Dustproof cover for brake caliper and brake caliper

Abstract

Described herein is a dust cover (300) arranged to be coupled to a brake caliper wherein the dust cover (300) has an annular shape defining an axis (X) and comprises: a radially outer portion (302) having a shape symmetrical about a diametral plane (P) of the dust cover, the outer portion is adapted to be joined to a seating portion formed within the body of the brake caliper; -a wall portion (304) extending from the outer portion towards an axis (X) of the dust cover. A brake caliper is also described herein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally belongs to the field of brake calipers; in particular, the present invention relates to a dust cover for a brake caliper and a brake caliper. Background Art

[0002] Typically, as can be seen, for example, Figure 1 in a disc brake caliper 100 includes a body 102, at least one element 104 adapted to support at least one brake pad 106, and at least one piston / cylinder 108 adapted to move at least one of the brake pads.

[0003] The brake caliper also includes at least one dust cover. Generally speaking, a dust cover is an element adapted to prevent dust / fine dust from entering the seating portion of the brake caliper body, in which at least one piston is accommodated.

[0004] Currently, the dust covers produced according to the related art have a geometry that allows the dust cover to be applied only on one side, such that during assembly, it is necessary to position it on the correct side in the brake caliper, which is initially done by assembling the dust cover to the piston.

[0005] This assembly step of assembling the dust sleeve to the piston must ensure continuous assembly on the brake caliper body, but the same geometry of the seating portion on the piston does not ensure the correct positioning of the dust sleeve relative to the brake caliper body. Therefore, if there is no proper inspection and objectifications on the production line, the dust cover may also be incorrectly assembled into the brake caliper.

[0006] Therefore, in the first assembly step, when the dust cover is assembled to the piston, it is necessary to ensure that the cover has been correctly oriented to ensure correct engagement of the cover with the brake caliper body.

[0007] Figure 2 An example of a dust cover 200 made according to the related art is shown in.

[0008] Figure 2a Shown is Figure 2 a sectional view of the dust cover in according to the cutting plane A.

[0009] Furthermore, Figure 2b shown is the dust cover 200 in when it is coupled to the body of the brake caliper 202 after being coupled to an exemplary piston that is coupled to the brake caliper 204 in accordance with the correct installation direction. Figure 2 in.

[0010] As Figure 2a and Figure 2bAs can be seen, the dust cover made according to the related art includes a poka-yoke device because the dust cover can only work on one side. The poka-yoke device is, for example, intended to refer to an element suitable for preventing the dust cover from being assembled on the incorrect side.

[0011] In addition, the dust cover includes a coiled tube formed to be correctly assembled only on one side because the dust cover cannot be assembled on the opposite side.

[0012] According to the above paragraphs, the dust cover made according to the related art has at least the following defects:

[0013] - The cost of the assembly process of the brake caliper increases because it is necessary to verify the correct orientation of the dust cover;

[0014] - There is a risk of a dust cover that is not correctly assembled in the brake caliper. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Therefore, the objectives of the present invention include:

[0016] - Reduce the cost of the assembly process of the dust cover in the brake caliper because the orientation of the dust cover is unnecessary;

[0017] - Reduce the probability of experiencing a dust cover that is incorrectly assembled;

[0018] - Reduce the cost of producing the dust cover by reducing the amount of materials (such as rubber) required to produce the dust cover;

[0019] - Reduce the overall axial volume of the brake caliper that must accommodate the dust cover.

[0020] In short, the present invention aims to define a symmetric geometric shape of a part of the dust sleeve, which allows the dust sleeve to be assembled on the piston of the brake caliper without distinguishing the position / orientation of the dust cover because the correct positioning relative to the brake caliper body will be ensured by the geometric shape of the dust sleeve.

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objectives and advantages are achieved by a dust cover having the features defined in claim 1, and according to another aspect of the present invention, by a brake caliper having the features defined in claim 10. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims, and the content thereof should be understood as an integral part of this specification. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] Now, the functional and structural features of some preferred embodiments of the dust cover and the brake caliper according to the present invention will be described. Please refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] - Figure 1Shows a brake caliper according to the related art;

[0024] - Figure 2 Shows a dust cover according to the related art;

[0025] - Figure 2a Shows Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the dust cover in

[0026] - Figure 2b Shows the Figure 2 Dust cover 200 in

[0027] - Figure 3 Shows a perspective view of a dust cover according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] - Figure 3a Shows Figure 3 A sectional view of the dust cover in

[0029] - Figure 4 Shows the Figure 3 Dust cover in Detailed embodiments

[0030] Before detailing the various embodiments of the present invention, it must be clarified that the present invention in its application is not limited to the structural details and configurations of the components presented in the following description or shown in the drawings. The present invention is essentially capable of obtaining other embodiments and being implemented or formed in different ways. It should also be understood that the terms and phrases are for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting. The use of "comprising" and "including" and their variants should be understood to cover the elements listed below and their equivalents, as well as additional elements and their equivalents.

[0031] First, the embodiments of the dust cover 300 will be described below with reference to Figure 3 Description of the dust cover 300.

[0032] For example, dust can be understood to mean: during the braking operation, when the brake pads are brought into contact with the brake disc of the disc brake by the brake caliper, the fine dust / particles generated due to the wear of the brake pads.

[0033] The dust cover 300 is arranged to be coupled to the brake caliper.

[0034] As in Figure 3As can be seen, the dust cover 300 has an annular shape defined by an axis X. Generally, in all of this specification and the claims, terms and expressions indicating position and orientation, such as "longitudinal", "transverse", "vertical" or "horizontal", may refer to the axis X.

[0035] The dust cover 300 includes a radially outer portion 302, and the radially outer portion 302 has a shape symmetric about a diameter plane P of the dust cover. The radially outer portion 302 is adapted to engage with a seating portion formed in the brake caliper body. The dust cover 300 further includes a wall portion 304 extending from the outer portion 302 towards the axis X of the shroud.

[0036] In other words, the radially outer portion 302 of the dust cover can form an engagement zone on the brake caliper body, and this engagement zone is symmetric about the diameter plane P of the dust cover.

[0037] In an example, the engagement can be achieved by an external seal having a metal ring.

[0038] According to the present invention, the radially outer portion 302 of the dust cover provided for the engagement of the dust cover with the brake caliper body is optimized to be symmetric and to ensure the correct engagement of the dust cover and the sealing of the dust cover.

[0039] Therefore, relative to Figure 2 the known dust covers shown in, the dust cover 300 according to the present invention does not require an anti-misassembly device because the dust cover 300 can be assembled on the piston indifferently from all sides of the piston. Advantageously, the symmetric shape and the removal of the anti-misassembly device can also allow the material used to make the dust cover and the axial volume occupied by the dust cover to be minimized.

[0040] Preferably, as can be seen, for example, in Figure 3a the wall portion 304 of the dust cover preferably may have a wavy cross-section, thereby forming at least one loop-shaped portion 306.

[0041] In other words, the wavy shape can form at least one coiled tube.

[0042] Preferably, the wavy wall portion 304 does not protrude relative to the radially outer portion 302 in a direction parallel to the axis X of the dust cover.

[0043] In an example, the geometry of the corrugated wall portion 304 may be asymmetric, but the geometry of the corrugated wall portion 304 may have symmetric-type properties and still ensure the correct function and positioning of the shroud in both assembly directions. For example, the corrugated wall portion must not project outside the piston to ensure that the corrugated wall portion does not stick to or get stuck on the pad during use and thus be damaged. Therefore, the encapsulation of at least one coil of the corrugated wall portion can ensure correct implementation on both assembly sides, thereby respecting the volume.

[0044] Preferably, the wall portion 304 of the dust shroud may include a corrugated intermediate portion and a radially inner free end 308. In this case, the radially inner free end 308 may be adapted to be engaged to the piston of the brake caliper.

[0045] Preferably, as can be seen, for example, in Figure 3a the radially inner free end 308 of the wall portion may have a cross-sectional dimension larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the intermediate portion of the wall portion.

[0046] As can be seen in Figure 3a preferably, the radially outermost face 310 of the outer portion 302 of the dust shroud may include a seating portion 312 that extends at least partially along the circumferential portion of the outer portion. Preferably, the seating portion 312 may cover the entire circumferential portion of the outer portion.

[0047] The seating portion 312 of the dust shroud may preferably include a pair of wall portions 314 that project radially outward from the dust shroud. The wall portions 314 serve to position an invitation that is adapted to ensure a form fit with a corresponding element formed within the brake caliper body. For example, the corresponding element formed within the brake caliper body may be formed substantially at the opening of the seating portion formed in the brake caliper body.

[0048] For example, Figure 4 shows the dust shroud in Figure 3 when coupled to the body 400 of the brake caliper after being coupled to the exemplary piston 402 of the brake caliper.

[0049] Preferably, the seating portion 312 of the dust shroud may taper in a radially inward direction towards the axis X of the dust shroud.

[0050] Preferably, at least a portion of the outer portion 302 of the dust shroud may have an internal cavity 315 that extends circumferentially into the outer portion.

[0051] In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a brake caliper, particularly to a brake caliper for a disc brake.

[0052] In one embodiment, the brake caliper comprises:

[0053] - a body of the brake caliper, the body of the brake caliper comprising a seating portion;

[0054] - at least one piston, the piston being arranged to be received in the seating portion of the body of the brake caliper and adapted to move at least one brake pad; and

[0055] - a dust cover according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0056] With respect to the dust cover according to the related art, the first advantage achieved by the present invention is related to cost, because the simplified assembly of the dust cover eliminates the need to objectify the orientation of the dust cover in the production line.

[0057] The second advantage achieved by the present invention is related to the reduction of the production cost of the dust cover, which is also due to the fact that less material is required.

[0058] The third advantage achieved by the present invention relates to the possibility of reducing the volume of the brake caliper, because the dust cover of the present invention has a reduced axial volume in the engagement area of the brake caliper, thereby allowing axial space to be obtained. The present invention is particularly advantageous for brake calipers designed to be particularly compact.

[0059] Various aspects and embodiments of the dust cover and the brake caliper according to the present invention have been described. It should be understood that each embodiment can be combined with any other embodiment. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but may vary within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dust cover (300) arranged to be coupled to a brake caliper, in, The dust cover (300) has an annular shape defining an axis (X), and the dust cover (300) comprises: - a radially outer portion (302) having a shape symmetrical about a diameter plane (P) of the dust cover, the outer portion (302) being suitable for being engaged to a seat formed in the body of the brake caliper; - a wall (304), the wall (304) of the dust cover extending from the outer part towards the axis (X) of the dust cover.

2. The dust cover according to claim 1, wherein: The wall portion (304) of the dust cover has a wave-shaped cross section, thereby forming at least one annular portion (306).

3. The dust cover according to claim 2, wherein: The wavy wall portion (304) does not protrude relative to the outer portion (302) in the radial direction in a direction parallel to the axis (X) of the dust cover.

4. A dust cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The wall portion (304) of the dust boot comprises a wave-shaped middle portion and a radially inner free end portion (308), wherein the inner free end portion (308) is adapted to be coupled to a piston of the brake caliper.

5. The dust cover according to claim 4, wherein: The radially inner free end portion (308) of the wall portion (304) of the dust cover has a cross-sectional dimension that is larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the middle portion of the wall portion of the dust cover.

6. A dust cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: A radially outermost face portion (310) of the outer portion (302) of the dust shield includes a seating portion (312) extending at least partially along an outer circumferential portion of the outer portion.

7. The dust cover according to claim 6, wherein: The seat portion (312) of the dust cover comprises a pair of wall portions (314) protruding radially outwardly from the dust cover, wherein the wall portions (314) of the seat portion (312) of the dust cover enable positioning of a guide adapted to ensure a shape fit with a corresponding element formed in the body of the brake caliper.

8. The dust cover according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The seating portion (312) of the dust cover tapers in a radially inward direction toward the axis (X) of the dust cover.

9. A dust cover according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least a portion of the outer portion (302) has an interior cavity (315) extending circumferentially into the outer portion.

10. A brake caliper, comprising: - a body of the brake caliper, the body of the brake caliper comprising a seating portion; - at least one piston arranged to be housed in the seat of the body of the brake caliper and adapted to move at least one brake pad; as well as - A dust cover (300) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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