Brakes – Wheel – Axially movable brake element or housing therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-08-07
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Wheel
Axially movable brake element or housing therefor
C188S20500R, C188S073360
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269915
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pad clip for a disc brake of a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pad clip improved such that no rattling is present between the pad clip and a friction pad, thereby suppressing generation of vibrations and noisy sounds and providing an increased durability of the disc brake.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional disc brake, a pair of friction pads are slidably mounted on a support member so as to forcibly press a rotor. When the friction pads forcibly press the rotor with the aid of a caliper and a hydraulic cylinder, the friction pads rotate with rotation of the rotor, and the support member receives side edges of the friction pads to effect braking. Since the friction pads are moved so as to be brought into contact with the rotor surfaces, pad clips are installed in anchor portions between the friction pads and the support member in order to reduce a sliding resistance.
The pad clip is put on the anchor face of the support member, which faces each side edge of the friction pad, and it is shaped conforming to a shape of the anchor portions of the support member. The pad clip is extended up to the inner periphery side of each friction pad. At the end of the extended part of the pad clip, there is provided a spring portion which engages with the corner of the inner peripheral side of the friction pad in the run-in side of the rotor. An example of this is disclosed in JP-A-9-229112. As shown in
FIG. 7
, a pad clip
116
is inserted between a convex portion
112
a
which transmits a brake torque when the vehicle moves back, and a concave portion
113
a.
The pad clip
116
includes a first spring portion
116
a
retained on a support member
113
to urge the convex portion
112
a
in the rotational and radial directions of the rotor. The first spring portion
116
a
includes a tongue
116
b
elastically contacting with the wall
113
a
1
of the concave portion
113
a,
which is directed in the radial direction of the rotor. An end
116
c
of the pad clip which is opposite to the first spring portion
116
a
includes a second spring portion
116
d
shaped like a tongue. In a state that the pad clip
116
is installed to the support member
113
, the second spring portion
116
d
is put into a groove
113
c,
thereby resiliently restricting the rotation of the pad clip
116
, which is caused by the first spring portion
116
a.
The groove
113
c
is formed in a wall
113
a
2
of the concave portion
113
a
of the support member
113
. The structure thus constructed prevents the leading edge of the end
116
c
from contacting the convex portion
112
a,
and the end
116
c
does not act as a spring between the support member
113
and the convex portion
112
a.
As a result, noisy sounds caused by vibrations of the wheels during the running of the vehicle and noisy sounds during the braking operation can be reduced by inexpensive means.
Another example is disclosed in JP-A-57-149337U. As shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B
, a pad clip
153
is installed between each end of a friction pad
151
and a support member
152
such that the pad clip ranges from the outer peripheral surface of the friction pad
151
to the inner periphery surface by way of the side end face, to thereby cover the end portion of the friction pad
151
. The end of the extending portion of the pad clip
153
extended to the inner periphery portion of the friction pad
151
includes a plate extending from the body of the pad clip
153
in a T-shape in the thickness direction of the friction pad
151
. This plate is bent to form a spring portion
154
. The spring portion
154
is extended to the underside of the friction pad
151
, and urges the inner peripheral surface of the friction pad
151
in the radial direction of the rotor. Therefore, the friction pad
151
is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the support member
152
. When the friction pad
151
forcibly presses the rotor and rotates together with the rotor, a rotational moment is generated in the friction pad
151
and a couple of forces to turn the friction pad
151
about the pressed portion are generated. At this time, the spring portion
154
generates an urging force as a counter force to the couple of forces. The body of the pad clip
153
extending to the inner peripheral surface of the friction pad
151
is cut shaped like U to form a raised piece
155
so as to lift the body of the pad clip
153
above from the surface of the support member
152
. The raised piece
155
is in direct contact with the surface of the support member
152
. With provision of the raised piece
155
, a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the friction pad
151
and the surface of the support member
152
opposite to the former is reduced, whereby the spring constant of the spring portion
154
is reduced.
In the conventional U-shaped pad clip
116
described in the publication of JP-A-9-229112, the first spring portion
116
a
is assembled to the convex portion
112
a,
and it is used while being bent. With this, the gap is reduced. When a force acts on the first spring portion
116
a,
a reaction force is generated therein and utilized to reduce rattle sound. At this time, the pad clip
116
and the convex portion
112
a
of the friction pad are coupled together. Therefore, the former forcibly hits the support member
113
. This reduces an endurance of the pad clip
116
. Further, the groove
113
c
is formed in the wall
113
a
2
of the concave portion
113
a
of the support member
113
, and the second spring portion
116
d
is brought into engagement with the groove
113
c.
This makes the structure complicated and difficult to assemble, and this also increase the step of manufacturing steps.
In the pad clip
153
described in the publication of JP-A-57-149337U, the spring portion
154
is indispensably used which is formed by bending the T-shaped plate which is extended to the inner peripheral surface of the friction pad
151
beyond the anchor face by the friction pad
151
and the support member
152
, and to under the inner peripheral surface of the friction pad
151
. Use of the spring portion
154
gives rise to difficulty in a plate forming process of the spring portion. A satisfactory length ranging from the convex-concave fitting structure to the inner peripheral portion of the friction pad
151
must be secured. This results in consumption of much material, and leads to increase of cost to manufacture. The raised piece
155
is formed in the body of the pad clip
153
in order to reduce the spring constant of the spring portion
154
. Forces applied to the spring portion
154
act on the raised piece
155
. In this case, the raised piece
155
receives all the forces, and as a result, problem exists in its strength.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a pad clip for a disc brake in which no rattling is present between the pad clip and the friction pad, thereby suppressing generation of vibrations and noisy sounds and improving the durability of the disc brake.
To achieve the above object, there is provided a pad clip for a disc brake including at least one friction pad and a support member. The pad clip comprises a first U-shaped portion, a second U-shaped portion, and a third side portion. The first U-shaped portion includes a first base portion and first side portions, and is disposed between side edge portions of the friction pad and anchor portions of the support member. The second U-shaped portion includes a second base portion, second side portions and a second opening portion, and is connected to one of the first side portions of the first U-shaped portion. The third side portion is connected to the second U-shaped portion, and is disposed substantially rectangularly to one of second side portions of the second U-shaped portion and parallel to the first base portion of the first U-shaped portion. The third side portion is positioned closer to the friction
Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd.
Butler Douglas C.
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
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