This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง119 to Japanese Patent Application 2010-241756, filed on Oct. 28, 2010, and Japanese Patent Application 2011-056786, filed on Mar. 15, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pin slide-type floating disc brake for braking wheels of a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been known a disc brake having the following configuration (refer to JP 2003-120725 A). Either one of a mount assembled to a vehicle body and a caliper assembled to be movable with respect to the mount in a rotor shaft direction is formed with a slide hole extending in the rotor shaft direction. A support pin is provided in the other thereof to extend in the rotor shaft direction and is slidably inserted into the slide hole. A part of the support pin protruding from the slide hole is covered with a tubular pin boot. The pin boot integrally includes a pin-side annular seal portion fitted to an outer periphery of the support pin, a slide hole-side annular seal portion fitted to an annular accommodation groove provided at an opening end portion of the slide hole, and having an outer peripheral part coming in pressure contact with a bottom wall surface of the annular accommodation groove and an inner peripheral part joined to an outer peripheral surface of the support pin, and an extendable tubular bellows portion connecting both the annular seal portions.
In the disc brake described in JP 2003-120725 A, in the inner peripheral part of the slide hole-side annular seal portion of the pin boot, an inner peripheral annular groove (annular notch) which opens to the outer peripheral surface of the support pin is formed at a middle portion in the rotor shaft direction, and a first annular lip portion which comes in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the support pin to be movable in the rotor shaft direction, and a second annular lip portion which has a retraction function (a function of drawing back the support pin when braking is released) by being engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the support pin so as to be elastically deformable in the rotor shaft direction are formed on both sides of the inner peripheral annular groove.
In the meantime, in the disc brake described in JP 2003-120725 A, the second annular lip portion having the retraction function is provided at the opening end of the slide hole on the bellows portion side of the inner peripheral annular groove. Therefore, during the movement of the support pin with respect to the slide hole for braking, there is a concern that the second annular lip portion may be moved out of the slide hole and restriction (constriction) in the slide hole from the outer periphery may be released, and an engagement force (holding force) of the second annular lip portion on the support pin is reduced, so that a desired retraction function can not be obtained. In addition, since the outer peripheral part in the slide hole-side annular seal portion of the pin boot is accommodated in the annular accommodation groove so as to move a predetermined amount in the rotor shaft direction, assembility of the slide hole-side annular seal portion into the annular accommodation groove is improved. However, due to the slide hole-side annular seal portion moving in the annular accommodation groove in the rotor shaft direction, the retraction function may be degraded.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. According to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a pin slide-type floating disc brake comprising: a mount assembled to a vehicle body; a caliper assembled to be movable with respect to the mount in a rotor shaft direction, wherein either one of the mount and the caliper is formed with a slide hole extending in the rotor shaft direction; a support pin provided in the other one of the mount and the caliper to extend in the rotor shaft direction and slidably inserted into the slide hole; and a tubular pin boot covering a part of the support pin protruding from the slide hole. The pin boot integrally includes; a pin-side annular seal portion fitted to an outer periphery of the support pin; a slide hole-side annular seal portion fitted to an annular accommodation groove provided at an opening end portion of the slide hole, and including an outer peripheral part coming in pressure contact with a bottom wall surface of the annular accommodation groove and an inner peripheral part joined to an outer peripheral surface of the support pin; and an extendable tubular bellows portion connecting the pin-side annular seal portion and the slide hole-side annular seal portion. The outer peripheral part of the slide hole-side annular seal portion of the pin boot includes: an annular outer peripheral seal surface which comes in pressure contact with the bottom wall surface of the annular accommodation groove; and an elastic restriction portion which is elastically engaged with both side wall surfaces of the annular accommodation groove to elastically restrict movement of the slide hole-side annular seal portion in the rotor shaft direction, in the annular accommodation groove. The inner peripheral part of the slide hole-side annular seal portion of the pin boot includes: an inner peripheral annular groove which opens to the outer peripheral surface of the support pin at a middle portion thereof in the rotor shaft direction; a first annular lip portion which comes in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the support pin to be movable in the rotor shaft direction on a bellows portion side of the inner peripheral annular groove; and a second annular lip portion which has a retraction function by being engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the support pin so as to be elastically deformable in the rotor shaft direction on an opposite side to the bellows portion of the inner peripheral annular groove.
According to the above configuration, the elastic restriction portion is formed in the outer peripheral part in the slide hole-side annular seal portion of the pin boot. Therefore, it is possible to elastically restrict the movement of the slide hole-side annular seal portion in the rotor shaft direction in the annular accommodation groove. Consequently, it is possible to suppress degradation in the retraction function caused by the movement of the slide hole-side annular seal portion in the rotor shaft direction, in the annular accommodation groove.
In addition, in the pin slide-type floating disc brake, since the second annular lip portion having the retraction function is formed on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the inner peripheral annular groove, the second annular lip portion is not moved outside the slide hole during movement of the support pin with respect to the slide hole for braking, and thus restriction (constriction) in the inner peripheral wall of the slide hole from the outer periphery is not released. Therefore, an engagement force (holding force) of the second annular lip portion on the support pin is maintained, so that a desired retraction function is obtained by the pin boot.
The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with the reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Hereinafter, illustrative embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As illustrated in
The piston seal 72 is assembled into a cylinder hole 13a of the cylinder portion 13 such that the inner peripheral portion thereof is engaged with the outer periphery of the piston 71, and the piston seal 72 and the piston 71 configure a piston retraction mechanism. The piston retraction mechanism has a function of retracting the piston 71 toward the inner side with respect to the cylinder portion 13 by a predetermined amount through an elastic restoring operation of the inner peripheral portion of the piston seal 72 when braking is released. The inner peripheral end portion of the dust boot 73 is assembled into the outer periphery of the piston 71, and the outer peripheral end portion thereof is assembled into an opening side mounting portion 13b of the cylinder hole 13a of the cylinder portion 13, thereby covering and protecting a sliding portion of the piston 71.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The pin boots 23 and 33 are formed in the same shape, and integrally includes pin-side annular seal portions 23a and 33a fitted to the outer peripheries of the support pins 21 and 31, slide hole-side annular seal portions 23b and 33b fitted to annular accommodation grooves (see reference numeral 41b of
The mount 40 has the above-mentioned caliper support portions 41 and 42, a pad support portion 43 and a mounting portion 44 on the inner side of the disc rotor 60, and a pad support portion 45 on the outer side of the disc rotor 60, and is formed in a shape bridging a part of the disc rotor 60. In addition, bolt insertion holes (not shown) are provided in the mounting portion 44, and thus the mount 40 is assembled into a part of a vehicle body by bolts (not shown) inserted to these holes.
In the meantime, in this illustrative embodiment, as illustrated in
The annular outer peripheral seal surfaces 23b1a and 23b1b are halved in the rotor shaft direction by an annular concave portion 23b1e formed at the middle site of the outer peripheral part 23b1 in the rotor shaft direction. The annular concave portion 23b1e is open to the bottom wall surface 41b1 of the annular accommodation groove 41b. The first protrusion 23b1c protrudes in the rotor shaft direction from the middle part in the rotor diameter direction of the end surface on the bellows portion side of the outer peripheral portion 23b1 and is formed in an annular shape, and the tip end thereof is elastically engaged with and comes in pressure contact with the side wall surface 41b2 on the bellows portion side of the annular accommodation groove 41b. The second protrusion 23b1d protrudes in the rotor shaft direction from the middle part in the rotor diameter direction of the end surface on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the outer peripheral portion 23b1 and is formed in an annular shape, and the tip end thereof is elastically engaged with and comes in pressure contact with the side wall surface 41b3 on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the annular accommodation groove 41b. It is noted that the second protrusion 23b1d may not be formed in the annular shape.
In addition, in this illustrative embodiment, in the inner peripheral part 23b2 of the slide hole-side annular seal portion 23b of the pin boot 23, an inner peripheral annular groove 23b2a which opens to the outer peripheral surface 21a of the support pin 21 is formed at the middle portion in the rotor shaft direction, and a first annular lip portion 23b2b and a second annular lip portion 23b2c are formed on both sides of the inner peripheral annular groove 23b2a in the rotor shaft direction. The first annular lip portion 23b2b is formed on the bellows portion side of the inner peripheral annular groove 23b2a and comes in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface 21a of the support pin 21 to be movable in the rotor shaft direction. The second annular lip portion 23b2c is formed on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the inner peripheral annular groove 23b2a and has a retraction function by being engaged with the outer peripheral surface 21a of the support pin 21 so as to be elastically deformable in the rotor shaft direction (a function of drawing back the support pin 21 through the elastic restoring operation when braking is released).
In addition, in this illustrative embodiment, on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the annular accommodation groove 41b, the end portion on the annular accommodation groove side of the slide hole 41a is formed in a tapered shape in which the end portion is reduced in diameter toward the slide hole side and is increased toward the annular accommodation groove side (see
In the disc brake A configured as described above, during braking, the inner pad 51 slides and is pressed against the disc rotor 60 by the piston 71, the outer pad 52 is moved to be pressed against the disc rotor 60 by the reaction portion 14 of the caliper 10, and the inner pad 51 and the outer pad 52 come in sliding contact with the disc rotor 60 for braking. In addition, when braking is released, the caliper 10 and the piston 71 are returned by the retraction function obtained by the pin boots 23 and 33 and the retraction function obtained by the piston seal 72, thereby releasing the braking.
However, in the disc brake A, the above-mentioned elastic restriction portions (the first and second protrusions 23b1c and 23b1d) are formed at the outer peripheral part 23b1 in the slide hole-slide annular seal portion 23b of the pin boots 23 and 33. Therefore, it is possible to elastically restrict the movement of the slide hole-side annular seal portion 23b in the rotor shaft direction in the annular accommodation groove 41b. Consequently, it is possible to suppress degradation in the retraction function (the retraction function obtained by the second annular lip portion 23b2c) caused by the movement of the slide hole-side annular seal portion 23b in the rotor shaft direction in the annular accommodation groove 41b.
In addition, in the disc brake A, since the second annular lip portion 23b2c having the function of retracting the pin boots 23 and 33 is formed on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the inner peripheral annular groove 23b2a, the second annular lip portion 23b2c is not moved outside the slide holes 41a and 42a during movement of the support pins 21 and 31 with respect to the slide holes 41a and 42a due to braking, and thus restriction (constriction) in the inner peripheral wall of the slide holes 41a and 42a from the outer periphery is not released. Therefore, an engagement force (holding force) of the second annular lip portion 23b2c on the support pins 21 and 31 is maintained, so that a desired retraction function is obtained by the pin boots 23 and 33.
In addition, in the disc brake A, the elastic restriction portions include the first protrusion 23b1c which protrudes in the rotor shaft direction from the middle part in the rotor diameter direction of the end surface on the bellows portion side of the outer peripheral part 23b1 and is elastically engaged with the side wall surface 41b2 on the bellows portion side of the annular accommodation groove 41b, and the second protrusion 23b1d which protrudes in the rotor shaft direction from the middle part in the rotor diameter direction of the end surface on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the outer peripheral part 23b1 and is elastically engaged with the side wall surface 41b3 on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the annular accommodation groove 41b. Therefore, compared to a case where a protruding portion is provided at each of the entire end surface on the bellows portion side of the outer peripheral part and the entire end surface on the opposite side to the bellows portion, it is possible to sufficiently ensure a space that facilitates assembly into the annular accommodation groove 41b, so that it is possible to achieve both good assembility of the slide hole-side annular seal portion 23b into the annular accommodation groove 41b and suppression of the degradation in the retraction function.
In addition, in the disc brake A, since the first protrusion (the protrusion 23b1c on the bellows portion side) is formed in the annular shape and the tip end thereof comes in pressure contact with the side wall surface 41b2 on the bellows portion side of the annular accommodation groove 41b, sealing properties (preventing infiltration of water or dust into the slide holes 41a and 42a) are obtained also by the first protrusion 23b1c coming in pressure contact with the side wall surface 41b2 on the bellows portion side of the annular accommodation groove 41b, and thus it is possible to improve the sealing properties.
In addition, in the disc brake A, at the middle site in the rotor shaft direction of the outer peripheral part 23b1 of the pin boots 23 and 33, the annular concave portion 23b1e is formed which is open to the bottom wall surface 41b1 of the annular accommodation grooves 41b and halves the annular outer peripheral seal surfaces 23b1a and 23b1b. Therefore, the surface pressure of the annular outer peripheral seal surfaces 23b1a and 23b1b against the bottom wall surface 41b1 of the annular accommodation groove 41b may be easily increased, and even though water or dust is infiltrated into the slide holes 41a and 42a along the outer peripheries of the pin boots 23 and 33, the water or dust may be always collected in the annular concave portion 23b1e, and thus it is possible to improve the sealing properties.
In addition, in the disc brake A, on the opposite side to the bellows portion of the annular accommodation groove 41b, the end portion on the annular accommodation groove side of the slide holes 41a and 42a is formed in the tapered shape in which the end portion is reduced in diameter toward the slide hole side and is increased toward the annular accommodation groove side, and the bellows portion side of the inner peripheral annular groove 23b2a is formed in the tapered shape in which the side is reduced in diameter toward the bellows portion side and is increased in diameter toward the opposite side to the bellows portion. Therefore, as illustrated in
In the above-described illustrative embodiment, the outside diameter of the (first) annular outer peripheral seal surface 23b1a in a free state, which is halved by the annular concave portion 23b1e and is positioned on the outside diameter side of the first annular lip portion 23b2b, and the outside diameter of the (second) annular outer peripheral seal surface 23b1b in a free state, which is halved by the annular concave portion 23b1e and is positioned on the outside diameter side of the second annular lip portion 23b2c are equal to each other, and the inside diameter of the first annular lip portion in a free state and the inside diameter of the second annular lip portion in a free state are equal to each other. However, a modified configuration may also be possible as in an illustrative embodiment shown in
In the illustrative embodiment shown in
Therefore, when the slide hole-side annular seal portion 23b of the pin boot 23 is fitted into the annular accommodation groove 41b, the constriction force (holding force) of the first annular lip portion 23b2b on the support pin 21 may be smaller than the constriction force (holding force) of the second annular lip portion 23b2c on the support pin 21. Therefore, the sliding resistance between the first annular lip portion 23b2b and the support pin 21 may be smaller than the sliding resistance between the second annular lip portion 23b2c and the support pin 21, so that it is possible to sufficiently achieve the retraction function by the second annular lip portion 23b2c.
In addition, in the illustrative embodiment shown in
In addition, in the above illustrative embodiment, the configuration is employed in which the surface roughness of the sliding surface (inner peripheral surface) of the first annular lip portion 23b2b on the support pin 21 and the surface roughness of the sliding surface (inner peripheral surface) of the second annular lip portion 23b2c on the support pin 21 are equal to each other. However, a configuration may also be employed as in the illustrative embodiment shown in
Accordingly, in a case where a grease (not shown) is provided between the slide hole-side annular seal portion 23b of the pin boot 23 and the support pin 21, the amount of the grease per unit area accommodated in the sliding surface of the first annular lip portion 23b2b on the support pin 21 would be greater than the amount of the grease per unit area accommodated in the sliding surface of the second annular lip portion 23b2c on the support pin 21. Therefore, the sliding resistance of the first annular lip portion 23b2b against the support pin 21 may be smaller than the sliding resistance of the second annular lip portion 23b2c against the support pin 21, so that it is possible to sufficiently achieve the retraction function by the second annular lip portion 23b2c.
In addition, the first protrusion 23b1c may be formed larger so as not to form a space between the first protrusion 23b1c and the annular accommodation groove 41b, i.e., so as to fill the space. In this case, the pressure contact between the first protrusion 23b1c and the annular accommodation groove 41b becomes stronger, so that sealing property can be further improved.
In addition, in each of the above illustrative embodiments, the present invention is embodied in the disc brake A in which the pin slide units 20 and 30 respectively include the support pins 21 and 31 which are integrally assembled to the caliper 10 and extend in the rotor shaft direction, and the slide holes 41a and 42a which are provided in the mount 40 and into which the support pins 21 and 31 are inserted to be slidable in the rotor shaft direction. However, the present invention may be similarly embodied in a disc brake in which pin slide units respectively have support pints which are integrally assembled to a mount and extend in a rotor shaft direction, and slide holes which are provided in a caliper and into which the support pins are inserted to be slidable in the rotor shaft direction.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2011-056786 | Mar 2011 | JP | national |