Brake Pad Backing Plate Cutouts for Disc Brake Heat Dissipation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brake pads for bicycle and motorbike disc brake assemblies face inefficiencies in heat dissipation, leading to brake fading during prolonged descents due to limited thermal conduction and radiation capabilities of steel backing plates, as well as inadequate air flow through existing radiators.
Innovation Solution
A brake pad design featuring a backing plate extension with inclined cutouts that enhance both convection and radiation heat dissipation, allowing for increased air flow and directed heat emission, thereby maximizing the surface area for thermal energy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a steel backing plate is used, then stiffness and stability are improved, but thermal conduction capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The backing plate is segmented by introducing cutouts that divide the solid structure into separated regions. This segmentation increases the surface area for heat radiation and improves air flow paths for convection, allowing the steel plate to maintain its structural integrity while significantly enhancing thermal dissipation capabilities through the created voids and increased exposed surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat backing plate to a three-dimensional structured plate with cutouts. This dimensional change creates additional surfaces for heat radiation and establishes multi-path air flow channels, enabling the steel backing plate to dissipate heat more effectively through convection and radiation while maintaining its inherent stiffness.
2Temperature
If a groove is added to the backing plate, then heat dissipation is improved to some extent, but the amount of heat dissipation remains limited
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a single groove, the invention employs multiple cutouts distributed across the backing plate. This segmentation creates numerous independent heat dissipation zones that increase the total surface area for radiation and provide multiple parallel air flow paths for convection, significantly amplifying the heat dissipation effect beyond what a single groove could achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutouts are strategically positioned and sized to create localized heat dissipation zones where convection and radiation can occur most effectively. Each cutout acts as an independent heat exchange region, allowing different areas of the backing plate to optimize heat dissipation based on local thermal conditions and air flow patterns.
3Ease of manufacture
If the inner wall of cutouts is perpendicular to the backing plate, then manufacturing is simplified, but heat emission is reduced due to heat trapping between opposing walls
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces asymmetric inclination to the inner walls of the cutouts, tilting them at specific angles relative to the backing plate surface. This asymmetric geometry prevents direct line-of-sight between opposing walls, blocking the path for heat radiation to bounce back into the cutout. The inclined surfaces redirect thermal radiation outward, significantly enhancing heat emission while the specific angle optimization maintains manufacturability.
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 significantly improves heat dissipation by optimizing convection and radiation, reducing brake fading and maintaining braking performance during extended use.
Implementation Method 1
A further type of heat transfer is the transfer of the thermal energy through the thermal radiation by means of electromagnetic waves emission from the surface
Implementation Method 2
A further type of heat transfer is convection by means of which the thermal energy is transferred through the movement of air around the backing plate acting as a radiator
Implementation Method 3
One type of heat transfer is conduction which is the transfer of the thermal or heat energy through direct contact between the backing plate and the friction material of the friction pad
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4
Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to brake pad for a bicycle or a motorbike disc brake assembly comprising: a backing plate (1) having a front surface (2) and a rear surface (3), a friction pad (4) disposed on the front surface (2) or the rear surface (3) of the backing plate (1), and a backing plate extension (5) extending from the backing plate (1), wherein the backing plate extension (5) is provided with at least one cutout (6), wherein the at least one cutout (6) has an inner wall (7) surrounding the cutout (6), and wherein at least a part of the inner wall (7) is provided at an inclination other than 90° with respect to the area of the backing plate extension (5) adjacent to the cutout (6).