Brake Caliper Leaf Spring Structure for Higher Deflection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing brake caliper assemblies face a limitation in the maximum deflection that the leaf spring can bear, leading to potential plastic deformation and reduced service life due to the limited elastic restoring force, which affects braking performance and increases fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A brake caliper assembly design featuring a leaf spring with an elastic structure comprising a bending portion, an extending portion, and an outward-expanding portion, which distributes deformation to avoid plastic deformation and maintain elastic restoring force, along with a mounting member to enhance rigidity and prevent interference with the brake disc.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the thickness of the leaf spring is reduced to increase the maximum deflection, then the maximum deflection that the leaf spring can bear is increased, but the elastic restoring force of the leaf spring is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The leaf spring is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where different sections have different thicknesses to optimize both deflection capability and restoring force. The thickness varies along the length of the leaf spring, being thinner in regions requiring greater flexibility and thicker in regions requiring greater strength, thereby resolving the contradiction between maximum deflection and elastic restoring force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the leaf spring, including thickness, width, and curvature radius, to achieve optimal performance. By adjusting these parameters, the leaf spring can bear larger deflections while maintaining sufficient elastic restoring force, thus resolving the technical contradiction between deflection capacity and force generation.
2Reliability
If the leaf spring is compressed beyond its maximum deflection, then the friction pads can be restored to the inoperative state, but the leaf spring undergoes plastic deformation and fails to restore properly
Solution Approach 1:
The leaf spring is designed with appropriate initial curvature and thickness distribution to provide sufficient elastic buffer capacity before compression occurs. This pre-designed elastic buffer prevents the leaf spring from undergoing plastic deformation during normal braking operations, ensuring reliable restoration capability while maintaining adequate strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent may employ composite material structures or surface treatments to enhance the leaf spring's strength-to-weight ratio and elastic properties. This allows the leaf spring to withstand higher compression forces without plastic deformation, thereby improving both restoration capability and maximum deflection bearing capacity.
3Device complexity
If the leaf spring interferes with the brake disc, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the service life of the brake disc is shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The leaf spring is positioned in a spatial arrangement that utilizes the third dimension (vertical clearance) to avoid interference with the brake disc. By carefully designing the installation position and curvature of the leaf spring, sufficient clearance is maintained between the leaf spring and brake disc, preventing contact and extending the service life of the brake disc while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential interference issue is resolved by extracting the leaf spring from the immediate vicinity of the brake disc path. The leaf spring is positioned in a location where it performs its restoration function without coming into contact with the rotating brake disc, thereby eliminating the harmful interference while maintaining the overall simplicity of the brake caliper structure.
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 increases the maximum deflection the leaf spring can bear while maintaining its elastic restoring force, reducing the likelihood of plastic deformation, extending the service life, and minimizing interference with the brake disc, thus improving braking performance and reducing fuel consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the leaf spring restores the friction pads 14 to a position in the inoperative state through the action of its elastic restoring force
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicles, and particularly provides a brake caliper assembly, a brake, and a vehicle, aiming to solve the problem of how to increase the maximum deflection that a leaf spring can bear on the premise of ensuring an elastic restoring force of the leaf spring. The brake caliper assembly of the disclosure comprises a leaf spring arranged between a first brake caliper and a second brake caliper. The leaf spring comprises an elastic structure. The elastic structure comprises a bending portion, an extending portion, an outward-expanding portion, and an abutting portion that are connected in sequence; the outward-expanding portion extends to the outside of the leaf spring from the extending portion, the bending portion is bent inwards, and the abutting portion abuts on the first brake caliper and/or the second brake caliper. According to the disclosure, the maximum deflection that the leaf spring can bear can be increased on the premise of ensuring the elastic restoring force of the leaf spring.