Brake caliper

Abstract

A brake caliper includes an actuator, a moveable brake pad including a brake pad backplate having a generally planar portion, and a friction material secured to the brake pad backplate. The brake pad backplate is being generally arcuate in shape and defines a friction material outer radius and has a friction face for engagement with a brake disc. The brake pad defines a wear limit of the friction material at a wear limit plane that is parallel to the friction face. The brake pad backplate includes a first pad abutment to limit rotation of the brake pad in a first direction. The first pad abutment is defined on a first lug surface of a first lug projecting from the generally planar portion, and the first lug surface is at a radius larger than the friction material outer radius and is positioned on the friction face side of the wear limit plane. The brake caliper also includes a stationary brake pad and a frame having a housing region for receiving the actuator, a reaction side portion for receiving the stationary brake pad in an axially static manner, and a first bridge arm connecting the housing region to the reaction side portion. The actuator is operable to move the moveable brake pad towards the stationary brake pad. The first pad abutment engages a first bridge abutment on the first bridge arm to limit rotation of the brake pad in the first direction.

1 . A method of manufacturing a brake pad, the brake pad including: 
 a brake pad backplate having a generally planar portion,    a friction material secured to the brake pad backplate, wherein the friction material is generally arcuate in shape, defines a friction material outer radius, and has a friction face for engagement with a brake disc,    wherein a brake pad defines a wear limit of the friction material at a wear limit plane that is parallel to the friction face,    wherein the brake pad backplate includes a first pad abutment to limit rotation of the brake pad in a circumferential direction, the first pad abutment being defined on a first lug surface of a first lug projecting from the generally planar portion, the first lug surface being at a radius larger than the friction material outer radius and being positioned on a friction face side of the wear limit plane such that at least a portion of the first lug surface is spaced away from the wear limit plane and on the friction face side of the wear limit plane, and    wherein the first pad abutment includes the at least a portion of the first lug surface,    the method comprising the step of:    casting the brake pad backplate.    
     
     
         2 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  wherein the first pad abutment is defined on a further first lug surface of a further first lug projecting from the generally planar portion on a side opposite to the friction face side.  
     
     
         3 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 2  wherein the first pad abutment is defined on a first circumferential end surface region of the generally planar portion, and wherein the first lug surface, the further first lug surface and the first circumferential end surface region are contiguous.  
     
     
         4 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  wherein the first lug is positioned at a first circumferential end of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         5 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 4  wherein the first pad abutment is defined on a first circumferential end surface region of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         6 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  wherein the generally planar portion has a thickness and the first pad abutment has a thickness, and the thickness of the first pad abutment is at least twice as thick as the thickness of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         7 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  wherein the generally planar portion has a thickness and the first pad abutment has a thickness, and the thickness of the first pad abutment is at least three times as thick as the thickness of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         8 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  wherein a cross section area taken parallel to the wear limit plane of a part of the first lug remote from the generally planar portion is smaller than a cross section area of a part of the first lug proximate the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         9 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 8  wherein the first lug generally tapers from the part of the first lug remote from the generally planar portion to the part of the first lug proximate the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         10 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  including the step of fixing the friction material to a substantially flat region of the brake pad backplate, the substantially flat region defining the wear limit.  
     
     
         11 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 1  wherein the brake pad backplate includes a second pad abutment to limit rotation of the brake pad in a second direction, the second pad abutment being defined on a second lug surface of a second lug projecting from the generally planar portion, the second lug surface being at a radius larger than the friction material outer radius and being positioned on the friction face side of the wear limit plane to limit rotation of the brake pad in the second direction.  
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a brake pad, the brake pad including: 
 a brake pad backplate having a generally planar portion,    a friction material secured to the brake pad backplate, wherein the friction material is generally arcuate in shape, defines a friction material outer radius, and has a friction face for engagement with a brake disc,    wherein a brake pad defines a wear limit of the friction material at a wear limit plane that is parallel to the friction face,    wherein the brake pad backplate includes a first pad abutment to limit rotation of the brake pad in a circumferential direction, the first pad abutment being defined on a first lug surface of a first lug projecting from the generally planar portion, the first lug surface being at a radius larger than the friction material outer radius and being positioned on a friction face side of the wear limit plane such that at least a portion of the first lug surface is spaced away from the wear limit plane and on the friction face side of the wear limit plane, and    wherein the first pad abutment includes the at least a portion of the first lug surface,    the method comprising the step of:    forging the brake pad backplate.    
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as recited in  claim 12  wherein the first pad abutment is defined on a further first lug surface of a further first lug projecting from the generally planar portion on a side opposite to the friction face side.  
     
     
         14 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 13  wherein the first pad abutment is defined on a first circumferential end surface region of the generally planar portion, and wherein the first lug surface, the further first lug surface and the first circumferential end surface region are contiguous.  
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 12  wherein the first lug is positioned at a first circumferential end of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 15  wherein the first pad abutment is defined on a first circumferential end surface region of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         17 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 12  wherein the generally planar portion has a thickness and the first pad abutment has a thickness, and the thickness of the first pad abutment is at least twice as thick as the thickness of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         18 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 12  wherein the generally planar portion has a thickness and the first pad abutment has a thickness, and the thickness of the first pad abutment is at least three times as thick as the thickness of the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         19 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 12  wherein a cross section area taken parallel to the wear limit plane of a part of the first lug remote from the generally planar portion is smaller than a cross section area of a part of the first lug proximate the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         20 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 19  wherein the first lug generally tapers from the part of the first lug remote from the generally planar portion to the part of the first lug proximate the generally planar portion.  
     
     
         21 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 12  including the step of fixing the friction material to a substantially flat region of the brake pad backplate, the substantially flat region defining the wear limit.  
     
     
         22 . The method of manufacturing a brake pad as defined in  claim 12  wherein the brake pad backplate includes a second pad abutment to limit rotation of the brake pad in a second direction, the second pad abutment being defined on a second lug surface of a second lug projecting from the generally planar portion, the second lug surface being at a radius larger than the friction material outer radius and being positioned on the friction face side of the wear limit plane to limit rotation of the brake pad in the second direction.