Patent · US Expired

Transmission brake disengagement circuit for a racing automobile

US4812671A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
7References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 26, 1988
Grant dateMar 14, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 26, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60Y2200/114
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A circuit for disengaging an electrically actuated transmission brake of a racing car has a bank of transistors in series with the brake to hold the brake on at the beginning of a race. The bases of the transistors are connected through normally open contacts of a relay to the emitter of a transistor that can be turned on or off by an optoisolator and the brake is connected through diodes to the relay coil to isolate the transistor bases once the brake has been disengaged. The optoisolator is connected, through diodes, to the zero count terminals of two clocked, programmable counters either of which will turn the optoisolator off at the end of a count. Reset terminals of both counters are connected to the outputs of a flip-flop to disable one counter and toggling of the flip-flop is effected by closing normally open contacts of a second relay to complete a circuit between the flip-flop input and a voltage regulator output through a Schmitt trigger. The second relay contacts are also connected to preset enable terminals of the counters to enter preselected numbers into the counters and prevent counting while the relay is energized. The relay is energized by closure of a starting swi…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.