Brake Wear Debris Collection Hood With Pressure Equalization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for collecting and measuring wear debris from brake devices, such as disc brakes or drum brakes, face challenges in accurately quantifying wear debris due to gaps allowing external dust entry and debris leakage, which is exacerbated by differential air pressure differences.

Innovation Solution

A wear debris collection device with a hood covering the brake components, a blower to maintain equal internal and external air pressures, and a collection apparatus to suction wear debris, along with a seal to prevent external dust entry and leakage, ensuring all debris is collected and measured accurately.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a highly airtight cover or hood is used to cover the brake device, then wear debris containment is improved, but sealing difficulty around rotation shafts increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear debris containmentVSAvoidsealing difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The hood is divided into multiple sections with separate sealable openings for the rotation shaft. This allows targeted sealing at specific locations rather than requiring complete sealing of the entire hood, making the design more manufacturable while maintaining wear debris containment effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Sealing mechanisms are introduced as intermediary components between the hood interior and exterior at the rotation shaft locations. These seals act as mediators that allow rotation shaft penetration while preventing wear debris escape and dust entry, resolving the contradiction between containment and sealing ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If gaps are created in the hood for rotation shaft coupling, then ease of operation is improved, but dust entry and debris leakage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverotation shaft couplingVSAvoiddust entry and debris leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The hood structure implements different qualities at different locations: sealed regions for wear debris containment and localized unsealed regions with protective screens at rotation shaft openings. This local differentiation allows rotation shaft coupling while minimizing dust entry and debris leakage through the use of protective screens at specific critical points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The openings necessary for rotation shaft operation, which could allow dust entry and debris leakage, are equipped with protective screens. These screens convert the potentially harmful effect of openings into a controlled situation where wear debris can still be effectively contained and measured while allowing necessary operational access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If protective screens are added at rotation shaft openings, then dust entry prevention is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedust entry preventionVSAvoidhood structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Protective screens are installed only at the specific locations where rotation shafts penetrate the hood, rather than covering the entire hood surface. This partial application of the screening concept provides adequate dust entry prevention while avoiding excessive complexity that would result from complete hood coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 solution effectively prevents external dust from entering and internal debris from leaking, allowing for precise measurement of wear debris generated by the braking mechanism, ensuring accurate quantification and collection of all wear debris.

Implementation Method 1

a blower that blows air into the hood; an air pressure adjuster that measures air pressure in the hood and external air pressure and adjusts an air quantity of at least one of the blower and the collection apparatus so that the air pressure in the hood equals the external air pressure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir pressure equalization: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

a collection apparatus that suctions air in the hood and collects wear debris of the braking member contained in the air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentUS11408471B2Wear debris collection device, analysis system, wear debris collection method, and analysis method

Publication Date: 2022.08.09 AKEBONO BRAKE IND CO LTD

AI summary

A wear debris collection device includes a rotation body that is connected to a rotation shaft and performs rotating movement in accordance with rotation of the rotation shaft, a braking member that brakes the rotating movement of the rotation body, a hood covering the rotation body and the braking member and to prevent dust from entering from outside, a blower that blows air into the hood, a collection apparatus that suctions air in the hood and collects wear debris of the braking member contained in the air, and an air pressure adjuster that measures air pressure in the hood and external air pressure and adjusts an air quantity of at least one of the blower and the collection apparatus so that the air pressure in the hood equals the external air pressure.