초록 ▼

A device comprising one or more movable links adjacent to and spanning between two opposing brake pads along an axis, wherein the one or more movable links connect the two opposing brake pads so that the brake pads remain in a substantially parallel relationship as the two opposing brake pads move r

A device comprising one or more movable links adjacent to and spanning between two opposing brake pads along an axis, wherein the one or more movable links connect the two opposing brake pads so that the brake pads remain in a substantially parallel relationship as the two opposing brake pads move relative to each other along the axis when contacted by a rotor during a free running condition, and wherein dimensions of the one or more movable links remain constant during a brake apply, a brake retract, the free running condition, or a time therebetween.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A device comprising: one or more movable links adjacent to and spanning between two opposing brake pads along an axis,wherein the one or more movable links connect the two opposing brake pads so that the brake pads remain in a substantially parallel relationship as the two opposing brake pads and

1. A device comprising: one or more movable links adjacent to and spanning between two opposing brake pads along an axis,wherein the one or more movable links connect the two opposing brake pads so that the brake pads remain in a substantially parallel relationship as the two opposing brake pads and the one or more moveable links move together along the axis when one of the two opposing brake pads are contacted by a rotor during a free running condition after a first rotation of the rotor after a brake apply, andwherein dimensions of the one or more movable links remain constant during the brake apply, a brake retract, the free running condition, and a time therebetween. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more movable links are attached to and hold a support bracket with a holding force. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more movable links connect to an ear of a brake pad and the ear of the brake pad is held in the movable link by a link force. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the link force is larger than the hold force so that during the free running condition any contact between the two or more brake pads and a rotor is sufficient to overcome the hold force but not sufficient to overcome the link force so that the two opposing brake pads and one or more movable links move in unison. 5. The device of claim 2, wherein one of the one or more movable links is a trailing link located in a trailing region and one of the one or more movable links is a leading link located in a leading region, and wherein the leading link and the trailing link attach the two or more opposing brake pads. 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the leading link and the trailing link are connected to the two opposing brake pads so that a face of each of the two opposing brake pads are maintained substantially parallel to each other and disc thickness variation, brake torque variation, or both are maintained and/or substantially reduced. 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the leading link, the trailing link, or both maintain the face of each of the two opposing brake pads so that the face of each of the two opposing brake pads are maintained substantially parallel to each other in a lateral direction, radial direction, longitudinal direction, tangential direction, or a combination thereof at all times. 8. The device of claim 5, wherein the leading link, the trailing link, or both extend over the rotor and attach the two opposing brake pads to each other; attach to abutment portions of the two opposing brake pads on the ends; or both. 9. The device of claim 5, wherein movement of one of the two opposing brake pads affects movement of the second one of the two opposing brake pads via the leading link, the trailing link, or both. 10. The device of claim 5, wherein during the free running condition the leading link, the trailing link, or both are attached so that any rotor variation moves one of the two opposing brake pads in a direction of the rotor variation and the leading link, the trailing link, or both moves the second one of the two opposing brake pads in the direction of the rotor variation so that the two opposing brake pads move in unison with the rotor variation. 11. The device of claim 5, wherein after a brake apply an air gap is created by rotor variation of a rotor which, upon entering between the at least two opposing brake pads forces the two opposing brake pads apart and creates the air gap so that the air gap is substantially equivalent in size to the rotor variation. 12. The device of claim 5, wherein the leading link, the trailing link, or both are fixedly attached to a pressure plate of one the two opposing brake pads. 13. The device of claim 5, wherein the leading link, the trailing link, or both are made of a unitary sheet of material. 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the unitary sheet of material includes a forward end region, a rearward end region, and a central region and each region includes at least one bend, crease, fold, or a combination thereof. 15. The device of claim 5, wherein the leading link, the trailing link, or both are fixedly attached to an inboard brake pad and movingly attached to an outboard brake pad. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the leading link, the trailing link. or both require a force of between about 5 N and about 25 N to overcome the link force of the leading link, the trailing link, or both of the movable link so that the two opposing brake pads move independent of each other during a brake apply, a brake retract, or both. 17. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more movable links are fixedly attached to one of the two opposing brake pads and movably attached to an opposing brake pad. 18. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more movable links are substantially free of springing ability in a direction of movement of the two opposing brake pads, along the axis, or both. 19. A brake system comprising : a. a rotor;b. an inboard brake pad on an inboard side of the rotor;c. an outboard brake pad on an outboard side of the rotor;d. a leading link spanning between a forward region of the outboard brake pad and a forward region of the inboard brake pad; ande. a trailing link spanning between a rearward region of the outboard brake pad and a rearward region of the inboard brake pad;wherein the leading link and the trailing link are attached by a movable attachment to the inboard brake pad, the outboard brake pad, or both;wherein the movable attachment holds the leading link and the trailing link with a holding force so that during a free running condition after a first rotation of the rotor after a brake apply a face of the inboard brake pad and a face of the outboard brake pad are maintained in a substantially parallel relationship and during the brake apply a force applied to the two opposing brake pads is sufficient to overcome the holding force so that the two opposing brake pads move independent of each other,wherein the leading link, the trailing link or both move together with the inboard brake pad and the outboard brake pad when one of the inboard brake pad and the outboard brake pad are contacted by the rotor during the free running condition, andwherein dimensions of the leading link, the trailing link, or both remain constant during the brake apply, a brake retract, the free running condition, and a time there between. 20. The brake system of claim 19, wherein the leading link, the trailing link, or both move together with the inboard brake pad and the outboard brake pad relative to a support bracket when one of the inboard brake pad and the outboard brake pad are contacted by the rotor during the free running condition.