Disc brake caliper and support structure

A vehicle brake comprising a carrier member for fixing to a vehicle frame, a caliper member for straddling a rotatable disc, and an actuator for urging a first friction pad onto one surface of the disc to cause the caliper member to move relative to the carrier member and apply a second friction pad to an opposite surface of the disc, the brake having between the carrier member and the caliper member a sliding connection comprising a pair of pins each of which is slidable in and circumferentially surrounded by a respective oversized opening in one of the members and secured to the other of said members, both of said pins being relieved of braking forces by means which transmit such braking forces directly or indirectly from both of said pads to the carrier member, a resilient bush being interposed betweem at least one of said pins and its surrounding oversized opening, the fit of said at least one pin and said bush within the associated oversized opening being such that said at least one pin can effect radial displacement relative to the associated opening during operation of the brake, without distortion of said resilient bush, said brake including resilient biasing means causing said pins to adopt eccentric positions in their respective oversized openings, said resilient biasing means acting in such a direction as to maintain at least when the brake is in a released condition, freedom of lateral movement of each pin in its respective oversized opening in a direction generally towards the other oversized opening, whereby to permit the sliding connection to accommodate deformation of the carrier member during brake application.

A vehicle brake comprising a carrier member for fixing to a vehicle frame, a caliper member for straddling a rotatable disc, and an actuator for urging a first friction pad onto one surface of the disc to cause the caliper to move relative to the carrier member and apply a second friction pad to an opposite surface of the disc, the brake having between the carrier member and the caliper member a sliding connection comprising a pair of pins each of which is slidable in and circumferentially surrounded by a respective opening in one of the members and secured to the other of said members, both of said pins being relieved of braking forces by means which transmit such braking forces directly or indirectly from both of said pads to the carrier member, at least one of said pins being received in an oversized opening in said one of said members, a resilient bush being interposed between said oversized opening and said at least one pin so as to surround that pin, the fit of said at least one pin and the bush within the oversized opening being such that said at least one pin can at all times effect radial displacement relative to its associated opening without deformation of the resilient bush, and at least one of said pins being secured to said other member in such a manner as to be laterally adjustable with respect to said other member whereby to permit accurate lateral positioning in the or each oversized opening of the pin or pins.

A vehicle brake comprising a carrier member for fixing to a vehicle frame, a caliper member for straddling a rotatable disc, and an actuator for urging a first friction pad onto a one surface of the disc to cause the caliper to move relative to the carrier member and apply a second friction pad to an opposite surface of the disc, the brake having between the carrier member and the caliper member a sliding connection comprising a pair of pins each of which is slidable in and circumferentially surrounded by a respective oversized opening in one of the members and secured to the other of said members, at least one of said pins being secured to said other member in such a manner as to be laterally adjustable with respect to said other member, both of said pins being relieved of braking forces by means which transmit such braking forces directly or indirectly from both of said pads to the carrier member, a resilient bush being interposed between at least one of said pins and its surrounding oversized opening, the fit of said at least one pin and said bush within the associated oversized opening being such that said at least one pin can effect radial displacement relative to the associated opening during operation of the brake, without distortion of said resilient bush, said brake including resilient biasing means causing said pins to adopt eccentric positions in their respective oversized openings, said resilient biasing means acting in such a direction as to maintain, at least when the brake is in a released condition, freedom of lateral movement of each pin in its respective oversized opening in a direction generally towards the other oversized opening, whereby to permit the sliding connection to accommodate deformation of the carrier member during brake application.

A sliding caliper disc brake, comprising a rotatable disc, a carrier member, a pair of friction pads, a caliper member guided on guide means for sliding parallel to the axis of the disc;

• a. wherein the guide means comprises a pair of radially disposed pins secured to one of the members, received in a pair of corresponding openings forming part of the other member, the construction of the brake being such that the pins slide axially relative to the openings for brake actuation purposes;
• b. wherein both pins and openings are of circular section;
• c. wherein a resilient biassing means is provided which biasses the caliper member radially outwardly with respect to the disc axis;
• d. wherein between at least one of the pins and its corresponding opening is interposed an annular resilient bush;
• d. wherein the surfaces between which the relative axial sliding takes place are sealed from the atmosphere by elastomeric seals;
• f. and wherein the fit of the pin and of the bush with respect to the opening is such that the pin may move at right angles to the disc axis with respect to the opening without deformation of the resilient bush.