Brake wear monitoring sensor for personal vehicle

Abstract

Brake pad assembly (200), comprising: a base plate (201); a friction lining (203) attached to the base plate (201), wherein the friction lining (203) comprises a number of layers (300a-300e); a wear sensor (205) mounted on the base plate (201); a number of probes (305) which are electrically connected to the wear sensor (205) and are embedded in the friction lining (203); and a transmitter-receiver circuit (207) which is in data communication with the wear sensor (205), wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) is designed to transmit signals sent by the wear sensor (205) to a receiver, where each of the number of layers (300a-300e) is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate (201), Each of the number of probes (305) ends in another of the number of layers (300a-300e), and The wear sensor (205) generates a signal in response to a movement of one of the number of probes (305).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a brake pad arrangement, a corresponding braking system and a corresponding muscle-powered vehicle, i.e., mechanical braking and in particular mechanical braking and monitoring of brake wear in personal vehicles. State of the art

[0002] Personal wheeled vehicles use braking mechanisms to control wheel rotation in order to slow the vehicle's movement. Conventional braking mechanisms use friction linings to generate friction forces that slow the wheels' rotation when the brakes are applied. Friction linings inevitably wear down with use and must be replaced periodically. Toward the end of their lifespan, braking performance may also become less than ideal.

[0003] There is a need for a brake for use with a personal wheeled vehicle that provides the user with a simple indication of the current wear condition of the brake's friction lining. Additional improvements in the material composition of the friction lining can further extend the brake's service life between maintenance.

[0004] DE 10 2008 020 425 A1 discloses a system for detecting the wear of brake pads, comprising an RFID transponder embedded in a brake pad or arranged on a brake pad carrier, which is positioned such that it is destroyed when the brake pad reaches a defined wear state, a reading device for reading the identifier of the RFID transponder, which is configured to generate a signal if there is no response from the RFID transponder, and an output device for outputting the signal.

[0005] DE 10 2014 112 868 B3 discloses a brake shoe for disc or drum brakes, which has a carrier plate with a friction lining attached to it and at least one wear indicator, wherein the wear indicator is designed as a volume body embedded in the friction lining, which contains a wear sensor for continuous or multi-stage measurement of the friction lining wear, and a receiver and transmitter unit for wireless signal transmission and a maximum temperature storage element.

[0006] US Patent 2019 / 0063533A1 discloses a brake shoe wear detection system for a rail vehicle, wherein the brake shoe wear detection system comprises a computer that receives data from a signal read by a reader from at least one wear detection RF tag attached to each of the multiple brake shoes of the rail vehicle passing the reader, wherein the computer establishes a connection between a plurality of signals and the plurality of brake shoes based on a sequence in which the reader reads the plurality of signals from a plurality of wear detection RF tags, each attached to the plurality of brake shoes.

[0007] DE 10 2008 032 818 A1 comprises a brake shoe for a braking system, a carrier plate with a friction lining attached thereto, and wear detection devices mounted in the area of ​​the friction lining. A passive transponder is provided for detecting the wear condition of the friction lining and / or for identifying the brake shoe. This transponder communicates via a wireless transmission technology, preferably RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).

[0008] US Patent 2007 / 0 252 719 A1 discloses a device for monitoring the wear of a component, comprising a radio frequency identification chip suitable for attachment to the component and a sensor configured to monitor the component's wear, wherein the sensor is commutated to the radio frequency identification chip. The sensor can be embedded in the component and may include multiple circuits of varying lengths to measure different stages of wear. Summary

[0009] One aspect of the present invention relates to a muscle-powered vehicle comprising a braking system. The muscle-powered vehicle includes a muscle-powered drive component designed to rotate a wheel in response to the application of muscle work. The braking system comprises a brake caliper arranged around the wheel and designed to exert a braking force on the wheel, a base plate mounted on the brake caliper, a friction lining mounted on the base plate, the friction lining comprising a number of ceramic layers, and a wear sensor mounted on the base plate. The wear sensor has a number of probes embedded in the friction lining, and the wear sensor generates a signal in response to movement of one of the probes.The braking system further comprises a transceiver circuit that communicates with the wear sensor, the transceiver circuit being designed to send signals from the wear sensor to a processor. The human-powered vehicle also comprises a power source that communicates with the wear sensor and the transceiver circuit, and a human-machine interface (HMI) that communicates with the processor. In this embodiment, the brake caliper is actuated by means of a brake control unit that is connected to the brake caliper by a cable. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the number of ceramic layers is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate, with each of the number of probes terminating in a different number of ceramic layers.In some embodiments, additional elements of the braking system may consist of ceramic components.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a braking system for a human-powered vehicle, comprising a brake caliper, a base plate mounted on the brake caliper, and a friction lining mounted on the base plate, the friction lining comprising a number of layers. The braking system further comprises a wear sensor mounted on the base plate, the wear sensor having a number of probes embedded in the friction lining, the wear sensor generating a number of signals in response to movement of one of the probes. The braking system further comprises a transceiver circuit that is in data communication with the wear sensor, the transceiver circuit being configured to transmit signals from the wear sensor to a receiver. The braking system further comprises a power source that is in electrical communication with the wear sensor and the transceiver circuit.In this embodiment, the brake caliper is actuated by means of a brake control unit connected to the brake caliper via a cable. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the number of layers is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate, with each of the number of probes terminating in a different number of layers.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a brake pad assembly comprising a base plate and a friction lining mounted on the base plate, the friction lining comprising a number of layers. The brake pad further comprises a wear sensor mounted on the base plate. The brake pad further comprises a number of probes that are electrically connected to the wear sensor and embedded in the friction lining. The brake pad further comprises a transceiver circuit that is in data communication with the wear sensor, the transceiver circuit being configured to transmit signals sent by the wear sensor to a receiver.In this embodiment, each of the number of layers is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate, with each of the number of probes terminating in a different number of layers, and the wear sensor generates a signal in response to movement of one of the probes. In further embodiments, components of the brake pad can consist of a ceramic material composition.

[0012] The above aspects of this revelation and other aspects will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a representation of an electric bicycle that has a braking system with improved features. Fig. Figure 2 is a representation of a brake pad of a braking system that has improved features. Fig. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of brake pad features. Fig. 2. Detailed description

[0013] Fig. Figure 1 shows a muscle-powered vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the muscle-powered vehicle is a bicycle (or “bike”) 100; however, other embodiments may include a different muscle-powered vehicle, such as a tricycle, a quadricycle, a unicycle, a velocipede, a velomobile, a scooter, a hand-powered bicycle, a recumbent bicycle, a recumbent tricycle, or any other personal vehicle capable of transporting at least one person and comprising a braking system, without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the bicycle 100 is an electric bicycle with a pedal-assist function; however, other embodiments may have different configurations without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.Other such embodiments may include conventional unassisted vehicles, vehicles with throttle assistance, or vehicles with engines or primary drives powered by means other than the application of muscle power or the supply of electrical energy, without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.

[0014] In the illustrated embodiment, the bicycle 100 is a pedal-driven bicycle comprising pedals 101 to receive applied muscle power in order to drive a wheel 103 via a drive 105v. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive comprises a chain 105, and the bicycle 100 is a chain-driven bicycle 100 that is moved by the application of muscle power. The applied muscle power is transmitted from the pedals 101 to the chain 105, and the chain 105 generates rotational forces on a rear wheel 103b, while a front wheel 103a rotates passively. Other embodiments may include other configurations without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In some such embodiments, the drive may include a belt or other drive mechanism without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.

[0015] A motorized drive device can additionally transmit forces to the chain 105. In the illustrated embodiment, the motorized drive device comprises an electric motor 107, which provides a supporting force in response to exerted muscle force. Other embodiments can provide force in response to a throttle grip or other control mechanism without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 107 is powered by a bicycle battery 109, which is arranged on the frame of the bicycle 100 and is electrically connected to the motor 107. Additional functional properties of the motor 107 can be controlled by a user via a processor 111, which is in data communication with the motor 107. The processor 111 can include a head unit designed to operate some of the electrical functions of the bicycle 100.The processor 111 can include a mobile processing device, such as a smartphone, that runs an application designed to communicate with the electrical functions of the bicycle 100. The processor 111 provides a human-machine interface (HMI) designed to allow a user to interact with the processor 111. In the embodiment shown, the HMI can include a combination of hardware buttons and a touchscreen; however, other embodiments can include other HMI configurations with additional elements without departing from the teachings disclosed herein.The HMI may include soft keys, audio input, audio output, voice or speech control input, haptic output, remotely located controls, or any other interface components known to a person skilled in the art, without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.

[0016] In some embodiments, a combination of processors 111 can be used to control functions of the bicycle 100. In some embodiments, the processor 111 can be a general-purpose processor that can be modularly separated from an interface located on the frame of the bicycle 100. Other embodiments may include other configurations of the processor 111 without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, the bicycle 100 additionally includes a braking system with which a user can exert braking forces on the wheels 103 to slow the movement of the bicycle 100. The braking system of the illustrated embodiment comprises brakes 113 and brake controls 115. In the illustrated embodiment, the brakes 113 are disc brakes that exert braking forces on a disc component of each wheel 103 by actuating a brake caliper. Other embodiments may include other brake configurations, such as brakes without a brake caliper or rim brakes that exert braking forces on a rim of a wheel 103, without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, each brake 113 is controlled independently of a respective brake control 115.In this embodiment, each brake control element 115 comprises a handbrake control mechanism that is cable-connected to the brake calipers of its respective brake 113. Each brake 113 comprises a number of brake pad assemblies (not shown; see ). Fig. 2) which provide the braking and frictional forces required to slow the rotation of a wheel 103. These brake pad assemblies are made of materials that are subject to wear under normal use and must be replaced regularly. It would be advantageous to provide users with brake pad assemblies that give feedback regarding the degree of wear exhibited by the brake pad assemblies of the brakes 113. This feedback would be particularly useful for avoiding wear conditions of the brake pad assemblies that could result in suboptimal braking performance.

[0018] Additional features of such a brake pad arrangement 200 are in Fig. Figure 2 shows the brake pad assembly 200, which consists of a base plate 201 and a friction lining 203 mounted on it. The friction lining 203 is designed to contact components of a wheel in order to exert braking forces on the wheel. Furthermore, the friction lining 203 is designed as a sacrificial component, whereby the braking action wears down the contact surface of the friction lining 203 rather than damaging the corresponding component of the wheel during braking.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, both the base plate 201 and the friction lining 203 can be made of ceramic materials or ceramic composites. It is important to select ceramic materials or ceramic composites that are suitable for withstanding the expected forces that occur when braking the associated vehicle (such as a human-powered vehicle 100; see [reference]). Fig. 1) In vehicles that travel at sufficiently high speeds, are heavy, or carry sufficiently heavy loads, difficulties or costs may arise in implementing configurations of the base plate 201 and / or the friction lining 203 made of ceramic or ceramic composite materials. In some such embodiments, other materials with greater elasticity may be used instead of ceramic or as part of a ceramic composite.

[0020] Also arranged on the base plate 201 is a wear sensor 205, which is designed to generate signals corresponding to the wear states of the friction lining 203. In the illustrated embodiment, the wear sensor 205 generates a plurality of signals, each of which is generated in response to a different state of the friction lining 203. However, other embodiments may include other configurations—for example, that a single signal is generated only in response to a single specific state of the friction lining 203—without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.

[0021] Also located on the base plate 201 is a transmitter-receiver circuit 207, which is in data communication with the wear sensor 205 and is designed to transmit the signals to an external receiver (such as a processor 111; see Fig. 1) to transmit. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmitter-receiver circuit 207 comprises a wireless transmitter; however, other embodiments may include other configurations comprising a wired transmitter, a wired receiver, or a wireless receiver without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the radio transmission protocol used comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) protocol, and the transmitter-receiver circuit 207 comprises an RFID transmitter; however, other embodiments may include other protocols without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmitter-receiver circuit 207 is supported by a ceramic substrate.A ceramic support is advantageously less susceptible to corrosion from operating conditions and weather influences, which ensures a higher degree of protection for the functional electrical connections between transmitter-receiver circuit 207 and wear sensor 205.

[0022] In this embodiment, a battery 209 is also shown, which is electrically connected to the wear sensor 205 and the transceiver circuit 207. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery 209 is arranged on the base plate 201 alongside other elements of the brake pad assembly 200. In some embodiments, the battery 209 may be arranged in a different location or be completely absent from the brake pad assembly 200 without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. For example, and this is not a limitation, some embodiments may instead be electrically connected to a battery that is not arranged on the brake pad assembly 200, such as a bicycle battery 109 (see Figure 109). Fig. 1) without deviating from the teachings revealed here.

[0023] Advantageously, some embodiments of the brake pad assembly 200 can use a passive form of wireless connectivity, such as passive RFID, for the transmitter-receiver circuit 207. In such embodiments, the brake pad assembly 200 does not include a battery 209, without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. In such embodiments, the energy required for the transmission of the transmitter-receiver circuit 207 or for the generation of signals by the wear sensor 205 can come from alternative energy sources, such as an induction circuit, sources of a regenerative braking system, a hub dynamo, or an excitation signal from an external element. In the embodiments that use passive RFID connectivity for the transmitter-receiver circuit 207, the receiver of the signals, such as the processor 111 (see Fig. 1) Query signals to detect the signals from the brake pad assembly 200, and the query signals are used as excitation signals to power the circuit. Other embodiments may include other configurations without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.

[0024] Additional features of the brake pad arrangement 200 are shown in the schematic diagram of Fig. Figure 3 is shown. This diagram depicts a schematic cross-section showing an arrangement of additional features. In particular, the friction lining 203 is shown as consisting of a number of layers 303 extending perpendicularly from the base plate 201. In the illustrated embodiment, the friction lining 203 consists of five layers; however, other embodiments may have different configurations without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. The layers 303 may be physically implemented in different ways, such as by implementing different material configurations in one or more layers or by applying additive manufacturing processes to create layers within the friction lining 203 during manufacturing.The layers 303 can also be abstract layers that merely provide a general indication of the thickness of the friction lining 203 without actually comprising physically distinct layers within the lining. In the illustrated embodiment, the friction lining 203 comprises abstract layers 303 that are primarily useful as measurement references for the thickness of the friction lining 203 in order to monitor its wear during normal use of the brakes.

[0025] A number of probes 305 extend from the wear sensor 205. Each probe 305 extends into a different number of layers 303 and is used to generate a signal through the wear sensor 205 when it is moved, such as by a component of a wheel (such as the wheel 103, see Fig.1) The probes 305 can comprise an electromagnetic, ferromagnetic, piezoelectric, or other material suitable for generating an electrical signal when moved or when in contact with a component outside the friction lining 203. In the illustrated embodiment, a set of four cascaded probes 305 is electrically connected to the wear sensor 205 via a connection terminal 307. In the illustrated embodiment, each probe 303 is located within the friction lining 203 at a transition point between two layers 303 within the lining. Other configurations can be used in other embodiments without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein. Some embodiments may include a different number of probes without deviating from the teachings disclosed herein.One such alternative embodiment may include a single probe arranged in a single layer 303 of the friction lining 203; however, other embodiments with additional probes 305 arranged in the middle of additional layers 303 advantageously enable the wear sensor 205 to generate different signals corresponding to different wear levels of the friction lining 203.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the probes 305 are distributed in a sequential cascade, with each probe segment extending from another probe segment. Such an implementation advantageously reduces costs by minimizing the number of connections 307. This implementation is carried out by utilizing the total impedance of the cascaded probes 305 with respect to the wear sensor 205 when generating a signal. It should be noted that such an embodiment additionally requires that the probes 305 are worn down during the use of the brakes in a similar manner to the surrounding ceramic material of the friction lining 203. Each probe 305 is moved when exposed to external conditions because the immediately surrounding friction material has been worn away.

Claims

[1] Brake pad assembly (200), comprising: a base plate (201); a friction lining (203) attached to the base plate (201), wherein the friction lining (203) comprises a number of layers (300a-300e); a wear sensor (205) mounted on the base plate (201); a number of probes (305) which are electrically connected to the wear sensor (205) and are embedded in the friction lining (203); and a transmitter-receiver circuit (207) which is in data communication with the wear sensor (205), wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) is designed to transmit signals sent by the wear sensor (205) to a receiver, where each of the number of layers (300a-300e) is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate (201), Each of the number of probes (305) ends in another of the number of layers (300a-300e), and The wear sensor (205) generates a signal in response to a movement of one of the number of probes (305). [2] Brake pad arrangement (200) according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) comprises a Radio Frequency Identification transmitter (RFID transmitter). [3] Brake pad arrangement (200) according to claim 1, wherein each of the number of layers (300a-300e) comprises a ceramic layer. [4] Brake pad arrangement (200) according to claim 1, wherein the number of probes (305) is arranged in a sequential cascade having a number of extensions, each extension corresponding to a transition in the friction lining (203) between adjacent layers. [5] Brake pad arrangement (200) according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) is supported by a ceramic carrier, the ceramic carrier comprising a printed circuit board or a housing. [6] Braking system for a muscle-powered vehicle (100), comprising: a brake caliper; a base plate mounted on the brake caliper (201); a friction lining (203) attached to the base plate (201), wherein the friction lining (203) comprises a number of layers (300a-300e); a wear sensor (205) mounted on the base plate (201), wherein the wear sensor (205) has a number of probes (305) embedded in the friction lining (203), wherein the wear sensor (205) generates a number of signals in response to a movement of one of the number of probes (305); a transceiver circuit (207) which is in data communication with the wear sensor (205), wherein the transceiver circuit (207) is designed to send signals from the wear sensor (205) to a receiver; and a power source (209) which is in electrical contact with the wear sensor (205) and the transmitter-receiver circuit (207), wherein the brake caliper is actuated by means of a brake control which is connected to the brake caliper by a cable connection, wherein each of the number of layers (300a-300e) is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate (201), and wherein each of the number of probes (305) terminates in another of the number of layers (300a-300e). [7] Braking system according to claim 6, further comprising: a processor (111) that is in data communication with the receiver; and a human-machine interface (HMI) that is in data communication with the processor (111), wherein the processor (111) is designed to generate a warning message for a user in response to the reception of a signal from the transceiver circuit (207) and to display the warning message to a user via the HMI. [8] Braking system according to claim 7, wherein the processor (111) and the human-machine interface (HMI) are designed as a mobile computing device which is in wireless data communication with the transceiver circuit (207). [9] Braking system according to claim 7, wherein the processor (111) and the human-machine interface (HMI) are designed as a head unit of an electric bicycle (100). [10] Braking system according to claim 9, wherein the head unit is connected to the transmitter / receiver circuit (207) via a wired data connection. [11] Braking system according to claim 6, wherein the power source (209) comprises a battery. [12] Braking system according to claim 11, wherein the battery (209) is suitable for supplying power to a motor (107) of an electric bicycle (100). [13] Braking system according to claim 11, wherein the battery (209) is arranged on the base plate (201). [14] Braking system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) comprises a Radio Frequency Identification transmitter (RFID transmitter). [15] Muscle-powered vehicle (100) comprising a braking system: a muscle power drive component (101) designed to rotate a wheel (103b) in response to the application of muscle work; a brake caliper arranged around the wheel (103b) and designed to exert a braking force on the wheel (103b); a base plate mounted on the brake caliper (201); a friction lining (203) attached to the base plate (201), wherein the friction lining (203) comprises a number of ceramic layers (300a-300e); a wear sensor (205) mounted on the base plate (201), wherein the wear sensor (205) has a number of probes (305) embedded in the friction lining (203), wherein the wear sensor (205) generates a signal in response to a movement of one of the number of probes (305); a transceiver circuit (207) which is in data communication with the wear sensor (205), wherein the transceiver circuit (207) is designed to send signals from the wear sensor (205) to a processor (111); a power source (209) which is electrically connected to the wear sensor (205) and the transceiver circuit (207); and a human-machine interface (HMI) that is in data communication with the processor (111), wherein the brake caliper is actuated by means of a brake control which is connected to the brake caliper by a cable connection, wherein each of the number of ceramic layers (300a-300e) is arranged such that a sequence of layers is formed in a direction perpendicular to the base plate (201), and wherein each of the number of probes (305) terminates in another of the number of ceramic layers (300a-300e). [16] Muscle-powered vehicle (100) according to claim 15, wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) is supported by a ceramic support, the ceramic support comprising a printed circuit board or a housing. [17] Muscle-powered vehicle (100) according to claim 15, wherein the muscle-powered vehicle (100) comprises an electric bicycle, wherein the processor (111) and the human-machine interface (HMI) are designed as a head unit of the electric bicycle and wherein the head unit is in a wired data connection with the transceiver circuit (207). [18] Muscle-powered vehicle (100) according to claim 15, wherein the muscle-powered vehicle (100) comprises an electric bicycle, wherein the power source (209) comprises a battery which is electrically connected to a motor (107) of the electric bicycle. [19] Muscle-powered vehicle (100) according to claim 15, wherein the transmitter-receiver circuit (207) comprises a Radio Frequency Identification transmitter (RFID transmitter). [20] Muscle-powered vehicle (100) according to claim 15, wherein the number of probes (305) is arranged in a sequential cascade having a number of extensions corresponding to the number of ceramic layers (300a-300e) of the friction lining (203).

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