Patent ID: 6499569
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
A drum brake assembly adapted to selectively frictionally engage a brake drum comprising:a backing plate supported relative to a vehicle component; a pair of brake shoes supported on said backing plate for selective movement into frictional engagement with the brake drum, each of said brake shoes including a first end and an opposite second end; a brake mechanism adapted to engage said first ends of said brake shoes so as to cause said brake shoes to move into frictional engagement with the brake drum; and an abutment assembly secured to said backing plate, said abutment assembly including an inner retainer plate disposed adjacent said backing plate, an outer retainer plate, and an anchor shim detachably carried by said inner retainer plate and interposed between said backing plate and said retainer outer plate, said inner retainer plate being generally rectangular in shape and defining a first pair of generally parallel sides and a second pair of generally parallel sides, said first pair of sides being greater than said second pair of sides, said anchor shim being a composite anchor shim having a central portion and a pair of arms which extend outwardly from said central mounting portion, wherein when said anchor shim is installed on said inner retainer plate, said central portion is disposed adjacent and completely spans the entire length of one of said first pair of sides of said inner retainer plate and said pair of arms are disposed adjacent and completely span the entire length of a respective one of said second pair of sides of said inner retainer plate, said anchor shim including an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer surface of said anchor shim adapted to contact said second ends of said brake shoes; wherein said composite anchor shim includes a damping material applied to at least a portion of said inner surface of said anchor shim so as to define only a two-layered damped anchor shim, said two-layered damped anchor shim including an outer layer disposed adjacent said second ends of said brake shoes and in contact with at least a portion thereof, and an inner layer disposed adjacent said inner retainer plate and in contact with at least a portion thereof, said outer layer formed from a first material and said inner layer formed from said damping material.