The present invention is an actuator that may be used to service a vehicle, where the actuator engages an accelerator pedal of the vehicle and can control the pedal remotely using a vehicle service module or tech station that automatically carries out a vehicle engine service. The actuator comprises a member that uses a linear actuator to engage the vehicle's accelerator pedal and controls the speed of the engine using feedback directly from the engine's ECU or other direct engine input. The pedal actuator include input cables that receive signals from the remote service module to adjust the speed of the engine to optimize a service performance. The data from the engine can include temperature, pressure, RPMs, and various other inputs depending on the service to be performed. The present invention allows the service technician to control the engine without the need for a second tech to apply pressure to the accelerator and monitor the engine speed.

A diagnostics and maintenance tool can be used for performing diagnostics and maintenance of automotive, farming, construction, trucking, recreational and aviation vehicles & equipment. The diagnostics and maintenance tool can be used to measure distance traveled and pressure applied to brake, clutch and acceleration pedals, for example. The tool can reduce labor costs by reducing the time it takes perform certain diagnostic and maintenance activities. The tool can increase customer satisfaction by increasing accuracy and providing quantifiable data versus just going off of “human hunches.” The tool can reduce misdiagnoses by a technician who does not have to rely on “guesswork” or “process of elimination” for certain tasks. The tool may attach between a support and a component where distance traveled and applied pressure is to be measured. The tool may be pre-programmed to apply a known pressure or distance or may be remotely operated.

The present invention relates to a novel self-check brake light apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus includes a telescoping handle having two telescoping members for extending or retracting a length of the apparatus. The telescoping handles have pins that are used for releasably locking the members using a pin. A C-shaped hook is positioned at one end and is configured to attach to a brake pedal of the vehicle for depressing the brake pedal while a cushion member at the opposite end is configured to rest against a frontside of the driver's seat base to keep the apparatus in place, such that the brake pedal is depressed and the brake lights are actuated. The operator can then move to the rear of the vehicle to check the operation of the brake lights independently without requiring assistance from another.

A pedal actuator support bracket (61C) is provided at a front end portion of a frame (11) supported at a driver's seat of a vehicle. An actuator housing (78) is provided so that a base end side of the actuator housing (78) is supported by the pedal actuator support bracket (61C) so as to be able to pivot upward and downward relative to the pedal actuator support bracket (61C). A rack shaft (80) protrudes from a top end side of the actuator housing (78) and moves forward and backward along a longitudinal direction of the actuator housing (78). A pivotal plate (87) is connected to a top end of the rack shaft (80) so as to be able to pivot upward and downward and placed on a pressing surface of a clutch pedal (47) so as to overlap this pressing surface and fixed to the clutch pedal (47).

A braking robot for a braking test of a vehicle is provided. The braking robot includes: a plurality of motors, having same individual output powers, combined with a robot body installed in the vehicle; a motion shaft combined with a pedal presser for applying pedal effort to a brake pedal of the vehicle; a driving force converter which converts rotational forces of the motors, corresponding to the individual output powers of the motors, into a translational force and thus transmits the translational force to the motion shaft; a load sensor, installed on the motion shaft, for detecting the pedal effort applied to the brake pedal by the motion shaft; and a controller for controlling operations of the motors by referring to (1) a scenario for the braking test and (2) information on the pedal effort detected from the load sensor.

A master cylinder is described. The master cylinder includes a chamber delimited by a piston and supplied from a brake fluid reservoir installed on the top of the master cylinder by an end fitting engaged in a nozzle on the body of the master cylinder. The piston has a nose of reduced section upstream of its skirt guided in the bore hole of the master cylinder and the nozzle is connected to the chamber by a drill hole issuing into the chamber at least partly upstream of the piston in rest position. A valve module is installed in the drill hole to manage communication between the reservoir and the chamber as a function of the position of the piston and the pressure in the chamber with respect to the pressure in the reservoir.

A towed vehicle braking system is described that in some embodiments includes a brake pedal connector configured to connect to a brake pedal of a brake of a towed vehicle. A cylinder has a piston connected to the brake pedal connector to actuate the brake of the towed vehicle through the brake pedal connector by applying a positive pressure to the brake pedal connector to move the brake pedal. A vacuum supply line is coupled to a power booster of the towed vehicle brake and configured to provide vacuum to the power booster. A pump is coupled to the vacuum supply line and to the cylinder to alternately provide vacuum to the vacuum supply line and to drive the piston to actuate the brake. An inertial sensor detects deceleration of the towed vehicle, and a processor is coupled to the inertial sensor and to the pump to cause the pump to not provide vacuum and to drive the piston in response to the detection of deceleration.

A braking control system and method to synchronize the operation of the braking system of a towed vehicle with the braking system of a towing vehicle to match the deceleration and acceleration of the towed vehicle with the deceleration and acceleration of the towing vehicle wherein the braking control system includes a braking device comprising an electrically driven linear actuator coupled between an electric motor and the brake pedal of the towed vehicle and a control device coupled to the electric motor and including logic to control operation of the electrically driven linear actuator to selectively extend and retract the electrically driven linear actuator to selectively depress and release the brake pedal of the towed vehicle as the towing vehicle decelerates and accelerates.

A braking robot for a braking test of a vehicle is provided. The braking robot includes: a plurality of motors, having same individual output powers, combined with a robot body installed in the vehicle; a motion shaft combined with a pedal presser for applying pedal effort to a brake pedal of the vehicle; a driving force converter which converts rotational forces of the motors, corresponding to the individual output powers of the motors, into a translational force and thus transmits the translational force to the motion shaft; a load sensor, installed on the motion shaft, for detecting the pedal effort applied to the brake pedal by the motion shaft; and a controller for controlling operations of the motors by referring to (1) a scenario for the braking test and (2) information on the pedal effort detected from the load sensor.

A pedal actuator support bracket (61C) is provided at a front end portion of a frame (11) supported at a driver's seat of a vehicle. An actuator housing (78) is provided so that a base end side of the actuator housing (78) is supported by the pedal actuator support bracket (61C) so as to be able to pivot upward and downward relative to the pedal actuator support bracket (61C). A rack shaft (80) protrudes from a top end side of the actuator housing (78) and moves forward and backward along a longitudinal direction of the actuator housing (78). A pivotal plate (87) is connected to a top end of the rack shaft (80) so as to be able to pivot upward and downward and placed on a pressing surface of a clutch pedal (47) so as to overlap this pressing surface and fixed to the clutch pedal (47).