Patent ID: 12196280

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exemplary arrangement as shown inFIG.1is a floating caliper disk brake, comprising an actuation device (10) according to the disclosure which is installed as a unit in a brake assembly (2) (in this exemplary case a floating caliper). On a drive side (7), a motor drive (electric motor comprising gear mechanism) (6) is coupled to a drive element (20) and drives the drive element (20). The motor drive (6) and the actuation device (10) both belong to an electromagnetic actuation unit (5). A housing (11) of the actuation device (10) is fixed in the brake assembly (2). On a brake side (8), an actuation element (50) is coupled to the brake lining (3) and can transmit movements and forces thereto. Introduced forces and movements are also transmitted to the brake lining (4) via the floating caliper structure.

The structure of the actuation device (10) is described below with reference toFIG.2to6, predominantly with reference toFIG.2. For the sake of clarity, the reference signs are not always included in all of the figures.

On the drive side (7) of the actuation device (10), the drive element (20) is rotatably mounted in the housing (11) via a drive element bearing (21). A drive interface (22) projects through the housing (11). On the brake side, the housing (11) has a cylindrical opening in which the actuation element (50) is mounted such that it can be extended and retracted in a translational manner. A guide element (52) on the actuation element (50) and a guide portion (18) in the housing are used as a guide and prevent the actuation element (50) from rotating relative to the housing (11). The cylindrical opening continues into the interior of the housing and transitions therein into the housing internal thread (17).

The drive element (20) fulfills several functions. It introduces the drive power into the actuation device (10), is part of a clutch (12), and is part of a free-play coupling (77). In the region of the drive element bearing (21), the drive element (20) is disk-shaped. In an adjoining clutch portion (23), the drive element (20) is hollow. A drive spindle (30), by operation of a clutch portion (32) which is also part of the clutch (12), is accommodated in the hollow region, is rotatably mounted against the drive element (20) via a drive spindle bearing (31), and is axially supported against the drive element (20). A projection (25), which is also part of the drive element (20), adjoins the clutch portion (23) of the drive element (20).

The two clutch portions (23,32) overlap concentrically with an inner clutch portion (32) and an outer clutch portion (23). Both clutch portions (23,32) have a plurality of follower seats (24,34) on the circumference, wherein the follower seats (32) in the clutch portion (32) of the drive spindle (30) are designed as recesses into which the follower elements (16) only slightly dip, and wherein the follower seats (23) are movably guided in the clutch portion (23) of the drive element (20), but these cannot leave in the assembled state. On the outside, an annular pre-loading element (13) is also arranged so as to be concentrically overlapping in the region of the clutch portions (23,32), which pre-loading element presses the follower elements (16) radially in the direction of the follower seats (32) of the drive spindle and pre-loads them. This pre-loading results in the drive spindle (30) being entrained in rotation up to a certain torque which acts on the drive element (20). The structure of the clutch (12) can best be seen inFIG.6.

In addition to the clutch portion (32), the drive spindle (30) has a spindle portion (33) which is oriented in the direction of the brake side (8). The drive spindle (30) with its spindle portion (33) drives a spindle nut (40). The spindle nut (40) has an internal thread (41) by which it is operatively connected to the drive spindle (30) in a non-self-locking manner, a coupling region (43) by which the drive spindle (30) is non-rotatably coupled to the actuation element (50), and a contact collar (42). The drive spindle (30) and spindle nut (40) form a rotation-rotation-translation gear mechanism (14).

The spindle nut (40) is arranged in a bore (62) of the adjustment element (60). The adjustment element (60) has a threaded portion (61) which operatively connected to the housing internal thread (17) in a self-locking manner. The adjustment element (60) with its threaded portion (61) and the housing (11) with its housing internal thread (17) thus form the rotation-translation gear mechanism (15). The adjustment element (60) is mounted in a bearing portion (64) by a bearing arrangement (76) so as to be rotatable in relation to the spindle nut (40). The bearing arrangement (76) also allows an axial relative movement between the spindle nut (40) and the adjustment element (60). By its pressure side (65), the adjustment element (60) is axially and rotatably supported in a trough (53) of the actuation element (50) relative to the latter by an axial bearing (71) and is thus operatively connected to the actuation element (50). The pressure side (65) of the adjustment element (60) comprises a spring element system (66). Support between the adjustment element (60) and the actuation element (50) is also provided by a spring arrangement (72) which is arranged between a spring element system (66) and the trough (53) of the actuation element (50). The bore (62) of the adjustment element (60) widens at the end opposite a pressure side (65) and thus forms a contact region (63). The contact region (63) of the adjustment element (60) is operatively connected to a contact collar (42) of the spindle nut (40) via a spring arrangement (75), since the spring arrangement (75) is arranged between the contact region (63) and contact collar (42).

The threaded portion (61) of the adjustment element (60) is also part of a free-play coupling (77), in addition to the projection (25) of the drive element (20). In terms of function, the drive element (20) is thus simultaneously the drive coupling part of the free-play coupling (77), and the actuation element (60) is simultaneously also the output coupling part of the free-play coupling (77). The adjustment element (60) has a recess (67) in the threaded portion (61). The projection (25) engages in the recess (67). Because the projection (25) has rotational play in the recess (67), the drive element (20) can rotate within the play and the recess (67) thus defines the first rotational angle range (A1) of the drive element (20). The angular opening of the recess (67) is delimited by stops (68,69). The projection (25) is designed as a circular segment, the angular extent of which is delimited by the stops (26,27). As long as the projection (25) of the drive element (20) rotates within the rotational play, the adjustment element (60) is not entrained in rotation. If the drive element (20) continues to rotate, the stop (26) comes into contact with the stop (69) and, as the rotation continues, the adjustment element (60) is entrained in rotation. The projection (25) and the recess (67) overlap over a certain length in the axial direction, based on the central axis (MA), such that the rotational entrainment can also take place when the drive element (20) and the adjustment element (60) change their position relative to one another in the axial direction. Or, this configuration enables axial movement of the adjustment element (60) with respect to the drive element (20) while maintaining the coupling function of the free-play coupling (77). Axial movements of this kind are brought about by the rotation-translation gear mechanism (15).

As shown inFIG.7, the drive power of the drive element (20) can be conducted to the actuation element (50) via power transmission trains F1, F2and F3. The actuation device (10) fulfills three operating functions: the service brake function, the wear adjustment and the parking brake function.

With the service brake function, the drive power is transmitted via the power transmission train (F1). The service brake function is used to brake the vehicle while driving. With the service brake function, a torque is applied to the drive element (20) and conducted via the drive element (20) into the actuation device (10). The drive element (20) is rotated within the play of the free-play coupling (77), i.e. within the rotational angle range A1. In this case, the clutch (12) is in a first shift mode in which the drive power is transmitted to the drive spindle (30). The rotational entrainment takes place via follower elements (16) which engage in the follower seats (34) of the drive spindle (30). The spindle portion (33) drives the spindle nut (40) in translation in the non-self-locking rotation-translation gear mechanism (14). In so doing, the spring arrangement (75) is compressed and builds up a spring force. The translational movement of the spindle nut (40) is transmitted to the actuation element (50) via the coupling region (43) of the spindle nut (40) and the coupling region (51) of the actuation element (50). In the service brake function, the clearance between the brake lining (3,4) and the brake disk is thus overcome and a braking force can be applied to the brake disk.

In the event of brake lining wear, the clearance increases to an undesirably great extent. In order to adjust the brake linings, the drive power is transmitted via the power transmission train (F2). If the service brake function is activated, as described above, but with existing brake lining wear, the clearance between the brake lining (3,4) and the brake disk has not yet been overcome if the play in the free-play coupling (77) has already been overcome and the stop (26) has come into contact with the stop (69). In this state, the spring force of the spring arrangement (75) is not yet great enough for the clutch (12) to transition into the second shift mode. Rotational entrainment takes place within the rotational angle range (A2) of the adjustment element (60), which also leads to a translational movement of the adjustment element (60) via the self-locking rotation-translation gear mechanism (15). At the same time, the spindle nut (40) is also translated in the direction of the brake side (6) via the rotation-translation gear mechanism (14) and thus also the actuation element (50) to the same extent as the adjustment element (60) until the increased clearance is overcome. If the drive power is withdrawn from the drive element (20), or if the actuation element (50) is retracted, the back movement only takes place via the power transmission train (F1), i.e. via the rotation-translation gear mechanism (14). The readjusted position of the adjustment element (60) is retained as a result of the self-locking.

In the parking brake function, a greater braking force is required to keep the vehicle safely in a parked state. In the parking brake function, the drive power is transmitted via the power transmission train (F3). Up to a certain torque, the drive power is initially transmitted via the power transmission train (F1). Because a greater torque is introduced, the spindle nut (40) covers a greater translational path and the spring arrangement (75) is compressed more. As a result, a greater reaction torque acts on the clutch portion (23) of the drive spindle, the follower elements (16) disengage, and the clutch thus transitions into the second shift mode. The drive element (20) comes into the rotational angle range (A3). The rotation-translation gear mechanism (14) is disabled, and, via the free-play coupling (77), the adjustment element (60) is driven and moved in a translational manner in the direction of the actuation element (50) via the rotation-translation gear mechanism (15). As a result, the spring arrangement (72) is compressed between the pressure side (65) of the adjustment element (60) and the trough (53) of the actuation element (50). This leads to the build-up of a braking force which, as a result of the self-locking rotation-translation gear mechanism (15), remains self-sustaining, even if no further electrical drive power is fed into the system.

The static braking force can be withdrawn again by rotating the drive element (20) back.

FIGS.2b,3band4beach show the actuation device (10) with the actuation element (50) maximally extended by a distance (V). In this case, the two rotation-translation gear mechanisms (14,15) are fully extended.

InFIG.5, the drive element (20) has a different rotational angle position by comparison withFIGS.4a,4band7, so that the full length of the projection (25) can be seen inFIG.5. InFIGS.4a,4band7, however, the threaded portion (61) of the adjustment element (60) can be seen in a sectional view.