Disc brake assembly
AssigneePBR Automotive Pty. Ltd.
InventorNui Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disc brake assembly is disclosed which incorporates a disc 50 which includes radially inner and outer portions (54 55) which are separated by a gap 56. Two pad assemblies (11, 12) are located on respective sides of the disc and are interconnected by a draw bar 29 which extends through the gap and is connected to a piston cylinder assembly. Actuation of the piston cylinder assembly imparts a force to the pad assemblies through the draw bar which causes them to move either towards or away from the disc to thereby effect actuation and release of the brake assembly. The draw bar is rotatable about its axis 71 and is releaseably coupled to the outboard pad assembly 12 so as to be operative to move between an engaged configuration with the pad assembly to a released configuration on rotation about the draw bar axis.
Claims32
A disc brake assembly including a disc having an axis of rotation and including a radially outer portion and a radially inner portion, a gap forming a radial separation between said outer and inner portions and extending in a continuous circle co-axial with said axis of rotation, two pad assemblies located on respective opposite sides of said disc and each being mounted for movement towards and away from said disc, and actuating means operable to cause each said pad assembly to move towards and engage a respective adjacent said side of the disc and including force transmitting means which extends through said gap and provides at least part of an interconnection between said pad assemblies such that one responds to movement of the other towards or away from said disc, wherein said actuating means includes a piston cylinder assembly in which the piston is moveable relative to the cylinder, either the cylinder or the piston being connected to said other pad assembly for movement therewith and said force transmitting means includes a draw bar which extends along an axis and connects either said piston or said cylinder respectively to said one pad assembly, said draw bar being rotatable about its axis and includes a head portion and wherein said one pad assembly includes a passage configured to receive said head portion when disposed at a predetermined orientation relative to said one pad assembly to couple the one pad assembly to said draw bar, and wherein when coupled together, said draw bar is operative to move between an engaged configuration with said one pad assembly, where said head portion is in engagement with said one pad assembly so as to prevent removal of said draw bar from said passage, to a released configuration, where said draw bar is able to be released from said one pad assembly with the head portion being able to be withdrawn through said passage, on rotation about said draw bar axis.
A brake pad assembly for use in a disc brake assembly having an axis of rotation, the pad assembly including a support member and a friction lining connected to or integrally formed with the support member, a surface of the friction lining forming an operative surface of the pad assembly having relative to the axis of rotation, a radially outer and a radially inner edge interconnected by two side edges, the pad assembly incorporating at least one passage extending through said friction lining and at least into the support member, the or each passage being defined by an interior wall of said pad assembly and extending along an axis between first and second ends, the passage being non circular in cross section perpendicular to said axis so as to be able to receive an end of a draw bar having a non-axisymmetric shaped head when said draw bar is in a predetermined orientation relative to said pad assembly, the pad assembly includes an abutment surface adjacent said second end, and wherein when the draw bar is inserted through said passage and rotated about its central axis, the abutment surface is operative to engage with said head of said draw bar to couple the pad assembly to said draw bar to enable said draw bar to impart an actuating force to said pad assembly.
A disc brake assembly including a disk having an axis of rotation and including a radially outer portion and a radially inner portion, a gap forming a radial separation between set outer and inner portions and extending in a continuous circle co-axial with said axis of rotation, two pad assemblies located on respective opposite sides of said disc and each being mounted for movement towards and away from said disc, and actuating means operable to use each said pad assembly to move towards and engage a respective adjacent said side of the disc and including force transmitting means which extends through said gap and provides at least part of an interconnection between said pad assemblies such that one responds to movement of the other towards or away from said disc, wherein said actuating means includes a piston cylinder assembly in which the piston is movable relative to the cylinder, either the cylinder or the piston being connected to said other pad assembly for movement therewith and said force transmitting means including a draw bar which extends along an axis and connects either said piston or said cylinder respectively to said one pad assembly, said draw bar being rotatable about its axis and includes a T-shaped head portion having a pair of abutment surfaces facing towards said piston cylinder assembly and which are spaced apart about said draw bar axis by approximately 180°, and wherein said one pad assembly includes a passage configured to received said T-shaped head portion when disposed at a predetermined orientation relative to said one pad assembly to couple the one pad assembly to said draw bar, and wherein when coupled together, said draw bar is operative to move between an engaged configuration wherein said abutment surfaces of said T-shaped head portion engages with complementary abutment surfaces of said one pad assembly so as to prevent removal of said draw bar from said passage, to a released configuration where said abutment surfaces of said head portion are aligned with said passage so as to enable said draw bar to be released from said one pad assembly with the head portion being able to be withdrawn through said passage, on rotation about said draw bar axis.
A brake sub-assembly for use on a disc brake assembly incorporating a disc, the brake sub-assembly including two pad assemblies separated by a space, and actuating means operable to cause relative movement of the pad assemblies to vary said space, the actuating means including force transmitting means providing at least part of an interconnection between said pad assemblies such that one responds to movement of the other to vary said space, and a piston cylinder assembly in which the piston is movable relative to the cylinder along a movement axis, either the cylinder or the piston being connected to said other pad assembly for movement therewith, and said force transmitting means including a draw bar extending along an axis co-axial with said movement axis and connecting either said piston or said cylinder respectively to said one pad assembly, said draw bar being rotatable about its axis and includes a head portion and wherein said one pad assembly includes a passage configured to receive said head portion when disposed at a predetermined orientation relative to said one pad assembly to couple the one pad assembly to said draw bar, and wherein when coupled together, said draw bar is operative to move between an engaged configuration with said one pad assembly, where said head portion is in engagement with said one pad assembly so as to prevent removal of said draw bar from said passage, to a released configuration, where said draw bar is able to be released from said one pad assembly with the head portion being able to be withdrawn through said passage, on rotation about said draw bar axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.