Disk brake, in particular for utility vehicles, and brake pad of a disk brake of said type

Abstract

A disk brake includes a brake disk, a brake caliper, which fits over the brake disk, a brake support, a brake pad and an application device, which presses the brake pad against the brake disk when braking, wherein the brake pad rests in a U-shaped well and the two legs of the “U” serve to support the brake pad in the circumferential direction of the brake disk and the “base” of the “U” serves to support the brake pad radially toward the inside. The distance between the two legs of the “U” is shorter at the radially outer ends thereof than the distance at the radially inner ends thereof.

Claims

1. A disk brake comprising: a brake disk (10) defining a brake axis, a brake caliper (12), which fits over the brake disk, a brake support (14), a brake pad (16, 16a and 18) defining a center plane that passes through the brake axis; and an application device (20), which presses the brake pad against the brake disk when braking, wherein the brake pad rests in a well of the brake caliper having a U-shape with two legs and a base, and the two legs (28, 30) of the U-shape forming support surfaces configured to contact lateral sides of a brake pad to support the brake pad in a circumferential direction of the brake disk and the base (32, 34, 36) of the U-shape serves to support the brake pad radially toward the inside, wherein the two legs of the U-shape are oriented at an angle relative to each other so that the a distance (B1) between the support surfaces forming the two legs of the U-shape is shorter at radially outer ends of the two support surfaces than a distance (B2) at radially inner ends of the two support surfaces, and the base has two base sections forming further support surfaces, each of which is rectilinear adjacent one of the two legs and encloses an angle of at least 2° with a tangential plane that is perpendicular to the center plane of the brake pad, wherein each of the further supporting surfaces forming the base of the “U” extends in a straight line and encloses an angle (a) in a range of from 75° to 105° with an adjacent one of the support surfaces of the two legs of the “U”.

2. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a hold-down device (22, 24, 26) for holding the brake pad in the well.

3. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adjusting device for adjustment in the case of wear.

4. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base (32, 34, 36) of the U-shape is arc-shaped in at least some section or sections (36) between the two base sections.

5. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein a section (32, 34) of the well contour that serves to provide radially inward support extends in a straight line and encloses an angle (β, γ) of at least 23° with the tangential plane (E) perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad (16, 16a, 18), which passes through the brake axis (A).

6. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first base section (32) of the two base sections extends in a straight line and encloses a first angle (β) with the tangential plane (E) perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad (16, 16a, 18), which passes through the brake axis (A), and a second base section (34) of the two base sections extends in a straight line and encloses a second angle (β) with the tangential plane (E) perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad (16, 16a, 18), which passes through the brake axis (A), wherein the first and second angles are equal.

7. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first section (32) of the two base sections extends in a straight line and encloses a first angle (β) with the tangential plane (E) perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad (16, 16a, 18), which passes through the brake axis (A), and a second section (34) of the two base sections extends in a straight line and encloses a second angle (γ) with the tangential plane (E) perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad (16, 16a, 18), which passes through the brake axis (A), wherein the first and second angles are different.

8. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake pad (16, 16a) is situated on an application side of the brake disk.

9. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the well is formed on the brake support (14).

10. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the well is formed on the brake caliper (12).

11. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake caliper (12) is a sliding caliper.

12. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake caliper (12) has an installation opening (17) for radially installing and removing the brake pad (16, 16a, 18).

13. The disk brake as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosed angle is a right angle.

14. A brake pad of a disk brake, comprising: two supporting surfaces, forming legs of a “U” for support in the circumferential direction and two further supporting surfaces, forming sections of a base of the “U”, for support radially toward the inside, wherein the two legs of the “U” are oriented at an angle relative to each other so that the distance between the two legs of the “U” is shorter at radially outer ends thereof than the distance at radially inner ends thereof, and wherein each of the two further sections is rectilinear adjacent one of the two legs and encloses an angle of at least 2° with a tangential plane that is perpendicular to a center plane of the brake pad, wherein each of the further supporting surfaces forming the base of the “U” extends in a straight line and encloses an angle (a) in a range of from 75° to 105° with an adjacent one of the supporting surfaces of the two legs of the “U”.

15. The brake pad as claimed in claim 14, wherein the two further supporting surfaces forming the sections of the base of the “U” are located on lateral sides of an arc-shaped section.

16. The brake pad as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first section of one of the two further supporting surfaces forming the sections of the base of the “U” extends in a straight line and encloses a first angle (β) with a plane (E) perpendicular to a center plane (M) of the brake pad, which passes through the brake axis (A), a second section of the other one of the two further supporting surfaces forming the sections of the base of the “U” extends in a straight line and encloses a second angle (γ) with the plane perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad, which passes through the brake axis (A), and the first and second angles are equal.

17. A brake pad of a disk brake, comprising: two supporting surfaces, forming legs of a “U” for support in the circumferential direction and two further supporting surfaces, forming sections of a base of the “U”, for support radially toward the inside, wherein the distance between the two legs of the “U” is shorter at radially outer ends thereof than the distance at radially inner ends thereof, and wherein each of the two further sections is rectilinear adjacent one of the two legs and encloses an angle of at least 2° with a tangential plane that is perpendicular to a center plane of the brake pad, wherein a first section of one of the two further supporting surfaces forming the sections of the base of the “U” extends in a straight line and encloses a first angle (β) with the tangential plane (E) perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad, which passes through the brake axis (A), a second section of the other one of the two further supporting surfaces forming the sections of the base of the “U” extends in a straight line and encloses a second angle (γ) with the tangential plane perpendicular to the center plane (M) of the brake pad, which passes through the brake axis (A), wherein the first and second angles are different.

18. The brake pad as claimed in claim 14, wherein the enclosed angle is a right angle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of preferred illustrative embodiments with reference to the attached drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a disk brake according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the brake shown in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectioned partial view of a brake according to the prior art,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the same view as FIG. 3, this being however of a first illustrative embodiment of the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows the same view as FIG. 3, this being however of a second illustrative embodiment of the invention, and

(7) FIGS. 6 to 8 show the same views as FIG. 3 but in each case illustrate cases of incorrect installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(8) The disk brake illustrated in the drawings includes a brake disk 10, a brake caliper 12 fitting over the brake disk 10, a brake support 14, an application-side brake pad 16, a rim-side brake pad 18 and an application device 20, indicated only schematically. To hold down the brake pads 16 and 18, which consist of a metal backplate and friction material, use is made of hold-down springs 22 and 24, which are preloaded radially inward by a hold-down clip 26. The hold-down clip 26 extends over an installation opening 17 in the direction of the brake axis A and is secured firmly but detachably on the brake caliper.

(9) The brake axis is denoted by the letter A, while the preferential direction of rotation of the brake disk 10 is denoted by an arrow D. The letter M denotes a center plane of the application-side brake pad 16, which passes through the brake axis A, and a plane E perpendicular thereto is horizontal in the illustrations according to FIGS. 4 to 8.

(10) The brake caliper 12 has the installation opening 17, through which the brake pads 16, 18 can be introduced radially from the outside into the interior of the brake caliper 12 and removed again. The application device 20 is provided with an adjusting device (not shown in the drawing) for wear compensation.

(11) FIG. 3 shows the application-side brake pad 16 in plan view of its backplate 16a. It is arranged in a U-shaped well, wherein the legs of the “U” are formed by supporting horns 28, 30, which are formed integrally with the brake support 14, and the base is formed by two rectilinear supporting surfaces 32, 34 and an arc-shaped connecting yoke 36.

(12) There is a radial functional clearance S between the hold-down spring 22, which is preloaded by the hold-down clip 26, and the backplate 16a.

(13) The supporting horns 28 and 30 support the backplate 16a and hence the brake pad 16 in the circumferential direction. The supporting surfaces 32 and 34 provide support in a radially inward direction.

(14) In the conventional disk brake according to FIG. 3, the supporting horns 28 and 30 enclose a right angle α with the two supporting surfaces 32 and 34. Moreover, their supporting surfaces, which define the well, extend parallel to one another, with the result that the well has what is overall a rectangular contour. In other words, the distance B.sub.1 between the supporting horns forming the legs of the “U” is the same size at the radially outer ends thereof as the distance B.sub.2 at the radially inner ends thereof.

(15) In the case of rough sections of road, for example, radially outward movements of the brake pad 16 and/or of the backplate 16a must be absorbed fully by the hold-down spring 22 and the hold-down clip 26.

(16) The situation is different with the illustrative embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 4:

(17) Here, the distance B.sub.1 (radially on the outside) is shorter than the distance B.sub.2 (radially on the inside). In other words, the two legs of the “U” are not parallel to one another but extend toward one another in a radially outward direction. As a result, the brake support 14 or the supporting horns 28 and 30 contributes or contribute to securing the brake pad 16 against a radially outward movement.

(18) Even though the two legs of the “U” extend toward one another in a radially outward direction, they each form an angle α of 90° (ignoring tolerances) with the supporting surfaces 32 and 34. Therefore, they enclose an angle β and γ with the plane E, said angle being approximately 3° in the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 4. While the angles β and γ are equal, the angular position can also be modified or increased in angular steps, thereby ensuring coding produced between the brake pad and the well contour. Exact allocation of the correct brake pad to the correct brake embodiment is thereby ensured. If the angular positions of the brake pad and the well contour do not match, installation is not possible because the surfaces interfere.

(19) Especially if the angle α is 90°, machining of the supporting surfaces on the brake support 14 (supporting horns 28, 30/supporting surfaces 32, 34) is particularly simple because it is possible to work with very simple tools.

(20) The above descriptions refer especially to the embodiment of the brake support 14 to form the U-shaped well. However, they also apply analogously to the brake pad 16, which has an outer contour corresponding to the well. Of course, that applies not only to the embodiment according to FIG. 4 but also to the embodiment according to FIG. 5.

(21) The embodiment according to FIG. 5 differs from that according to FIG. 4 in that the angles β and γ are not equal. This has advantages, especially in respect of any desired coding. In this connection, attention is drawn to FIGS. 6 to 8, which show combinations that do not match because the codings do not match.

(22) In the example according to FIG. 6, the angles β and γ in the well are equal but unequal on the inserted brake pad, for which reason installation is not possible owing to an interference C.

(23) In the example according to FIG. 7, the situation is reversed: here, the angles β and γ are equal in the well but different on the brake pad. Once again, installation is not possible owing to an interference C.

(24) In the case of the illustrative embodiment according to FIG. 8 too, the brake pad and the well do not match, for which reason the brake pad is too far out overall in the radial direction. In particular it is too far out by a distance which is greater than the radial functional clearance S, for which reason not only is there no longer any functional clearance but also it is no longer possible to install the hold-down clip 26.

(25) The features of the invention which are disclosed in the above description, claims and the drawing may be essential either individually or in any desired combinations to the implementation of the invention in the various embodiments thereof. Attention is likewise drawn to the fact that the two sections/supporting surfaces of the pad well which serve to provide radial support to the brake pad do not necessarily have to be connected to one another by a connecting yoke. The effect of the invention is also achieved without the connecting yoke.

(26) While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims.