axially displace the at least one flexible clutch member. The at least one flexible clutch member may expand radially outward when axially displaced by the actuator, which may displace the at least one brake pad arranged on the outer diameter of the at least one flexible clutch member radially outward to contact at least one of the plurality of rollers, preventing rotation of the roller.