Multiple piece pad clip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9677629-B2
Application number	US-201414467115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A pad clip comprising two or more discrete pieces comprising: one or more clip body sections including a bridge attachment segment located at a bridge end, a spring attachment segment located at a spring end, or both; and one or more bridge sections, one or more retraction springs, or both; wherein the two or more discrete pieces are adapted to be attached together at the bridge attachment segment, spring attachment segment, or both. The teachings also include a method of forming the pad clip, comprising: forming two or more clip body sections, each clip body section including a spring attachment segment; forming one or more retraction springs; attaching the one or more retraction springs to the spring attachment segment of the two or more clip body sections; and installing the pad clip about a support bracket of a brake assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pad clip comprising:
two or more separate and discrete pieces comprising:
a) one or more clip body sections, each clip body section including a bridge attachment segment located at a bridge end of the clip body section, a spring attachment segment located at a spring end of the clip body section, or both; and
b) a bridge section, one or more retraction springs, or both;

wherein the pad clip is a modular pad clip so that a configuration of the pad clip can be customized; and
wherein the two or more separate and discrete pieces are adapted to be attached together at the bridge attachment segment, spring attachment segment, or both.

2. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein the two or more separate and discrete pieces of the pad clip include the bridge section attached to the bridge attachment segments of two clip body sections so that the two clip body sections are separated by a distance and are connected by the bridge section.

3. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein the two or more separate and discrete pieces of the pad clip include the one or more retraction springs attached to the spring attachment segment of the one or more clip body sections.

4. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more separate and discrete pieces has one or more attachment apertures for attaching the two or more separate and discrete pieces.

5. The pad clip of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the two or more separate and discrete pieces has two or more attachment apertures so that the pad clip can be customized for fit and/or spring force within a brake system.

6. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein the two or more separate and discrete pieces are attached by a staking operation, spot welding, peening, or combination thereof.

7. The pad dip of claim 1 , wherein the two or more separate and discrete pieces are formed from different materials.

8. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein the two or more separate and discrete pieces have different thicknesses.

9. The pad dip of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more separate and discrete pieces is coated with a coating prior to assembling the pad clip.

10. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein the one or more clip body sections are formed to generally match a shape of a support bracket of a brake assembly.

11. The pad clip of claim 1 , wherein the one or more clip body sections is non-handed so that the one or more clip body sections are able to fit on any projection and/or abutment of a brake assembly.

12. A brake assembly, comprising:
a) a caliper;
b) a support bracket having a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the leading end, the trailing end, or both, have one or more projections;
c) a rotor extending through the support bracket;
d) two or more brake pads located within the support bracket on opposing sides of the rotor; and
e) a modular pad clip that allows a configuration of the pad clip to be customized located about the leading end of the support bracket, trailing end of the support bracket, or both, wherein the modular pad clip comprises a plurality of separate and discrete pieces adapted to be attached to each other including:
i. two clip body sections,
wherein the two clip body sections each include a bridge attachment segment located at a bridge end of the clip body section and a spring attachment segment located at a spring end of the clip body section;

ii. a bridge section attached to the two clip body sections at the bridge attachment segment so that the two clip body sections are connected yet separated by a distance that is sufficiently large so that the rotor can extend therethrough; and
iii. one or more retraction springs attached to the spring attachment segment of each of the two clip body sections.

13. The pad clip of claim 12 , wherein the two clip body sections, the bridge section, the one or more retraction springs, or combination thereof, include one or more attachment apertures for attaching the plurality of separate and discrete pieces together.

14. The pad clip of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of separate and discrete pieces has two or more attachment apertures so that dimensions of the modular pad clip can be customized to fit the modular pad clip within the brake system.

15. The pad clip of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of separate and discrete pieces are attached by a staking operation, spot welding, peening, or combination thereof.

16. The pad dip of claim 12 , wherein two or more of the plurality of separate and discrete pieces have different thicknesses, are formed from different materials, or both.

Assignees

• Akebono Brake Ind

Inventors

• Boyle Brian Lewis
• Lou Gang

Classifications

• F16D65/0974

  acting on or in the vicinity of the pad rim in a direction substantially transverse to the brake disc axis · CPC title

• F16D55/225

  the braking members being brake pads · CPC title

• F16D65/0006

  Noise or vibration control · CPC title

• F16D65/0978 Primary

  acting on one pad only · CPC title

• F16D65/0972 Primary

  transmitting brake reaction force, e.g. elements interposed between torque support plate and pad · CPC title