Sliding support structure for a disc brake caliper

Claim 1

A disc brake comprising a rotor to which the brake is to be applied, a caliper member having a thrusting means disposed on one side of said rotor and a reaction member disposed on the other side of said rotor, a pair of friction pads each arranged to be pressed against an opposite side of said rotor by said thrusting means and said reaction member, a support member provided for guiding said caliper member in the axial direction of said rotor, a guide pin connected to one of said caliper member and said support member, an axially elongated opening extending through the other one of said caliper member and support member with said guide pin extending axially through said opening and spaced radially inwardly from the surface of said opening, an axially elongated rigid sleeve secured within and extending through said opening with the opposite ends of said sleeve secured to the other of said members so that said sleeve is held against axial displacement within said opening, said sleeve having an axially extending outer surface in contact with the surface of said opening and an inner surface, said sleeve having an axial length at least equal to the axial length of said opening, said sleeve having an annular groove formed in and extending around the inner surface thereof with said groove having a dimension in the axial direction of said opening less than the axial dimension of the opening and with the opposite sides of the groove spaced apart in the axial direction of said opening each being spaced inwardly from the adjacent end of said opening, said sleeve having a thin-walled portion extending for the axial length of said groove and a pair of thick-walled portions each extending from one side of said groove to at least the adjacent end of said opening, the inner surface of said thick-walled portions being spaced closely outwardly from said guide pin, the axially extending inner surface of said groove forming said thin-walled portion being spaced radially outwardly from the inner surface of said thick-walled portions, an elastic annular member disposed in said groove and extending in the radial direction of said opening between the inner surface of said thin-walled portion and the surface of said guide pin for elastically carrying said caliper member, said annular member extending in the axial direction of said opening between the opposite sides of said groove, and the radial dimension of said groove into the inner surface of said sleeve being sufficient to secure said elastic annular member against axial displacement out of said groove with the spacing between the inner surface of said thick-walled portions and said guide pin preventing total collapse of said elastic annular member.