Brake caliper protective cover, and brake caliper assembly with the same.

Abstract

We provide a protective cover for brake calipers and a brake caliper assembly equipped with the same. [Solution] A protective cover 30 for a brake caliper comprises a main body 31 used for fixing to a brake caliper 20 and an elastic arm 33. The brake caliper has a housing 21 and a through hole 22 located in the housing. The elastic arm has a cantilever member 331 connected to the main body and an engaging member 332 connected to the cantilever member and used for engaging with the through hole. This ensures that the protective cover for the brake caliper is stably fixed to the brake caliper.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a brake caliper, and more particularly to a protective cover attached to the brake caliper.

Background Art

[0002] A brake caliper is an actuator of a braking system. Usually, a hydraulic piston is disposed within the housing of the brake caliper, and the brake pad is pushed by the hydraulic piston. By causing the brake pad to contact one side or sandwich both sides of a disk fixed to a hub, sufficient frictional braking force is generated to decelerate or stop the vehicle.

[0003] Normally, the brake caliper attached at the time of vehicle shipment does not have additional components for decoration, dust prevention, or collision prevention based on the idea of cost control and satisfying the basic braking function. As a result, the appearance of the housing of the brake caliper is relatively single and monotonous. Also, during actual vehicle driving, the housing of the brake caliper is directly exposed to an environment where it can collide with flying sand, dirt, or other external foreign matter. Therefore, the surface of the case is likely to be scratched, the paint is likely to peel off, and it is likely to affect the overall appearance texture.

[0004] For this reason, various protective covers that can be fitted to brake caliper housings have been developed in the automotive aftermarket or automotive tuning market. Such protective covers can be designed with trademarks, painted lines, or decorative totems on their outer surface. This can improve the visual identification or aesthetics of the brake caliper. It also provides some degree of protection by blocking external foreign objects from directly contacting the brake caliper housing, thus protecting the housing surface and paint. However, there is room for improvement in the structural design of brake caliper protective covers. For example, some protective covers are simply fixed to the brake caliper housing by locking them with bolts or by snapping them into place with bolts. When a vehicle is driven for a long time and experiences repeated vibrations, loosening can easily occur, causing abnormal noises and increasing the risk of the protective cover falling off. In addition, some protective covers have a complex structure, requiring a relatively large amount of time and effort to install on the brake caliper or to remove from the brake caliper for maintenance or replacement, thus reducing the convenience of maintenance. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In view of the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a protective cover for a brake caliper and a brake caliper assembly equipped therewith, which can be stably fixed to the brake caliper and has a simple structure that is easy to assemble and disassemble. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the brake caliper protective cover according to the present invention is attached to a brake caliper, and the brake caliper has a housing and a through hole located in the housing. The brake caliper protective cover comprises a body and an elastic arm. The body is used to fix to the brake caliper and has a display surface and a joint surface that faces away from the display surface and is used to face the housing of the brake caliper. The elastic arm has a cantilever member connected to the body and an engaging member connected to the cantilever member and used to engage with the through hole.

[0007] According to the technical features described above, compared to conventional decorative brake caliper covers, the brake caliper protective cover of this invention can be stably attached to the brake caliper by engaging the engaging member of the elastic arm with the through hole. Furthermore, the elastic arm is formed by pressing or bending an elastic metal piece, and is capable of elastically absorbing vibrations transmitted to the brake caliper protective cover and brake caliper in various directions, and further ensures that the brake caliper protective cover is stably fixed by the brake caliper. In addition, the brake caliper protective cover has a simple overall structure and is easy to assemble and remove because it engages with the brake caliper via the elastic arm.

[0008] Preferably, the elastic arm is connected to the top edge of the main body, and the main body has a left side and a right side. The left side and the right side are used to fix the cover to the brake caliper. This allows the left side and the right side of the main body of the brake caliper protective cover to be directly fitted and engaged, or to be fixed to components of the brake caliper (e.g., the housing or brake pads) via fixing members such as bolts, tenons, or fixing pins. Combined with the elastic arm, this forms a structure in which the brake caliper protective cover is fixed to the brake caliper in a three-point fixing manner, resulting in a more stable fixing effect.

[0009] Preferably, the protective cover for the brake caliper further comprises a mounting seat. The mounting seat has a brake pad mounting surface facing away from the main body, a positioning surface facing away from the brake pad mounting surface, and connecting members connected to the left and right sides of the main body, respectively. The brake pad mounting surface is used to secure the cover to the brake pad located within the housing of the brake caliper. This secures the body of the protective cover for the brake caliper to the brake pad of the brake caliper via the mounting seat, achieving stable fixation.

[0010] Preferably, the brake caliper has a positioning portion. The joining surface of the main body, the positioning surface of the fixing seat, and each of the connecting members form a positioning groove for fitting and engaging the positioning portion. This allows the engaging member of the elastic arm to engage with the through hole, and the left and right sides of the main body to be fixed to the brake caliper, forming a stable three-point fixing structure. Furthermore, the protective cover for the brake caliper of this invention can be fixed to the brake caliper even more stably by fitting the positioning portion into the positioning groove.

[0011] Preferably, the left and right sides of the main body are configured to be used for fixing to the housing of the brake caliper. This allows the left and right sides of the main body of the brake caliper protective cover to be fixed to the housing of the brake caliper via fixing members such as bolts, tenons, or fixing pins, or by welding. For example, screw holes are provided at corresponding positions in the housing, and bolts are used to lock and fix the left and right sides of the main body into the screw holes in the brake caliper housing. This creates a stable three-point fixing structure, simplifies the overall configuration of the brake caliper protective cover and brake caliper, and simplifies the method of installation and removal.

[0012] Preferably, the engaging member has a connecting portion used to connect to the cantilever member and penetrate the through-hole, and two contact portions used to abut against the housing. Each of the contact portions extends outward from the connecting portion. This allows the elastic arm to fit the housing and through-hole of brake calipers of various external shapes and dimensions by arranging the cantilever member, connecting portion, and contact portions. Furthermore, the elastic restoring force of the cantilever member, connecting portion, and / or contact portions of the elastic arm allows the engaging member to abut against the housing via each contact portion, thereby ensuring more stable engagement within the through-hole.

[0013] Preferably, each of the contact portions extends outward from both ends of the connecting portion, inclined toward the outside. In other words, it extends at a predetermined inclination angle toward the direction of gradually approaching the housing. As a result, when each contact portion contacts the housing, it deforms under pressure, providing an elastic restorative force that presses against the inside of the housing. This allows the engaging member to engage more stably within the through hole and prevents it from disengaging from the through hole.

[0014] Preferably, the engaging member has a connecting portion used to connect to the cantilever member and penetrate the through hole, two extending portions extending away from the main body from corresponding ends of the connecting portion, and two contact portions used to abut against the housing, each of which extends outward from each of the extending portions. This allows adjustment of the position in which each contact portion abuts against the housing via each extending portion when the opening of the through hole is relatively large. In addition, each extending portion can increase the area in which the engaging member abuts against the housing. This ensures that the engaging member can stably engage with the through hole when the opening of the through hole is relatively large.

[0015] Preferably, each of the contact portions extends inclined outward from each of the extending portions. In other words, it extends at a predetermined inclination angle in a direction that gradually approaches the housing. As a result, when each contact portion contacts the housing, it deforms under pressure and provides an elastic restorative force that presses against the inside of the housing. This allows the engaging member to engage more stably within the through hole and prevents it from disengaging from the through hole.

[0016] To achieve the same objective, the present invention provides a brake caliper assembly. The brake caliper assembly comprises a housing and a brake caliper having a through hole located in the housing, and the aforementioned protective cover for the brake caliper. The engaging member of the elastic arm engages with the through hole. This allows the protective cover for the brake caliper to be stably fixed to the brake caliper, and achieves the objective of having a simple structure that is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0017] The detailed structure, features, and usage of the protective cover for brake calipers according to the present invention, and the brake caliper assembly equipped therewith, will be described in the detailed description of the embodiments below. However, those with general skill in the art of the present invention should understand that such detailed descriptions and the specific embodiments enumerated herein are for illustrative purposes only and not to limit the scope of the utility model claims of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a protective cover for a brake caliper of a brake caliper assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view showing a protective cover for the brake caliper and brake pads of a brake caliper assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of a brake caliper assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing a part of a brake caliper assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing that the positioning portion of the brake caliper is fitted into the positioning groove of the protective cover for the brake caliper, and that the engaging member of the elastic arm engages with the through hole of the brake caliper. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing an implementation of a brake caliper assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention, indicating that the brake caliper assembly is applied to a disc. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing a protective cover for a brake caliper in a brake caliper assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing a brake caliper assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing a protective cover for a brake caliper in a brake caliper assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]It is a perspective view showing a brake caliper assembly according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a side view showing a part of a brake caliper assembly according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] The applicant will explain here that in the embodiments and drawings introduced below, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar components or their structural features. It should be noted that the components and structures in the drawings are not illustrated based on the actual proportions and quantities for the convenience of illustration, and that the features of different embodiments can be applied to each other if possible. Also, when referring to a certain component being installed on another component, it means that the aforementioned component is directly configured on the other component, or that the aforementioned component is indirectly configured on the other component, that is, one or more other components are further configured between the two components. When a component is "directly" installed on another component, it means that no other component is installed between the two components.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a brake caliper 20 and a protective cover 30 for the brake caliper fixed to the brake caliper 20. Here, the brake caliper to which the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper according to the present invention is applied is not limited to a single-piston, multi-piston, opposed single-piston, or opposed multi-piston brake caliper. In the present embodiment, the brake caliper 20 has a brake pad 40 inside (for simplicity of illustration, in the figure, only the base plate for fixing the brake shoe in the brake pad is shown, and the brake shoe of the brake pad is not shown). The brake caliper 20 applies a brake when the brake pad 40 and the disk S press against each other. Since the configuration and function of the brake caliper 20 are well-known techniques, the description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, in the brake caliper 20, only the portion related to the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper of the present invention will be described.

[0021] As shown in the figure, the brake caliper 20 has a housing 21 that serves as a basis for assembling various other components of the brake caliper 20. The top surface of the housing 21 has a through hole 22, and positioning portions 23 are formed on the front side, left side, and right side of the housing 21. Here, the through hole 22 can be realized by a heat dissipation hole or a weight reduction hole existing in the housing 21 itself of the brake caliper 20, and it is not necessary to change the structural design of the housing 21 of the conventional brake caliper 20. That is, it is not necessary to additionally process the through hole 22. The protective cover 30 for the brake caliper according to the present invention can be used in combination with the housing 21 of various conventional brake calipers 20.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper includes a main body 31, a fixing seat 32 that can be selectively arranged, and an elastic arm 33.

[0023] The main body 31 has an outward-facing display surface 311, a joint surface 312 facing away from the display surface 311 and opposite the housing 21, a stopper 313 extending away from the main body 31 from the outer edge of the upper half of the joint surface 312, and left and right sides 314 and 315 located below the stopper 313. The display surface 311 is mainly used to withstand impacts from gravel, soil, and other foreign objects, preventing damage to the appearance of the housing 21 of the brake caliper 20 or scratches or damage to the painted surface. At the same time, the display surface 311 can provide trademark designs, painting lines, or decorative totems. When the main body 31 is fixed to the housing 21, the joint surface 312 can conform to the contour of the housing 21 and abut against the housing 21. Specifically, it can be attached to the positioning portion 23 of the housing 21 so that the main body 31 is more stably fixed to the housing 21.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the fixing seat 32 has a brake pad mounting surface 321 that faces away from the main body 31 and is used to fix the brake pad 40 (more precisely, to fix it to the base plate of the brake pad 40), a positioning surface 322 that faces away from the brake pad mounting surface 321, two connecting members 323 located on both the left and right sides of the fixing seat 32 and used to connect it to the main body 31, and two brake pad mounting members 324 that extend toward the edge of the brake pad 40 and are used to fit and engage the brake pad 40. By fixing the fixing seat 32 on the brake pad 40 which is originally installed inside the housing 21, the fixing seat 32 can act as an intermediary member (bridge) that fixes the main body 31 of the brake caliper protective cover 30 to the brake caliper 20. More specifically, by passing a bolt 327 through the through hole in the connecting member 323 of the fixing seat 32, and through the fixing holes 317 on the left side 314 and right side 315 of the main body 31, the main body 31 can be relatively and stably fixed to the fixing seat 32 on the brake pad 40. As a result, the main body 31 of the brake caliper protective cover 30 is fixed to the brake caliper 20 via the fixing seat 32 and brake pad 40 by fixing methods on both sides, at least the left side 314 and the right side 315. At the same time, the joining surface 312 of the main body 31 and the stopper 313, and the positioning surface 322 of the fixing seat 32 and each connecting member 323 form a positioning groove 34 into which the positioning portion 23 of the housing 21 is fitted and engaged. This ensures that the brake caliper protective cover 30 is stably fixed to the brake caliper 20.

[0025] Another technical feature of this invention is that the elastic arm 33 of the brake caliper protective cover 30 is formed by pressing or bending an elastic metal piece. In this embodiment, the elastic arm 33 has a cantilever member 331 connected to the main body 31, and an engaging member 332 that engages in the through hole 22 via contact with the housing 21. Specifically, one end of the cantilever member 331 is locked and fixed to an intermediate position on the top edge of the main body 31 by a fixing member such as a bolt 337. This invention is not limited to this, and for example, one end of the cantilever member 331 can be fixed to the stopper 313 of the main body 31 by welding, integral molding, or by using other fixing members such as rivets, trips, or pins. In addition, one or more bent portions 339 can be provided on the main body of the cantilever member 331 to increase structural strength and elasticity in accordance with the shape or dimensions of the top surface of the housing 21.

[0026] In this embodiment, the engaging member 332 has a connecting portion 333 connected to the other end of the cantilever member 331 and passing through the through hole 22, and two contact portions 334 that abut against the housing 21 and are curved relative to the connecting portion 333. Each contact portion 334 extends outward from the corresponding ends of the connecting portion 333 or toward the housing 21 at a predetermined inclination angle, so that each contact portion 334 abuts against the inside of the housing 21 on the corresponding sides of the through hole 22. As a result, when each contact portion 334 abuts against the housing 21, each contact portion 334 receives pressure and elastically deforms, providing an elastic recovery force that presses against the inside of the housing 21. Thus, the engaging member 332 is stably engaged in the through hole 22 and does not detach from the through hole 22.

[0027] As a result, the left side 314 and right side 315 of the main body 31 of the brake caliper protective cover 30 are fixed to the brake caliper 20 via the fixing seat 32 and brake pad 40, and the positioning part 23 is fitted and engaged with the outside of the positioning groove 34. In addition, the brake caliper assembly 10 of this invention forms a stable three-point fixing structure by which the engaging member 332 of the elastic arm 33 engages with the through hole 22, thereby further stably fixing the brake caliper protective cover 30 to the brake caliper 20. On the other hand, the elastic arm 33 is formed by pressing or bending an elastic metal piece. As a result, the bent part 339 of the cantilever member 331, the contact part 334 having a predetermined inclined curvature angle, and the connecting part 333 which is integrally curved downward and extends vertically relative to the cantilever member 331 can all provide an elastic recovery force so that the elastic arm 33 elastically contacts the housing 21. Furthermore, the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper and the brake caliper 20 can elastically transmit and absorb vibrations in various directions. This further ensures that the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper is more securely fixed to the brake caliper 20.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the second embodiment, the brake caliper 20 has a through hole 22 with a relatively large opening. The engaging member 332 has a connecting portion 333 that is connected to the cantilever member 331 and passes through the through hole 22, two extending portions 335 that extend away from the main body 31 from the corresponding ends of the connecting portion 333, and two contact portions 334 used to contact the housing 21. Each contact portion 334 extends outward from the extending portion 335 or in a direction that gradually approaches the housing 21, so as to have a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the extending portion 335. Compared to the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the first embodiment, the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the second embodiment allows adjustment of the contact position between each contact portion 334 and the housing 21 via the extending portion 335. This allows for the maintenance of a balanced stress relationship between the elastic arm 33 of the brake caliper protective cover 30 and the housing 21 of the brake caliper 20. In addition, each extended portion 335 can increase the area in which the engaging member 332 contacts the housing 21, allowing the engaging member 332 to stably engage with the through hole 22 even in a through hole 22 with a relatively large opening.

[0029] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the third embodiment is generally similar to the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the first embodiment. The difference is that the brake caliper 20 according to the third embodiment has two through holes 22, and the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper has two elastic arms 33, and the engaging members 332 of each elastic arm 33 are engaged into the through holes 22 by contacting the housing 21. This makes it possible to adaptively adjust the number of elastic arms 33 in the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper according to the number of through holes 22 in the brake caliper 20. By engaging each engaging member 332 into each through hole 22, the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper is more stably fixed to the brake caliper 20.

[0030] As shown in Figure 10, the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the fourth embodiment is substantially the same as the brake caliper assembly 10 according to the first embodiment. The difference is that in the fourth embodiment, the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper includes a main body 31 (similar to the main body 31 shown in Figure 2) and an elastic arm 33 (similar to the elastic arm 33 shown in Figure 2), but does not include a fixing seat. In this case, the left side 314 and the right side 315 of the main body 31 are directly locked and fixed onto the positioning portion 23 of the housing 21 of the brake caliper 20 via bolts 327, respectively. Thus, the left side 314 and the right side 315 of the main body 31 are fixed to the housing 21 of the brake caliper 20 via bolts 327, and the top side is elastically engaged with the housing 21 of the brake caliper 20 via the elastic arm 33, so that the main body 31 is fixed to the brake caliper 20 in a three-point fixing manner. Similarly, the protective cover 30 for the brake caliper is ensured to be stably fixed to the brake caliper 20, the structure is further simplified, and the objective of the present invention is achieved.

[0031] As described above, the brake caliper protective cover 30 of the present invention, and the brake caliper assembly 10 equipped therewith, stably fix the brake caliper protective cover 30 to the brake caliper 20 by engaging the engaging members 332 of the elastic arm 33 with the through holes 22. When the opening of the through hole 22 is of normal size, the engaging member 332 engages simply by bringing each contact portion 334 into contact with the housing 21. When the opening of the through hole 22 is relatively large, the engaging member 332 engages by combining each contact portion 334 and each extension portion 335, further stably fixing the brake caliper protective cover 30. When the brake caliper 20 is provided with two or more through holes 22, the brake caliper protective cover 30 is provided with two or more corresponding elastic arms 33, and the stability of the brake caliper protective cover 30 is further improved by engaging each engaging member 332 with each through hole 22.

[0032] On the other hand, to provide an alternative fixing mechanism between the brake caliper protective cover 30 and the brake caliper 20, the brake caliper protective cover 30 of this invention includes a fixing seat 32 for fixing to the brake pad 40, which serves as a bridge for fixing and connecting the brake caliper protective cover 30 and the brake caliper 20. Alternatively, the brake caliper protective cover 30 of this invention may not have a fixing seat 32, and certain parts of the brake caliper protective cover 30 (for example, the left side 314 and the right side 315 of the main body 31) may be directly fixed to certain components of the brake caliper 20 (for example, the housing 21) by fixing members such as bolts, fixing pins, tenons, or by welding. This, in combination with the elastic arm 33, can achieve a more stable fixing effect. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 10: Brake caliper assembly 20: Brake caliper 21: Housing 22: Through hole 23: Positioning section 30: Protective cover for brake caliper 31: Main unit 311: Exhibition surface 312: Joint surface 313: Stopper 314: Left side 315: Right side 317: Fixed hole 32:Fixed seat 321: Brake pad mounting surface 322: Positioning surface 323: Connecting member 324: Brake pad mounting component 327: Bolt 33: Elastic Arm 331: Cantilever member 332: Engaging member 333: Connection part 334: Contact part 335: Stretching part 337: Bolt 339: Bending section 34: Positioning groove 40: Brake pads S: Disk

Claims

1. A protective cover for a brake caliper, which is attached to a housing and a brake caliper having a through hole located in the housing, A body used for fixing to the brake caliper, having a display surface and a joint surface facing away from the display surface and facing the housing of the brake caliper, The system comprises a cantilever member connected to the main body, and an elastic arm having an engaging member connected to the cantilever member and used to engage with the through hole. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

2. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 1, The elastic arm is connected to the top edge of the main body, The main body has a left side and a right side used for fixing to the brake caliper. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

3. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 2, With additional fixed seats, The fixed seat has a brake pad mounting surface facing away from the main body, a positioning surface facing away from the brake pad mounting surface, and connecting members connected to the left side and the right side of the main body, respectively. The brake pad mounting surface is used to secure the brake pad located within the housing of the brake caliper. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

4. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 3, The brake caliper has a positioning portion, The joining surface of the main body, the positioning surface of the fixing base, and each of the connecting members form positioning grooves for fitting and engaging the positioning portion. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

5. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 2, The left and right sides of the main body are used to fix the brake caliper to the housing. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

6. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 1, The engaging member has a connecting portion used to connect to the cantilever member and pass through the through hole, and two contact portions used to abut against the housing. Each of the aforementioned contact portions extends outward from the connecting portion. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

7. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 6, Each of the aforementioned contact portions extends outward from both ends of the connecting portion, inclined toward the outside. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

8. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 1, The engaging member has a connecting portion used to connect to the cantilever member and pass through the through hole, two extending portions extending away from the main body from corresponding ends of the connecting portion, and two contact portions used to abut against the housing. Each of the aforementioned contact portions extends outward from each of the aforementioned extended portions. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

9. A protective cover for a brake caliper according to claim 8, Each of the aforementioned contact portions extends inclined outward from each of the aforementioned extended portions. A protective cover for brake calipers characterized by the following features.

10. Brake caliper assembly, A housing, and a brake caliper having a through hole located in the housing, A protective cover for a brake caliper according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: The engaging member of the elastic arm is engaged within the through hole. A brake caliper assembly characterized by the following features.

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