Brakes – Wheel – Axially movable brake element or housing therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-07
2001-05-01
Schwartz, Christopher P. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Wheel
Axially movable brake element or housing therefor
C188S073440, C188S073410, C188S073340, C188S072400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223867
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a disk brake suitably used to apply braking force to a vehicle, for example.
A general disk brake has a mounting member secured to a non-rotating part of a vehicle. The mounting member supports a caliper such that the caliper is movable in the axial direction of a disk. The caliper has pin-mounting portions projecting from two opposite sides of a caliper body. Each pin-mounting portion supports a sliding pin. The sliding pin is fitted in a guide hole provided in the mounting member.
During a braking operation, bending moment acts on the caliper. Consequently, the caliper is deformed. The deformation of the caliper causes a change in the angle of each sliding pin relative to the associated guide hole. Accordingly, the conventional disk brake structure suffers from the problem that smooth sliding motion of the sliding pins cannot be maintained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above-described problem, the present invention is applied to a disk brake having a caliper and a mounting member secured to a non-rotating part of a vehicle. To allow the caliper to be slidably supported by the mounting member, sliding pins, which are provided in one of the mounting member and the caliper, are fitted in respective guide holes provided in the other of the two. A first friction member, which is provided at one side of a disk, is pressed against the one side of the disk by an operation of a piston provided in the caliper. A second friction member, which is provided at the other side of the disk, is pressed against the other side of the disk by sliding motion of the caliper relative to the mounting member caused by the pressing of the first friction member against the disk.
An arrangement adopted by the present invention is characterized in that the caliper has an integral structure that includes a cylinder portion disposed at one side of a disk and provided with a cylinder bore for receiving a piston that presses a friction member provided at the one side of the disk. In addition, a claw portion is disposed at the other side of the disk to press a friction member provided at the other side of the disk. A bridge portion extends over the outer periphery of the disk in the axial direction of the disk to connect the cylinder portion and the claw portion. The cylinder portion, the bridge portion and the claw portion constitute in combination a caliper body. A pair of mounting portions extend from the caliper body toward the entrance and exit sides, respectively, with respect to the rotational direction of the disk. The distal ends of the mounting portions are attached to the mounting member through the sliding pins, respectively. Each mounting portion is disposed such that at least the sectional center thereof lies outside the outer periphery of the disk as viewed in the axial direction of the disk.
Thus, each mounting portion of the caliper can be provided to extend from a portion of the caliper body that suffers minimal deformation during a braking operation. Therefore, even when the caliper is deformed by reaction force from the disk when the brake is activated, deformation of each mounting portion can be minimized. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the sliding pins from tilting when sliding in the guide holes provided in one of the mounting member and the caliper, which would otherwise be caused by the deformation.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, each mounting portion is disposed such that the proximal end thereof, which is closer to the caliper body, is closer to the disk than the distal end thereof, which is attached to the mounting member through the sliding pin, with respect to the axial direction of the disk.
The above-described arrangement also enables each mounting portion of the caliper to extend from a portion of the caliper body that suffers minimal deformation during a braking operation. Therefore, even when the caliper is deformed by reaction force from the disk when the brake is activated, deformation of each mounting portion can be minimized. Moreover, by disposing the proximal end of each mounting portion closer to the disk than the distal end thereof, the caliper body can be supported by the mounting portions at a position close to the center of gravity thereof with respect to the axial direction of the disk. Accordingly, the caliper can be stably supported relative to the mounting member by the mounting portions when the brake is not activated at least until either of the friction pads has worn away beyond an effective wear margin.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the caliper has its center of gravity placed within the range of the fitting length of the sliding pins relative to the guide holes in the axial direction of the disk at least when the brake is not activated.
Thus, the fitting position of each sliding pin relative to the associated guide hole can be predetermined so that the center of gravity of the caliper is placed within the range of the fitting length of the sliding pin in the guide hole when the brake is not activated. Accordingly, the caliper can be kept supported in a stable balanced condition by the mounting member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5167303 (1992-12-01), Kabayashi et al.
patent: 5259484 (1993-11-01), Idesawa et al.
patent: 5947233 (1999-09-01), Kabayashi et al.
Doi Kazuhiro
Ishii Hideaki
Suzuki Shinji
Tamasho Tadashi
Tokunaga Takahiro
Kramer Devon
Schwartz Christopher P.
Tokico Ltd
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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