Vehicle brake, in particular a disc brake, for utility vehicles, and use of a cylinder roller therein

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle brake (1), in particular a disc brake, for utility vehicles, having a housing (3, 3', 3'', 3''') and a brake lever (5) arranged in the housing (3, 3', 3'', 3'''), wherein the brake lever (5) is designed to transmit force in a pressure direction (D) to a pressure piece (7) that is moveable in a guided manner in the housing (3, 3', 3'', 3'''), and is mounted by means of a sliding element (11, 11') so as to be pivotable about a brake lever axis (B) extending perpendicularly to the pressure direction (D), wherein the sliding element (11, 11') is supported on the housing (3, 3', 3'', 3''') laterally in the direction of the brake lever axis (B) and in the pressure direction (D). According to the invention, in order to support the sliding element (11, 11') in the pressure direction (D), the housing (3, 3', 3'', 3''') has two spaced-apart supporting elements (17a, 17b) which are oriented parallel to one another and parallel to the brake lever axis (B), and the sliding element (11) is designed as a cylindrical roller, which has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface (27) and which is supported with the outer circumferential surface (27) against both supporting elements (17a, 17b).

Description

[0001] VEHICLE BRAKE, ESPECIALLY DISC BRAKE, FOR

[0002] COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND THE USE OF A CYLINDER ROLLER THEREIN

[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle brake, in particular a disc brake, for commercial vehicles, having a housing and a brake lever arranged in the housing, wherein the brake lever is designed to transmit force in a pressure direction to a pressure piece guided in the housing and movable thereon, and is mounted by means of a sliding element so as to be pivotable about a brake lever axis running perpendicular to the pressure direction, wherein the sliding element is supported laterally on the housing in the direction of the brake lever axis and in the pressure direction.

[0004] Vehicle brakes of the type described above are well known. The housing is usually fixedly mounted on the vehicle and pivotably supports the brake lever. The brake lever typically has an interface through which the brake lever is connected to a brake actuator, for example, an electric, electropneumatic, or purely pneumatic brake actuator. The brake actuator is typically operatively connected to one end of the brake lever and deflects the brake lever by moving a tappet assembly.

[0005] The brake lever also typically has a second interface, which is arranged eccentrically relative to the pivot axis of the brake lever and is deflected in the pressure direction during the pivoting movement of the brake lever. When installed, this interface of the brake lever engages the pressure piece of the vehicle brake and moves the pressure piece in the pressure direction, thereby generating the braking effect of the vehicle brake. In a disc brake, for example, the movement of the pressure piece brings the brake pads and the brake disc into frictional contact with each other.

[0006] In motor vehicles in general, and commercial vehicles in particular, the high moving masses mean that sometimes very high deceleration forces must be applied by the vehicle brakes, and for this purpose correspondingly high application forces are applied within the vehicle brake. This already subjects the brake lever to high loads, but due to the lever ratios, the sliding element of the brake lever bearing, on which the brake lever is supported against the direction of pressure, is subjected to even greater stress. For this reason, the sliding element must be positioned very precisely in the housing in the direction of pressure and must remain so. The sliding element must not move out of position as a result of normal operational loads, neither in the direction of pressure nor in the direction of the brake lever axis, and in the latter case not beyond a tolerable extent.

[0007] Sliding elements are known from the prior art that have a partially cylindrical bearing surface facing the brake lever and a mechanically machined, for example, flat-milled, seating surface facing away from the brake lever, which is designed to engage a correspondingly machined surface on the housing. For lateral locking in the direction of the brake lever axis, the sliding elements in known systems have contoured projections or recesses that interact with corresponding negatively shaped elements of the housing.

[0008] The basic functionality of the sliding elements described above on the vehicle brakes mentioned above is satisfactory. However, there is a desire to optimize the bearing of the brake lever in the vehicle brake in terms of cost without adversely affecting the reliability and effectiveness of the brake lever.

[0009] Accordingly, the object of the invention was to improve the bearing of the brake lever in a vehicle brake of the type described above in such a way that the brake lever bearing can be made more cost-effective overall without affecting the performance.

[0010] The invention achieves the underlying object in a vehicle brake of the type initially described in that the vehicle brake is designed with the features of claim 1. In particular, it is proposed that the housing has two spaced-apart support elements aligned parallel to one another and parallel to the brake lever axis for supporting the sliding element in the pressure direction, and that the sliding element is designed as a cylindrical roller having a cylindrical outer circumferential surface and being supported with the outer circumferential surface against both support elements.

[0011] The invention takes advantage of the finding that spatially unambiguous positioning of a cylindrical roller with two parallel, spaced-apart support elements, on the one hand, enables very precise positioning of the sliding element, and at the same time, with little machining effort, enables statically determined positioning of the sliding element on the housing. The support elements only need to be machined with precision in the area where the cylindrical roller rests on the support elements, for example by milling. By using the two spaced-apart support elements, it is no longer necessary to develop a complex surface geometry with form-fitting elements on the housing and sliding element that correspond to the sliding element. The design of the sliding element support using the two spaced-apart support elements now also enables the use of a conventional cylindrical roller as a sliding element, for example a rolling bearing roller.Mechanical processing of the cylindrical roller specifically for use in the vehicle brake can then be omitted, so that the cylindrical roller can be purchased as a part and used as a sliding element in the vehicle brake without further modifications.

[0012] The invention is advantageously further developed in that the support elements have a recess with a base between them, wherein the base is spaced from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical roller. In other words, the cylindrical roller rests on the two spaced-apart support elements, while a free space remains between the cylindrical roller and the base, where the cylindrical roller does not rest against the housing.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment, the support elements each have a support surface corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical roller, against which the cylindrical roller rests flatly. In principle, reliable positioning of the cylindrical roller on the housing could also be achieved with a point-like or linear contact of the cylindrical roller against the support elements. Providing a support surface with a radius of curvature corresponding to the radius of the cylindrical roller ensures a more secure and wear-resistant hold. According to the invention, it is particularly preferred to produce both support surfaces using a ball milling cutter in a single work pass. Apart from the support surfaces, no further machining of the housing is then required for an optimal fit of the cylindrical roller and thus of the brake lever on the housing, so that the rest of the housing can be made, for example, from a cast material.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment, the support elements are first support elements, wherein the housing for supporting the sliding element in the direction of the brake lever axis further comprises two second support elements spaced apart from one another, aligned parallel to one another and perpendicular to the brake lever axis, wherein the cylindrical roller has two opposite end faces which are designed to be supported against the second support elements when in contact with each other.

[0015] The distance between the two second support elements is preferably slightly greater than the distance between the two end faces, so that the cylindrical roller can be easily positioned against the support elements. A slight lateral play in the direction of the brake lever axis is harmless for the safe operation of the vehicle brake.

[0016] The play for the movement of the cylindrical roller in the direction of the brake lever axis is preferably limited to a range of 3 mm or less

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the recess between the first support elements is further delimited laterally by the second support elements. The recess can be formed as a cutout between the support elements, for example, by milling, or can already be provided in the basic shape of the housing body, for example, if the housing body is formed as a cast part.

[0018] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the housing is therefore designed as a cast part. The material of the cast part is preferably spheroidal graphite cast iron, i.e., nodular cast iron. In preferred embodiments, one of the following materials according to DIN EN1563:2019-04 is proposed as the material for the cast part: EN-GJS-450-10, EN-GJS-500-7, EN-GJS-600-3, EN-GJS-700-2, or EN-GJS-800-2.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, some or all of the support elements, preferably the first support elements and / or the second support elements, are formed together on a projection that is integrally formed on the housing and protrudes from the housing in the compression direction. This design is particularly advantageous when the housing is designed as a cast part, since the support elements can then already be formed in the raw body, and further machining is only required by optimizing the contour of the support surfaces on the support elements.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the support elements have a support element length in the direction of the brake lever axis, and the cylindrical roller has a circumferential collar on its opposite end faces, wherein the two collars define a collar distance between them in the direction of the brake lever axis, which is equal to or greater than the support element length.

[0021] The use of cylindrical rollers with collars makes it possible to support the cylindrical roller only on the respective inner side of the collars on the first support elements in the direction of the brake lever axis.

[0022] In a further preferred embodiment, however, it is additionally provided to provide, in addition to the first support elements, a pair of second support elements, which are each arranged at a distance from the first support elements in the direction of the brake lever axis and are aligned parallel to one another, wherein the collars of the cylindrical roller can be supported inside and outside on the support elements inside (first support elements) or outside (second support elements), depending on the lateral deflection of the cylindrical roller relative to the housing.

[0023] In a further preferred embodiment, the cylindrical roller is a roller bearing roller. For the advantages in this regard, reference is made to the above explanations.

[0024] The invention has been described above with reference to the vehicle brake in a first aspect. In a second aspect, the invention further relates to the use of a cylindrical roller in a vehicle brake, in particular a vehicle brake according to the first aspect.

[0025] The invention achieves the object stated above by using the cylindrical roller as a sliding element in the vehicle brake. In particular, according to the second aspect, the invention relates to the use of a rolling bearing roller as a sliding element in a vehicle brake according to one of the preferred embodiments of the first aspect.

[0026] The use according to the second aspect utilizes the same findings as the vehicle brake according to the first aspect. Preferred embodiments of the vehicle brake according to the first aspect are simultaneously preferred embodiments of the use according to the second aspect, and vice versa, which is why, to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above explanations in this regard.

[0027] The invention is described in more detail below using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a schematic spatial view of a housing interior of a vehicle brake according to a first embodiment,

[0029] Fig. 2 is a schematic spatial detailed view of the housing according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a further schematic spatial detailed view of the housing interior according to Figures 1 and 2,

[0030] Fig. 4 is a schematic spatial detailed view of a housing interior according to a second embodiment,

[0031] Fig. 5 is a further schematic detailed view of the housing interior according to Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a schematic spatial detailed view of a housing interior according to a further embodiment,

[0032] Fig. 7 is a schematic spatial detailed view of a housing interior according to a further embodiment, and

[0033] Fig. 8 is a further view of the housing interior according to Fig. 7.

[0034] Fig. 1 shows the inventive detail of a vehicle brake 1 according to the present invention, wherein the vehicle brake 1 in the present exemplary embodiment is designed as a disc brake for a commercial vehicle. The vehicle brake 1 has a housing 3, indicated by a dashed line, in which a brake lever 5 is arranged, wherein the brake lever 5 is designed to transmit force in a pressure direction D to a pressure piece 7 guided and movable in the housing 3. The brake lever 5 is designed to be moved back and forth through a pivot angle α by a brake actuator (not shown), wherein the brake lever 5 moves about a brake lever axis B.

[0035] To support the brake lever 5 in the housing 3, an outer bearing 9 is arranged between the brake lever 5 and the pressure piece 7. On the inner side opposite the bearing 9, or facing away from the pressure piece, the brake lever 5 is mounted on a projection 15 of the housing 3 by means of a sliding element 11, wherein a plain bearing shell 13 can optionally be arranged between the sliding element 11 and the brake lever 5.

[0036] The sliding element 11 is designed as a cylindrical roller (hereinafter: cylindrical roller 11). Details regarding the mounting of the cylindrical roller 11 on the projection 15 are shown in the following figures, beginning with Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

[0037] In Fig. 2, the projection 15 is initially shown in isolation. The projection 15 has two support elements 17a, 17b aligned parallel to one another and parallel to the brake lever axis B. The support elements 17a, 17b each have a support surface 19a, 19b designed for the flat contact of the cylindrical roller 11. Here and in the following figures, only a single such projection and one sliding element are shown, but the brake lever can have one or more further projections and sliding elements aligned parallel thereto, for each of which the same applies as for the projections and sliding elements shown.

[0038] Between the support elements 17a, 17b, a recess 21 is formed, which has a base 20. The recess 21 and its base 20 are dimensioned such that, when the cylindrical roller 11 is applied, a free space remains between the cylindrical roller 11 and the base 20 in the region of the recess 21.

[0039] The recess 21 has a first width Ai in the transverse direction to the brake lever axis B (and in the transverse direction to the pressure direction D) and a second width A2 in the direction of the brake lever axis B. The recess 21 is designed to receive a part of the cylindrical roller 11 when the cylindrical roller 11 rests against the support elements 17a, 17b.

[0040] The two support elements 17a, 17b, in this embodiment, are first

[0041] Support elements, and the projection 15 further has two second support elements 22a, 22b. The support elements 22a, 22b are formed on the projection 15 at a distance from one another in the direction of the brake lever axis B. The second support elements 22a, 22b are aligned parallel to one another and perpendicular to the brake lever axis B. On their end faces facing the recess 21, the second support elements 22a, 22b each have a support surface 23a, 23b, which is designed to laterally support the cylindrical roller 11 in the direction of the brake lever axis B.

[0042] If the cylindrical roller 11 is brought into contact with the projection 15, as shown in Fig. 3, the cylindrical roller 11 lies with its end faces 25a, 25b, which are spaced from each other by a length L of the cylindrical roller 11, partially into the recess 21, so that upon a lateral movement of the cylindrical roller 11 in the direction of the brake lever axis B, the end faces 23a, 23b of the second support elements 22a, 22b act as lateral stops. In addition, the cylindrical roller 11 rests linearly or - preferably - flatly on the support surfaces 19a, 19b of the first support elements 17a, 17b. As can be seen from a combination of Figures 2 and 3, the support surfaces 19a, 19b and the stops of the second support elements 22a, 22b can be produced in a single operation using a ball milling cutter with a flattened head.Due to the flattening in the head region, the support elements 22a, 22b, which have a smaller curvature than the support surfaces 19a, 19b, receive their support function, as a result of which the cylindrical roller 11 is prevented from slipping out of the projection 15 laterally by the second support elements 22a, 22b in the region of the recess 21.

[0043] The projection 15 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is formed together with the housing 3 as a cast part, preferably made of spheroidal graphite cast iron. The shape of the projection 15 with its support elements 17a, 17, 22a, 22b allows for a high positioning precision for the cylindrical roller 11 to be achieved despite very little post-machining of the housing 3.

[0044] The same applies to the embodiment according to Figures 4 and 5, in which the shape of the cast part in the region of the projection 15' is merely modified in that the second support elements 22a', 22b' are further spaced apart from the first support elements 17a, 17b by a distance As in the direction of the brake lever axis B, so that the shape of the recess 21' and its base 20' also differs slightly from the embodiment in Figure 3. The second support elements 22a', 22b' also each have support surfaces 23a', 23b' on their end faces facing the first support elements 17a, 17b and thus the recess 21', which support surfaces are designed to limit the lateral movement of the cylindrical roller 11 in the direction of the brake lever axis B. The shape design 15' in the housing 3' is also optimized in such a way that the support surfaces 19a, 19b can be formed by milling in a single operation.In contrast to Figures 2 and 3, this can also be done with a ball milling cutter without a flattened head, because the second support elements 22a', 22b' are provided as individual shaped elements on the cast projection 15'.

[0045] The distance A2 of the support surfaces 23a', 23b' from one another in the direction of the brake lever axis B is equal to or slightly greater than the length L of the cylindrical roller 11 in the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3, wherein preferably a play in the direction of the brake lever axis B is created in a range of 3 mm.

[0046] While the embodiments of Figures 2 to 5 aimed at the recess 21, 21' and their base 20, 20' being essentially already predefined by the casting and not requiring any remachining, the embodiment according to Figure 6 shows a variant in which the housing 3" has a projection 15", in which the first support elements 17a, 17b and their support surfaces 19a, 19b were formed in a protruding manner, approximately as in Figure 2, but in which the shape of the second support elements 22a", 22b" differs. The difference relative to the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3 is primarily that the recess 21 "is formed as a milled recess in the projection 15" and has a milled base 20", which at the same time also defines the end support surfaces 23a" and 23b" facing the recess 21".For the bearing of the cylindrical roller 11, reference is made to Figures 2 to 5 above due to the simultaneous functions in order to avoid repetition.

[0047] The embodiments of Figures 2 to 6 have in common that they show a projection that accommodates a purely cylindrical cylinder roller 11, wherein the accommodation of the cylinder roller 11 is ensured by first support elements and second support elements. In contrast, the embodiment of Figures 7 and 8 proposes a modification. As in the other embodiments, support elements 17a, 17b are formed on the projection 15'", but no set of second support elements is provided on the end faces 24a, 24b spaced apart in the direction of the brake lever axis B. The recess 21 defined by the support elements 17a, 17b with its base 20'" opens out in the direction of the brake lever axis B.

[0048] The support elements 17a, 17b in the housing 3'" have a support element length Ls in the direction of the brake lever axis B. The support surfaces 19a, 19b of the support elements 17a, 17b according to Fig. 7 can also be formed in a single operation using a ball-end milling cutter, as in the other exemplary embodiments.

[0049] The projection 15'" according to Fig. 7 is designed to receive a cylindrical roller 11', as shown in Fig. 8. The cylindrical roller 11' differs from the cylindrical roller 11 according to Figures 1 to 6 in that it has a circumferential collar 29a, 29b on each of its end faces 25a', 25b', which protrudes in the radial direction from the circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical roller 11'. The two spaced-apart collars 29a, 29b have a collar distance AK from one another in the direction of the brake lever axis B, wherein the collar distance AK is equal to or greater than the support element length Ls.

[0050] In this way, the cylindrical roller 11' can be supported on both sides of the end faces 24a, 24b at the ends of the support elements 17a, 17b in the direction of the brake lever axis B. The somewhat more complex geometry of the cylindrical roller 11' is offset in this embodiment by a further reduction in manufacturing costs for the projection 15'" of the housing 3'" that accommodates the cylindrical roller.

[0051] As can be seen from the combined view of the exemplary embodiments presented here, the invention is advantageously suited for the use of cylindrical rollers 11, 11' for supporting the brake lever 5 of the vehicle brake 1. Particularly preferably, a roller bearing roller can be used to support the brake lever. Reference numerals (part of the description)

[0052] Vehicle brake

[0053] 3, 3', 3", 3'" housing

[0054] 5 brake levers

[0055] 7 Pressure piece

[0056] 9 Plain bearing

[0057] 11 , 11' cylindrical roller

[0058] 13 plain bearing shell

[0059] 15, 15', 15", 15'" lead

[0060] 17 Support element

[0061] 17a, b support element

[0062] 19a, b support surface

[0063] 20, 20', 20", 20'" Reason

[0064] 21 , 21', 21", 21'" recess

[0065] 22a, b, 22a', b', 22a", b" support element

[0066] 23a, b, 23a', b', 23a", b" support surface

[0067] 24a, b end faces, support element

[0068] 25a, b, 25a', b' end faces, cylindrical roller

[0069] 27 Circumferential surface

[0070] 29a, b collar

[0071] Ai, A2, A3 distance, support element

[0072] AK collar distance

[0073] B brake lever axis

[0074] D Print direction

[0075] L length

[0076] Ls support element length

Claims

Patent claims 1. Vehicle brake (1), in particular a disc brake, for commercial vehicles, with a housing (3, 3', 3", 3"'), and a brake lever (5) arranged in the housing (3, 3', 3", 3'"), wherein the brake lever (5) is designed to transmit force in a pressure direction (D) to a pressure piece (7) guided in the housing (3, 3', 3", 3'"), and is mounted by means of a sliding element (11, 11') so as to be pivotable about a brake lever axis (B) running perpendicular to the pressure direction (D), wherein the sliding element (11, 11') is supported on the housing (3, 3', 3", 3"') laterally in the direction of the brake lever axis (B) and in the pressure direction (D), characterized in that the housing (3, 3', 3", 3'") for supporting the sliding element (11, 11') in the pressure direction (D) two spaced-apart support elements (17a, 17b) aligned parallel to one another and parallel to the brake lever axis (B), and the sliding element (11) is designed as a cylindrical roller,which has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface (27) and is supported with the outer peripheral surface (27) against both support elements (17a, 17b)., 2. Vehicle brake (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the support elements (17a, 17b) have between them a recess (21; 21'; 21"; 21"') with a base (20; 20'; 20"; 20'"), wherein the base (20; 20'; 20"; 20'") is spaced from the outer circumferential surface (27; 27') of the cylindrical roller (11; 11 ').

3. Vehicle brake (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support elements (17a, 17b) each have a support surface (19a, 19b) corresponding to the outer circumferential surface (27; 27') of the cylindrical roller (11; 11'), against which the cylindrical roller (11; 11') is supported in a planar manner.

4. Vehicle brake (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support elements (17a, 17b) are first support elements, wherein the housing (3, 3', 3") for supporting the cylindrical roller (11) in the direction of the brake lever axis (B) further comprises two spaced-apart, parallel to one another and perpendicular to the brake lever axis (B) aligned second support elements (22a, 22b; 22a', 22b'; 22a", 22b"), wherein the cylindrical roller (11) has two opposite end faces (25a, 25b) which are adapted to bear against the second support elements (22a, 22b; 22a', 22b'; 22a", 22b").

5. Vehicle brake (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the second support elements (22a, 22b; 22a', 22b'; 22a", 22b") each have a support surface (23a, 23b; 23a', 23b'; 23a", 23b") corresponding to the end faces, on which the end faces (25a, 25b) of the cylindrical roller (11) are supported in a planar manner when in contact.

6. Vehicle brake (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the recess (21; 21'; 21") between the first support elements (17a, 17b) is further delimited laterally by the second support elements (22a, 22b; 22a', 22b'; 22a", 22b").

7. Vehicle brake (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (3, 3', 3", 3'") is designed as a cast part.

8. Vehicle brake (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support elements (17a, 17b, 22a, 22b; 22a', 22b'; 22a", 22b"), preferably the first support elements (17a, 17b) and / or the second support elements (22a, 22b; 22a', 22b'; 22a", 22b"), are formed together on a projection (15; 15'; 15"; 15'") which is formed on the housing (3, 3', 3", 3'") and projects in the pressure direction (D) on the housing (3, 3', 3", 3'").

9. Vehicle brake (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support elements (17a, 17b) have a support element length (Ls) in the direction of the brake lever axis (B), and the cylindrical roller (11 ') has a circumferential collar (29a, 29b) on its opposite end faces (25a', 25b'), wherein the two collars (29a, 29b) define between them a collar distance (AK) in the direction of the brake lever axis (B), which is equal to or greater than the support element length (Ls).

10. Vehicle brake (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylindrical roller (11, 11') is a rolling bearing roller.

11. Use of a cylindrical roller (11) as a sliding element in a vehicle brake (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in particular use of a rolling bearing roller as a sliding element in a vehicle brake (1) according to claim 10.

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