AU2006200615B2 - Braking systems and braking components - Google Patents

Abstract

A brake pad for use in a disc braking system, including: a support having an opening therein; and a liner pad in said opening and extending therefrom beyond said support. /cBARJ0161 filed 15 February 2006 3 '32 Fig. 2a Fig. 2b Fig. 3

Description

BRAKING SYSTEMS AND BRAKE COMPONENTS This invention relates to braking systems and brake components. The invention has particular application to braking systems and brake components for ride-on mowers and reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that the invention may have application to other small vehicles. Ride-on mowers which have a rocker pedal for forward and reverse drive control operated by one foot do not usually require a foot brake. In such mowers, the rider can simply rock the pedal back so that the mower slows down and then commences reverse motion and vice versa thus avoiding the need for a foot brake. However, if a main component in the drive train, for example, a drive belt, breaks, the rocker pedal will not have any braking function. While the possibility of a major component of the drive train breaking in a situation where a brake is necessary is unlikely, in order to provide added rider comfort, a braking system could be provided. However, one of the difficulties facing ride-on mower manufacturers is producing such features at a reasonable cost while maintaining high efficiency and reliability. The present invention is aimed at providing a foot braking system and components for such a system which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and which are relatively reliable and efficient in use. The invention also aims to provide a braking system which inhibits a rider riding the brake and therefore causing damage to the drive train. With the foregoing in view the invention in one aspect resides broadly in a brake pad for use in a disc braking system, including: a support having an opening therein; and a liner pad in said opening and extending therefrom beyond said support. /cBAR10161filed 15 February 2006 2 Preferably, the liner pad is bonded to the support by a suitable adhesive. Preferably, the support includes a support member having a retainer secured to or integral therewith and the opening is an aperture in the retainer through which the liner pad extends a suitable distance for contacting the brake disc in use, and the liner pad rests on the support member. In such form it is preferred that the liner pad be pressed into the aperture in an interference fit and is be retained therein by the retainer due to that fit. In another aspect the invention resides broadly in a brake pad for use in a disc braking system, including: a support member adapted to support a liner pad thereon; a retainer secured to or integral with said support plate; an aperture in said retainer; and a liner pad on said support member and extending through said aperture. In another aspect the invention resides broadly in a braking system incorporating a brake disc mounted on an axle for rotation therewith and a pair of spaced apart brake pads as previously described mounted on opposite sides of the disc for relative movement towards the disc for engagement therewith to brake the axle and away from the disc to release the axle for rotation about its axis. Preferably, one of the brake pads is fixed in position and the disc and the other brake pad are adapted to move towards the fixed brake pad. In another aspect the invention resides broadly in a ride on mower including: a chassis; a foot rest secured to said chassis; a brake pedal operatively connected to said chassis for pivoting movement about an axis extending generally across the chassis between a brake-on position and a brake-off position, said brake pedal when in the brake-off position being /cBAR10161filed 15 February 2006 3 sufficiently remote from said foot rest that a rider riding the mower normally cannot apply foot pressure to the brake pedal without first removing the foot from the foot rest. Advantageously, such arrangement is aimed at preventing or at least inhibiting a rider from inadvertently "riding" the brake. The invention has particular advantage to ride-on mowers which have rocker pedal control for forward and reverse drive operated by one foot and a brake pedal operated by the other foot. Preferably, the brake pedal is located above and rearward of the foot rest beyond the reach of an average riders foot when the heel is on the foot rest and the foot is bent fully upwards. Preferably, the brake pedal is connected to a braking system as previously described, the connection being achieved by a linkage assembly including a drag link. In order that the invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein: Fig. 1 is a pictorial representation of a braking system incorporating brake pads according to the presentation invention in a hand brake arrangement; Fig. 2a is a plan view of a brake pad according to the present invention; Fig. 2b is a side elevation of the brake pad of Fig. 2a; Fig. 3 is a pictorial representation of the brake pad of Figs. 2a and 2b; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of part of a ride-on mower showing the foot pedal arrangement according to the invention. The braking system 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 is adapted to work on the rear drive axle 11 of a ride-on mower of the general type described in Australian Patent Application No. 72572/81. As can be seen in Fig. 1, a brake disc 12 is mounted on the rear axle for rotation therewith by virtue of key 13 and adapted to slide along the axle within a short range between the two /cBAR10161filed 15 February 2006 4 brake pads 14 and 16. The two brake pads are secured to the chassis 17 via bracket 18 shown in part. Brake pad 14 is fixed in position while brake pad 16 is adapted to slide along securing pin 18 to engage against the far side of the brake disk and force the disk into engagement with the fixed brake pad 14 thereby clamping the disc between the two pads. Movement of the sliding brake pad and the brake disk is achieved by operation of a link assembly 21 at the rear of the mower which is connected to a hand brake lever 22 via drag link 23 and connector link 24. The brake pads 14 and 16 are of the type illustrated in Figs. 2a, 2b and 3. Each brake pad has a plate-like support member 26 and a retainer member 27 which is secured to the support member by spaced apart rivets 28 and 29. An aperture 31 is provided in the retainer member and a cylindrical liner pad 32 is mounted in the aperture with one face abutting one face of the support member as indicated at 33. The liner pad is bonded to the support plate at 33 as a precaution by a suitable adhesive of well known type. As can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2b, the retainer has been pressed to form two end mounting portions and a mid portion in a plane spaced from that of the two end portions in order that the mid portion can be spaced from the support plate when mounted thereon to provide better retention of the liner pad therein. Advantageously, the brake pad 25 can be easily manufactured at relatively low cost and the liner pad secured in a manner which decreases the chance of the liner pad breaking and detaching from the support member as can happen with liners riveted to a support plate. The braking system illustrated in Fig. 4 includes the disk brake system described previously but drag link 23 is connected to a different linkage assembly 41 which in turn is connected to a crank arm type brake pedal 42 which pivots about pivot shaft 43. The foot pedal has a foot pad 44 extending sidewards from the crank arm in known manner. As can be seen, a foot rest 46 is IcBAR10161filed 15 February 2006 5 secured to the chassis and the foot pad is remote from the foot rest such that a normal rider must lift his foot from the foot rest to apply it to the brake. In other words, a normal rider cannot rest his heel on the footrest and at the same time reach the foot pad for braking purposes and thus cannot ride the brake in the normal course of operating the mower. The foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention and many modifications and variations which will be apparent to persons skilled in the art may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. /cBAR10161filed 15 February 2006

Claims (13)

1. A brake pad for use in a disc braking system, including: a support member adapted to support a liner pad thereon; a retainer secured to or integral with said support member and including a mounting portion spaced from said support member and having an opening therethrough; and a liner pad on said support member and extending through said opening, said opening and said liner pad being so made and arranged that the liner pad can be pushed into said opening from the side distal to said support member so as to engage said support member and be retained by said retainer.

2. A brake pad according to Claim 1, wherein said opening is a circular opening and said liner pad is a cylindrical liner pad which extends beyond said retainer on the side opposite the support member, the diameter of said cylindrical liner pad being substantially the same as the diameter of said circular opening.

3. A brake pad according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said liner pad is bonded to the support member by a suitable adhesive.

4. A brake pad according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the liner is an interference fit in said opening.

5. A braking system incorporating a brake disc mounted on an axle for rotation therewith and a pair of spaced apart brake pads according to any one of the preceding claims mounted on opposite sides of the disc for relative movement towards the disc for engagement therewith so as to brake the axle and inhibit rotation eBAR 10161amindl12Scptember20 I 7 about its axis and away from the disc so as to release the axle for rotation about its axis.

6. A braking system according to Claim 5 wherein one of the brake pads is fixed in position and the disc and the other brake pad are adapted to move towards the fixed brake pad.

7. A ride-on mower incorporating a braking system as defined by Claim 5 or Claim 6.

8. A ride-on mower including: a chassis; a foot rest secured to said chassis; a brake pedal operatively connected to said chassis for pivoting movement about an axis extending generally across the chassis between a brake-on position and a brake-off position, said brake pedal when in the brake-off position being sufficiently remote from said foot rest that a rider riding the mower normally cannot apply foot pressure to the brake pedal without first removing the foot from the foot rest; said brake pedal being operatively connected to a braking system as defined by Claim 5 or Claim 6.

9. A ride-on mower according to Claim 8 wherein the brake pedal is located above and rearward of the foot rest beyond the reach of an average rider's foot, when the heel is on the fooL rest and the foot is bent fully upwards. cBARI10161 ard! 2September20lI 8

10. A ride-on mower according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the brake pedal is connected to the braking system by a linkage assembly including a drag link.

11. A brake pad as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A braking system as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A ride-on mower according to any one of Claims 8 to 10 as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. cBAR 10161 midl6Novcmbcr20 I1