Brake Half-Caliper Cavity Structure for Weight and Casting Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake calipers are heavy due to the need for strong materials, and indiscriminate size reduction or material removal leads to strength issues and casting porosity, making it challenging to reduce unsprung weight effectively in hybrid electric and electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A disc brake half-caliper design featuring cylindrical recesses and bridge portions with cavities and through holes, which allows for weight savings while maintaining structural integrity and avoiding porosity, achieved through a specific casting method that ensures even solidification of molten material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If brake caliper size is reduced or material is removed to reduce weight, then unsprung weight is reduced, but structural strength and stiffness become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating cavities in specific regions of the brake caliper where material removal does not compromise structural integrity. The cavities are positioned in non-critical areas while maintaining full material density in load-bearing regions, allowing weight reduction without sacrificing strength where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake caliper is segmented into multiple regions with different material densities. Solid portions maintain structural strength while cavitated portions reduce weight. The design divides the caliper into load-bearing framework elements and non-critical filler regions that can be removed or cavitated.
2Weight of moving object
If material is arbitrarily removed to reduce weight, then brake caliper weight is reduced, but casting porosity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity locations and shapes are predetermined in the casting mold design before the casting process. This preliminary planning ensures that molten material flows and solidifies in a controlled manner, preventing porosity by ensuring proper venting and avoiding trapped air pockets that would occur with arbitrary material removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the cavities to optimize both weight reduction and casting quality. Specific cavity dimensions, positions, and configurations are selected to maintain proper molten material flow patterns and solidification sequences, preventing porosity while achieving weight goals.
3Weight of moving object
If brake caliper size is reduced, then unsprung weight is reduced, but braking performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains full material density and structural dimensions in critical load-bearing regions that directly affect braking performance, while removing or cavitating material in non-critical regions. This ensures braking force transmission and heat dissipation capabilities are preserved despite overall weight reduction.
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 design achieves significant weight reduction while maintaining sufficient stiffness and avoiding casting porosity, ensuring the brake caliper's strength and construction integrity, thus addressing the need for lighter brake components in electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the molten material to solidify to form the disc brake half-caliper
Data Source
AI summary
A disc brake half-caliper includes at least one cylindrical recess formed in a central portion of the half-caliper, the at least one cylindrical recess configured to support a piston for movement in an axial direction, and a pair of bridge portions formed on opposite sides of the central portion. At least one of the bridge portions extends further in the axial direction toward a first side of the disc brake half caliper than the central portion, defines at least one through hole extending therethrough in the axial direction, and terminates on the first side at a flat surface perpendicular to the axial direction, and has at least one cavity formed in the flat surface with a bottom at which the at least one through hole opens.