Brake Disc Insert Retainer Using Clips to Avoid Rivet Fatigue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel brake systems face issues with mechanical stress on brake discs due to the use of fasteners like rivets, which can lead to fatigue and compromise the attachment between the drive insert and the brake disc, potentially causing failure and stress concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A drive insert system that mechanically couples with the brake disc using a combination of first and second clips and a retainer, securing the drive insert without the need for fasteners that penetrate through, thereby minimizing movement in radial, axial, and tangential directions and reducing wear on the brake disc.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fasteners like rivets are used to secure the drive insert to the brake disc, then the attachment between the drive insert and brake disc is achieved, but mechanical stress concentrates on the fasteners leading to fatigue and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes fasteners (rivets, bolts, welds) from the attachment system entirely. The drive insert is secured to the brake disc through a fastenerless mechanism where the insert is received within a groove or recess in the brake disc, eliminating the harmful fasteners that cause stress concentration and fatigue failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary structural feature (a groove or recess in the brake disc that receives the drive insert) to achieve attachment without fasteners. This intermediary structure distributes mechanical stresses across a larger area of the brake disc rather than concentrating them at fastener holes, improving both strength and reliability.
2Strength
If fasteners are used to secure the drive insert, then the drive insert is attached to the brake disc, but stress concentrations occur on the brake disc surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts removes fasteners that create stress concentrations on the brake disc surface. By eliminating holes for rivets or bolts, the brake disc surface remains intact without stress concentration points, while the drive insert is still securely attached through the groove-based retention mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a groove or recess specifically at the location where the drive insert needs to be attached. This localized structural modification provides secure attachment while distributing stresses locally within the groove geometry rather than concentrating them at discrete fastener holes on the surface.
3Reliability
If a fastenerless attachment system is used, then stress concentrations are reduced and brake disc integrity is maintained, but the complexity of the attachment mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the brake disc structure by incorporating a groove or recess as a distinct feature that receives the drive insert. This segmentation allows the drive insert to be separately manufactured and then attached without fasteners, simplifying the overall assembly process while maintaining brake disc integrity through the groove-based retention.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using fasteners to pull or clamp the drive insert onto the brake disc, the patent inverts the approach by having the brake disc structure itself (the groove or recess) hold the drive insert in place. The retention force comes from the geometry of the groove receiving the insert rather than from external fastening elements.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a drive insert comprises a first clip, a second clip, and a retainer. The first clip is configured to be slidable over a first surface adjacent to a first drive slot of a brake disc in a first tangential direction of the brake disc. The second clip is configured to be slidable over a second surface adjacent to a second drive slot of the brake disc in a second tangential direction of the brake disc. The retainer is configured to be slidable over the first clip and the second clip when the first clip and second clip are positioned one the brake disc secure the first and second clips to the brake disc.