Friction pad assemblies for use in disc brakes

• US 4,527,669 A
• Filed: 04/18/1984
• Issued: 07/09/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Co. (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Industries Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Meyer, Carl, Madzgalla, Hans G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reger, Duane A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US06/601,118
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 188/73.36, 188/73.37, 188/73.38, 188/250 E, 188/205 A, 267/61 R, 267/166
• US Class Current: 188/73.38
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/092 for axially-engaging brakes, e.g. disc brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/0976 acting on one pad only

Abstract

This specification discloses a friction pad assembly for use in a disc brake. The friction pad assembly has a pad anti-rattle spring having a coiled region intermediate its ends, the coils of said coiled region being axially spaced apart from each other and engaging in a slot in the backing plate, the slot and spring presenting planar surfaces which can interengage with each other. Thus, by virtue of the interengaging planar surfaces the coiled region can only, at most, rotate to a limited degree in the slot and thus, should one spring arm be broken, the planar surfaces prevent the coiled region from rotating within the slot when a force is applied to the other arm whereby that other spring arm can continue to function. Also, the location of the coiled region in the slot is space saving and the spaced apart coils allows the maximum spring performance to be achieved.

Claims

1. A friction pad assembly for use in a disc brake comprising a backing plate to which a pad of friction material is secured, a slot centrally located in what is, in use, the upper edge of the backing plate, said slot having a narrow opening having laterally spaced sides and widening out with a curved base wall interconnecting the sides of said opening, an anti-rattle spring having a coiled region comprising a plurality of coils received in said slot and a pair of outwardly extending arms extending through said opening in generally opposite directions from opposite ends of said coiled region, a portion of each arm being adjacent to a respective side of said opening and including a planar surface engageable with a part of said slot the planar surface of one arm preventing said coiled region from rotating within said slot when a force is applied to the other arm of said spring.

2. A friction pad assembly according to claim 1, wherein said slot has planar surfaces engageable by the planar portions of said arms of said spring.

3. A friction pad assembly according to claim 1, wherein the region of the backing plate, in which the slot is formed, is free of friction material.

4. A friction pad assembly according to claim 3, wherein the spring arms are each connected to the coiled region of the spring by cranked regions which enables the spring arms to lie substantially in the plane of the backing plate.

5. A friction pad assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coiled region of the spring comprises one complete coil and a half coil at each end.

6. A friction pad assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the coiled region of the spring has a half coil at each end, the half coils each extending into a portion of an arm which includes said planar surface engageable with a part of said slot.

7. A friction pad assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coiled region of the spring is secured in the said slot, by a rivet which passes therethrough.

8. A friction pad assembly for use in a disc brake, and a pad anti-rattle spring having a coiled region intermediate its ends, the coils of said coiled region being axially spaced apart from each other, a slot in the backing plate having a narrow opening extending through the upper edge of the backing plate and a widened out portion extending downwardly in said backing plate from said opening, the widened out portion of the slot being arcuate, the coiled region of said spring being complementarily received in said widened out portion, said spring having two outwardly directed spring arms which extend outwardly of said narrow opening in generally opposite directions from axially extreme parts of opposite end portions of said coiled region of said spring, said spring having substantially planar surfaces on said end portions a planar surface of one end portion carrying one arm being engageable with a part of said slot to prevent rotation of said coiled region in said slot when a force is applied to the other of said arms.

9. A friction pad assembly according to claim 8, wherein said planar surfaces which engage parts of said slot are located at least at the axially extreme parts of said spring.

10. A friction pad assembly for use in a disc brake, and a pad anti-rattle spring having a coiled region intermediate its ends, the coils of said coiled region being axially spaced apart from each other, a slot in the backing plate having a narrow opening extending through the upper edge of the backing plate and a widened out portion extending downwardly in said backing plate from said opening, the widened out portion of the slot being arcuate, the upper part of said widened out portion being joined to said narrow opening by planar surfaces, the coiled region of said spring being complementarily received in said widened out portion, said spring having two outwardly directed spring arms which extend outwardly of said narrow opening in opposite direction from opposite ends of the coiled region of said spring, said arms of said spring having planar surfaces engageable with said planar surfaces of said slot, a planar surface of one arm being engageable with a planar surface of said slot and having an extent which prevents rotation of said coiled region in said slot when a force is applied to the other one of said arms.