A drum brake assembly for use with a wheel end electric drive motor arrangement can generate brake dust, which may accumulate on the electric motor and cause heat retention problems that are detrimental to motor performance and longevity. These issues are addressed by providing an assembly including a support attachable to a vehicle axle element, brake shoes pivotally mountable on the support, and a wheel spindle interconnected with one end of the axle element. A wheel hub is rotatable around the spindle, and an electric motor unit is disposed between an end of the axle element and the spindle to produce rotation of the hub relative to the axle element. A brake drum is securable to the hub for rotation with the hub relative to the spindle by way of the electric motor unit. The brake drum includes a circumferential perimeter wall overlying the brake shoes, and a fan rotor is interconnected with that wall for rotation together with the drum and the wheel hub relative to the spindle. A perforated dust shield is attachable to the support on an axial side of the brake shoes opposite the fan rotor, such that, during vehicle operation, air drawn by blades on the fan rotor through openings in a wall of the brake drum carries debris out through perforations in the dust shield and away from the wheel end motor and brake assembly. A vehicle including the assembly mentioned and a process of ventilating that assembly are also discussed.

Methods and corresponding control devices for releasing an electric actuator in a reliable manner, such as an electric parking brake in particular, in a motor vehicle brake system. The aim of the invention is to provide an improved function and architecture which helps prevent the disadvantages of open-loop control systems when using a rationalized sensor system, thereby obviating closed-loop control systems. This is achieved by a release method and a corresponding electronic control unit which obtains an especially modulated change in the power requirement during the release process upon impacting the quasi-elastic release end stop of the electric actuating unit such that the change is fed back, the change being detected in order to be used as information for a power interruption or a termination of the power supply to the electric actuating unit.

A drum brake assembly for use with a wheel end electric drive motor arrangement can generate brake dust, which may accumulate on the electric motor and cause heat retention problems that are detrimental to motor performance and longevity. These issues are addressed by providing an assembly including a support attachable to a vehicle axle element, brake shoes pivotally mountable on the support, and a wheel spindle interconnected with one end of the axle element. A wheel hub is rotatable around the spindle, and an electric motor unit is disposed between an end of the axle element and the spindle to produce rotation of the hub relative to the axle element. A brake drum is securable to the hub for rotation with the hub relative to the spindle by way of the electric motor unit. The brake drum includes a circumferential perimeter wall overlying the brake shoes, and a fan rotor is interconnected with that wall for rotation together with the drum and the wheel hub relative to the spindle. A perforated dust shield is attachable to the support on an axial side of the brake shoes opposite the fan rotor, such that, during vehicle operation, air drawn by blades on the fan rotor through openings in a wall of the brake drum carries debris out through perforations in the dust shield and away from the wheel end motor and brake assembly. A vehicle including the assembly mentioned and a process of ventilating that assembly are also discussed.

A novel, particularly rationally designed, modular parking brake actuator for an electric drum brake system. An axle A1 from the motor, including a screw gear pinion coupled in a rotationally fixed manner, and an axle of the spindle arrangement, including a screw gear which is coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive nut, define under a deflection of 90 a single wheel gearbox stage of the parking brake actuator.

Methods and corresponding control devices for releasing an electric actuator in a reliable manner, such as an electric parking brake in particular, in a motor vehicle brake system. The aim of the invention is to provide an improved function and architecture which helps prevent the disadvantages of open-loop control systems when using a rationalized sensor system, thereby obviating closed-loop control systems. This is achieved by a release method and a corresponding electronic control unit which obtains an especially modulated change in the power requirement during the release process upon impacting the quasi-elastic release end stop of the electric actuating unit such that the change is fed back, the change being detected in order to be used as information for a power interruption or a termination of the power supply to the electric actuating unit.

A novel, particularly rationally designed, modular parking brake actuator for an electric drum brake system. An axle A1 from the motor, including a screw gear pinion coupled in a rotationally fixed manner, and an axle A2 of the spindle arrangement, including a screw gear which is coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive nut, define under a deflection of 90 a single wheel gearbox stage of the parking brake actuator.