Brake caliper for a bicycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12005991-B2
Application number	US-202117542143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2021
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A brake caliper for a bicycle includes a housing configured to be installed on the bicycle, the bicycle including a disc attached to a wheel of the bicycle. A brake pad is installed within the housing and is configured to move between a braking position and a non-braking position. The braking position is a location within the housing where the brake pad contacts the disc when the housing is installed on the bicycle. The non-braking position is a location within the housing where the brake pad is further from the disc than in the braking position. The caliper also includes a biasing member configured to bias the brake pad in a downstream direction within the housing with the brake pad is in the non-braking position, the downstream direction being parallel to a direction of rotation of the disc when a wheel of the bicycle is rotating to move the bicycle forward.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brake caliper for a bicycle, comprising:
a housing configured to be installed on the bicycle, the bicycle including a disc attached to a wheel of the bicycle;
a brake pad installed within the housing, the brake pad configured to move between a braking position and a non-braking position, the braking position being a location within the housing where the brake pad contacts the disc in a state where the housing is installed on the bicycle, and the non-braking position being a location within the housing where the brake pad is further from the disc than the braking position in a state where the housing is installed on the bicycle; and
a biasing member configured to bias the brake pad in a downstream direction within the housing when the brake pad is in the non-braking position, the downstream direction being parallel to a direction of rotation of the disc when a wheel of the bicycle is rotating to move the bicycle forward,
wherein:
the housing comprises:
a first housing wall that is located in the downstream direction relative to the brake pad; and
a second wall that is located in an upstream direction relative to the brake pad, the upstream direction being opposite the downstream direction; and

a downstream-facing surface of the biasing member is convexly shaped so that the biasing member contacts both the second housing wall and the brake pad while also maintaining a space between the biasing member and the second housing wall.

2. The brake caliper according to claim 1 , wherein:
the biasing member is configured to bias the brake pad against the first housing wall so that the brake pad contacts the first housing wall in both the braking position and the non-braking position.

3. The brake caliper according to claim 2 , wherein:
the housing comprises a second housing wall that is located in an upstream direction relative to the brake pad, the upstream direction being opposite the downstream direction; and
the biasing member contacts both the second housing wall and the brake pad in order to bias the brake pad in the downstream direction.

4. The brake caliper according to claim 3 , wherein:
the brake pad comprises:
a friction member; and
a support member, the support member having an extension portion extending beyond the friction member in a direction parallel to a radial direction of the disc in the state of the housing being installed on the bicycle; and

the biasing member contacts the extension portion in order to bias the brake pad in the downstream direction.

5. The brake caliper according to claim 4 , wherein:
the biasing member comprises:
a contact surface that contacts the support member;
a lower tab located radially inward from the contact surface in the radial direction of the disc in the state of the housing being installed on the bicycle; and
an upper tab, the upper tab being located radially outward from the contact surface in the radial direction of the disc in the state of the housing being installed on the bicycle; and

both the lower tab and the upper tab contact the second housing wall in order to bias the brake pad in the downstream direction.

6. The brake caliper according to claim 5 , wherein the upper tab is connected to the second housing wall.

7. The brake caliper according to claim 6 , wherein the upper tab is embedded within the second housing wall.

8. The brake caliper according to claim 5 , wherein the lower tab contacts the second housing wall, but is not connected to the second housing wall.

9. The brake caliper according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is made of a resilient material.

10. A brake caliper for a bicycle, comprising:
a housing configured to be installed on the bicycle, the bicycle including a disc attached to a wheel of the bicycle, the housing including a bleed port;
a brake pad configured to move between a braking position and a non-braking position, the braking position being a location in the housing where the brake pad contacts the disc in a state where the housing is installed on the bicycle, and the non-braking position being a location in the housing where the brake pad is further from the disc than the braking position in a state where the housing is installed on the bicycle; and
a biasing member configured to bias the brake pad within the housing in a direction away from the bleed port in the non-braking position;
wherein:
the housing comprises:
a first housing wall that is located in the direction away from the bleed port relative to the brake pad; and
a second wall that is located in a direction toward the bleed port relative to the brake pad; and

a brake-pad-facing surface of the biasing member is convexly shaped so that the biasing member contacts both the second housing wall and the brake pad while also maintaining a space between the biasing member and the second housing wall.

11. The brake caliper according to claim 10 , wherein:
the biasing member is configured to bias the brake pad against the first housing wall so that the brake pad contacts the first housing wall in both the braking position and the non-braking position.

12. The brake caliper according to claim 11 , wherein:
the housing comprises a second housing wall that is located in a direction toward the bleed port relative to the brake pad; and
the biasing member contacts both the second housing wall and the brake pad in order to bias the brake pad away from the second housing wall in the direction away from the bleed port.

13. The brake caliper according to claim 12 , wherein:
the brake pad comprises:
a friction member; and
a support member, the support member having an extension portion extending beyond the friction member in a direction parallel to a radial direction of the disc in the state of the housing being installed on the bicycle; and

the biasing member contacts the extension portion in order to bias the brake pad in the direction away from the bleed port.

14. The brake caliper according to claim 13 , wherein:
the biasing member comprises:
a lower tab located radially inward from the brake-pad-facing surface in the radial direction of the disc in the state of the housing being installed on the bicycle; and
an upper tab, the upper tab being located radially outward from the brake-pad-facing surface in the radial direction of the disc in the state of the housing being installed on the bicycle; and

both the lower tab and the upper tab contact the second housing wall in order to bias the brake pad in the direction away from the bleed port.

15. The brake caliper according to claim 14 , wherein the upper tab is connected to the second housing wall.

16. The brake caliper according to claim 15 , wherein the upper tab is embedded within the second housing wall.

17. The brake caliper according to claim 14 , wherein the lower tab contacts the second housing wall, but is not connected to the second housing wall.

18. The brake caliper according to claim 10 , wherein the biasing member is made of a resilient material.

19. A brake caliper for a bicycle, comprising:
a housing configured to be installed on the bicycle, the bicycle including a disc attached to a wheel of the bicycle;
a first brake pad installed within the housing, the first brake pad configured to contact the disc in a state where the housing is installed on the bicycle, the first brake pad comprises:
a first friction member; and
a first support member, the first support member having a first extension portion extending beyond the first friction member in a

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Fujii Nobuyoshi
• Kuwayama Kazuya
• Koshiyama Kazuki
• Shirai Toyoto
• Hosomi Yusuke

Classifications

• F16D65/0068 Primary

  Brake calipers · CPC title

• F16D65/0978

  acting on one pad only · CPC title

• F16D2055/0016

  Brake calipers · CPC title

• B62K2201/06

  Leaf springs · CPC title

• B62L1/005 Primary

  constructional features of brake elements, e.g. fastening of brake blocks in their holders · CPC title