阅读说明：本技术 制动垫块背衬板 (Backing plate for brake pad ) 是由 C·L·博伊斯 G·M·维勒特尔 于 2019-10-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开提供了一种用于制动垫块的背衬板,该背衬板有助于改善摩擦垫块的附接。该背衬板具有包括锁定板和增强板的多层结构。该锁定板中的锁定孔或锁定环在该增强板中的模具孔处形成底切部分,以有助于机械地锁定该制动垫块的摩擦材料。在一些实施方案中,可提供保持孔和/或锁定轨,以通过增加用于粘结的可用表面积来有助于进一步保持该摩擦垫块。另外,该保持孔和/或该锁定轨可通过使该锁定板的总体尺寸最小化来有助于减小该背衬板的重量。(The present disclosure provides a backing plate for a brake pad that helps to improve the attachment of the friction pad. The backing plate has a multi-layer structure including a locking plate and a reinforcing plate. The locking hole or locking ring in the locking plate forms an undercut at the die hole in the reinforcement plate to help mechanically lock the friction material of the brake pad. In some embodiments, retaining holes and/or locking rails may be provided to help further retain the friction pads by increasing the available surface area for bonding. Additionally, the retention aperture and/or the locking rail may help reduce the weight of the backing plate by minimizing the overall size of the locking plate.)

1. A backing plate for a brake pad, the backing plate comprising:

a reinforcement plate having an exterior side surface, an interior side surface, and a die hole; and

a locking plate having an outer side surface, an inner side surface, a locking hole, and a retention hole, wherein the outer side surface of the locking plate is attached to the inner side surface of the reinforcement plate such that the die hole and the locking hole are at least partially aligned and form an undercut configured to mechanically lock a friction material at an undercut portion on the outer side of the locking plate.

2. The backing plate of claim 1 wherein the retention apertures are at least partially defined by one or more locking rails extending from the locking apertures.

3. The backing plate of claim 1, wherein the locking hole is at least partially defined by at least two attachment portions.

4. The backing plate of claim 3, wherein each attachment portion is a weld joint.

5. The backing plate of claim 1 wherein the die holes have a diameter and the locking holes have a diameter, and the diameter of the locking holes is about 50-95% of the diameter of the die holes.

6. The backing plate of claim 1, wherein the locking plate is an intermediate layer between the locking layer and the reinforcement plate.

7. The backing plate of claim 6 wherein the locking layer comprises a locking ring having a diameter that is less than a diameter of the locking hole and less than a diameter of the die hole.

8. The backing plate of claim 7 wherein the locking ring peripheral wall is aligned such that it is entirely within the boundary defined by the locking hole peripheral wall and the locking hole is aligned such that it is entirely within the boundary defined by the mold hole peripheral wall.

9. A brake pad, said brake pad comprising:

the backing plate of claim 1; and

a friction pad having a friction surface and an attachment surface, wherein the attachment surface is attached to the inner side surface of the locking plate and the outer side surface of the locking plate at the location of the locking hole.

10. The brake pad of claim 9, wherein the friction pad includes a stepped attachment surface at the die hole.

11. A brake pad, said brake pad comprising:

the backing plate of claim 1; and

a friction pad having a friction surface and an attachment surface, wherein the attachment surface is attached to the inner side surface of the locking plate and the inner side surface of the reinforcement plate at the location of the retention hole.

12. A backing plate for a brake pad, the backing plate comprising:

a reinforcement plate having an exterior side surface, an interior side surface, and a die hole; and

a locking plate having an outer side surface, an inner side surface, a locking aperture, and a plurality of locking rails extending from the locking aperture to the outer perimeter.

13. The backing plate of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of locking rails protrudes from an outer diameter ring surface of the locking aperture to an inner extended perimeter surface of an outer perimeter of the locking plate.

14. The backing plate of claim 13 wherein the outer diameter ring surface and the inner extension perimeter surface at least partially define a retention aperture.

15. The backing plate of claim 13 wherein the locking hole has between two and seven, including two and seven, locking rails extending from the outer diameter ring surface.

16. The backing plate of claim 15 wherein two of the locking rails intersect to form an X between the outer diameter ring surface, another outer diameter ring surface of another locking hole, and the inner extending peripheral surface.

17. A brake pad, said brake pad comprising:

the backing plate of claim 12; and

a friction pad having a friction surface and an attachment surface, wherein the attachment surface is attached to the inner side surface of the locking plate and the outer side surface of the locking plate at the location of the locking hole.

18. A method of manufacturing a brake pad comprising a backing plate and a friction pad, wherein the backing plate comprises:

a reinforcement plate having an exterior side surface, an interior side surface, and a die hole; and

a locking plate having an outer side surface, an inner side surface, and a locking aperture;

wherein the method comprises the steps of:

forming the locking hole and the holding hole in the locking plate;

at least partially aligning the die hole and the locking hole to form an undercut having an undercut portion on the outboard side of the locking plate;

attaching the outer side surface of the locking plate to the inner side surface of the reinforcement plate; and

pressing a friction material against the backing plate to form the friction pad, wherein the undercut is configured to mechanically lock the friction material at the undercut portion on the outboard side of the locking plate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the forming step includes laser cutting the locking hole and the retaining hole.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the forming step includes stamping the locking aperture and the retaining aperture.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to automotive brakes and, in particular, to backing plates for automotive brake pads.

Background

Brake pads are used in a variety of vehicles of various sizes, including motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks, and typically include a backing plate and a friction pad attached to the backing plate. Mechanical locking features in the backing plate can help retain the friction material of the friction pad, thereby prolonging the use of the brake pad.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment, there is provided a backing plate for a brake pad, the backing plate comprising: a reinforcement plate having an exterior side surface, an interior side surface, and a die hole; and a locking plate having an outer side surface, an inner side surface, a locking hole, and a retaining hole. The outer side surface of the locking plate is attached to the inner side surface of the reinforcement plate such that the die hole and the locking hole are at least partially aligned and form an undercut configured to mechanically lock the friction material at an undercut portion on the outer side face of the locking plate.

According to various embodiments, the backing plate may have any one or more of the following features, either alone or in any technically feasible combination:

● the retention aperture is at least partially defined by one or more locking rails extending from the locking aperture;

● the locking aperture is at least partially defined by at least two attachment portions;

● each attachment portion is a weld joint;

● the die hole has a diameter and the locking hole has a diameter, and the diameter of the locking hole is about 50% to 95% of the diameter of the die hole;

● the locking plate is an intermediate layer between the locking layer and the reinforcing plate;

● the locking layer includes a locking ring having a diameter less than the diameter of the locking hole and less than the diameter of the die hole; and/or

● the peripheral wall of the locking ring is aligned so that it lies entirely within the boundary defined by the peripheral wall of the locking hole, and the locking hole is aligned so that it lies entirely within the boundary defined by the peripheral wall of the die hole.

According to one embodiment, one or more of the above-described backing plates may be used with a brake pad that includes a friction pad having a friction surface and an attachment surface. The attachment surfaces are attached to an inner side surface of the locking plate and an outer side surface of the locking plate at the position of the locking hole. In another embodiment, the friction pad includes a stepped attachment surface at the die orifice.

According to one embodiment, one or more of the above-described backing plates may be used with a brake pad that includes a friction pad having a friction surface and an attachment surface. The attachment surface is attached to the inner side surface of the locking plate and the inner side surface of the reinforcing plate at the position of the holding hole.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a backing plate for a brake pad, the backing plate comprising: a reinforcement plate having an exterior side surface, an interior side surface, and a die hole; and a locking plate having an outer side surface, an inner side surface, a locking aperture, and a plurality of locking rails extending from the locking aperture to an outer periphery.

According to various embodiments, the backing plate may have any one or more of the following features, either alone or in any technically feasible combination:

● each of the plurality of locking rails protruding from the outer diameter ring surface of the locking aperture to an inner extended peripheral surface of the outer periphery of the locking plate;

● the outer diameter ring surface and the inner extending peripheral surface at least partially define a retention aperture;

● the locking hole has between two and seven, including two and seven, locking rails extending from the outer diameter ring surface; and/or

● two of the locking rails intersect to form an X located between the outer diameter ring surface, the other outer diameter ring surface of the other locking hole and the inner extended peripheral surface.

According to one embodiment, one or more of the above-described backing plates may be used with a brake pad that includes a friction pad having a friction surface and an attachment surface. The attachment surfaces are attached to an inner side surface of the locking plate and an outer side surface of the locking plate at the position of the locking hole.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a brake pad is provided that includes a backing plate and a friction pad. The backing plate includes: a reinforcement plate having an exterior side surface, an interior side surface, and a die hole; and a locking plate having an outer side surface, an inner side surface, and a locking hole. The method comprises the following steps: forming a locking hole and a holding hole in a locking plate; at least partially aligning the die hole and the locking hole to form an undercut having an undercut portion on an outboard side of the locking plate; attaching an outer side surface of the locking plate to an inner side surface of the reinforcement plate; and pressing the friction material against the backing plate to form a friction pad, wherein the undercut is configured to mechanically lock the friction material at an undercut portion on the outer side face of the locking plate. The forming step may include laser cutting the locking hole and the retaining hole or punching the locking hole and the retaining hole.

Drawings

Preferred exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a brake pad having a backing plate according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the backing plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the outboard side of the backing plate of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 shows the inboard side of the backing plate of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a brake pad having a backing plate according to another embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the backing plate of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the inboard side of the backing plate of FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 shows the outboard side of the backing plate of FIGS. 5-7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of another embodiment of a backing plate;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a brake pad having a backing plate according to another embodiment; and is

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the backing plate of fig. 10.

Detailed Description

The backing plate embodiments disclosed herein may be used in various brake pad designs and in various vehicle applications to help improve the attachment of the friction pad. The backing plate embodiment is multi-layered, which may allow for the use of different materials in the configuration to facilitate retention and reduce weight. The multilayer backing plate includes a locking plate and a reinforcing plate. The locking hole in the locking plate forms an undercut at the die hole in the reinforcement plate to help mechanically lock the friction material of the brake pad.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a brake pad 10. The brake pad 10 includes a backing plate 12 and a friction pad 14. The illustrated configurations of the backing plate 12 and friction pad 14 are merely examples, as other geometries, features, etc. are possible depending on factors such as caliper design. The backing plate 12 in the illustrated embodiment includes a reinforcement plate 16 and a locking plate 18 located between the reinforcement plate 16 and the friction pad 14. As will be described in further detail below, the backing plate 12 includes a plurality of features to help promote adhesion or attachment of various components of the brake pad 10, thereby improving the life and performance of the brake pad. In addition, other features may also be included, such as damping layers, wear indicators, and the like, to help provide performance benefits.

The friction pads 14 interact with a braking surface, such as a rotor (not shown), to dampen rotational movement and stop the vehicle. A rotor is used as an example herein to positionally describe one or more features of the brake pad 10. Accordingly, directional terms such as inboard and outboard may be used to describe whether a component faces toward the rotor (e.g., inboard) or away from the rotor (e.g., outboard) when the brake pad 10 is installed. The friction pad 14 includes an inboard facing friction surface 22 and an outboard facing attachment surface 24. The friction surface 22 may include features not shown, such as chamfers, slots, curved edges, and the like. The attachment surface 24 is opposite the locking plate 18 of the backing plate 12, but may include other layers, such as adhesive layers and the like. The attachment surface 24 is a stepped attachment surface that generally follows the contour of the backing plate 12. The friction pad 14 may be made of any operable material, such as a non-asbestos organic (NAO) material, a ceramic material, a low-metal/low-steel material (e.g., 0-30 wt.% metal), a semi-metallic material (e.g., about 30-65 wt.% metal), or a sintered friction material.

Typically, the friction pad 14 is bonded directly (or indirectly via an adhesive layer) to a steel backing or reinforcing plate 16. However, according to the brake pad 10 of the present invention, one or more other layers may be included between the reinforcement plate 16 and the friction pad 14. The reinforcement plate 16 is typically a steel plate, the configuration of which is determined by the requirements of the brake system or caliper design. Accordingly, other features, shapes, materials, etc. may be used to reinforce the plate 16, such as additional caliper attachment projections, eyelets, etc., to cite a few examples, in addition to those shown and described.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the backing plate 12, and fig. 3 and 4 show the outer side and inner side, respectively, of the backing plate 12. Reinforcing plate 16 has an inside surface 26, an outside surface 28, and an outer perimeter 30. In some embodiments, the thickness of the reinforcement plate 16 between the inboard and outboard surfaces 26, 28 may be reduced in view of the multi-layer design, thereby reducing the weight of the brake pad 10, which is industrially advantageous.

The reinforcement plate 16 includes one or more die holes 32, 34, 36, 38. Although four die holes 32-38 are shown in the illustrated embodiment, more or fewer die holes may be included depending on the particular implementation desired. During manufacture of the brake pad 10, the friction pad 14 is pressed such that at least some of the friction pad material is pushed through the die holes 32-38 to help lock the friction pad and the reinforcement plate 16. Each of the die holes 32-38 includes a peripheral wall 40 extending between the inboard surface 26 and the outboard surface 28 of the reinforcement plate 16. Although circular die holes 32 to 38 are used in this particular implementation, other shapes are of course possible. In certain implementations, a circular die hole may be preferred because the friction material does not have to fill the sharp corners during manufacturing. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the die orifice has a diameter D1.

The brake pad 10 and backing plate 12 embodiment includes a locking plate 18 generally located between the friction pad 14 and the reinforcement plate 16. Locking plate 18 includes an inner side surface 42, an outer side surface 44, and an outer perimeter 46. The thickness of the locking plate 18 between the inboard and outboard surfaces 42, 44 may be less than the thickness of the reinforcement plate 16, which reduces the weight of the backing plate 12. Outer perimeter 46 of locking plate 18 may be the same size and the same configuration as outer perimeter 30 of reinforcement plate 16. However, as shown in fig. 4, outer periphery 46 of locking plate 18 is slightly larger than outer periphery 30 of reinforcement plate 16 along the top edge, and thus, it may be desirable to include alignment notches or the like in locking plate 18 as well as in reinforcement plate 16. In other embodiments, outer perimeter 46 of locking plate 18 is smaller than outer perimeter 30 of reinforcement plate 16. In a preferred embodiment, the locking plate 18 is made of a lighter weight material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, but other materials are of course possible. The locking plate 18 includes various features to help facilitate attachment of other components of the brake pad 10, such features including locking holes 48 and retaining holes 50 (only a few of each are numbered for clarity).

The locking holes 48 in the locking plate 18 increase the amount of interlockable surface area available for bonding the friction pads 14. The locking holes 48 in the locking plate 18 may be laser cut into the locking plate 18 and they are positioned such that they are at least partially aligned with the die holes 32-38 of the reinforcement plate 16. Laser cutting may allow for more precisely shaped locking features, such as beveled or angled perimeter walls. In another embodiment, various locking features are stamped into locking plate 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking hole 48 has a peripheral wall 52 that is aligned such that it is entirely within the boundaries defined by the peripheral wall 40 of each of the mold holes 32-38. This arrangement maximizes the amount of interlockable surface area. Further, diameter D2 of locking hole 48 is less than diameter D1 of die holes 32-38. The difference in diameters (D1-D2) and alignment define the amount of interlockable surface area. Further, the arrangement of each locking hole 48 forms an undercut 54 configured to mechanically lock the friction material from the friction pad 14 at an undercut portion 56 on the outboard side 44 of the locking plate 18. The difference between D1 and D2 will vary depending on the braking system requirements, the overall size of the backing plate 12, and the like. In one embodiment, D2 may be about 50% to 95% or 70% to 90% of D1 (e.g., if D1 is 1.5mm, D2 would be 0.75mm to 1.425mm or 1.05mm to 1.35 mm). The undercut 54 and undercut portion 56 result in a stepped attachment surface 24 being formed at each of the die holes 32-38 in the friction pads.

The retention apertures 50 in the locking plate 18 may also increase the amount of interlockable surface area, but advantageously, the retention apertures 50 serve to reduce the weight of the locking plate 18. Similar to the locking hole 48, the retention hole 50 may be laser cut or stamped into the locking plate 18. In some embodiments, the perimeter wall 58 of each retention hole is angled relative to a line perpendicular to the outboard surface 44 to form an additional undercut portion for interlocking the friction material of the friction pad 14. The retention apertures 50 are located in an outer portion 60 of the locking plate 18 that is closer to the outer periphery 46 than an inner portion 62 in which the locking apertures 48 are located. Thus, in this embodiment, the locking aperture 48 in the inner portion 62 is generally surrounded by the plurality of retaining apertures 50 in the outer portion 60. In other embodiments, some of the retention apertures 50 may be located in the inner portion 62 (e.g., between the locking apertures 48).

Referring specifically to fig. 4, the locking plate 18 is attached to the reinforcement plate 16 at attachment portions 64 (only a few of the attachment portions are labeled for clarity). However, some embodiments may not have a different attachment portion, as the locking plate 18 may be attached to the reinforcement plate 16 via an adhesive layer or the like. In the embodiment shown, the attachment portion 64 is a weld joint. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment portion 64 is a laser weld. However, other welding methods are also possible, such as resistance welding, capacitive discharge welding, etc. In configuration, a plurality of attachment portions 64 or weld joints are located in the outer portion 60 between the outer periphery 46 and the retention apertures 50. Additionally, a plurality of attachment portions 64 or weld joints are located in the inner portion 62 to at least partially surround the locking apertures 48. Preferably, each locking aperture 48 is at least partially defined by two or more attachment portions 64, and in addition, the more centrally located locking aperture 48 is at least partially defined by three or more attachment portions 64. With a laser welded joint, it is preferred that the welds be oriented such that they are generally parallel to the outer perimeter 46. This provides a greater attachment force along the edge of the backing plate 12. The number and configuration of the attachment portions 64 may vary from that shown and will likely depend on various characteristics, such as the size of the backing plate 12 and/or the material of the reinforcement plate 16 and locking plate 18.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5-11, locking plate 18 includes a plurality of locking rails 51 extending from locking aperture 48 to outer perimeter 46. More specifically, each locking rail 51 extends or protrudes from an outer diameter ring surface 57 of each locking aperture 48. The outer diameter ring surface 57 is generally orthogonal to both the inboard surface 42 and the outboard surface 44 of the lock plate 18. However, the outer diameter ring surface 57 may be generally sloped toward the reinforcement plate 16 to provide additional undercuts for the interlocking friction material. Each locking rail 51 is directly attached to the outer diameter ring surface 57 of each locking aperture 48 and then protrudes into the inner extending peripheral surface 59 of the outer periphery 46. As with the outer diameter ring surface 57, the inner extending peripheral surface 59 is generally orthogonal to both the inner side surface 42 and the outer side surface 44 of the locking plate 18. Further, the inner extending peripheral surface 59 may be generally sloped toward the reinforcement plate 16 to provide additional undercuts for the interlocking friction material. Both the outer diameter ring surface 57 and the inner extending peripheral surface 59 generally define a plurality of retention apertures 50, each having a peripheral wall 58 (only one of which is labeled for clarity).

In an advantageous embodiment, as shown in more detail in fig. 6, 7, 9 and 11, each locking aperture 48 has between and including two and seven locking rails 51 extending from each outer diameter ring surface 57. Having between two and seven locking rails 51 per locking hole 48 is advantageous because it allows for a larger void space to be formed between the outer diameter ring surface 57 and the inner extending peripheral surface 59, which can reduce the weight of the locking plate 18 and ultimately the backing plate 12 and the brake pad 10. Additionally, having between two and seven locking rails 51 per locking aperture 48 may help provide sufficient structural integrity to support the locking aperture 48 relative to the outer perimeter 46. In another advantageous embodiment, at least some of the locking rails 51 extend along a protruding radius from each locking aperture 48 until they meet at the inner extending peripheral surface 59. In other words, at least some of the locking rails 51 are a straight extension of the radius from the corresponding locking aperture 48. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the locking plate 18 includes two diametrically opposed radially extending locking rails 51 for each locking aperture 48. There may also be locking rails 51 extending in other orientations, such as two locking rails 51 that intersect to form an X60 between two outer diameter ring surfaces 57 and an inner extending peripheral surface 59, as shown in fig. 9. Other protruding configurations of the locking rail 51 relative to the locking aperture 48 and the outer periphery 46 are of course possible. Increasing the number of locking rails 51 increases the number of retaining holes 50.

Fig. 10 and 11 illustrate another embodiment of the brake pad 10 and backing plate 12. In this embodiment, there is an additional locking layer 70 positioned adjacent to the inner side surface 42 of the locking plate 18. Thus, in this embodiment, the locking plate 18 is an intermediate layer between the locking layer 70 and the reinforcing plate 16, and it has generally the same configuration as the locking plate 18 shown in fig. 6. The additional locking layer 70 may also be used with other locking plate embodiments such as those shown in fig. 2 and 9. The additional locking layer 70 includes an inner side surface 72, an outer side surface 74, and an outer perimeter 76. The locking ring 78 cooperates with the die holes 32-38 of the reinforcement plate 16 and the locking hole 48 of the locking plate 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking ring 78 has a peripheral wall 80 with a diameter D3 that is less than the diameter D2 of the locking hole 48 and the diameter D1 of each of the die holes 32-38. This configuration and alignment of the locking ring 78, locking holes 48, and die holes 32-38 provides additional undercuts 82 and undercut portions 84 to increase the interlockable surface area available for locking the friction pad 14. D3 may be about 50% to 95% or 70% to 90% of D2 or D1, and will likely depend on the size of D1 and D2 and the size difference between D2 and D1. The peripheral wall 80 is aligned so that it is entirely within the boundaries of the peripheral wall 52 of each of the locking holes 48 and the peripheral wall 40 of each of the mold holes 32-38. This arrangement maximizes the amount of interlockable surface area. The undercuts 54, 82 and undercut portions 56, 84 result in the formation of a stepped attachment surface 24 at each of the die holes 32-38 in the friction pad, where this embodiment has more steps than the two layer embodiment shown in the other figures.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but is only limited by the following claims. Furthermore, statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments as well as various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

As used in this specification and claims, the terms "for example", "for example (e.g)", "such as" and "like", and the verbs "comprising", "having", "including", and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.