1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to brake calipers for use with disc brakes.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In typical disc brake assemblies, a rotor is mounted on a wheel hub for rotation. One or more pairs of brake pads, generally designed as friction material carried on a backing plate, are supported on either side of the rotor by a caliper or an anchor bracket. Calipers are designed to apply the braking force by moving a piston relative to the rotor to thereby move the brake pad into and out of contact with the rotor. The pistons are supported in a bore and abut the backing plate of the brake pad to move the brake pad toward the rotor upon application of a braking force. The caliper can be hydraulically actuated, for example, to selectively press the brake pads against the surface of the rotor to stop the rotation of the rotor and hence the wheel hub by forcing hydraulic brake fluid into the piston bore.
The brake pads, which include friction elements, require periodic replacement due to wear. This is especially true in automotive racing where pads may require replacement during a race. In this situation, quick and easy removal is highly desirable.
The prior art has addressed this problem in several different ways. It is known, for example, to replace the entire caliper assembly, including the brake pad. In this case, the brake pads are constrained by a bridge integrally formed with the caliper body, an example of which is shown in
In another known method of replacement, the bridge is bolted to the caliper body on both sides, as seen in
To decrease change time, one design offers a hinge on one side of the bolted bridge. This type of design is shown in
To alleviate the bolting issue, some race caliper manufacturers have replaced the bridge with a spring clamp for quick pad changes, as illustrated in
Thus, there is a need for a caliper that allows quick pad removal while offering a high degree of caliper stiffness.
An aspect of embodiments of the invention is to provide a caliper assembly with a bridge designed for quick brake pad removal and replacement.
Another aspect of embodiments of the invention is to provide a caliper assembly that offers stiffness, particularly with respect to the brake pad supporting bridge.
These and other aspects of the invention can be realized by embodiments of the invention in which a caliper assembly comprises a caliper body, a bridge releasably secured to the caliper body, at least one brake pad mounted to the bridge, and a push button latch assembly provided between the caliper body and the bridge.
The invention is also directed to a brake assembly comprising a caliper body, a pair of brake pads slidably retained by the caliper body, a removable bridge rigidly coupled to the caliper body and supporting the pair of brake pads, wherein the removable bridge has a snap release connection at each end that releasably connects to the caliper body.
The invention further relates to a method of replacing brake pads on a vehicle comprising providing a caliper that supports a brake pad on a bridge mounted to a caliper body, compressing a button on the bridge to disconnect the bridge from the caliper body, removing the brake pad from the bridge, mounting a replacement brake pad on the bridge, and snapping the bridge with the replacement brake pad onto the caliper body.
The invention encompasses the caliper assembly, the brake assembly, and method above in combination with a vehicle, especially a racing vehicle.
This invention is described for use in a vehicular disc brake system. The caliper described below is used for illustrative purposes only and it will be understood that this invention may be used in various types of braking systems and with any rotor.
Referring to
As seen in
On each end of the bridge 18, as seen in
The button 38 has an enlarged head 40, a central body 42, and a cup shaped end 44. The body 42 has an annular stopping flange 46. A central groove 48 is defined between the cup shaped end 44 and the flange 46. A spring 50 is retained in the cup shaped end 44. The end 44 could also be formed as a flat plate, as long as it forms a biasing surface for the spring 50. A spring pin 52 is retained in the through hole 34 between the button 38 and the pin 26 as seen in
Upon assembly, the button 38 is inserted in the button hole 36 with spring 50 biased between the wall 37 of the hole 36 and the end 44. The spring pin 52 is adjacent to the flange 46 of the button 38 and is supported by the shoulder 29 of the pin 26. By this, the pin 26 protrudes inwardly into the hole 36, as seen in
To release the bridge 18, the button 38 is compressed, as seen on the left side of
Thus, when the brake pads 20 need replacement, the buttons 38 are pressed to release the bridge 18. The bridge 18 is lifted and new brake pads 20 are mounted on the sides 22. The bridge 18 is then snapped back onto the caliper body 12, and the replacement is complete. The process is extremely quick and suitable for fast secure replacement required during automotive racing. In addition, when snapped in place, the bridge 18 is rigidly connected to the caliper body 12 providing a high degree of stiffness.
It will be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative only and that the invention encompasses modifications and changes to the particular design features.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to provisional application No. 60/610,543 filed Sep. 17, 2004. The contents of this priority application are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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60610543 | Sep 2004 | US |