Lining adjustable device for disk brake system

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6666304
  • Patent Number
    6,666,304
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, December 19, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 23, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Butler; Douglas C.
    Agents
    • Baxley; Charles E.
Abstract
A bicycle disk brake system includes two linings located on two sides of a brake disk and an arm is fixed to a bicycle frame. Two adjusting rods are fixed to the arm and two mounting pieces made of flexible material are mounted to the two respective shanks of the two adjusting rods. A clamp portion is defined around the hole of each mounting piece and the two shanks are clamped by the clamp portions. Two spring portions extend from each of the mounting pieces and two extensions extend from the two spring portions so as to be fixed to a frame through which the two shanks extend. The frame is shifted by the spring portions and the clamp portion when braking so as to adjust the gaps of the linings and the brake disk.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a disk brake system that includes a movable frame movably mounted on two rods and the frame is capable of movement to adjust the gaps between the two linings and the disk.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A conventional disk brake system can be operated by two ways, one of which is called stationary type and the other is called floating type. In the first type, a problem is that the two linings do not contact the disk simultaneously so that the lining that contacts the disk first has much more worn than the other. This affects the efficiency of the brake and the disk is worn unevenly. The floating type brake system is capable of moving the frame. Nevertheless, when the brake action is released, the lining still contacts the disk and noise is generated. The friction between the disk and the lining exists after the brake action is released and this reduces the speed of the bicycles. If the bicycle is ridden on a rugged road, the relative positions of the linings and the disk changes and the gaps between the two linings and the disk could be are narrowed. This makes the brake efficiency be lowered.




The present invention intends to provide a brake system that has a movable frame so as to adjust the gaps between the two linings and the disk to obtain a satisfied braking action.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disk brake system which comprises two linings located on two sides of a brake disk and an arm is fixed to a bicycle frame and includes a top portion and a lower portion.




A first adjusting rod has a first threading end fixed to the top portion, and a first shank which extends through a frame. A second adjusting rod has a second threading end fixed to the lower portion, and a second shank extends through the frame.




A mounting device includes at least one mounting piece made of flexible material and has a hole so that the first shank or the second shank extends through the hole and is clamped by a clamp portion around the hole. Two spring portions extend from the at least one mounting piece and two extensions extend from the two spring portions so as to be fixed to the frame.




The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.





FIG. 1

is a side view to show the disk brake system of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view to show the disk brake system of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is an exploded view to show the arm, the two rods and the two mounting pieces of the disk brake system of the present invention;





FIGS. 4

to


7


show the gaps of the two linings and the disk is not even and the relative position of the linings and the disk is adjusted from one side;





FIGS. 8 and 9

show the relative position of the linings and the disk is adjusted from the other side, and





FIG. 10

shows another embodiment of the disk brake system of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1

to


3


, the disk brake system


10


of the present invention comprises two linings


15


,


16


which are located on two sides of a brake disk


7


and an arm


20


includes a main section


21


and a top portion


24


and a lower portion


25


are respectively connected to two ends of the main section


21


. Two threaded holes


22


are defined through the main section


21


so that bolts


23


threadedly extend through the threaded holes


22


and connected to the bicycle frame such as the front fork


6


. The top portion


24


and the lower portion


25


each have a through holes


26


/


27


.




A first adjusting rod


30


has a first threading end


31


which extends through the through hole


26


of the top portion


24


and is positioned by a nut so as to be fixed to the top portion


24


. A first shank


32


is connected to the first threading end


31


and extending through a hole


12


in a frame


11


. A second adjusting rod


40


has a second threading end


41


which extends through the through hole


27


of the lower portion


25


and is positioned by a nut so as to be fixed to the lower portion


25


A second shank


42


is connected to the second threading end


41


and extends through the other hole


13


in the frame


11


.




A mounting device


5


includes two mounting pieces


50


made of flexible material and each mounting piece


50


has a hole


51


. A clamp portion


52


is defined around the hole


51


of each of the two mounting pieces


50


and composed of a plurality of plates extending from a periphery of the hole


51


. The first shank


32


and the second shank


42


respectively extend through the two respective holes


51


of the two mounting pieces


50


and are clamped by the clamp portions


52


. Two spring portions


53


extend from the each mounting piece


50


and two extensions extend from the two spring portions


53


. A fixing hole


54


is defined through each of the two extensions such that the mounting pieces


50


are fixed to the frame


11


by bolts


55


extending through the fixing holes


54


and fixed to the frame


11


. The two spring portions


53


are bent outward relative to the hole


51


.




As shown in

FIGS. 4

to


7


, when the gaps between the linings


15


,


16


and the disk


7


are uneven as shown in

FIG. 4

, the lining


15


will contact the disk


7


first. The frame


11


is shifted along the first adjusting rod


30


and the second adjusting rod


40


. The spring portions


53


of the two rods


30


and


40


are deformed by the frame


11


to let the bottom of the mounting pieces


50


contact the frame


11


as shown in FIG.


5


. This is because the forces of the clamp portions


52


and the spring portions


53


are less than the braking force and the force that the linings


15


,


16


clamping the disk


7


. The friction of the frame


11


is less than the forces of the clamp portions


52


and the spring portions


53


.




The force of the spring portions


53


is less than the force of the clamp portions


52


. Therefore, the frame


11


can be moved along the two rods


30


and


40


as shown in the arrow head in

FIG. 6

, so that the other lining


16


can contact the disk


7


.




When the braking action is stopped, because the friction of the frame


11


is less than the forces of the clamp portions


52


and the spring portions


53


, the force of the spring portions


53


will push the frame


11


as shown by the arrow head in FIG.


7


and the gap between the lining


16


and disk


7


can be adjusted. Therefore, the two linings


15


,


16


and the disk


7


are located in parallel with each other and the gaps are the same.




Referring to

FIGS. 8 and 9

, if the brake system


10


is applied by a force as shown by the arrow head in

FIG. 8

, the gaps will not be even as shown and the spring portions


53


of the two rods


30


and


40


are compressed, and the bottoms of the mounting pieces


50


contact the frame


11


. When the force is disappeared, the force of the spring portions


53


pushes the frame


11


to an opposite direction of the force applied to the system and the two linings


15


,


16


are moved to have the same gaps with the disk


7


as shown in FIG.


9


.




As shown in

FIG. 10

which discloses another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the spring portions


92


of the two mounting pieces


91


of the mounting device


9


are bent inward relative to the hole


93


.




It is to be noted that the way of connection between the mounting pieces and the frame can be made by way of welding, riveting or any known methods.




While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A disk brake system comprising:two linings which are adapted to be located on two sides of a brake disk; an arm adapted to be fixed to a bicycle frame and including a top portion and a lower portion; a first adjusting rod having a first threading end which is fixed to the top portion, and a first shank extending from the first threading end and extending through a frame; a second adjusting rod having a second threading end which is fixed to the lower portion, and a second shank extending from the second threading end and extending through the frame, and a mounting device including at least one mounting piece made of flexible material and having a hole, a clamp portion defined around the hole of the at least one mounting piece so that the first shank or the second shank extends through the hole and clamped by the clamp portion of the at least one mounting piece, two spring portions extending from the at least one mounting piece and two extensions extending from the two spring portions, a fixing hole defined through each of the two extensions such that the at least one mounting piece is fixed to the frame by bolts or rivets extending through the fixing holes, the frame being shifted by the spring portions and the clamp portion when braking.
  • 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting device includes two mounting pieces made of flexible material and each have a hole, a clamp portion defined around the hole of each mounting piece so that the first shank and the second shank extend through the two respective holes and clamped by the two respective clamp portions of the two mounting pieces, two spring portions extending from each of the two mounting pieces and two extensions extending from the two spring portions of each of the two mounting pieces, a fixing hole defined through each of the extensions such that the two mounting pieces are fixed to the frame by bolts extending through the fixing holes.
  • 3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein frame has two holes and the first shank and the second shank extend through the two holes.
  • 4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm includes a main section through which threaded holes are defined bolts threadedly extend through the threaded holes and adapted to be connected to the bicycle frame, the top portion and the lower portion respectively having a through holes so that the first threading end and the second threading end extend through the through holes.
  • 5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the clamp portion of each of the two mounting pieces comprises a plurality of plates extending from a periphery of the hole.
  • 6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two spring portions bend inward relative to the hole.
  • 7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two spring portions are bent outward relative to the hole.
  • 8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one mounting piece are welded to the brake system.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
5979609 Tsai Nov 1999 A
6230850 Huang May 2001 B1
6334513 Chern Jan 2002 B1
6340074 Lumpkin et al. Jan 2002 B1
20030019965 Lai et al. Jan 2003 A1