Flexible Bellows Sealing for Wedge Brake Pad Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Braking devices with wedge brakes face challenges in sealing due to the self-amplification of contact pressure, which requires greater movement of the brake pad, making it difficult to prevent dirt and moisture ingress and affecting the longevity of electrical actuators.
Innovation Solution
A bellows with a flexible design, featuring a spring body with peripheral depressions and elevations, allowing greater mobility parallel to the frame than perpendicular, is used to seal the braking device, enhancing protection against contamination and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a wedge brake design is used to achieve self-amplification of contact pressure, then the contact pressure is improved, but the sealing difficulty increases due to greater brake pad movement in the direction of rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows is designed with a flexible spring body that can dynamically adapt its shape during brake pad movement. The spring body includes peripheral elevations and depressions that create rolled folds, allowing the bellows to expand and contract flexibly as the brake pad moves greater distances in the direction of rotation, maintaining sealing effectiveness throughout the motion range.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows employs a flexible spring body made of elastomeric material with a corrugated geometry featuring wave-shaped sections. This flexible structure can accommodate the increased brake pad displacement in the direction of rotation while maintaining the seal between the brake pad and the braking device housing, preventing dirt and moisture ingress.
2Stress or pressure
If greater movement of the brake pad in the direction of rotation is allowed to achieve self-boosting, then the contact pressure amplification is improved, but the sealing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows is designed with a flexible spring body that can dynamically adapt its shape during brake pad movement. The spring body includes peripheral elevations and depressions that create rolled folds, allowing the bellows to expand and contract flexibly as the brake pad moves greater distances in the direction of rotation, maintaining sealing effectiveness throughout the motion range.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring body's geometric parameters are optimized with specific wave-shaped corrugations and rolled fold configurations. The distance and difference in height between elevations and depressions can vary over the circumference to allow different clearances, enabling the bellows to accommodate varying movement amplitudes while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bellows is designed with high mobility parallel to the frame, then the brake pad flexibility is improved, but the sealing effectiveness may worsen due to potential gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows employs a flexible spring body made of elastomeric material with a corrugated geometry featuring wave-shaped sections. This flexible structure can accommodate the increased brake pad displacement in the direction of rotation while maintaining the seal between the brake pad and the braking device housing, preventing dirt and moisture ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring body features curved rolled folds and wave-shaped corrugations that allow the bellows to flex and deform in multiple directions. The circumferential rolled folds created by peripheral elevations and depressions enable the bellows to maintain contact and sealing effectiveness even when the brake pad moves with high flexibility parallel to the frame.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible bellows effectively seals the braking device, preventing contamination and extending the life of electrical actuators by allowing greater mobility of the brake pad in parallel directions, thus protecting the actuators from dirt and moisture.
Implementation Method 1
The frame 3 and the supporting body 4 are connected to one another by a spring body 5 made of elastomeric material, so that the supporting body 4 can be moved relative to the frame 3 in all three spatial directions x, y, z
Implementation Method 2
Viewed from above, the spring body can have a wave-shaped design, at least in sections. The corrugated geometry significantly improves the mobility of the bellows, in particular longitudinal to the corrugated geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
The gaiter has a frame (3) and a support body (4) connected with each other by a spring body (5). The support body is moved opposite to the frame in three spatial directions (x, y, z). The spring body is designed in such a manner that the support body in the x direction parallel to the frame is moved to greater extent than in the z direction perpendicular to the frame. The spring body comprises a circular recess (6) and a circular ridge (7), which are wave-like shaped. A brake pad is connected at the support body.