Brakes – Wheel – Axially movable brake element or housing therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2002-03-12
Schwartz, Christopher P. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Wheel
Axially movable brake element or housing therefor
C188S073460
Reexamination Certificate
active
06354408
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to vehicle brake apparatuses and is particularly concerned with caliper disc brakes for heavy-duty motor vehicles. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a disc brake adapter plate for attaching a brake caliper to a vehicle axle housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Caliper disc brakes are well known in the art. A disc brake for a heavy duty vehicle, such as a truck, typically requires a caliper to be mounted to an axle housing by fixed structure or by a separately fabricated adapter plate. The purpose of the adapter plate is to properly position the caliper and to react the torque developed when the caliper engages the disc brake rotor. The torque is resisted through the adapter plate to the axle flange of the axle housing and subsequently through the vehicle suspension to the vehicle chassis. The adapter plate is required to interface with the axle housings and caliper and to allow detachable mounting of the caliper for assembly or service.
In the automotive industry, it is highly desirable to use carry-over designs of existing complex components for new vehicle programs, such as axle housings and disc brake calipers, but these components must be fit within the dimensional requirements of the vehicle design. Because the adapter plate must react all of the torque developed by the disc brake, it is necessarily a robust component. Generally, adapter plates have been attached outboard, that is, toward the wheel side, of the axle flange. When packaging the wheel and axle assembly, the additional width required for an adapter plate between the axle flange and caliper may not allow a given axle housing and caliper to properly fit the desired envelope. This problem is particularly evident when attempting to package disc brake calipers originally designed for European vehicles with single wheels. Dual wheels are typically used on North American vehicles. The total width of a dual wheel assembly is generally wider than a single European wheel assembly. In a particular application where a caliper design for a European vehicle is to be packaged in a North American vehicle with dual wheels, there is not sufficient width within the envelope to allow use of a conventional adapter plate. Therefore, there is a need for an adapter plate configuration which allows the caliper to be moved further inboard relative to the axle flange compared with the caliper position allowed by a conventional adapter plate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an adapter plate for a caliper disc brake assembly which permits use of existing components. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of precisely locating the caliper relative to the axle flange. Yet another object of the present invention is to allow easy assembly and disassembly of the adapter plate to existing types of axle housings, axle flanges and brake calipers.
According to the above objects of the invention, there is provided an adapter plate for a vehicle caliper disc brake assembly, which assembly has a revolving disc or brake rotor, connected to a hub and wheel, which rotates as the hub and wheel rotate, and a caliper which urges brake pads against the revolving rotor. The caliper and carrier are connected to the axle housing by the adapter plate at the axle flange for the purpose of positioning the caliper relative to the rotor and resisting the torque developed by the action of the brake pads on the rotor. In order to move the caliper inboard toward the vehicle center, in accordance with this invention, the adapter plate is mounted to the inboard surface of the axle flange using bolts or other fastening means which pass through matching patterns of mounting holes on the adapter and flange.
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Bailey Ronald
Shamine Dennis
AlliedSignal Truck Brake Systems Company
Pezzlo Benjamin A.
Schwartz Christopher P.
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