BRAKE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A BRAKE DRUM

Abstract

A brake device for braking a wheel includes a brake drum, a brake pad carrier which is arranged or can be arranged in the brake drum and has at least one brake pad, and an actuator apparatus for the reversible transfer of the brake pad carrier between a braking state, in which the brake pad is operatively connected to the brake drum, and a freewheeling state, in which the operative connection between the brake pad and the brake drum is canceled, the brake pad carrier being elastically deformable for the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A brake device for braking a wheel, comprising: a brake drum; a brake pad carrier arranged in the brake drum and including at least one brake pad; and an actuator apparatus configured for reversible transfer of the brake pad carrier between a braking state in which the brake pad is operatively connected to the brake drum, and a freewheeling state in which the operative connection between the brake pad and the brake drum is canceled; the brake pad carrier being elastically deformable for the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state; a first end of the brake pad carrier being fixed in a stationary manner with respect to the brake carrier, and the actuator apparatus acting on a second end of the brake pad carrier, and the brake device having an adjusting mechanism configured on the inlet side or on the outlet side, the brake device configured such that the brake pad carrier is exclusively deformed and is pivoted in a joint-free and/or bearing-free manner.

17. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, the brake device having a single brake pad carrier.

18. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, the brake pad carrier extending by more than 180 as viewed in a circulating direction.

19. The brake device of claim 18, the brake pad carrier extending by more than 240 as viewed in the circulating direction.

20. The brake device of claim 19, the brake pad carrier extending by more than 330 as viewed in the circulating direction.

21. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, the brake pad carrier being configured as an open ring.

22. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, the actuator apparatus having a wedge configured to be brought into contact with the second end of the brake pad carrier and configured to be moved in the radial or axial direction for the reversible transfer of the brake pad carrier between the braking state and the freewheeling state.

23. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, the brake device having a single adjusting mechanism.

24. The brake device as claimed in claim 22, the wedge being arranged between the first end and the second end of the brake pad carrier.

25. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, the brake pad carrier having a plurality of separate brake pads along a circumference of the brake pad carrier.

26. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, a layer thickness of the at least one brake pad increasing or decreasing from the second end to the first end of the brake pad carrier, as viewed in a circulating direction within one or more brake pad of the at least one brake pad.

27. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, a first brake pad of the at least one brake pad with a first layer thickness and a second brake pad of the at least one brake pad with a second layer thickness being arranged behind one another as viewed in a circulating direction from the second end to the first end, the first layer thickness preferably being in a ratio of from 1.05 to 4 to the second layer thickness.

28. The brake device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the ratio of the first layer thickness to the second layer thickness is from 1.2 to 2.

29. The brake device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the ratio of the first layer thickness to the second layer thickness is from 1.4 to 1.8.

30. The brake device as claimed in claim 27, the first brake pad comprising a material of higher abrasion resistance than the second brake pad.

31. The brake device as claimed in claim 27, a coefficient of friction of the second brake pad being from 1.1 to 3 times the coefficient of friction of the first brake pad.

32. The brake device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the coefficient of friction of the second brake pad is 1.15 to 2 times the coefficient of friction of the first brake pad.

33. The brake device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the coefficient of friction of the second brake pad is 1.3 to 1.7 times the coefficient of friction of the first brake pad.

34. The brake device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one brake pad is arranged irregularly along a circumference of the brake pad carrier.

35. A method for braking a wheel by way of a brake device as claimed claim 16, the brake pad carrier being deformed elastically for the reversible transfer of the brake carrier from the freewheeling state into the braking state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Further advantages and features result from the following description of preferred embodiments of the subject matter according to the invention with reference to the appended FIGURE. Individual features of the individual embodiment can be combined with one another here within the context of the invention.

[0026] In the FIGURE:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a brake device in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a brake device 1, in particular a drum brake, in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. A brake device 1 of this type is provided, in particular, for commercial vehicles and serves to brake a wheel of the commercial vehicle. Here, the brake device 1 is preferably provided for rigid axles, that is to say for axles of the type which are arranged rigidly or in a non-rotatable manner on the vehicle body and/or on the chassis. Here, the rotation of the wheel is brought about by way of a bearing, in particular a tapered roller bearing, which is arranged at the end of the rigid axle. Furthermore, that part of the bearing which rotates with respect to the rigid axle is connected via a hub to a brake drum 2. In order to counteract a rotational movement of the brake drum 2 and therefore of the wheel, a brake pad carrier 3 with brake pads 4 is arranged within the brake drum 2. Here, the brake pads 4 are arranged on a side of the brake pad carrier 3, which side faces the brake drum 2. In the exemplary embodiment which is shown, the brake pad carrier 3 extends by more than 330 in the circulating direction, and three brake pads 4 which are separate from one another are arranged along the circulating direction. It is provided here in a braking state that the brake pads 4 come into an operative connection with an inner side of the brake drum 2. In particular, the brake pads 4 come into contact with the inner side of the brake drum 2 during the braking state in such a way that the brake pads 4 which bear against the inner side of the brake drum 2 interact in a non-positive manner with the inner side of the brake drum 2 as viewed in the circulating direction. In particular, the brake pad 4 forms a frictional resistance which causes the braking of the brake drum 2 and therefore of the wheel. In order to allow the wheel to rotate again, the operative connection between the brake drum 2 and the brake pad 4 is canceled again in a freewheeling state. It is provided, in particular, that the brake pad carrier 3 is configured and arranged in such a way that it is elastically deformable for the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state. It is provided in the exemplary embodiment which is shown in FIG. 1 that the brake pad carrier 3 runs concentrically with respect to the inner side of the brake pad 2 in the freewheeling state. The brake pad carrier 3 which is configured as an open ring is spread open for the transfer into the braking state, with the result that the brake pad carrier 3 leaves its concentric orientation and is moved toward the inner side of the brake drum 2 until the brake pads 4 come into an operative connection with the inner side of the brake drum 2. Here, a first end 11 of the brake pad carrier 3 is fixed in a stationary manner, preferably on a brake carrier 7, with the result that the second end 12 of the brake pad carrier 3 has to be moved for spreading open purposes, in particular along a direction which runs tangentially with respect to the circulating direction. It is conceivable here that the brake pad carrier 3 is guided in the region of the second end 12, in order that the second end 12 carries out a controlled movement during the transfer of the brake pad carrier 3 from the freewheeling state into the braking state.

[0029] In order to bring about the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state, an actuator device 5 is provided. In particular, the actuator device 5 comprises a wedge 6 which is brought into contact with a second end 12 of the brake pad carrier 3 for the transfer of the brake pad carrier 3 from the freewheeling state into the braking state. It is provided in the embodiment which is shown that the wedge 6 is moved radially for the transfer between the braking state and the freewheeling state. As a result of the movement of the wedge 6 between the first end 11 and the second end 12 of the brake pad carrier 3, the sides of the wedge 6 press the first end 11 and the second end 12 apart from one another, whereupon the brake pad carrier 3 is deformed elastically. As an alternative to a radial movement of the wedge 6 between the first end 11 and the second end 12, it is also conceivable that the wedge 6 is moved in the axial direction for the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state. In order to return the brake device 1 into the freewheeling state again, the wedge 6 is pulled out of the region between the first end 11 and the second end 12 again, with the result that an intrinsic restoring force which is to be attributed to the brake pad carrier 3 in the braking state returns the brake pad carrier 3 into its starting position again, in which starting position the brake pad carrier 3 is arranged substantially concentrically with respect to the inner side of the brake drum 2.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0030] 1 Brake device [0031] 2 Brake drum [0032] 3 Brake pad carrier [0033] 4 Brake pad [0034] 5 Actuator device [0035] 6 Wedge [0036] 7 Brake carrier [0037] 11 First end [0038] 12 Second end