초록 ▼

A disc brake boot seal 10 (and method for assembling a disc brake system) that is molded in its extended condition and that when moved into its collapsed condition will remain in its collapsed condition. The boot seal comprises a molded elastomeric sleeve 12 having a plurality of different wall port

A disc brake boot seal 10 (and method for assembling a disc brake system) that is molded in its extended condition and that when moved into its collapsed condition will remain in its collapsed condition. The boot seal comprises a molded elastomeric sleeve 12 having a plurality of different wall portions 20-34 certain ones of which interact to releasably hold the sleeve in its collapsed condition so that it does not self-extend. The expense and high mold breakage resulting from the prior art system of molding a seal in its collapsed, convoluted condition are eliminated by this invention.

대표청구항 ▼

A disc brake boot seal for sealing between the bore wall of a cylinder and a piston extending through the bore, comprising: (a) an annular, molded, unitary, one-piece flexible, elastomeric sleeve that is collapsible from an extended, as-molded condition to a collapsed convoluted condition and compri

A disc brake boot seal for sealing between the bore wall of a cylinder and a piston extending through the bore, comprising: (a) an annular, molded, unitary, one-piece flexible, elastomeric sleeve that is collapsible from an extended, as-molded condition to a collapsed convoluted condition and comprising in its extended condition a plurality of different, annular wall portions serially connected together from a piston sealing end at the axially outer end thereof to a cylinder sealing end at the axially inner end thereof, said piston sealing end having a smaller as-molded inner diameter than that of said cylinder sealing end, said wall portions allowing said sleeve to collapse from said extended, as-molded condition to a collapsed condition, and (b) at least one of said wall portions including means for interacting with at least one of said wall portions for releasably holding said sleeve in said collapsed condition such that said sleeve does not self extend, and wherein said sleeve includes, in its extended condition, a cylindrical, relatively thick stabilizing wall, an intermediate flex wall located immediately axially inwardly of said stabilizing wall, thereby being located closer to said cylinder sealing end than is said stabilizing wall, said flex wall being connected to one end of said stabilizing wall and tapering radially outwardly from said one end of said stabilizing wall, and a tapered frustoconical upper flex and rolling wall immediately axially inwardly of and connected to said flex wall and having an inside diameter greater than that of said stabilizing wall, said flex wall including an annular crease on its radially outer surface and said upper flex and rolling wall being invertable about said crease, such that said upper flex and rolling wall inverts and moves from its position in the extended sleeve wherein it extends axially inwardly from said crease to an inverted position in the collapsed sleeve wherein it extends axially outwardly from said crease as said sleeve is moved from its extended to its collapsed condition. A method for assembling a disc brake system including a piston, a cylinder, and a disc brake boot seal for sealing the annular space between the piston and cylinder, comprising the steps of: (a) molding in its extended condition, an annular, unitary, one-piece, flexible, elastomeric sleeve that is collapsible from an extended as-molded, condition to a collapsed convoluted condition and that includes a plurality of different, annular wall portions serially connected together from a piston sealing end at one end thereof to a cylinder sealing end at the other end thereof, at least one of said wall portions having means for interacting with at least one of said wall portions for releasably holding the sleeve in its collapsed condition such that it does not self-extend; (b) installing said sleeve in said cylinder of said disc brake system; (c) collapsing said sleeve into its collapsed convoluted condition, and (d) then installing a piston in said cylinder while said sleeve is in its collapsed condition wherein said collapsed sleeve is maintained in its collapsed condition without any external forces acting on said sleeve to maintain its collapsed condition, and attaching said piston sealing end to said piston.