Caliper and support assembly and caliper deformation detection method

1. A caliper and supporting assembly for a disc brake, wherein an axial direction, either coinciding with or parallel to a rotation axis of a disc of the disc brake, a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and a tangential or circumferential direction, orthogonal both to the axial direction and to the radial direction are defined;

said caliper and supporting assembly comprising a brake caliper comprising a caliper body adapted to straddle an associable disc of the disc brake and a supporting element connected to said caliper body;

wherein

said caliper body comprises a first portion;

said supporting element comprises a second portion;

said caliper body is elastically deformed according to at least one predetermined direction during braking action, thereby determining a displacement in at least said predetermined direction of the first portion of the caliper body with respect to said second portion of the supporting element;

said caliper and supporting assembly further comprising at least one detecting device which detects a distance between said first portion of the caliper body and said second portion of the supporting element, measured along at least said predetermined direction and associated with the displacement,

said supporting element comprises a connecting counter-portion which is connected to said caliper body, and wherein said connecting counter-portion comprises said second portion of the supporting element, and

said connecting portion of the caliper body is connected to said connection counter-portion of the supporting element, avoiding forming a constraint locking said caliper body along said at least one predetermined direction between said caliper body and said supporting element.

2. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said brake caliper is a fixed caliper, and

the detecting device is placed integral externally to an elongated element of the caliper body and faces the second portion of the supporting element provided in the supporting element and is arranged overhanging said supporting element and protruding towards the caliper body facing the detecting device.

3. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 2 , wherein the detecting device is placed integral externally to the supporting element and faces the first portion which extends from the elongated element of the caliper body overhangingly placed on the elongated element and projecting towards the supporting element facing the detecting device.

4. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one predetermined direction is the tangential direction.

5. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first portion faces said second portion along said predetermined direction,

said caliper body comprises a connecting portion which is connected to said supporting element, and wherein said connecting portion comprises said first portion of the caliper body, and

said connecting portion of the caliper body is connected to said supporting element, avoiding forming a constraint locking said caliper body along said at least one predetermined direction between said caliper body and said supporting element.

6. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein a connecting portion of the caliper body comprises at least one slot wall which at least partly defines a slot, and

said connecting counter-portion of the supporting element comprises a connecting device which is received in said slot of the caliper body, and

said at least one slot wall comprises said first portion of the caliper body, and

said connecting device comprises said second portion of the supporting element, and

said connecting device of the supporting element and of said slot of the caliper body are coupled to one another, avoiding forming a constraint locking said caliper body along said at least one predetermined direction between said caliper body and said supporting element, and

said connecting device comprises at least one stud bolt, and

said connecting device comprises at least one bush fitted onto said stud bolt, and

said connecting device cooperates with said at least one slot wall of said caliper body forming a constraint in axial direction between said caliper body and said supporting element.

7. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said detecting device comprises at least one sensor, wherein

said sensor is an eddy current and/or LVDT sensor, and

said sensor is integral with the caliper body, and

said sensor is integral with said first portion of the caliper body, and

said sensor comprises said first portion of the caliper body, and

said sensor comprises a protruding portion of the sensor which overhangingly protrudes from said slot wall into said slot towards said connecting device, and

said overhanging portion of the sensor extends substantially along said predetermined direction.

8. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said caliper body comprises a flattened surface which extends on a plane perpendicular to said predetermined direction, wherein

said flattened surface extends over a portion of the caliper body opposite to the disc or unsuitable to face the disc, and

said flattened surface of the caliper body is obtained by removing material, and

said connecting portion of the caliper body comprises said flattened surface, and

said detecting device is associated with said flattened surface, and

an outlet portion of the sensor overhangingly protrudes from the flattened surface.

9. The caliper and supporting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said supporting element is a hub carrier adapted to house a bearing for supporting a hub connectable to said disc and to a wheel of a vehicle, and said detecting device is associated with a data processing unit adapted to receive information on tangential distance to quantify braking action and/or estimate braking torque and/or calculate braking force.

10. A method for detecting a deformation of the caliper body during braking action along a predetermined direction comprising the following steps:

providing a caliper and supporting assembly, said assembly comprising a brake caliper comprising a caliper body and a supporting element connected to said caliper body;

identifying a first portion of the caliper body which moves with respect to a second portion of the supporting element during the braking action; and

detecting a distance along at least said predetermined direction between said first portion of the caliper body and said second portion of the supporting element,

providing a supporting element as part of said supporting assembly, wherein said supporting element comprises a connecting counter-portion which is connected to said caliper body,

connecting a connecting portion of the caliper body to said connection counter-portion of the supporting element, avoiding forming a constraint locking said caliper body along said at least one predetermined direction between said caliper body and said supporting element,

detecting said distance both during the braking action and in a forward direction along a tangential direction orthogonal to an axial direction parallel a rotational axis of a disc associated with the caliper; and

comparing the detected distance in braking conditions with the detected distance in the forward direction.

11. A caliper and supporting assembly for a disc brake, wherein an axial direction, either coinciding with or parallel to a rotation axis of a disc of the disc brake, a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and a tangential or circumferential direction, orthogonal both to the axial direction and to the radial direction are defined;

said caliper and supporting assembly comprising a brake caliper comprising a caliper body adapted to straddle an associable disc of the disc brake and a supporting element connected to said caliper body;

wherein

said caliper body comprises a first portion;

said supporting element comprises a second portion;

said caliper body is elastically deformed according to at least one predetermined direction during braking action, thereby determining a displacement in at least said predetermined direction of the first portion of the caliper body with respect to said second portion of the supporting element;

said caliper and supporting assembly further comprising at least one detecting device which detects a distance between said first portion of the caliper body and said second portion of the supporting element, measured along at least said predetermined direction and associated with the displacement;

and wherein

said first portion faces said second portion along said predetermined direction,

said caliper body comprises a connecting portion which is connected to said supporting element, and wherein said connecting portion comprises said first portion of the caliper body, and

said connecting portion of the caliper body is connected to said supporting element, avoiding forming a constraint locking said caliper body along said at least one predetermined direction between said caliper body and said supporting element, and wherein

said supporting element comprises a connecting counter-portion which is connected to said caliper body, and wherein said connecting counter-portion comprises said second portion of the supporting element, and

said connecting portion of the caliper body is connected to said connection counter-portion of the supporting element, avoiding forming a constraint locking said caliper body along said at least one predetermined direction between said caliper body and said supporting element.