Patent ID: 6039155
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
A brake for a vehicle, comprising:an anchor fixed to a support, said anchor having parallel first and second rails, said first rail having first and second sections each of which have a first surface separated from a second surface by a first groove, said second rail having first and second sections each of which have a third surface separated from a fourth surface by a second groove, said first surface having a constraining surface thereon, said second surface having a first bearing surface thereon, said third surface having an aligning surface thereon and said fourth surface having a second bearing surface thereon, said constraining surface and said aligning surface being non-symmetrical with respect to each other, said first bearing surface being located in a first angled plane and said second bearing surface being located in a second angled plane with respect to a radial reference extending from an axis of rotation, said constraining surface and second bearing surface having a first complementary angled relationship and said aligning surface and first bearing surface having a second complementary angled relationship;a first friction pad having a first carrier member with first and second projections and first and second retaining ears extending from first and second ends of said first carrier member, said first projection contacting said first surface along a line of tangency in said first section of said first rail while said second projection contacting said fourth surface along a line of tangency in the first section of said second rail;a second friction pad having a second carrier member with third and fourth projections and third and fourth retaining ears extending from first and second ends of said second carrier member, said third projection contacting said first surface along a line of tangency in said second section of said first rail while said fourth projection contacting said fourth surface along a line of tangency in the second section of said second rail;a rotor located in a plane perpendicular to said first and second rails and having a peripheral surface that extends along a radial arc on said axis of rotation; andmeans for moving said first and second friction pads into engagement with said rotor during a brake application to develop a braking force, said first and second carrier members being stressed at said lines of tangency contact with said first rail and compressed along at said lines of tangency contact with said second rail by said braking force during forward rotation of said rotor to uniformly transmit substantially equal components of said braking force through said first and second rails into said anchor.