Brake Caliper Retraction Controller with Belleville Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake caliper systems often actuate rear brakes before front brakes, compromising vehicle control during braking transitions and leading to parasitic braking, which reduces fuel efficiency and accelerates brake pad wear.
Innovation Solution
A brake caliper with a brake pad timing and retraction controller that applies an adjustable hold-off force to delay brake pad extension and ensures uniform retraction, using a resilient member like a Belleville spring to maintain consistent brake stroke and dampen vibrations, allowing for independent pullback forces on opposing pads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional brake caliper systems are used, then rear brakes actuate before front brakes, but vehicle control during braking transitions is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member is pre-compressed between the brake pad and the caliper housing, creating a predetermined delay in brake pad actuation. This preliminary compression state ensures that the brake pad engages the rotor after the piston has begun its stroke, achieving the desired timing sequence where front brakes engage before rear brakes
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member modifies the force-displacement characteristics of the brake pad actuation system. By introducing this elastic element, the system changes the timing parameter of brake engagement, creating a controlled delay that synchronizes rear brake actuation with front brake actuation for improved vehicle control
2Use of energy by moving object
If conventional brake caliper systems are used, then brake pads disengage quickly, but parasitic braking occurs which reduces fuel efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member is positioned to engage only with the brake pad and caliper housing, extracting the parasitic braking force generation from the system. By providing a controlled restorative force that fully separates the brake pad from the rotor, the design eliminates the harmful dragging effect that occurs in conventional systems where the brake pad remains in partial contact with the rotor during non-braking conditions
3Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional brake caliper systems are used, then brake pads disengage quickly, but brake pad wear is accelerated
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member extracts the harmful wear-generating contact between the brake pad and rotor during non-braking conditions. By providing a positive restorative force that ensures complete separation, the system eliminates the continuous light contact that causes premature wear in conventional designs
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member acts as a cushioning element that prevents hard impacts between the brake pad and rotor during engagement and disengagement. This prior cushioning reduces mechanical stress and wear on the brake pad material, extending its service life
4Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional brake caliper systems are used, then simple structure is maintained, but out-of-plane vibrations occur which increase noise
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member serves as an intermediary element between the brake pad and the caliper housing. This intermediate component absorbs and dampens out-of-plane vibrations that occur during brake engagement and disengagement, reducing noise without requiring complex vibration control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member functions as a flexible element that compliance with vibrational forces. By using this flexible component, the system passively dampens vibrations and reduces noise generation without adding complex active vibration control systems
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 solution enhances vehicle control by adjusting brake timing, reduces parasitic braking, increases fuel efficiency, and minimizes brake wear, while also damping out-of-plane vibrations to reduce noise.
Implementation Method 1
a brake pad timing and retraction controller including at least one resilient member with limited compression travel. The brake pad timing and retraction controller biases against extension by applying an adjustable hold-off force against an extension force applied to said brake pad
Implementation Method 2
The controller also forces positive and uniform retraction of the brake pad from the rotor, thereby minimizing parasitic braking
Implementation Method 3
The controller also damps out-of-plane vibration between the brake pad and rotor
Data Source
AI summary
A brake caliper is provided with a timing and retraction controller that that adjusts brake timing, eliminates parasitic brake losses and dampens out-of-plane vibration between the brake pad and rotor. The brake caliper includes a housing disposed over a brake rotor; first and second opposing brake pads extendably and retractably mounted on opposite sides of the caliper housing, brake pistons that extend and retract the brake pads into and out of frictional engagement with the rotor, and brake pad timing and retraction controllers disposed on opposite sides of the caliper housing. Each controller includes a Belleville spring or other resilient member with a short compression travel limited to between about 1.50 mm and 0.025 mm. The short stroke Belleville spring of each controller applies a hold-off force against the extension force of the brake pistons that slightly delays brake pad extension and slightly reduces brake pad clamping force against the rotor, thereby advantageously providing a front wheel braking bias when applied to the rear wheels of a vehicle. The restorative force applied by the short stroke Belleville forcefully and uniformly retracts the brake pad from the rotor, eliminating parasitic brake losses, and dampening out-of-plane vibration between the brake pad and rotor.