Patent Publication Number: US-2022212644-A1

Title: Hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to calipers of disc brakes and more particularly, to a hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The conventional brake systems used in cars include a service brake system commonly referred to as foot brake, and a parking brake system commonly referred to as hand brake. The service brake system acts on four wheels at the same time, but the parking brake system usually acts on two drive wheels (e.g., rear wheels) only. In each of the brake systems, two brake pads of a caliper, which are commonly referred to as linings, are primarily adopted to clamp a brake disc fixed to the wheel to attain braking effect on the wheels. 
     The conventional service brake system and parking brake system are usually operated in a way that the driver steps on a brake pedal or pull a handbrake lever to actuate a hydraulic drive, so that the hydraulic drive drives the aforementioned caliper to make the brake pads clamp the brake disc to attain the braking effect. Alternatively, in the parking brake system, an electronic drive (e.g., motor) may be adopted to drive the caliper, so that the driver can control the parking brake function by a button or other kinds of effort-saving switches. However, the above-described caliper driven by the electronic drive is usually integrated with single one hydraulic piston to attain hydraulic brake function (i.e., service brake function), but the clamping force thereof still needs to be improved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper, which is driven by a hydraulic drive and an electronic drive to attain service brake and parking brake functions, and the present invention is simple in structure and can generate relatively larger clamping force. 
     To attain the above objective, the present invention provides a hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper which includes a base, a main body disposed on the base and movable relative to the base along an axis, first and second brake pads disposed in the main body and individually movable relative to the main body along the axis, first and second hydraulic pistons disposed in the main body and capable of being driven by a hydraulic source to move relative to the main body along the axis, an electronic drive fixed to the main body, a threaded rod disposed on the electronic drive capably of being driven by the electronic drive to rotate and inserted into the main body, and a linearly displacing member screwed onto the threaded rod and capable of being driven by the threaded rod to linearly displace relative to the threaded rod along the axis to first, second and third positions. The hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper is adapted for a brake disc to be disposed between the first and second brake pads. When being driven by the hydraulic source, the first and second hydraulic pistons respectively push the first and second brake pads to move toward first and second directions to press against the brake disc. When the linearly displacing member is moved relative to the threaded rod from the first position to the second position, the linearly displacing member pushes the first hydraulic piston and the first brake pad to move toward the first direction to press against the brake disc. When the linearly displacing member is moved relative to the threaded rod from the second position to the third position, the threaded rod, the electronic drive and the main body are moved toward the second direction to make the second hydraulic piston and the second brake pad press against the brake disc. 
     As a result, the present invention provides the structurally simple integrated caliper driven by the electronic drive and having two hydraulic pistons for being driven by the hydraulic drive, which can not only attain service brake and parking brake functions, but also generate larger clamping force than the caliper with single one hydraulic piston. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the structural features and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of a hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 , showing a status that first and second brake pads of the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper both don&#39;t press against a brake disc; 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing another status that the first brake pad of the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper presses against the brake disc and the second brake pad doesn&#39;t press against the brake disc; 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing still another status that the first and second brake pads of the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper both press against the brake disc; 
         FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , but  FIG. 5  shows an electronic parking condition and  FIG. 6  shows a hydraulic brake condition; 
         FIG. 7  is an assembled perspective view of a brake pad assembly of the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper; 
         FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  are sectional views taken along the line  8 - 8  and the line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 7  respectively; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper taken along the line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is similar to  FIG. 8 , but showing another configuration of a brake pad bridging plate of a suppressing member. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     First of all, it is to be mentioned that in the following embodiment and claims, when it is mentioned that an element is disposed on another element, it means that the former element is directly disposed on the latter element, or the former element is indirectly disposed on the latter element through one or more other elements between aforesaid former and latter elements. When it is mentioned that an element is directly disposed on another element, it means that no other element is disposed between aforesaid former and latter elements. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , a hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper  10  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention primarily includes a base assembly  20 , a main body  30 , a brake pad assembly  40  as shown in  FIG. 7 , a first hydraulic piston  51 , a second hydraulic piston  52 , and a linear displacement device  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the base assembly  20  includes a base  22 , and two shafts  24 . The base  22  includes a basal portion  222  extending as an elongated shape along a first axis (i.e., X-axis), and two installation arms  224  extending upwardly from two ends of the basal portion  222  respectively along a second axis (i.e., Z-axis). The basal portion  222  is adapted to be fixed to a fixed portion of a car to make the caliper  10  installed on the car. Each of the installation arms  224  has a through hole  226  penetrating through the part of the installation arm  224  close to the top end thereof along a third axis (i.e., Y-axis). Each of the shafts  24  includes an insert portion  242 , and a threaded portion  244  located at an end of the insert portion  242  and having threads. 
     The main body  30  includes a first installation seat  31 , a second installation seat  32 , and four bolts  34 . Each of the first and second installation seats  31  and  32  includes a connecting portion  311  or  321  approximately plate-shaped along X-Z plane, and a protruding portion  312  or  322  connected with the connecting portion  311  or  321  integrally. Referring to  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 5 , the connecting portion  311  of the first installation seat  31  is provided on a side thereof with a first inner surface  313  facing toward the negative direction of Y-axis (also referred to as first direction D 1 , as shown in  FIG. 4 ). The protruding portion  312  protrudes from another side of the connecting portion  311  toward the positive direction of Y-axis (also referred to as second direction D 2 , as shown in  FIG. 5 ). On the contrary, the connecting portion  321  of the second installation seat  32  is provided on a side thereof with a second inner surface  323  facing toward the second direction D 2 . The protruding portion  322  protrudes from another side of the connecting portion  321  toward the first direction Dl. The protruding portions  312  and  322  of the first and second installation seats  31  and  32  are provided therein with a first hydraulic cylinder  314  and a second hydraulic cylinder  324 , respectively. The first hydraulic cylinder  314  extends from the first inner surface  313  toward the second direction D 2 , which means the opening thereof is located on the first inner surface  313 . The second hydraulic cylinder  324  extends from the second inner surface  323  toward the first direction D 1 , which means the opening thereof is located on the second inner surface  323 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the protruding portion  312  of the first installation seat  31  includes a middle section  315  provided therein with the first hydraulic cylinder  314 , two fastened sections  316  located on two sides of the middle section  315  respectively, and two extending arms  317  extending from the two fastened sections  316  toward the positive and negative directions of X-axis respectively. Each of the extending arms  317  has a through hole  318  penetrating through the part of the extending arm  317  close to the terminal end thereof along Y-axis. The four bolts  34  are inserted through the fastened sections  316  and connecting portion  311  of the first installation seat  31  and screwed into the connecting portions  321  of the second installation seat  32 . As a result, the first and second installation seats  31  and  32  are fixed to each other, and an accommodating space  36  is formed between the first and second inner surfaces  313  and  323  to accommodate the brake pad assembly  40 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the two installation arms  224  of the base  22  are located between the connecting portion  311  and the two extending arms  317  of the first installation seat  31  respectively. The insert portions  242  of the two shafts  24  are inserted through the through holes  318  of the two extending arms  317  respectively, and inserted through the through holes  226  of the two installation arms  224  respectively. The threaded portions  244  of the two shafts  24  are threadedly fixed to the connecting portions  311  of the first installation seat  31 . As a result, the main body  30  is attached to the base  22  by the two shafts  24 , and the two shafts  24  are slidable linearly in the through holes  226 , so that the main body  30  is movable relative to the base  22  along Y-axis. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , the brake pad assembly  40  includes a first brake pad  41 A, a second brake pad  41 B, two supporting pillars  43 , two limiting members  44 , and a suppressing member  45 . The first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are the same in shape but arranged symmetrically to each other with respect to X-Z plane. Each of the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B includes a pressing portion  411  approximately shaped as a rectangular plate along X-Z plane, and two outer extending portions  412  and an inner extending portion  413 , which extend upwardly from the pressing portion  411 . Each junction of the outer extending portion  412  and the pressing portion  411  is provided with a rectangular through hole  414 . The top surface  415  of the inner extending portion  413  is lower than the outer extending portions  412 , so that the tops of the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are approximately U-shaped. Each of the supporting pillars  43  has a head portion  431 , a rod portion  432  and a threaded portion  433 , which are integrally connected in order. The rod portion  432  is inserted toward the second direction D 2  through the connecting portion  321  of the second installation seat  32 , the through hole  414  of the second brake pad  41 B and the through hole  414  of the first brake pad  41 B in order. The threaded portion  433  is threadedly fixed to the connecting portion  311  of the first installation seat  31 . The head portion  431  is abutted against the connecting portion  321  of the second installation seat  32 . As a result, the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are disposed in the accommodating space  36  of the main body  30  by the two supporting pillars  43 , and the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are individually movable relative to the main body  30  along Y-axis and adapted for a brake disc  71  to be disposed between the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , each of the limiting members  44  is bent from a circular thin rod and includes a vertical portion  441  and a horizontal portion  442 . The horizontal portion  442  is U-shaped and thereby has an arc section  443  and two straight sections  444 . The vertical portion  441  includes two branches  445  and  446  extending downwardly from the two straight sections  444  respectively, wherein the branch  445  is straight, but the branch  446  has a curved section  447 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9 , the suppressing member  45  includes a brake pad bridging plate  46 , and a supporting pillar bridging plate  47  fixed on the top surface  461  of the brake pad bridging plate  46  in an intersecting manner with the brake pad bridging plate  46 . The brake pad bridging plate  46  is bent from a thin plate and includes a top plate portion  462 , two outer bent portions  463  integrally extending in a downward bent manner from two sides of the top plate portion  462  respectively, two bottom plate portions  464  integrally extending from the two outer bent portions  463  respectively, parallel to the top plate portion  462  and located below the top plate portion  462 , and two inner bent portions  465  integrally extending in an upward bent manner from the two bottom plate portions  464  respectively and located below the top plate portion  462 . A gap  466  is provided between the two inner bent portions  465  and located right below the supporting pillar bridging plate  47 . The parts of the two bottom plate portions  464  close to the outer bent portions  463  are abutted on the top surfaces  415  of the inner extending portions  413  of the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B respectively. The supporting pillar bridging plate  47  is also bent from a thin plate and includes a horizontal portion  471  located on the top surface  461  of the brake pad bridging plate  46 , two inclined portions  472  extending downwardly and inclinedly from the horizontal portion  471  toward the two supporting pillars  43  respectively, and two arc portions  473  extending in an arc-shaped upward bent manner from the two inclined portions  472  respectively. The two supporting pillars  43  are partially accommodated in the two arc portions  473  respectively. As a result, the suppressing member  45  is positioned on the tops of the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B by the two supporting pillars  43 . At this time, two slots  48  are provided between one of the outer bent portions  463  of the brake pad bridging plate  46  and the connecting portion  321  of the second installation seat  32  and located correspondingly to the two supporting pillars  43  respectively, as shown in  FIG. 10 . The vertical portions  441  of the two limiting members  44  are inserted in the two slots  48  respectively. The branches  445  of the vertical portions  441  of the two limiting members  44  are fixedly inserted through the rod portions  432  of the two supporting pillars  43  respectively. The horizontal portions  442  of the two limiting members  44  extend horizontally from the top ends of the vertical portions  441  toward the first direction D 1  and located above the second installation seat  32  with a tiny distance therefrom. It is to be mentioned that in order to clearly indicate where the sectional view of  FIG. 10  is taken, the associated line  10 - 10  is marked in  FIG. 8 . However,  FIG. 10  is not the sectional view of the brake pad assembly  40  as shown in  FIG. 8  only, but the sectional view of the caliper  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , each of the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  has a close end  511  or  521 , an open end  512  or  522 , and an accommodating hole  513  or  523  extending from the open end  512  or  522  toward the close end  511  or  521 . The first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  are disposed in the first and second hydraulic cylinders  314  and  324  with the close ends  511  and  521  thereof facing toward the first and second directions D 1  and D 2  respectively. A hydraulic source  72  applies hydraulic oil to the first hydraulic cylinder  314  through an infusion hole  319  of the first installation seat  31 , and the hydraulic oil is applied from the first hydraulic cylinder  314  to the second hydraulic cylinder  324  through a plurality of conveying pipes  37  communicating with the first and second hydraulic cylinders  314  and  324 , so that the first and second hydraulic cylinders  314  and  324  and the accommodating holes  513  and  523  of the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  are filled with liquid provided by the hydraulic source  72 , i.e. the hydraulic oil. As a result, the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  can be driven by the hydraulic source  72  to move relative to the main body  30  along Y-axis in the first and second hydraulic cylinders  314  and  324  respectively. 
     The linear displacement device  60  includes an electronic drive  61  (e.g., motor), a threaded rod  62 , and a linearly displacing member  63 . The electronic drive  61  is fixed to the protruding portion  312  of the first installation seat  31 . The threaded rod  62  is coaxially fixed to a driving shaft  611  of the electronic drive  61 , thereby capable of being driven by the electronic drive  61  to rotate. Besides, the threaded rod  62  is inserted from the electronic drive  61  toward the first direction D 1  into the first hydraulic cylinder  314 . The linearly displacing member  63  is disposed in the accommodating hole  513  of the first hydraulic piston  51 , screwed onto the threaded rod  62  and capable of being driven by the threaded rod  62  to linearly displace relative to threaded rod  62  along Y-axis. Specifically speaking, the accommodating hole  513  of the first hydraulic piston  51  is shaped non-circularly, and the linearly displacing member  63  has a positioning portion  631  shaped correspondingly to the accommodating hole  513 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the accommodating hole  513  and the positioning portion  631  are octagon-shaped. The positioning portion  631  is embedded in the accommodating hole  513  in a way that the linearly displacing member  63  is movable relative to the first hydraulic piston  51  along Y-axis. 
     When the linearly displacing member  63  is located relative to the threaded rod  62  at a first position P 1  as shown in  FIG. 3 , the linearly displacing member  63  is just contacted with the first hydraulic piston  51 , but not pushes the first hydraulic piston  51  to move. At this time, the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are both not in contact with the brake disc  71 , which means they don&#39;t generate any braking effect. When the driver wants to perform the electronic parking function, the driver actuates the electronic drive  61  by a switch in the car to drive the threaded rod  62  to rotate, thereby driving the linearly displacing member  63  to move relative to the threaded rod  62  toward the first direction Dl. When the linearly displacing member  63  is moved relative to the threaded rod  62  from the first position P 1  to a second position P 2  as shown in  FIG. 4 , the linearly displacing member  63  pushes the first hydraulic piston  51  and the first brake pad  41 A to move toward the first direction D 1  to press against a side of the brake disc  71 . Specifically speaking, in  FIG. 4 , the pressing portion  411  of the first brake pad  41 A presses against the right side of the brake disc  71 . At this time, the linearly displacing member  63 , the first hydraulic piston  51  and the first brake pad  41 A can&#39;t be moved toward the first direction D 1  anymore, but the electronic drive  61  still continues driving the threaded rod  62  to rotate in the same direction, thereby making the threaded rod  62  rotationally move toward the second direction D 2 . That means at this time the relative movement of the threaded rod  62  and the linearly displacing member  63  is changed from that the linearly displacing member  63  is moved toward the first direction D 1  as described above to that the linearly displacing member  63  is unmoved but the threaded rod  62  is moved toward the second direction D 2 , so that the position of the linearly displacing member  63  relative to the threaded rod  62  is changed from the second position P 2  to a third position P 3  as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this process, the threaded rod  62  drives the electronic drive  61  and the main body  30  to move toward the second direction D 2 , which means the first and second installation seats  31  and  32  are both moved toward the second direction D 2  along with the threaded rod  62 . Therefore, the distance between the first installation seat  31  and the first brake pad  41 A in  FIG. 5  is larger than such distance in  FIG. 4 . The movement of the second installation seat  32  makes the second hydraulic piston  52  and the second brake pad  41 B press against the other side of the brake disc  71 . Specifically speaking, in  FIG. 5 , the pressing portion  411  of the second brake pad  41 B presses against the left side of the brake disc  71 , such that the electronic parking function is attained. When wanting to cancel the parking function, the driver only has to use the aforementioned switch to make the electronic drive  61  reversely drive the threaded rod  62  to rotate. The relative position of the threaded rod  62  and the linearly displacing member  63  will return to the first position P 1  as shown in  FIG. 3 , and the electronic drive  61  and the main body  30  will be driven by the threaded rod  62  to return to the position as shown in  FIG. 3 , so that the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are no longer forced by the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  to press against the brake disc  71 . When rotating, the brake disc  71  can make the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B return to where they are not in contact with the brake disc  71 . 
     It is to be mentioned that because the threaded portions  433  of the supporting pillars  43  are threadedly fixed to the connecting portion  311  of the first installation seat  31 , if the vibration caused by the operation of the caliper  10  makes the supporting pillar  43  rotate, which may or may not happen, the limiting member  44  inserted in the rod portion  432  of the supporting pillar  43  will rotate along with the supporting pillar  43  until the horizontal portion  442  of the limiting member  44  is abutted and stuck on the top of the second installation seat  32 . In this way, the supporting pillar  43  is prevented from continuing rotating to separate from the first installation seat  31 , so that safety ensuring is attained. Besides, the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the brake disc  71  may make the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B move upwardly, i.e., move toward the positive direction of Z-axis. The aforementioned suppressing member  45  can generate suppressing effect to the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B to prevent the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B from moving upwardly. 
     When the driver wants to perform the braking function while the car is moving, the driver actuates the hydraulic source  72  by the brake pedal to apply more hydraulic oil to the first and second hydraulic cylinders  314  and  324  and the accommodating holes  513  and  523  of the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52 . In this way, the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  are driven to respectively push the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B to move toward the first and second directions D 1  and D 2  to press against two sides of the brake disc  71 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , thereby generating the hydraulic brake function. Likewise, when the user releases the brake pedal, the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B are no longer forced by the first and second hydraulic pistons  51  and  52  to press against the brake disc  71 . When rotating, the brake disc  71  will make the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B return to where they are not in contact with the brake disc  71 . Besides, in this embodiment, the bottom plate portions  464  of the brake pad bridging plate  46  extend parallel to the top plate portion  462 . However, the present invention is unlimited thereto. For example, another possibly implemented configuration of the brake pad bridging plate  46  of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 11 , wherein the bottom plate portions  464  extend from the outer bent portions  463  inwardly, downwardly and inclinedly with respect to the top plate portion  462 . In this way, the bottom plate portions  464  of the brake pad bridging plate  46  can not only generate the suppressing effect to the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B to prevent the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B from moving upwardly. When the parking or braking function is canceled, the inclined bottom plate portions  464  can provide an outward elastically restoring force, which facilitates the first and second brake pads  41 A and  41 B to return to where they are not in contact with the brake disc  71 . 
     In conclusion, the hydraulic brake and electronic parking integrated caliper  10  of the present invention is driven by a hydraulic drive (i.e., the hydraulic source  72 ) and the electronic drive  61  to attain the service brake and parking brake functions, and the present invention uses a simple structure to apply two hydraulic pistons to perform the service brake function, which can generate relatively larger clamping force. Besides, the linear displacement device of the existing electronic parking caliper can be kept to be combined with the members of the present invention other than the linear displacement device  60 , so that the existing electronic parking caliper can be refitted as the caliper of the present invention to generate relatively larger clamping force. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.