GB2137293A - Anti-rattle spring clip for disc brakes - Google Patents

Abstract

The clip 80 is comprised of a length of spring wire formed to provide two spaced legs 81, 82 joined by an intermediate segment 84. Each clip leg is formed adjacent the intermediate segment to provide a U-shaped bend 85, 86 the closed ends of the U-shaped bends and lengths of the distal ends 87, 88 of the legs 81, 82 are substantially in one plane. Each leg 81, 82 is also formed with a latually projecting stabilising means 91, 92 which stabilising means are substantially in a second plane spaced from the one plane. As shown the stabilising means 91, 92 extend away from each other. The clip 80 is utilised to prevent friction pad backing plates 35(38) from vibrating against an aperture 46 in a caliper of the disc brake. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Anti-rattle means for disc brakes The present invention relates to disc brake assemblies, and more specifically to anti-rattle means therefor.

The present invention is particularly applicable to a vehicle disc brake assembly of the floating caliper type. Brake pad supporting means of the assembly is designed to permit axial movement of brake pads on opposite sides of the disc and, without further restraint, the pads may vibrate against the supporting means or "rattle" when the assembly is not actuated.

One example of a disc brake assembly to which the invention is applicable is described and claimed in our co-pending British patent application number 8133355 (2088500) of even date herewith.

Various anti-rattle devices for disc brake friction pads are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos.

4194597; 3056174; 3972393; 4049087 and 3027751. Some of these require means such as rivets, apertures or recesses on the friction pad assembly for attaching the antirattle device to the friction pad. Other antirattle devices are disposed between the friction pad backing plate edge and the supporting means and are not readily accessible for removal or replacement.

The object of the present invention is to provide anti-rattle means which are easily removed and replaced and which do not require special attaching means on the friction pad backing plates.

The present invention provides an anti-rattle spring clip for a disc brake comprising an elongate element formed to provide two spaced leg segments jointed by an intermediate segment and terminating at an end distal from said intermediate segment, each of said leg segments adjacent said intermediate segment of said element comprising a U-shaped bend, stabilizing means formed in each of said legs, the closed ends of said U-shaped bends and a length of said leg segments adjacent said distal ends of said legs being substantially in one plane and said stabilizing means being substantially in a second plane spaced from said one plane.

One embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a disc brake assembly; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the assembly of Fig. 1, the view of Fig. 1 being taken along line I-I thereof; Figure 3 is a perspective view of an antirattle spring clip used in said assembly; and Figure 4 is a view partly in section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

With reference to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a disc brake assembly generally designated by the numeral 10. The construction and operation of this assembly are detailed in our said co-pending patent application 8133355 (2088500) to which reference is directed, and will be dealt with in outline along only herein so far as is necessary for understanding of this embodiment of the invention.

The assembly 10 includes a floating caliper 1 2 mounted on slide pins 1 9 and 20. The slide pins 1 9 and 20 are secured in radially extending arms 24, 25 of a brake supporting torque plate 26. The latter is operatively secured to a vehicle axle 29. A brake disc or rotor 30 is secured for rotation with a wheel hub (not shown) carried by the vehicle axle 29.

Caliper 1 2 has a pair of spaced depending legs 40, 41 extending radially inward adjacent respective friction faces or rotor 30 and a bridge 42 straddling the periphery of rotor 30 and connecting the legs. Leg 41 is formed with a generally cylindrical housing 44 slidably mounting a piston 43 formed integrally with a load applying plate 47. The contour of the load plate 47 is similar to the contour of a backing plate 35 of a friction pad 34 and moves the pad 34 axially into contact with the adjacent rotor friction surface in response to actuation of the brake assembly. The piston 43 and load plate 47 may be moved by suitable hydraulic or mechanical actuating means, not shown.The bridge 42 of caliper 1 2 is provided with an aperture 46 defined by a radially disposed edge 48 and a pair of circumferentially spaced, axially extending, radially converging edges 50 and 51. The circumferentially spaced edges 50, 51 converge in a radial direction at an included angle of about 32 degrees. The circumferentially spaced edges 50, 51 are each provided with a slot 52, 54. The bottoms 56, 58 of the slots 52, 54 are substantially parallel and the slots 52, 54 are located radially outward from the periphery of the rotor 30 so as to extend at least partly across the periphery of the rotor 30 as best shown by Fig. 2.

There are a pair of friction pads, 34, 37 which respectively comprise backing plates 35, 38 with friction material 36, 39 secured thereo. The backing plates 35, 38 also include abutment surfaces 61, 62 and 71, 72 respectively adjacent the radially converging edges 65 and 66, respectively. The abutment surfaces 71, 72 extend only a short radial distance relative to the length of the radially converging edges 65 and 66. The friction pads 34, 37 are axially located between the legs 40, 41 of the caliper 12 with the friction material 36, 39, respectively, facing the respective friction faces of rotor 30.

Pads 34, 37 are supported by means of radially extending tabs 64 and 67, edges of which coact with the edges 50, 51 of the caliper aperture 46. The abutment surfaces 61, 62 of backing plate 35 and the abutment surfaces 71, 72 of backing plate 38 abut a radially inner surface 1 3 of the caliper 1 2 adjacent the aperture edges 50, 51 to radially locate the friction pads relative to the surface 13.

The slots 52, 54 provide an additional clearance to permit installation and removal of the friction pads 34, 37 as described in our said co-pending patent application.

An anti-rattle spring clip 80 is disposed within the aperture 46. As best shown by Fig.

3, the anti-rattle clip 80 is formed from a continuous length of spring steel wire to provide two spaced leg segments 81, 82 joined by an intermediate segment 84. The clip legs 81 and 82 are respectively formed ajacent the intermediate segment 84 to provide raised Ushaped bends 85 and 86 adapted to abut shallow slots 75, 76 in circumferentially spaced areas of the radially outer edge of friction pad tab 67. The distal ends 87, 88 of the clip legs are raised to the same level as the bends 85, 86 to abut shallow slots 73, 74 in circumferentially spaced areas of the radially outer edge of friction pad tab 64. The clip leg ends 87, 88 are substantially coplanar with the closed end of the U-shaped bends 85, 86.The leg ends 87, 88 extend a substantial distance, approximately 5.5 centimeters, to permit the friction pad 34 to move toward the friction pad 37 while maintaining contact between the leg ends 87, 88 and friction pad tab 64 as the friction lining material wears.

The clip legs 81, 82 are respectively formed intermediate the U-bends 85-86 and the ends 87, 88 with laterally projecting stabilizing means 91, 92. The stabilizing means 91, 92 are formed to extend laterally away from each other in substantially the same plane which is spaced downward or radially inward (Fig. 4) from the plane of the U-bends 85, 86 and the leg ends 87, 88. As best shown by Figs. 2 and 4, the stabilizing means 91, 92 extend under the aperture edges 50, 51 to engage the undersurface of the caliper bridge 42. This torsionally loads the spring clip 80 and provides a force in U-bends 85, 86 and leg ends 87, 88 biasing the tabs 64 and 67 radially inward to force the circumferentially spaced edges of the tabs into abutment with the aperture edges 50, 51.

The spring clip 80 may be easily installed by disposing the U-bends 85, 86 over the radially outer edge of the friction pad tab 67 until they seat in the slots 75, 76. One of the stabilizing means 91, 92- is positioned under its corresponding aperture edge and the clip leg ends are moved toward one another until the other stabilizing means clears its corresponding aperture edge and can be released to extend laterally beneath that edge surface.

The leg ends 87, 88 are then seated in the slots 73, 74.

The present invention thus provides a simple economical means for biasing the friction pads into bearing abutment with the supporting edges of the caliper aperture to prevent the friction pad backing plates from vibrating against the supporting edges when the brake assembly is not actuated. The anti-rattle spring clip is readily accessible through the caliper aperture.

Claims (5)

1. An anti-rattle spring clip for a disc brake comprising an elongate element formed to provide two spaced leg segments jointed by an intermediate segment and terminating at an end distal from said intermediate segment, each of said leg segments adjacent said intermediate segment of said element comprising a U-shaped bend, stabilizing means formed in each of said legs, the closed ends of said Ushaped bends and a length of said leg segments adjacent said distal ends of said legs being substantially in one plane and said stabilizing means being substantially in a second plane spaced from said one plane.

2. A clip as in Claim 1 wherein said elongate element is a length of spring wire.

3. A clip as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein said stabilizing means comprise a segment of each leg formed to extend in a direction away from the other said leg in substantially the same plane as the stabilizing means of said other leg.

4. A clip as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein said stabilizing means comprise segments of said legs formed to extend in opposite directions away from each other.

5. An anti-rattle spring clip for a disc brake substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accom panying drawings.