Electrical braking device for vehicles

Claim 1

An electrical braking device for a vehicle, comprising an actuating mechanism for displacing at least one friction member in one direction and for bringing the friction member into frictional engagement with at least one rotary member to be braked, the actuating mechanism comprising an electric motor which drives in reversible rotation a control shaft having a threaded part cooperating in driving engagement with an actuating member displaceable linearly to actuate the friction member, characterized in that the control shaft extends substantially at a right angle to said direction, the control shaft connected to an output shaft of the electric motor via a flexible coupling, the actuating member comprising a wedge structure associated with at least one pair of rollers cooperating respectively with a pair of opposing ramp surfaces each of which are located opposite a respective side of the wedge structure, at least a first ramp surface of the ramp surfaces formed on piston means displaceable in said direction to actuate the friction member, the mechanism including axial thrust-bearing means between the control shaft and an adjacent stationary wall, and the mechanism further comprising an assistance spring biasing continuously the wedge structure in an actuating direction toward the piston means so as to assist in displacing the wedge structure during each brake application.