US 20070089942A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2007/0089942 A1 Baldwin et al. (43) Pub. Date: Apr. 26, 2007

(54) ASSEMBLY Publication Classi?cation

(76) Inventors: Fred L. Baldwin, Indianapolis, IN (51) Int. Cl. (US); Timothy E. Wilson, Indianapolis, F16D 65/00 (2006.01) IN (US) (52) Us. or...... 1ss/73.1 Correspondence Address: (57) ABSTRACT INDIANO VAUGHAN LLP. SUITE 850 ONE NORTH PENNSYLVANIA STREET A disc brake assembly for a vehicle having a caliper INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46204 (US) mounted to a non-rotating structure of the vehicle and a housing mounted to a rotating structure of the vehicle (21) Appl. No.: 11/528,766 ?xedly connected to a rotor Within the housing. A pressure plate and a pair of annular brake discs on each side of the (22) Filed: Sep. 28, 2006 rotor and extending parallel to the rotor are disposed Within Related US. Application Data the housing and mounted to the caliper for axial movement into the pressure plate. At least one annular brake disc is (60) Provisional application No. 60/721,119, ?led on Sep. axially moveable by a hydraulically or pneumatically urged 28, 2005. annular piston disposed in caliper. 40' 8 I60 I34 I34 58 68 I0 34 I24 62 22 I08 I28 I39 I00 92 60 38 3|

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DISC BRAKE ASSEMBLY [0008] In available disc brake systems, the friction elements are quite limited in their contact area With I. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED the brake rotor. A typical motorcycle disk brake assembly APPLICATION has a caliper and piston combination that clamp a pair of friction elements onto a limited area on opposing sides of a [0001] This US. non-provisional patent application brake rotor. claims the bene?t of and/or priority to US. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/721,119 ?led Sep. 28, 2005 [0009] By increasing the contact area of the friction ele entitled “360 Brake”, the entire contents of Which is spe ments so that there is full annular contact With the brake ci?cally incorporated herein by reference. rotor, the rotor diameter and therefore the diameter of the disc brake assembly can be decreased, While maintaining or II. FIELD OF THE INVENTION improving the braking capabilities of the disc brake assem [0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle brake bly. assembly, and more particularly to a disc brake suitable for [0010] Full annular disc brake assemblies are knoWn in tWo Wheeled vehicles such as . prior art. For example, US. Pat. No. 4,102,438 to Rancourt discloses a full annular disc brake assembly for vehicles III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION such as trucks, tractor-trailers, and the like. US. Pat. No. [0003] Disc brakes are commonly used on all types of 6,397,982 to Rancourt also discloses a full annular disc vehicles, including tWo Wheeled vehicles such as motor brake assembly for a vehicle. HoWever, these patents dis cycles. Disc brake assemblies typically include a disc or close complex means to actuate and to cool the disc brake. rotor rotatably mounted to a , With a caliper positioned [0011] As far as is knoWn to the applicants, there are no adjacent to the rotor and capable of clamping friction commercially available disc brake systems With large con elements onto the rotor to sloW doWn the rotation of the tact area annular friction elements that do not substantially associated Wheel. obscure the vieW of a motorcycle Wheel or Which are [0004] Motorcycle brakes are designed so that they are substantially hidden from vieW When vieWed through slotted smaller than passenger car disc brakes in part because the or spoked vehicle and yet accomplish ef?cient cool smaller siZe brakes can provide sufficient stopping capability ing and enjoy simplicity and loW cost of construction, for a motorcycle. Generally, a smaller, lighter, and simpler maintenance, and repair. disc brake is desirable for motorcycles as each of these [0012] Therefore, an object of this invention is to design characteristics generally Will lead to better handling of the a large contact area annular disc brake assembly for vehicles motorcycle, reduced stopping distance for the motorcycles, such as motorcycles Which does not substantionally obscure improved performance of the brake, ease of manufacturing the vieW of the vehicle Wheel. of the brake, and reduced costs for manufacturing, service, and maintenance of the brakes. [0013] Another object of this invention is to design a large [0005] Motorcycle brakes are exposed to vieW in com contact area disc brake that is less complicated than prior art parison to brakes of other vehicles such as cars or trucks large contact area disc brakes. Where the brake assemblies may be partially or completely [0014] Still another object of the invention is to design a obscured from vieW by the associated Wheel. Thus, in the large contact area disc brake Which dissipates the heat case of motorcycles an aesthetically pleasing design for the generated during braking. disc brake is considered desirable. [0015] Another object of this invention to design a disc [0006] On motorcycles and other Wheeled vehicles, many brake assembly that is aesthetically pleasing. enthusiasts Will personaliZe their vehicles With custom Wheels. Typical motorcycle disc brake assemblies tend to IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION obscure at least some of the aesthetically pleasing aspects of such custom Wheels because of the relatively large diameter [0016] This invention related to a disc brake assembly of the disc rotors; this is considered undesirable by many designed for tWo Wheel vehicles like motorcycles but motorcycle enthusiasts. Some motorcyclists Will omit a disc equally useful in other vehicles such as cars, trucks, and brake assembly altogether from the front Wheel so as to aircraft, Which accomplishes the objects set forth above, as provide an unobscured vieW of the custom Wheel. This Well as numerous other and related objects. practice can greatly increase the stopping distance for a motorcycle and for that reason reduce safety and increase [0017] A generally cylindrical housing is rotatably con the probability of an accident. Thus, a smaller disc brake that nected to a vehicle Wheel at a desired location, coaxial With performs as Well or better than current disc brakes but Which the associated Wheel. The housing has air outlets around its does not obscure the vieW of the Wheels is considered circumferential surface. A rotor is centrally disposed Within desirable by many enthusiasts. the housing and is rotatably connected to the vehicle Wheel. The rotor is axially slidably mounted betWeen a pair of brake [0007] In the case of other Wheeled vehicles such as cars discs. TWo brake discs are mounted on opposite sides of the and trucks, enthusiasts Will also personaliZe their vehicles rotor and are mounted for axial movement toWard and aWay With spoked or slotted custom Wheels, or other types of from the respective surfaces of the rotor. Wheels With openings through Which disc brakes for the associated Wheel can be seen. For those enthusiasts that [0018] Movement of the brake discs and rotor is accom consider this vieW of the disc brake through the Wheel plished by ?uid pressure acting on an annular piston dis undesirable, a smaller disc brake Would be preferable. posed Within a caliper, Which is ?xedly mounted to a US 2007/0089942 A1 Apr. 26, 2007

non-rotating structure of the vehicle. Actuation of the annu [0039] FIG. 18 is a sectional vieW of the annular piston lar piston may be hydraulic or pneumatic. through section 18-18 of FIG. 17 [0019] A reaction force to the actuating force of the [0040] FIG. 19 is a vieW of the outer surface of the annular piston is provided by a pressure plate ?xedly and pressure plate non-rotatably mounted to the caliper. The pressure plate and caliper are ?xedly connected by bolts and spaces, thereby [0041] FIG. 20 is a sectional side vieW of pressure plate through line 20-20 of FIG. 19 de?ning the space for the rotor and brake discs. [0042] FIG. 21 is a sectional side vieW of pressure plate [0020] The housing includes a plurality of vent holes to through line 21-21 of FIG. 19 alloW heated air to escape from the assembly When in operation. The pressure plate, rotor, and brake discs also [0043] FIG. 22 is a vieW of the backing plate of the brake each include a plurality of slots or holes to alloW heated air disc and brake debris to escape from the space de?ned by the pressure plate and caliper. [0044] FIG. 23 is a side vieW of the brake disc [0045] FIG. 24 is a vieW of the planar friction surface of [0021] These features of the present invention, as Well as the brake disc numerous possible alterations and modi?cations Will be understood When reference is made to the folloWing descrip [0046] FIG. 25 is a vieW of one planar surface of the rotor tion of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction With the accompanying draWings. The embodiment described is [0047] FIG. 26 is a side vieW of rotor exemplary and not intended to limit the spirit and scope of [0048] FIG. 27 is a vieW of the second planar surface of the invention. the rotor [0049] FIG. 28 is a vieW of the outer surface of the rotor V. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS hat [0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective vieW of the disc brake [0050] FIG. 29 is a sectional vieW of the rotor hat sub assembly as seen mounted on a motorcycle front Wheel stantially through line 29-29 of FIG. 28 [0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective vieW of the disc [0051] FIG. 30 is a vieW of the inner surface of the rotor brake assembly hat [0024] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective sectional vieW of [0052] FIG. 31 is a side vieW of the rotor hat the disc brake assembly substantially through line 3-3 of FIG. 2 [0053] FIG. 32 is a sectional vieW of the rotor hat sub stantially through line 32-32 of FIG. 31 [0025] FIG. 4 is a side vieW of the exploded sectional side vieW of the disc brake assembly of FIG. 3 [0054] FIG. 33 is a sectional vieW of the rotor hat sub stantially through line 33-33 of FIG. 31 [0026] FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional side vieW of FIG. 4 With the disc brake assembled and in the engaged position [0055] FIG. 34 is a perspective vieW of the bearing [0027] FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional side vieW of FIG. 4 [0056] FIG. 35 is a side vieW of the bearing With the disc brake assembled and in the disengaged position [0057] FIG. 36 is a sectional vieW of the bearing through [0028] FIG. 7 is a vieW of the outer surface of the caliper line 36-36 of FIG. 35 [0029] FIG. 8 is a vieW of the inner surface of the caliper [0058] FIG. 37 is a side vieW of an adapter sleeve [0030] FIG. 9 is a side vieW of caliper substantially [0059] FIG. 38 is a top vieW of an adapter sleeve through line 9-9 of FIG. 8 [0060] FIG. 39 is a sectional vieW of the adapter sleeve [0031] FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional vieW of detail 10 substantially through line 39-39 of FIG. 37 of FIG. 9 shoWing the caliper channel [0061] FIG. 40 is a perspective vieW of a bolt [0032] FIG. 11 is a side vieW of the caliper vieWing the FIG. 41 is a perspective vieW of a spacer inlet port [0062] FIG. 42 is a perspective vieW of a drive pin [0033] FIG. 12 is a sectional side vieW of the caliper [0063] substantially through section 12-12 of FIG. 11 [0064] FIG. 43 is a perspective vieW of a caliper spacer [0034] FIG. 13 is a side vieW of the caliper vieWing the VI. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE bleed port PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0035] FIG. 14 is a sectional side vieW of the caliper substantially through section 14-14 of FIG. 13 [0065] Referring to FIG. 1, the inventive disc brake assembly 10 includes a caliper 18 ?xedly mounted to a [0036] FIG. 15 is a vieW of the inner Wall of the annular vehicle With torque arm 12, such as to the piston tube 16 shoWn, and a rotor hat 20 ?xedly mounted to the [0037] FIG. 16 is a side vieW of the annular piston Wheel of a vehicle, such as to the motorcycle Wheel 14 shoWn. As those skilled in the art Will appreciate, the [0038] FIG. 17 is a vieW of the outer Wall of the annular inventive disc brake assembly 10 can be adapted for use With piston other types of vehicles With rotor hat 20 ?xedly mounted to