Brake Bridge Design for Weight and Strength Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake assemblies with bridges often compromise on strength, stiffness, and weight due to access holes for pad installation and removal, which can affect braking performance and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A brake assembly design featuring a bridge with an inner surface extending over brake pad assemblies without access holes, utilizing a support bracket to engage the brake pad assembly, and a manufacturing process that includes stamping a metal alloy sheet to create a lightweight, high-strength bridge with reduced thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If access holes are added to the bridge for pad installation and removal, then ease of maintenance is improved, but strength and stiffness of the bridge deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge is divided into multiple stamping sections that are formed separately and then joined together. This segmentation allows access holes to be located at the joints between sections rather than requiring holes through the entire bridge structure, thereby maintaining bridge strength while enabling pad access.
Solution Approach 2:
Mounting studs are introduced as intermediary components that protrude through the bridge surface to engage with the brake pads. These studs provide the necessary access function without requiring large access holes, thus preserving the structural integrity and stiffness of the bridge while enabling easy pad installation and removal.
2Weight of moving object
If bridge thickness is reduced to decrease weight, then weight is improved, but strength and stiffness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge utilizes a composite structure formed by joining multiple stamping sections together. This composite construction allows the use of thinner individual sections that are optimized for weight, while the combined structure achieves the required strength and stiffness through the distribution of loads across multiple sections and joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge employs varying thickness profiles in different regions, with thicker sections at critical load-bearing areas and thinner sections in non-critical areas. This local quality optimization reduces overall weight while maintaining strength where it is most needed, achieved through the multi-section stamping and joining process.
Data Source
AI summary
A brake assembly having a brake carrier, a housing, and a bridge. The brake carrier may support at least one brake pad assembly. The housing may be disposed on the brake carrier. The bridge may be fixedly disposed on the housing. The bridge may extend over the brake pad assembly.