Title of Invention

SPOT-TYPE DISC BRAKE

Abstract

Abstract Spot-Type Disc Brake and Spring Element for use In a Spot-Type Disc Brake The invention relates to a spot-type disc brake, comprising a brake support at which two brake linings are secured, between which a brake disc is rotatably accommo¬dated. The two brake linings can be brought into engagement with the brake disc by means of a feed motion. A brake caliper is arranged at the brake support which can be moved in the direction of the movement of the brake linings relative to the brake support, with an actuation device causing the feed motion of the brake linings. At least one spring element comprises at least one clamping section for each of the brake linings so that the brake linings are maintained in a position parallel to the axis of rotation and at least one locking section which locks the spring element with the brake support.

Full Text

Spot-Type Disc Brake and Spring Element for use in a Spot-Type Disc Brake The present invention relates to a spot-type disc brake, comprising a brake support at which two brake linings which are arranged at a spaced relationship to each other are secured, between which a brake disc is accommodated for rotation about an axis of rotation, whereby the two brake linings can be brought into engagement with the brake disc by means of a feed motion, a bridge arranged at the brake support which straddles the brake linings and the brake disc and which can be moved relative to the brake support in the direction of movement of the brake linings by means of an actuation device, and at least one spring element. The inventive spot-type disc brake is in particular a sliding caliper spot-type disc brake with a holding-down spring, also referred to as lining holding spring, which secures the brake linings reliably at links of the brake support or the steer ing swivel, respectively. From DE 1 775 586 C3 a spot-type disc brake is known, comprising a pair of side faces at least one section each of which can bear against a load-carrying brake component for the trans mission of braking forces, a pair of recesses, a pair of guide bodies, each of which is accommodated in one each of the recesses, and a reset spring arrangement which is connected with the guide bodies. The guide bodies and the reset spring arrangement are formed at a common holding plate for both brake linings, which when viewed vertically to the brake disc plane as well as in the circumferential direction of the brake disc, shows bends which extend inwardly by more than 90°. The two bends extending parallel the the brake disc plane are engaged in corresponding grooves of a brake caliper, and the two other bends extending vertically to the brake disc engage as guide bodies lateral re¬cesses of the brake linings and are intended as a replacement for the conventional holding pins. The reset spring arrangement is formed by a leaf spring which in its centre is riveted with the holding plate and, symmetrically therewith, is provided with a pair of S-shaped bent spring sections. By means of these spring sections, the leaf spring exerts a force in an inclined downward and outward direction onto the upper edge of one each of the two brake linings in order to force them away from the brake disc after each brake actuation. From DE 79 31 220 Ul a disc brake is known which comprises a brake support in which at least one brake lining Is mounted so that it can be moved towards the brake disc and away from the brake disc. The one or each brake lining has a backplate area which extends at both opposite sides of the brake lining close to the brake support. In this backplate area a spring is attached at both opposite sides. The springs of the one or of each, respectively, brake lining extend in frictional engagement so that upon a movement of the one or of each brake lining towards the brake disc the corresponding springs are loaded, and upon removal of the braking pressure this causes a movement of the brake linings away from the brake disc. The requirements for lightweight construction and cost-reduced assemblies as well as for a rapid installation of the assemblies by the motor vehicle manufacturer initiated a development which has led to several smaller assemblies, often originat¬ing from different suppliers and previously combined by the vehicle manufacturer, being united in a larger assembly first, which is then installed by the motor vehicle manufacturer. This can reduce the installation time and the logistic requirements for the vehicle manufacturer. The combination of smaller assemblies often makes it possible to simplify the one (larger) assembly. Such a combination of assemblies can consist of forming the steering swivel and the brake support as a single part. The invention lends itself to such an integration of the brake support and the steering swivel; it is, however, not limited thereto. In such a combination of smaller assemblies the problem can result that the forces of springs, which kept the brake linings on their guides, can no longer be applied in the current usual manner. In the case of a sliding caliper with brake linings, which is separate from the steering swivel, the links of the brake support are missing which take up the reaction forces of the springs. With the requirement for the subassembly to combine the sliding caliper, the brake linings and the springs, if possible, arrangements with springs which generate the forces between the brake linings and the brake caliper can no longer be readily used. Bearing of the spring forces against the brake caliper, on the one hand, and against the brake support, on the other hand, can also impair the movability of the brake caliper, the consequence of this being that the brake linings remain slightly in contact with the brake disc after release of the brake. On the basis of these known arrangements, the invention is based on the object to provide a spot-type disc brake in which the above-described problems are elimi¬nated. For this purpose, the spring element of the initially mentioned spot-type disc brake comprises at least one clamping section for each of the brake linings so that the brake linings are held In a position parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake disc. Furthermore, the spring element comprises at least one locking section for locking the spring element with the brake support. The invention is based on the finding that the spring element is to be designed as a component for fulfilling central functions, which performs the following tasks: The spring element is intended i.a. for easy attachment to the brake shoes; for a reliable assembly with the brake shoes, from which the brake shoes can easily be removed; not to exert forces onto the sliding guide of the sliding caliper. According to the invention each clamping section of the spring element preferably comprises an U-shaped or V-shaped yoke section with a connecting area arranged between two legs, with the two legs and the connecting area being dimensioned in such a manner that the clamping section encompasses a protrusion of the respec¬tive brake lining. In a preferred embodiment each spring element also comprises two guide surfaces each of which is connected with a clamping section, with at least one tongue protruding under an angle from each of the guide surfaces, which forms the locking section which locks the brake linings with the brake support. To this end, each tongue can comprise a free end which has such a distance from the respective clamping section that one link each of the brake support is clamped between the clamping section and the free end of the tongue. The spring element is a two-piece component (and designed symmetrically relative to the centre plane of the brake disc), with the two guide surfaces being con¬nected with each other by means of a web which is dimensioned in such a manner that the brake disc has sufficient space between the two guide surfaces, whereby the web is preferably formed between the two clamping sections. Moreover, each clamping section preferably comprises a holding arm at the outer surface facing away from the web, which arm contacts a brake support link. In order to connect the spring element with the brake linings each clamping section preferably comprises an engagement section at the side facing away from the respective guide surface, which engages into a corresponding recess of the re¬spective brake lining. The brake support can be designed as an integral component with the steering swivel. The invention also relates to a spring element with the above-described structural characteristics. Best mode for carryino out the invention Further characteristics, properties and advantages will be explained in the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a disc brake; Fig. 2 shows a partially sectioned side view of the disc brake according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a perspective front view of a spring element for the disc brake according to Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a perspective rear view of the spring element according to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows the spring element according to Fig. 3 as a front view; Fig, 6 shows the spring element according to Fig. 3 as a side view; Fig. 7 shows the spring element according to Fig. 3 as a plan view; Fig. 8 shows the perspective view of the spring element according to Fig. 3; Fig. 9 shows a partially sectioned front view of the disc brake according to Fig. 1 during the installation of the sliding caliper; and Fig. 10 shows the sliding caliper according to Fig. 9 after its mounting on the supporting links. The illustrated spot-type disc brake is associated with a brake disc, the axis of rotation A of which is indicated in Fig. 1. The brake has a load-carrying brake component which in the following will be referred to as brake support 12. Said brake support 12 can be integrated with a steering swivel, and in the installed condition encompasses the brake disc 10. Parallel to the axis A a pair of guide pins 14, 16 is arranged at the brake support 12, along which a brake caliper 18 is movably guided. The brake caliper 18 encompasses the brake disc 10, too, and comprises a hydrau¬lic actuation device 20 at its inner side relative to the vehicle. The brake caliper 18 can move parallel to the brake disc axis along these guides. The guide pins 14, 16 are of a generally known type, whereby the master guide 16 aligns the sliding caliper so as to be parallel, and the auxiliary guide 14 prevents a pivoting move¬ment of the (sliding) brake caliper 18 about the axis of the master guide 16. Surfaces 24 and 26, respectively, facing away from each other are formed at the brake support 12 on both sides of the brake disc and parallel to same. At right angles thereto, the brake support 12 comprises one pair each of parallel guide surfaces 28 (see Fig. 9 and 10) facing each other between which one brake lining 30 each is arranged. Each brake lining 30 has a back plate 32, for example con sisting of steel, and a friction lining 34 with a lining surface 36 which, in the installed condition and with the brake not actuated, is constantly to be kept parallel to the brake disc 10 and thus at right angles to its axis A. Each backplate 32 is laterally limited by a pair of parallel side faces 40 (see Fig. 9 and 10) which in the operating condition transmit braking forces via the one or the other guide surface 28, depending on the direc¬tion of rotation of the brake disc 10, to the brake support 12. Between the brake support 12 and each of the two brake linings 30 one spring element 50 (see Fig. 3 to 10) each is clamped at both faces of the brake linings 30. The spring elements 50 urge the two brake linings 30 towards the axis of rotation A of the brake disc 10. The spring elements 50 also result in the brakes linings 30 being moved away from the brake disc 10 after a brake movement (caused by a feed motion of the actu ation device 20 acting on the brake linings 30). In order to explain the configuration of the spring element 50, its installation between the brake support 12 and the two brake linings 30 as well as the coopera¬tion between the spring element 50, the brake support 12 and the two brake linings 30, reference is made to Figs. 3 through 10 in the following. The spring element 50 comprises two U-shaped or V-shaped clamping sections 52 which are arranged side by side (see Fig. 3, 4, 5). Each of said clamping sections 52 has two legs 54, 56 which are connected with each other by means of a con¬necting area 58. Each of the two clamping sections 52 is provided for one each of the brake linings 30 in order to keep the brake linings 30 in a position parallel to the axis of rotation (A) of the brake disc 10. This is achieved by dimensioning the two legs 54, 56 and the connecting area 58 in such a manner that each clamping section 52 encom¬passes a protrusion 62 of the respective brake lining 30. In addition, each spring element 50 comprises two guide surfaces 53 each of which being integrally connected with one clamping section 52. From each guide surface 53 a tongue 55 protrudes at an angle, which forms the locking section for locking the brake linings 30 with the brake support 12. In particular, this is achieved in that each tongue 55 comprises a free end 55a which has such a distance from the respective clamping section 52 that one link 28 each of the brake support 12 is clamped between the clamping section 52 and the free end 55a of the tongue 55. The two guide surfaces 53 are connected with each other by means of a web 69 the length of which is dimensioned in such a manner that the brake disc has sufficient space between the two guide surfaces 53, whereby the web 69 is preferably integrally formed at the respective legs 56 of the two clamping sections 52. Each of the clamping sections 52 comprises an S-shaped resilient holding arm 71 at the outer side facing away from the web 69, which is designed in such a man¬ner that it contacts one link 28 each of the brake support 12 in the installed condi¬tion of the brake. The two guide surfaces 53 comprise angled sections 77 in the extension of the tongues 55 so that the guide surfaces 53 terminate in a direction opposite to that of the tongues 55. The brake linings 30 comprise inlet and outlet side protrusions 62 into which recesses 75 are formed. Moreover, each of the clamping sections 52 comprises an engagement section 73 at the side facing away (upper side in the installed condition) from the respective guide surface 53, which engages the respective associated recess 75 of the res¬pective brake lining 30 In a resilient and positive manner so that the two brake linings 30 are held in a predetermined position relative to each other and to the spring element 50 by means of the two clamping sections 52 and the engagement sections 73. The engagement sections 73 and the respective recesses are designed in such a manner that they permit a movement of the brake linings 30 in a direc¬tion parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake disc 10. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate the installation. The spring elements 50 are slid onto the protrusions 62 of the brake linings 30 with the engagement sections 52. Thereby, the engagement sections 73 engage the recesses 75. The brake linings 30 are placed into the sliding caliper and preliminarily located in this position by means of a holding device (not shown). In order to install this assembly onto the brake support 12 which is designed as steering swivel, the sliding caliper 18 together with the brake linings 30 and the two spring elements 50 is pushed onto the steering swivel (or the brake support 12, respectively) in a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation (A) of the brake disc 10 (see also Fig. 1). The angled sections 11 of the spring elements 50 enable an easy inser tion of the assembly between the links of the steering swivel. Shortly before the lower legs 56 of the clamping sections 52 reach the upper edge of the link 28 of the brake support 12 the resilient tongues 55 start to protrude from the plane of the lateral guide surfaces 53. They thereby slide along the cham¬fered lower edges 79 of the links 28. The brake linings 30 are thereby reliably pulled onto the links of the steering swivel. The position of the spring elements 50 in the axial direction - axially with respect to the axis of rotation (A) - at the steering swivel is secured by means of the holding arms 71, During the braking operation the brake linings 30 slide along the lateral guide surfaces 53 and introduce the circumferential forces into the brake support 12 or the steering swivel, respectively, also via the guide surfaces 53. Moreover, the brake linings 30 are guided and held in the grooves which are formed by the upper and lower legs 54, 56. The spring elements 50 preferably consist of stainless material. This prevents rusting together of the lining carrier plates in the links of the steering swivel. The use of a stainless material also enables the reuse upon replace ment, renewal of the worn brake linings, provided the spring elements 50 are not excessively stressed or worn away as a result of the influence of heat. The axial movements of the brake linings relative to the axis of the hydraulic actuation device 20 (see Fig. 2) generate forces at the guide surfaces which attempt to move the spring halves which are associated with the brake linings towards each other. The movement of the spring halves towards each other deforms the web which is therefore subjected to a bending or bulging stress. After relieving the brake from the hydraulic pressure, the web is relieved and pushes both brake linings off the brake disc to the predetermined brake slack. The two halves of the spring elements 50 are moved towards each other primarily through the friction of the protrusions 62 in the grooves formed by the upper and lower legs 54, 56 when the brake linings are moved towards each other. The vibrations occurring during driving generate acceleration forces of the brake linings, which are directed in a radially outward direction. These forces are reliably introduced into the links of the steering swivel 12 by means of the resilient tongues 55. Any other force components are directly introduced into the steering swivel 12, i.e. without stressing the spring elements 50 as a whole for bending or bulging. In order to replace worn brake linings 30 the fastening screws of the guide pins are loosened. The sliding caliper is then lifted off the steering swivel 12. The brake linings 30 can now be removed axially with respect to the piston axis. New brake linings are then inserted from the side, also in an axial direction relative to the piston axis. The sliding caliper is placed in position and the guide pins are securely retightened. The screw fastening of the sliding caliper is simple because only the sliding caliper has to be aligned in such a manner that the threaded holes in the steering swivel coincide with the guide pins. During the alignment, only the weight force of the sliding caliper needs to be balanced, i.e. no additional forces or their components acting in different directions have to be balanced, as are often caused by conventional spring elements bearing against the sliding caliper. Principally, a holding down spring of this type can also be used in brakes with a brake support. The Invention thus permits the brake linings to be provided with spring elements which do no exert any forces on the sliding caliper. The design is intended in particular for brakes where the circumferential forces are introduced directly, i.e. without a brake support, into the steering swivel. t We Claim 1. A spot-type disc brake, comprising - a brake support (12) at which two brake linings (30) which are arranged at a spaced relationship to each other are secured, between which a brake disc (10) is apcommodated for rotation about an axis of rotation (A), whereby the two brake linings (30) can be brought into engagement with the brake disc (10) by means of a feed motion; - a brake caliper (18) arranged at the brake support (12) which straddles the brake linings (30) and the brake disc (10) and which can be moved in the direction of the movement of the brake linings (30) relative to the brake support (12), with an actuation device (20) causing the feed motion of the brake linings (30); and - at least one spring element (50) characterized in that the spring element (50) comprises at least one clamping section (52) for each of the brake linings (30) so that the brake linings (30) are maintained in a position parallel to the axis of rotation (A); and at least one locking section (55) which locks the spring element (50) with the brake support (12). 2. The spot-type disc brake according to Claim 1, wherein - each clamping section (52) of the spring element (50) comprises a U-shaped or V-shaped yoke section with a connecting area (58) located between two legs (54, 56), with the two legs and the connecting area being dimensioned in such a manner that the clamping section (52) encompasses a protrusion (62) of the respective brake lining (30). 3. The spot-type disc brake according to Claim 2, wherein - each spring element (50) comprises two guide surfaces (53) each of which is connected with a clamping section (52), with at least one tongue (55) protruding under an angle from each of the guide surfaces (53), which forms the locking section which locks the brake linings (30) with the brake support (12). 4. The spot-type disc brake according to claim 3, wherein - each tongue (55) comprises a free end (55a) which has such a distance from the respective clamping section (52) that one link (28) each of the brake support (12) is clamped between the clamping section (52) and the free end (55a) of the tongue (55). 5. The spot-type disc brake according to Claim 4, wherein the two guide surfaces (53) are connected with each other by means of a web (69) which is dimensioned in such a manner that the brake disc has sufficient space between the two guide surfaces (53), whereby the web (69) is preferably formed between the two clamping sections (52) and moves the brake linings (30) away from each other again after a feed motion. 6. The spot-type disc brake according to Claim 5, wherein each of the clamping sections (52) comprises a holding arm (71) at the outer surface facing away from the web (69), which arm contacts one link (28) of the brake support. 7. The spot-type disc brake according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein each of the clamping sections (52) comprises an engagement section (73) at the side facing away from the respective guide surface (53), which engages into a corresponding recess (75) of the respective brake lining (30). 8. The spot-type disc brake according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein - the brake support (12) is an integral component with a steering swivel.

Documents:

0535-mas-97 abstract.pdf

0535-mas-97 claims-duplicate.pdf

0535-mas-97 claims.pdf

0535-mas-97 correspondence-others.pdf

0535-mas-97 correspondence-po.pdf

0535-mas-97 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

0535-mas-97 description (complete).pdf

0535-mas-97 drawings.pdf

0535-mas-97 form-1.pdf

0535-mas-97 form-13.pdf

0535-mas-97 form-26.pdf

0535-mas-97 form-3.pdf

0535-mas-97 form-4.pdf

0535-mas-97 petition.pdf