Brake Caliper Guide Bellows Locking for Durable Dust Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake caliper guides face challenges in maintaining a secure and permanent seal against dust and dirt ingress, particularly with the positioning of bellows and rings in disc brake systems, leading to potential assembly difficulties and reduced sealing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The guide bar features a depression offset from the annular groove, with a sealing lip on the bellows' bead that forms a positive fit with the step-shaped cross-section of the annular groove, and a ring with a fastening structure that locks onto this depression, ensuring a tight seal and easy assembly by using a resilient sealing lip and projection design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a bellows with a bead is used to seal the guide bar, then protection against dust and dirt ingress is improved, but secure positioning and sealing of the bead in the annular groove becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The annular groove is given a stepped cross-section with different levels, where the first level receives the bead and the second level provides additional sealing contact. This local structural variation ensures that the bellows bead is securely positioned and sealed at specific locations along the groove, preventing dust and dirt ingress while maintaining reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular groove is divided into multiple levels (first and second levels) with distinct functions. The first level accommodates the bead for positioning, while the second level provides additional sealing contact. This segmentation allows each part of the groove to perform its specific function optimally, ensuring both secure positioning and effective sealing.
2Reliability
If a ring with fastening structure is added to lock the bellows, then positioning security is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function and positioning function are merged into a single integrated structure. The stepped annular groove simultaneously provides both the sealing surface (through its multiple levels) and the positioning mechanism (through the bead-receiving first level). This eliminates the need for separate locking rings or fastening structures, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining positioning security.
Solution Approach 2:
The stepped annular groove structure enables the bellows bead to self-position and self-seal during assembly. The bead naturally settles into the first level and seals against the second level without requiring external locking mechanisms or complex assembly procedures. The structure serves itself to achieve both positioning and sealing functions.
3Reliability
If the annular groove and recess form a common groove space with a step, then sealing contact is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stepped structure creates localized sealing zones at different levels of the annular groove. The first level provides bead accommodation with specific dimensional requirements, while the second level provides sealing contact with different dimensional characteristics. This local quality differentiation allows each level to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements compared to a single uniform groove.
Solution Approach 2:
The common groove space is segmented into two distinct levels with different functions. The first level (depression) accommodates the bead with appropriate clearance, while the second level (annular groove) provides the sealing contact surface. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each level's dimensions and tolerances, making manufacturing more feasible while maintaining effective sealing contact.
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 configuration enhances the sealing performance and ease of assembly by ensuring a complete contact between the bellows and guide bar, providing a reliable barrier against dust and dirt while simplifying the insertion process.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing lip molded onto the bead ensures complete circumferential contact of this sealing lip with the stepped cross-section of the annular groove
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention proposes a brake-caliper guide for a disc brake, having a plain bearing (6) made up of a bore and a guide member (10) which can be moved longitudinally therein, and having a folding bellows (16) which, for protecting the plain bearing (6), encloses a sub-length of the guide member (10), said folding bellows, in order to be secured on the guide member (10), being provided with a bead (31) which is supported on a base (48) of an annular groove (30), with which the guide member (10) is provided, and having a ring (33) which encloses the guide member (10), extends in the axial direction beyond the outer side of the bead (31) and is provided with a fastening structure (35), which locks the ring (33) in the longitudinal direction facing away from the folding bellows (16). In order to provide a brake-caliper guide, a guide member and a folding bellows with which the positioning of the folding bellows and/or of the ring on the guide member can be improved further, and also on a sustained basis, a recess (50) is provided in the guide member (10) in an axially offset state in relation to the groove base (48). The fastening structure (35) butts against a wall (53) of the recess (50), said wall facing the annular groove (30).