Patent Publication Number: US-2011056778-A1

Title: Brake Lining Arrangement for Disc Brakes

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2009/003200 filed May 4, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety, and which claimed priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2008 022 200.3 filed May 6, 2008, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a brake lining arrangement for disc brakes having at least one spring journal arranged on the back of the brake lining and a spring element that may be coupled to the spring journal, wherein the spring element has a fastening section with a receiving opening for receiving the spring journal. 
     Such an arrangement is known for example from EP 0 609 245 B1. In this brake lining arrangement, for fastening a retaining spring, by means of which the brake lining plus plate-shaped brake lining carrier is held in a caliper arrangement, there is formed on a lining backplate a projection, which projects from the plate plane. For fastening the retaining spring to the lining backplate the retaining spring has an opening, by which it may be placed over the projection and moved into a correct angular position. Once the retaining spring is in a correct position, the projection is riveted, i.e. plastically deformed, so that it broadens sideways, projects beyond the edges of the opening and presses the retaining spring onto the lining backplate. During the riveting operation the portion of the projection protruding through the opening also deforms. The cross section of the projection is likewise broadened by the riveting operation until it abuts the edges of the opening and adapts its shape to the square shape of the opening. 
     This retaining spring, despite the riveted joint, may twist out of its setpoint position or even detach itself from the projection on the lining backplate because it is held in position only by the adaptation of the projection to the shape of the opening. Especially during operation of a disc brake with a brake pad according to EP 0 609 245 B1 the vibrations and impacts arising in a vehicle may easily cause the opening of the retaining spring or the projection to become deformed and no longer capable of preventing a twisting of the retaining spring. Furthermore, after the riveting operation it is impossible by visual inspection to establish reliably enough whether the cross section of the projection has enlarged sufficiently and an adequate positive connection between both components has been produced. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A feature of the present invention is therefore to provide a brake lining arrangement, with which a spring element is retained in a permanently twistproof manner at its predetermined position and its fastening may be checked. 
     This feature is achieved by a brake lining arrangement of the initially described type, in which on the surface of the fastening section of the spring element remote from the brake lining a profiling is configured, which during a plastic deformation of the spring journal to fix the spring element comes into engagement therewith and fixes the spring element in a predetermined position. During assembly the spring journal, as in the prior art, is plastically deformed. Its material then flows into the profiling and, on the one hand, provides twist proofing and, on the other hand, makes it possible to identify whether an adequate fastening of the spring element as a result of the plastic deformation of the spring journal is guaranteed. 
     A development of the invention provides that the surface of the fastening section has an irregular surface structure, in particular in the form of toothing, knurling or fluting. In this connection it should be mentioned that the irregular surface structure may according to the invention be configured at least in sections around the receiving opening. 
     In order to achieve maximum security against twisting and/or a permanent fastening of the spring element in a predetermined position, a preferred form of construction of the invention provides that the spring journal is plastically deformed by riveting or caulking, wherein a positive connection is produced between the spring element and the profiled surface of the spring element. By virtue of the plastic deformation the spring journal is deformed in such a way that it engages into the surface structure of the spring element and produces the said positive connection between these two components. Furthermore, as is likewise indicated above, after the riveting operation it is possible to establish by visual inspection whether an adequate positive connection has been produced between the profiled surface and the spring journal. 
     With regard to the arrangement of the spring journal on the brake lining arrangement, it may be provided that the spring journal is formed directly on the brake lining and/or a plate-shaped brake lining carrier or takes the form of a separate component, for example in the form of a separate bolt, that is mountable on the brake lining. In this connection it should further be mentioned that the spring journal may comprise a rivet head. 
     For mounting the brake lining arrangement on the brake piston of a disc brake, a form of construction of the invention provides that the spring element has on its end a bow section with a detent formation. Furthermore, for mounting the spring element on the brake lining arrangement, according to a preferred form of construction of the invention there are formed on the brake lining projections, to which the spring element may be fastened by means of the spring journal, wherein in this case the bow section of the spring element projects above the projections. 
     For positioning and/or centering the brake lining arrangement during mounting onto a brake and/or a brake piston, it may further be provided that the brake lining has positioning elements. 
     The invention further relates to a disc brake having a brake lining arrangement according to the invention. 
     Other advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective partial view of a brake lining arrangement according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the brake lining arrangement according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the brake lining arrangement according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective overall view of the brake lining arrangement according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a brake lining arrangement  10  having a spring journal  14 , which is arranged on the back of the brake lining  12 , and a spring element  16  after the rivet fastening of the spring journal  14 . Further evident from  FIG. 1  is a fastening section  18  of the spring element  16  that has an irregular surface structure  22  and/or profiling at least in sections around a receiving opening  20 . The surface structure may be configured in particular in the form of toothing, knurling or fluting. On the spring element  16  a bow section  24  is further provided, by means of which a fastening of the brake lining arrangement  10  to a brake piston (not shown) of a disc brake is possible. 
       FIG. 1  further shows a projection  26 , to which the spring element  16  may be fastened by means of the spring journal  14 . It is further evident that the end region of the bow section  24  projects above the projection  26  into the cross section of the brake lining  12 . 
     In order to fasten the spring element  16  to the brake lining  12 , the spring element  16  is fitted onto the spring journal  14 . For this purpose the spring element  16  receives the spring journal  14  in its receiving opening  20 . The spring element  16  is brought with its fastening section  18  into a predetermined position on the projection  26 . Then the spring journal  14  is plastically deformed, i.e. riveted or caulked. By virtue of the plastic deformation material of the spring journal  14  flows in the region of the profiled surface  22  on the fastening section  18  of the spring element  16  and comes into positive engagement therewith. The material of the spring journal  14  therefore flows as a result of its plastic deformation into the tooth spaces of the profiled surface structure  22  of the fastening section  18 . A positive connection to the surface structure  22  of the fastening section  18  is therefore produced, by means of which the spring element  16  is fastened in a fixed and twistproof manner to the back of the brake lining  12 . 
     Following the previously described assembly it is possible by visual inspection to check whether an adequate positive connection has been produced between the profiled surface  22  and the spring journal  14 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of the brake lining arrangement  10  after riveting or caulking of the spring journal  14 . It may be seen clearly from  FIG. 2  that the cross section of the spring journal  14  has enlarged and that by means of the irregular surface structure  22  (not shown here) a positive connection has been produced between the spring journal  14  and the surface structure of the fastening section  18  of the spring element  16 . It is equally evident from  FIG. 2  that the bow section  24  of the spring element  16  above the projection  26  overlaps the brake lining  12 . The bow section  24  on its end that projects above the projection  26  has a detent formation  28 , by means of which the brake lining  12  may establish a detent connection with a corresponding counterpart on a brake piston (not shown) and/or a caliper arrangement of a disc brake. 
       FIG. 3  shows a front view of the brake lining arrangement after the riveting operation. One may therefore see once more the projection  26 , on which the spring element  16  is arranged by its fastening section  18 , and the bow section  24  projecting above the projection  26 . Further evident from  FIG. 3  is the detent formation  28  on the bow section  24  of the spring element  16 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective overall view of the brake lining arrangement  10  that moreover clearly shows the position of the spring elements  16  on the brake lining  12 . Formed on the sides of the brake lining  12  are the previously mentioned projections  26 , to which the two spring elements  16  may be fastened by their fastening sections  18  by means of the spring journals  14 . Above the projections  26  the bow section  24  of the spring elements  16  overlaps the brake lining  12 . 
     Further evident from  FIG. 4  are positioning elements  30  for positioning and/or centering the brake lining arrangement  10  on a brake piston (not shown) of a caliper brake arrangement. The positioning elements  30  facilitate and speed up assembly of the brake lining arrangement because counterparts corresponding to the positioning elements  30  are formed on the brake pistons. 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.