DESCRIPTION

Field of application

[0001] The subj ect matter of the present invention is a protective cap for floating brake cal iper guides .

[0002] The cap according to the invention may be installed on any type of floating brake caliper, but is particularly suitable for application on floating brake calipers for light commercial vehicles , motor vehicles , SUVs , and vehicles intended for of f-road use such as 4x4 vehicles , pickups , and military vehicles .

Prior art

[0003] In general , a disc brake system with a floating caliper comprises a support structure that straddles the braking disc and is adapted to be installed on a fixed portion of the vehicle , and at least a floating structure ( caliper ) slidably mounted by means of special guides on the support structure . The sliding movement ( floating) of the caliper (when installed) is parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc (hereinafter the axial direction) .

[0004] Generally, the floating structure (hereinafter the caliper, for the sake of simplicity) comprises a side portion arranged outside the support structure ( generally on the hub side of the braking system) and a bracket portion which extends from the side portion in the axial direction ( toward the wheel side ) on the support structure .

[0005] The caliper carries two brake pads slidably associated by means of at least one pin, arranged inside a specially provided housing made in the support structure so that they can come into contact with the braking surfaces of the disc . A first pad, called the active pad, is pushed against the disc directly by pushing means housed in the side portion of the floating caliper . The second pad, or reaction pad, opposing the first pad, is pushed against the disc by the bracket portion of the floating caliper as the caliper slides as a result of the reaction caused by the interaction between the first pad and the disc .

[0006] As a very general rule , a floating caliper guide comprises a bushing that is inserted into a sliding seat made in the floating caliper or in the support structure of the disc brake , and a pin, which is in turn slidably inserted into the bushing with the exception of a coupling end portion ( threaded) that is secured to the support structure or to the caliper ( depending on which of these two parts carries the bushing) .

[0007] In order to prevent foreign obj ects ( dust , water, etc . ) from entering the guide and to therefore ensure proper operation of the brake , the guide is closed on the outside by a cap that serves as a plug . Normally, the closing cap is placed directly on the caliper or the support body at the portion delimiting the sliding seat of the guide .

[0008] Generally, caps for floating brake caliper guides are made of an elastomeric material , such as rubber . The use of such a material allows for manual installation and removal of the cap, while still providing a good seal against water .

[0009] An example of a rubber cap is shown in figures 1 to 4 . The cap T is defined by a cup-like body G provided - at the free end thereof - with an annular prominence R proj ecting inward . As shown in figure 1 , the cap is fitted onto the portion of the caliper C which delimits the guide seat until the annular prominence R snaps into a specially provided groove made in the caliper . Once installed, the cap, internally hollow, does not hinder the movements of the guide pin . On the outside , the cap T is provided with a protruding appendage Q which may be used as a gripping part during the removal thereof .

[0010] Rubber caps , however, suf fer from a series of limitations .

[0011] A first limitation has to do with the fact that rubber caps are easy to damage under some usage conditions , for example impacts from rocks while the vehicle is traveling over dirt roads . I f struck by crushed stone or gravel , rubber caps tend to break or at least be perforated . Once perforated, the caps are no longer waterproof . Thi s inevitably leads to corrosion of the guides .

[0012] A second limitation has to do with the fact that rubber caps sometimes come of f accidentally due to deformations in the rubber caused by thermal stress or pressure surges . Deformations caused to rubber caps over time have a negative impact on their ability to be waterproof , even i f they do not result in accidental removal .

[0013] A third limitation is linked to the excessive ease of removal of rubber caps . Indeed, it has been observed that it is not unusual for rubber caps to be removed unintentionally during brake maintenance due to their excessive ease of removal , and, being small , they are forgotten with the result that the guides are exposed to contact with water .

[0014] There is consequently a need in the field of floating caliper brakes to have guide caps that are stronger, are not subj ect to accidental removal , and provide a higher degree of waterproofness . Caps must in addition continue to be easily removable without the use of tools . Disclosure of the invention

[0015] Therefore , the main purpose of the present invention is to eliminate , or at least reduce , the aforementioned problems relating to the prior art by providing a protective cap for floating brake caliper guides that is more resistant to impact .

[0016] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a protective cap for floating brake caliper guides that is not subj ect to , or is at least les s subj ect to , accidental removal .

[0017] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a protective cap for floating brake caliper guides that is more watertight .

[0018] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a protective cap for floating brake caliper guides that is easy to install without the use of tools . Description of the drawings

[0019] The technical features of the invention are clearly identi fied in the content of the claims set out below and its advantages will become more readily apparent in the detailed description that follows , made with reference to the accompanying drawings , which represent one or more embodiments provided purely by way of non-limiting examples , in which : [0020] - Figures 1 and 2 show a cross-sectional perspective view and a cross-sectional orthogonal view, respectively, of a traditional protective cap for floating brake caliper guides shown in the assembled state on a brake caliper ;

[0021] - Figures 3 and 4 show two perspective views of the inside and outside of the cap in figure 1 , respectively;

[0022] - Figure 5 shows an exploded perspective view of a protective cap for floating brake caliper guides according to a preferred embodiment o f the invention;

[0023] - Figure 6 shows an exploded view according to a cross-sectional orthogonal view of the cap in f igure 1 ;

[0024] - Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional orthogonal view of the cap in figure 1 illustrated as installed on a brake caliper ;

[0025] - Figures 8 and 9 show two perspective views of the outside and inside of the cap in figure 5 , respectively;

[0026] - Figure 10 shows an orthogonal plan view of the cap in figure 9 ;

[0027] - Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional orthogonal view of the cap in figure 10 along the plane of cross-section A-A indicated therein;

[0028] - Figure 12 shows an orthogonal elevation view of the cap in figure 8 ;

[0029] - Figure 13 shows an enlarged detail of figure 11 ; [0030] - Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the cap in figure 8 ;

[0031] - Figure 15 shows a perspective view of an 0-ring gasket ;

[0032] - Figure 16 shows a radial cross-section of the gasket in figure 15 ;

[0033] - Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of an inj ection mold for producing the cap in figure 8 ;

[0034] - Figure 18 shows an enlarged view of a detail of the mold in figure 18 ;

[0035] - Figure 19 shows an image of a device used to conduct impact tests on protective caps for floating caliper guides ;

[0036] - Figures 20 and 21 show two photographs of the impact area of the hammer used in the device of figure 19 on a cap according to the invention and on a traditional rubber cap shown in figures 1-4 , respectively; and

[0037] - Figures 22 and 23 show tables 1 and 2 , respectively, of impact tests conducted on a traditional rubber cap shown in figures 1-4 and on a cap according to the invention, respectively .

[0038] Elements or parts of elements common to the embodiments described hereinafter will be indicated with the same numerical references . Detailed description

[0039] With reference to the accompanying drawings , the number 1 refers to a protective cap for floating brake caliper guides according to the invention, as a whole .

[0040] According to a general embodiment of the invention, the protective cap 1 for floating brake caliper guides comprises a cup-like body 10 intended to be associated with a floating brake caliper closing a sliding seat of a guide of said floating caliper .

[0041] In particular, as shown in figures 6 and 7 , the cuplike body 10 is intended to house therein a portion of a floating brake caliper that delimits a sliding seat of a guide . In these figures 6 and 7 the floating caliper portion is indicated with the letter C, the guide bushing with letter B, and the guide pin with letter P .

[0042] The aforementioned cup-like body 10 is made of plastic material reinforced with glas s fibers .

[0043] Compared to traditional protective caps made of rubber, the protective cap 1 is much more resistant to impact , thanks to the fact that it is made of plastic material reinforced with glass fibers . Thanks to this feature , the cap 1 provides greater protection over time against external agents , such as pebbles , gravel , and water compared to traditional rubber caps . [0044] The cap 1 has high strength, but i f excessively stressed it breaks rather than deforming . Indeed, once again thanks to the fact that it is made of a plastic material reinforced with glass fibers , the cap 1 has a fragile breaking characteristic rather than a ductile one like traditional rubber caps .

[0045] Thanks to the greater rigidity of the cap 1 , and therefore conversely its lesser deformability, the cap 1 ensures a more secure attachment to the brake caliper .

[0046] The attachment of the cap 1 to the brake caliper - unlike traditional rubber caps - is substantially irreversible . Indeed, operatively, in order for the cap 1 to be removed, it must necessarily be destroyed by means of a tool . This is advantageous when performing maintenance on disc brakes with floating calipers , since the operator is made more aware during the operation of removal and, at the same time , the risk that worn-out caps will be reinstalled erroneously is reduced .

[0047] Preferably, the aforementioned plastic material is chosen from the group consisting of Polyamide , Polycarbonate ( PC ) , Polypropylene ( PP ) , Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS ) , High Density Polyethylene (HDPE ) , Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) , Polyethylene Terephthalate ( PET ) , Polyurethane ( PU) , Polyoxymethylene ( POM) , and Polystyrol ( PS ) . Even more preferably, the aforementioned plastic material consi sts o f polyamide .

[0048] Preferably, the glass fiber content is from 25% to 35% by weight of the cup-like body 10 . Even more preferably, the glass fiber content is from 28 . 5% to 31 . 5% by weight of the cup-like body, and most preferably it is equal to 30% by weight .

[0049] With a glass fiber content by weight falling within the aforementioned ranges , it is possible to impart not only adequate mechanical strength to the cup-like body 10 , but also minimal elastic behavior which, combined with design features described below, allows for installation of the cap 1 on a brake caliper without the help of tools .

[0050] With glass fiber contents greater than the aforementioned ranges , the cup-like body 10 becomes too fragile for a minimal increase in mechanical strength . It has also been found that an increase in the glass fiber content makes the inj ection molding of the cup-like body di f ficult , to the point of being outright impossible for values equal to or greater than 60% by weight .

[0051] Advantageously, as will be reiterated below, the cup-like body 10 may therefore be made by inj ection molding .

[0052] According to an embodiment described in the appended figures , the cup-like body 10 of the cap 1 comprises a bottom wall 11 and a side wall 12 .

[0053] The side wall 12 extends axially from the bottom wall and delimits perimeterally with a free edge 13 thereof a mouth 14 of the cup-like body in a position axially opposed to the bottom wall 11 .

[0054] Preferably, as shown in particular in figures 8 to 12 , the aforementioned side wall defines a tubular body having a substantially circular cross section on a cross section plane transverse to said axial direction . The diameter of the circular cross section may vary along said axial direction .

[0055] Advantageously, the cup-like body 10 comprises means 20 for snap fastening the cup-like body onto a floating brake caliper .

[0056] Preferably, as shown in particular in figures 9 , 10 , and 11 , the aforementioned snap fastening means 20 consist of a plurality of teeth 21 made on an inside surface of the aforementioned side wall 12 of the cuplike body and proj ect toward the inside of the cup-li ke body, forming undercuts .

[0057] Furthermore , in the preferred case in which the side wall 12 defines a tubular body with a circular cross section, each of said aforementioned teeth 21 is defined by a ledge that develops along an arc of circumference of the side wall 12 . [0058] Preferably, the teeth 21 are all positioned at the same height in the axial direction with respect to the bottom wall 11 of the cup-like body 10 .

[0059] According to an embodiment shown in the appended figures , the teeth 21 are preferably distributed along the perimeter extension of the side wall 12 so as to be spaced evenly apart . In this way, especially in combination with all the teeth being positioned at the same height , a more homogeneous mechanical fastening of the cup-like body is achieved, with advantages in terms of better stress distribution when the cap is installed and ease of cap installation on the caliper .

[0060] Operatively, the fact that the snap fastening means consist of a plurality of separate teeth and not a single continuous tooth with a circular crown gives the cup-like body better elasticity, which facilitates manual installation of the cup-like body on the caliper .

[0061] According to a preferred embodiment shown in the appended figures , there are three teeth 21 , each preferably with an angle of between 35 ° and 40 ° . It has been found that with only two teeth, adequate fastening stability is not ensured, whereas with four or five teeth, installation is more di f ficult with the risk that some teeth will not grab hold .

[0062] Preferably, as shown in particular in figures 7 , 11 , and 13 , each tooth 21 is connected to the free edge 13 of the aforementioned side wall 12 by means of a chamfer portion 22 having an inclined chamfer surface 23 which faces toward the inside of the cup-like body and converges toward the aforementioned bottom wall 11 .

[0063] Preferably, as shown in particular in figure 13 , the aforementioned inclined chamfer surface 23 forms an angle of between 28 ° and 32 ° with respect to the axial direction X . Advantageously, during the si zing phase , the value of the angle a may be varied to adj ust the thrusting load of the cup-like body 10 on a caliper, where the "thrusting load" is understood as the force needed during installation to activate the snap fastening means 20 .

[0064] Advantageously, the side wall 12 is flared toward the outside along the entire free edge 13 thereof , connecting to the chamfer portions 22 of the teeth 21 without any break in continuity . In this way, the entire free edge 13 delimiting the mouth 14 of the cup-like body 10 acts as a chamfer for coupling the cap 1 to the caliper, thus facilitating the manual installation thereof .

[0065] Advantageously, as shown in particular in figures 5 , 6 , and 7 , the cap 1 comprises a gasket 30 made of elastomeric material , housed in the cup-like body 10 at the bottom wall 11 . During use , the aforementioned gasket is intended to be compressed between the cup-like body and the floating caliper so as to seal a sliding seat of a guide .

[0066] Preferably, the aforementioned gasket 30 consists of an 0-ring, preferably with a circular shape .

[0067] Advantageously, the aforementioned cup-like body 10 comprises an annular seat 40 , preferably with a circular shape , to house said 0-ring 30 . This annular seat 40 is made in the bottom wall 11 and is coaxial with the side wall 12 of the cup-like body 10 .

[0068] According to a preferred embodiment shown in the appended figures , the aforementioned annular seat 40 consists of a cavity radially delimited between the side wall 12 and a tubular appendage 41 , which extends coaxially from the bottom wall 11 to the side wall 12 . The bottom wall 11 defines the bottom 43 of said cavity 40 .

[0069] In particular, as shown in particular in figures 9 and 10 , the tubular appendage 41 has a circular cross section .

[0070] Advantageously, as shown in particular in figure 13 , the tubular appendage 41 extends axially in height from the bottom wall 11 up to a height h2 less than height hl at which the teeth 21 are located . In this way, there is a predefined distance H in the axial direction between the teeth 21 and the free edge 42 of said tubular appendage 41 .

[0071] Preferably, as shown in particular in figure 13 , the teeth 21 have a smaller radial extension than the radial extent of the annular seat 40 . In other words , the teeth 21 do not extend radially beyond the tubular appendage 41 .

[0072] Preferably, the aforementioned annular seat 41 has an inside diameter greater than the inside diameter of said 0-ring 30 . In this way, the 0-ring 30 , when housed in the seat 40 , is radially deformed .

[0073] Preferably, the aforementioned 0-ring 30 is si zed in such a way that , once housed in the annular seat 40 and therefore radially deformed, the 0-ring 30 extends axially beyond the free edge 42 of the aforementioned tubular appendage 41 until it substantially reaches the teeth 21 . In this way, during use , when the cup-like body is associated with a caliper body, the 0-ring 30 may be axially compressed between the cup-like body 10 and the caliper, thus increasing the sealing capacity and allowing the cap 1 to seal the sliding seat of the guide . Thanks to this axial compression, the 0-ring 30 is pushed to occupy the entire annular seat 40 , as shown in figure 7 , so as to create a barrier to the possible infiltration of water or tiny obj ects between the side wall 12 of the cup-like body and the caliper .

[0074] Advantageously, as shown in particular in figures 6 , 15 , and 16 , the 0-ring 30 has a trapezoidal-shaped radial cross section when it is not deformed . Preferably, the smaller base 31 of this trapezoidal cross section is on the inside of the 0-ring and the larger base 32 of this trapezoidal cross section is on the outside of the 0-ring .

[0075] Operatively, the trapezoidal shape serves to provide a good compromise between ease of installation ( the operation which axially compresses the 0-ring) and ef fective sealing . The greater the axial height of the 0-ring, the greater the compression/def ormation action and therefore the potential sealing . However, with increasing axial height of the 0-ring also comes increased 0-ring rigidity, and consequently increased compressive force required for installation . The trapezoidal shaped cross section allows the 0-ring to be compressed ( so that it is deformed and forms a seal ) while still limiting the effort required for installation .

[0076] The 0-ring may also have a rectangular cross section . However, tests have shown that this shape does not achieve the same results as the trapezoidal shape , since , the sealing seal being equal , installation of the cap requires the use of greater force .

[0077] Operatively, in the preferred embodiment in which the cap 1 comprises an O-ring gasket , the cup-like body essentially serves two functions :

[0078] - maintaining the O-ring ( gasket ) in pressure against the caliper body; and

[0079] - protecting the guide of a floating caliper against the action of external agents ( gravel , pebbles , water ) .

[0080] Operatively, the elastic reaction exerted by the gasket on the cup-like body tends to stabili ze the hold of the cup-like body on the caliper, thus further reducing the risk of accidental removal of the cap from the caliper .

[0081] According to a preferred embodiment shown in the appended figures , the bottom wall 11 of the cup-like body 10 may comprise a shell 15 that is coaxial with the side wall 12 and defines a chamber 16 that extends axially beyond the bottom 43 of the annular seat 40 . Preferably, the shell 15 has a cross section that is not greater than the cross section of the aforementioned tubular appendage 41 , of which it is substantially the axial continuation .

[0082] Operatively, the chamber 16 delimited by the shell 15 axially protruding from the bottom 13 of the annular seat 40 af fords additional free space for any movements of the guide pin . In this way, the risk of the cap interfering with the movements of the guide is further reduced .

[0083] As mentioned earlier, the aforementioned cup-like body 10 may advantageously be made by inj ection molding . In particular, inj ection molding of the cup-like body 10 is possible with multi-cavity molds .

[0084] In particular, as shown in figures 17 and 18 , each tooth 21 (which is an undercut ) may be made by inserting a pin M3 through an upper die-hal f Ml ( defining the outer shape of the cup-like body) and a lower die-hal f M2 ( defining the inner shape of the cup-like body) at the position where the tooth is to be made . Once the inj ection molding is completed, the pin M3 is withdrawn, leaving a window 17 on the bottom wall 11 have a planview dimension equivalent to that of the corresponding tooth 21 . Thanks to the fact that the teeth 21 preferably do not extend radially beyond the tubular appendage 41 , these windows 17 are located at the bottom 43 of the annular seat 40 . During use , this seat 40 is intended to be occupied by the deformed 0-ring gasket . Consequently, the aforementioned windows 17 have no impact on the sealing of the cap 1 .

[0085] The cap 1 according to the invention has been compared to the traditional rubber cap shown in figures 1 to 4 in terms of both mechanical strength and pneumatic seal . In both cases the cap 1 showed a noticeable improvement in performance . In particular, the tests were conducted on caps according to the invention in which the corresponding cup-like bodies were made of polyamide reinforced with 30% glass fiber based on the total weight of the cup-like body .

[0086] In particular, tests were conducted to measure the minimum cap removal force . In greater detail , the test consists in pushing the guide of a floating caliper against the cap and measuring the minimum force that causes the cap to be removed from the caliper body .

[0087] For a traditional rubber cap as shown in figures 1 to 4 , the minimum removal force is 40 N, whereas for a cap 1 according to the invention, it was roughly about 240 N . The cap 1 according to the invention is much stronger than the traditional cap .

[0088] Tests were conducted to evaluate the impact strength of the cap 1 according to the invention and the traditional rubber cap in figures 1-4 . The test device is shown in figure 19 ; a striking mass HM ( a hammer ) of 2 . 6 kg was used . Figures 20 and 21 show two photographs of the impact area of the hammer used in the device of figure 19 on a cap according to the invention and on a traditional rubber cap shown in figures 1-4 , respectively .

[0089] The results of the tests on the traditional rubber cap are given in Table 1 in figure 22 , while the results of the tests on the cap 1 according to the invention are given in Table 2 of figure 23 .

[0090] These tests show that the cap 1 according to the invention has greater impact strength compared to a traditional rubber cap .

[0091] The brittle fracture behavior of the cap according to the invention is advantageous compared to the ductile fracture behavior of traditional rubber caps in terms of the ease of detecting possible damage to the cap . Indeed, perforations or cuts in the rubber cap could be di f ficult to detect , whereas a fracture of the cap according to the invention is clearer and easier to check .

[0092] The subj ect matter of the present invention also relates to a floating caliper for disc brakes , comprising :

[0093] - at least one guide inserted into a sliding seat made in the floating caliper,

[0094] - a protective cap associated with a portion of said caliper that delimits said sliding seat , said cap 1 being arranged so as to close said sliding seat ,

[0095] The protective cap is a protective cap 1 according to the invention and in particular as described above . [0096] The invention allows numerous advantages to be obtained which have been explained in the course of the description .

[0097] The protective cap for floating brake caliper guides according to the invention has greater impact strength .

[0098] The protective cap for floating brake caliper guides according to the invention is not subj ect to , or is at least less subj ect to , accidental removal compared to rubber caps .

[0099] The protective cap for floating brake caliper guides according to the invention provides better watertightness thanks to greater mechanical strength, less deformability, and, in the preferred embodiments , the presence of the gasket .

[00100] The protective cap for floating brake caliper guides according to the invention ensures irreversible fastening, while still being easy to install without the help of tools .

[00101] The invention thus conceived therefore achieves its intended purposes .

[00102] Of course , in its practical implementation it may also assume di f ferent forms and configurations from the one illustrated above , without thereby departing from the present scope of protection .

[00103] Furthermore , all details may be replaced with technically equivalent elements, and dimensions, shapes and materials used may be any according to the needs.