Title: Disc brake assembly

We claim:

1. A disc brake assembly comprising a torque member secured to a nonrotatable portion of a vehicle, a caliper assembly movably disposed relative to the disc by means of at least one pin assembly connecting the caliper assembly to the torque member, a pair of friction elements cooperating with the caliper assembly during braking to engage the disc to retard rotation of the latter, and the pin assembly including a bolt threadably coupled to the torque member and extending through an opening in the caliper assembly, a resilient bushing engaged to the caliper assembly and extending through the caliper assembly opening, and a sleeve disposed between the resilient bushing and the bolt, characterized by said sleeve cooperating with said bolt to define a predetermined axial clearance therebetween, said predetermined axial clearance providing for said sleeve to move with said caliper assembly and said resilient bushing initially during braking, said resilient bushing moving relative to said sleeve after said predetermined axial clearance is taken up between said sleeve and bolt during braking in order to define an adjusted position for said resilient bushing and caliper assembly relative to said sleeve in response to wear of said friction elements, and said pin assembly further including a resilient member extending between said sleeve and said bolt to bias said sleeve to a position maintaining said predetermined axial clearance between said sleeve and said bolt.

2. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said bolt includes a radially extending head at one end remote from said threadable coupling with said torque member, said sleeve forms a step with a shoulder facing said radially extending head and said resilient member comprises a coil spring encircling a portion of said bolt and engageable with said shoulder and said radially extending head.

3. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said pin assembly further includes a sealing member engageable with said bolt and said sleeve substantially adjacent said threadable coupling and said sealing member accommodates the relative axial displacement between said sleeve and said bolt to maintain a sealing engagement therewith.

4. The disc brake assembly of claim 3 in which said resilient bushing and said sleeve define a radial clearance adjacent said torque member and said sealing member is capable of being disposed within said radial clearance.

5. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said sleeve further defines a radial clearance with said bolt to permit radial adjustment of said caliper assembly, said resilient bushing and said sleeve relative to said bolt when the latter is threadably coupled to said torque member.

6. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said bolt includes a radially extending head at one end remote from said threadable coupling, said resilient bushing includes an axially extending skirt forming an opening for receiving said pin assembly and said radially extending head forms an interference fit with said skirt so that said skirt is expanded radially to receive said head within said skirt opening, and said skirt further forms a radial clearance with the portion of said bolt separate from said radially extending head in order to receive said sleeve and said resilient member.

7. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said pin assembly includes a sealing member sealingly engaging said sleeve and said bolt substantially adjacent said torque member, said sleeve forming an outer recess at one end and an inner recess at the other end, said outer recess receiving said sealing member and said inner recess receiving said resilient member.

8. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said pin assembly further includes a second resilient member surrounding said resilient bushing to bias the latter tightly into engagement with said sleeve.

9. The disc brake assembly of claim 8 in which said resilient bushing forms an outer groove substantially adjacent said caliper assembly opening and said second resilient member is disposed within said outer groove.

10. The disc brake assembly of claim 1 in which said bolt defines a predetermined axial recess with stop means at each end of said predetermined axial recess, said sleeve being movable axially within said predetermined axial recess and said resilient bushing being movable relative to said sleeve to an adjusted position in response to wear of said pair of friction elements.

11. A pin assembly for carrying a vehicle caliper assembly which is movable during braking to engage at least one friction element with a rotor, said pin assembly comprising:

a bolt secured at one end to a nonrotatable portion of said vehicle adjacent said rotor, said bolt defining an outer recess extending axially from said one end to an opposite end forming a head;

a sleeve disposed within said outer recess and cooperating with said bolt head to define a predetermined axial clearance at one end of said sleeve remote from said rotor; and

a resilient member extending between said sleeve and said bolt head to bias said sleeve away from said bolt head and toward said rotor to a rest position within said outer recess;

said sleeve being movable with said caliper assembly away from said rotor to take up said predetermined axial clearance and load said resilient member during braking and said resilient member cooperating with said caliper assembly via said sleeve upon termination of braking to return said sleeve in the direction of said rotor to its rest position and to return said caliper assembly to its rest position.

Other info:


Inventors: Ritsema, Irving R. (South Bend, IN)
Colpaert, James J. (Granger, IN)

Application Number: 06/307918
Filing Date: 1981-10-02
Publication_date: 1984-03-13
Assignee: BENDIX CORP (US)

Primary Class(es): 188/71.800 188/73.440, 188/196P
Other Classes: F16D55/2265; F16D65/54; F16D55/00; F16D55/22; F16D65/38; F16D65/54
US Patent Ref:

3085663	April, 1963	Jakeways	188/196P	Automatic adjusting device for disc brakes
3095064	June, 1963	Tankersley et al.	188/196P	Combination adjuster and reset mechanism
4334598	June, 1982	Portolese	188/196P	Disc brake assembly and resilient member therefor

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Reger, Duane A.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Schoenle, Paul David
Decker, Ken C.