Brake pad retention system of a disc brake of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A brake pad retention system is provided for a disc brake of a motor vehicle, in particular of a commercial vehicle. The disc brake includes a brake caliper which engages over a brake disc, a brake carrier which is positionally fixed on the vehicle, the brake carrier having entry-side and exit-side carrier horns and having a bridge which connects the carrier horns to one another, and at least one brake pad which is provided with a pad carrier plate and a friction pad fastened thereto and which is guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and by the bridge. At least one of the carrier horns of the carrier and the support surface, adjacent thereto, of the pad carrier plate can be fixed to one another in a positively locking manner with play. The at least one brake pad is held in the pad shaft under spring loading exerted by a pad retention spring which extends transversely with respect to the axial direction of the brake disc and which is radially deflectable on the brake pad. The at least one pad retention spring is arranged such that the pad retention spring, in the assembled state, presses the brake pad away from the bridge part of the brake carrier and against the carrier horns without play.

Claims

1. A disc brake for use with a brake disc, comprising: a brake caliper that straddles the brake disc; a brake carrier fixable at a vehicle side and having inlet-side and outlet-side carrier horns as well as a bridge portion connecting respective inlet-side carrier horns to respective outlet-side carrier horns; at least one brake pad comprising a pad carrier plate and a friction lining secured thereto, the brake pad being guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion, wherein at least one of the carrier horns of the brake carrier and a support face of the pad carrier plate adjacent thereto are fittable to one another in a positive-locking manner with play; and a pad retention spring by which the brake pad is retained in the pad shaft in a resiliently loaded state, the pad retention spring, in an assembled state, pressing the brake pad away from the bridge portion of the brake carrier in a play-free manner against the carrier horns; and a curved retention member that is coupled to the pad retention spring, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged in the pad shaft between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion of the brake carrier and the bridge portion, and the pad retention spring is constructed as a leaf spring, which is retained by the curved retention member centrally in a recess that is defined by the pad carrier plate, the recess being located on a side of the pad carrier plate that is adjacent to the bridge portion.

2. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a tension spring supported on a pad retention member secured to the caliper.

3. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the positive-locking manner with play of the support face of the pad carrier plate and an adjacent carrier horn comprises a projection on the support face that extends into an undercut at an inner side of the adjacent carrier horn.

4. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the positive-locking manner with play of the support face of the pad carrier plate and an adjacent carrier horn comprises a projection on the support face that extends into an undercut at an inner side of the adjacent carrier horn.

5. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the disc brake is a commercial vehicle disc brake.

6. A brake pad retention system for a disc brake having a brake carrier in which, brake pad is mounted in a pad shaft, comprising: an inlet-side carrier horn of the brake carrier; an outlet-side carrier horn of the brake carrier; a bridge portion of the brake carrier connecting the inlet-side carrier horn to the outlet-side carrier horn, wherein the pad shaft is formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion; a pad retention spring arranged in the pad shaft, the pad retention spring being configured to exert a radially outward force on a pad carrier plate of the brake pad; and a curved retention member that is coupled to the pad retention spring, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion and the bridge portion, and the pad retention spring is retained by the curved retention member centrally in a recess that is defined by the pad carrier plate, the recess being located on a side of the pad carrier plate that is adjacent to the bridge portion.

7. The brake pad retention system according to claim 6, wherein the pad retention spring is one of a leaf spring, a helical spring, a plate spring, or a torsion spring.

8. The brake pad retention system according to claim 5, wherein one brake pad is respectively arranged on each side of the brake disc in a respective pad shafts of the brake carrier.

9. A disc brake for use with a brake disc, comprising: a brake caliper that straddles the brake disc; a brake carrier fixable at a vehicle side and having inlet-side and outlet-side carrier horns as well as a bridge portion connecting respective inlet-side carrier horns to respective outlet-side carrier horns; at least one brake pad comprising a pad carrier plate and a friction lining secured thereto, the brake pad being guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion, wherein at least one of the carrier horns of the brake carrier and a support face of the pad carrier plate adjacent thereto are fittable to one another in a positive-locking manner with play; and a pad retention spring by which the brake pad is retained in the pad shaft in a resiliently loaded state, the pad retention spring, in an assembled state, pressing the brake pad away from the bridge portion of the brake carrier in a play-free manner against the carrier horns; and a curved retention member that is coupled to the pad retention spring, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged in the pad shaft between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion of the brake carrier and the bridge portion, the pad retention spring is disposed in a recess at the side of the pad carrier plate of the at least one brake pad opposite to the bridge portion, and the pad retention spring is retained by the curved retention member in a second recess that is defined by the pad carrier plate, the second recess being located on a side of the pad carrier plate that is immediately adjacent to the bridge portion.

10. The disc brake according to claim 9, wherein the retention spring is selected from the group consisting of a leaf spring, a helical spring, a plate spring, and a torsion spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front view of a pad retention system known from the prior art;

(2) FIG. 2 is a front view of a first embodiment of a pad retention system according to the invention; and

(3) FIGS. 3 to 6 are additional front views of different embodiments of a pad retention system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(4) In the following description of the Figures, terms such as top, bottom, left, right, front, rear, etc., refer exclusively to the exemplary illustration and position, selected in the respective Figures, of the retention system, the brake carrier, the pad retention spring and the like. These terms are not intended to be understood to be limiting. In other words, as a result of various operating positions or the mirror-symmetrical configuration or the like, these references may change.

(5) FIG. 1 is a front view of a pad retention system of a disc brake of a motor vehicle known from the prior art. The pad retention system has a brake carrier 1 having two carrier horns 2, 3 which are connected to each other by a bridge portion 4 and which together form a pad shaft 7 in which brake pads 5 can be positioned on both sides of an associated brake disc (not shown).

(6) The brake pad 5 itself includes a brake pad carrier plate 51 and a friction pad (not illustrated), which friction pad faces the brake disc.

(7) In the assembled state, the brake pads are retained in a fixed manner in a resiliently loaded state in the pad shaft 7 using a pad retention spring 6. The pad retention spring 6 is secured to a pad retention member 8 of the brake caliper (not shown) and presses the brake pad 5 with the resilient force F.sub.F against the brake carrier 1 in the direction of the carrier bridge 4.

(8) If a braking operation is now initiated, the brake pad is pressed against the brake disc whereby, due to the rotation of the brake disc in a main rotation direction HDR, the brake pad moves counter to the resilient force of the pad retention spring and about a rotation point D which is located at the upper end of the outlet-side carrier horn 2. In order to prevent this rotation movement, a positive-locking connection of the brake pad 5 with the carrier horns 2, 3 of the brake carrier 1, for example, by formation of lateral protuberances on the pad carrier plate 51 and corresponding recesses at the inner sides of the carrier horns 2, 3 facing the brake pad 5, is also not sufficient since production-related tolerances of those components require a minimum play.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a first preferred embodiment of a pad retention system of a motor vehicle according to the invention.

(10) In contrast to the pad retention system shown in FIG. 1, the pad retention spring is arranged such that, in the assembled state, it presses the brake pad 5 away from the bridge portion 4 of the brake carrier 1 in a play-free manner against the carrier horns 2, 3.

(11) In the construction variant illustrated in FIG. 2, the pad retention spring 6 is constructed as a leaf spring, which is retained centrally in a recess 54 at the side 57 of the pad carrier plate 51 of the brake pad 5 opposite the bridge portion 4, preferably by way of a curved retention member 61. The curved retention member engages around the pad retention spring 6 perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent thereof. The two end regions 62 of the pad retention spring 6 are supported on the upper side of the bridge portion 4 facing the brake pad and thereby press the brake pad 5 with the force F.sub.F with projections 52, 53 formed on the side faces 55, 56 of the pad carrier plate 51 against the radially outer edge of recesses 22, 32 at the inner sides 21, 31 of the carrier horns 2, 3 facing the brake pad 5.

(12) The gap 71 which is produced by the upwardly pressed brake pad 5 between the lower side 57 of the brake pad and the upper side of the bridge portion 4 and between the region of the recesses 22, 32 close to the bridge portion 4 and the projections 52, 53 of the pad carrier plate 51 ensures the thermal expansion compensation required with such a pad retention system and the required tolerance for assembly and disassembly of the brake pad 5.

(13) However, a significant advantage results owing to the brake pad being lifted in such a manner that the brake pad 5 is now in outward radial abutment with the recesses 22, 32 of the carrier horns 2, 3. As a consequence, a torque M which acts during a braking operation moves the rotation point D1 from the upper edge of the outlet-side carrier horn 2 (see FIG. 1) to the contact region of the projection 53 of the pad carrier plate 51 with the recess 32 of the inlet-side carrier horn 3 so that the brake pad 5 would be inclined in a radially inward direction owing to the torque M introduced at the outlet side of the brake pad 5. This is, however, prevented by the side face 55 of the brake pad 5 opposite the outlet-side carrier horn 2 being in abutment against the inner side 21 of the outlet-side carrier horn 2 facing the brake pad 5. Owing to the mutual abutment of these two sides 55 and 21, a friction force F.sub.R acts counter to the torque M so that, in this manner, a rotation movement of the brake pad 5 is effectively prevented during a braking operation.

(14) In the embodiment of the pad retention system according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the pad retention spring 6 is also constructed as a plate spring. However, the end regions 62 of the pad retention spring 6 are in abutment with the lower side 57 of the brake pad 5 and the central region of the pad retention spring which is constructed as a leaf spring is supported on the bridge portion 4.

(15) In the embodiment of the pad retention system according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the pad retention spring is constructed as a helical spring, there preferably being provided for each of the brake pads 5 two such helical springs. The helical springs press the brake pad 5 upward against the bridge portion 4 into the positive-locking connection with the carrier horns 2, 3.

(16) In the embodiment of the pad retention system according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the pad retention spring 6 is constructed in the form of two plate springs which, as in the construction variant shown in FIG. 4, presses from the lower side 57 of the brake pad 5 near the inlet-side edge or near the outlet-side edge thereof in the pad shaft 7 of the brake pad against the upper side of the bridge portion 4 into the positive-locking connection with the carrier horns 2, 3.

(17) Finally, FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the pad retention system according to the invention in which the pad retention spring 6 is in the form of a torsion spring which is secured in the bridge portion 4 and which retains the brake pad 5 in the raised position in positive-locking connection with the carrier horns 2, 3.

(18) It is also contemplated to have an embodiment in which the pad retention spring is in the form of a tension spring which is supported on a curved pad retention member 8 secured to the brake caliper, as is shown in the pad retention system according to the prior art shown in FIG. 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(19) 1 Brake carrier 2 Carrier horn 3 Carrier horn 4 Bridge portion 5 Brake pad 6 Pad retention spring 7 Pad shaft 8 Curved pad retention member 21 Side 22 Recess 32 Recess 51 Brake pad plate 52 Projection 53 Projection 54 Recess 55 Side face 56 Side face 57 Lower side 61 Curved retention member 62 End region of the curved retention member 71 Gap D Rotation point D1 Rotation point F.sub.F Force F.sub.R Friction force HDR Main rotation direction M Torque

(20) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.