Bicycle Hydraulic Tank Membrane Layout for Full Fluid Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic tanks for bicycles do not effectively utilize all the liquid in the compensation chamber to compensate for brake pad wear, leading to inefficiencies in braking performance.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic tank design where the membrane's perimeter inlet portion is strategically positioned to ensure that the thrusting portion can move between the tank's walls, minimizing the formation of liquid 'retaining bags' and allowing nearly all liquid to be transferred to the hydraulic cylinder, thus compensating for brake pad wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the membrane is arranged with its side wall extending from the lower surface of the tank to the top of the cover, then the membrane can accommodate volume changes, but liquid is trapped in the cove formed by the folded side wall, reducing the amount of liquid available for compensation
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is divided into distinct functional portions: a thrusting portion that moves to accommodate volume changes and a perimeter fixing portion that remains stationary. This segmentation prevents the side wall from folding back on itself, eliminating the cove that traps liquid. The perimeter fixing portion is positioned away from the tank walls, allowing the thrusting portion to move freely without creating dead zones for liquid entrapment.
Solution Approach 2:
The perimeter fixing portion of the membrane is positioned in a different spatial arrangement relative to the tank walls, specifically away from the vertical extent of the tank. This dimensional repositioning allows the thrusting portion to move between the tank walls without the side wall folding back, thereby preventing liquid retention in coves and maximizing the liquid volume available for brake pad wear compensation.
2Quantity of substance
If the membrane expands to maximum volume, then the compensation chamber can store more liquid, but the side wall forms a cove that prevents complete liquid transfer to the hydraulic cylinder
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the membrane into a thrusting portion and a perimeter fixing portion, the design allows the thrusting portion to expand and contract for volume compensation while the perimeter fixing portion remains stationary and positioned away from the tank walls. This prevents cove formation and ensures that all liquid in the compensation chamber can be transferred to the hydraulic cylinder when needed, maintaining high liquid transfer efficiency.
3Volume of moving object
If the membrane side wall folds towards the lower surface of the tank, then the membrane can compact when the chamber is empty, but liquid is retained in the formed cove and cannot be used for pad wear compensation
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is segmented into a thrusting portion that compacts when the chamber is empty and a perimeter fixing portion that remains positioned away from the tank walls. This segmentation ensures that the compaction action does not cause the side wall to fold back and form coves, thereby preventing liquid entrapment and ensuring all liquid remains available for brake pad wear compensation.
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
This design ensures that substantially all the liquid in the compensation chamber is used to maintain braking performance by preventing liquid entrapment and ensuring consistent volume changes with brake pad wear, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the hydraulic brake system.
Implementation Method 1
By bringing the jaws towards the brake disc, friction is generated between the brake disc and the pads and, consequently, the wheel is braked. In order to move the jaws towards each other it is known to use a control device comprising a brake lever, a hydraulic cylinder in which a piston kinematically connected to the brake lever is able to slide and a tank in liquid communication with the hydraulic cylinder.
Implementation Method 2
A hydraulic tank for a bicycle comprises an elastically deformable membrane operating between a first wall and a second wall of the tank, opposite to one another
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a hydraulic tank (13) for a bicycle comprising a first wall (25), a second wall (26) opposite to the first wall (25), a side wall (27) and an elastically deformable membrane (28) operating between the first wall (25) and the second wall (26) and defining a compensation chamber (29) within the tank (13). The membrane (28) comprises a perimeter fixing portion (67) which is fixed to the tank, a thrusting portion (66) intended to act on the brake liquid provided in the tank and a perimeter inlet portion (68) inside the tank arranged between the perimeter fixing portion (67) and the thrusting portion (66). In the condition of minimum expansion of the compensation chamber (29) the thrusting portion (66) is completely arranged between the perimeter inlet portion (68) of the membrane (28) and the second wall (26) of the tank.