Rail Vehicle Brake Pad Holder Force Sensor Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for checking the contact pressure of brake pads on rail vehicle brake caliper units with disc brakes either rely on indirect visual inspections during maintenance or require removal and testing on a special bench, lacking a direct metrological check when the unit is installed.
Innovation Solution
A device with a carrier plate attached to the brake pad holder, equipped with force measuring sensors that generate a measurement signal when the brake is active, allowing for contact pressure measurement without removing the brake caliper unit, using a connection cable to transmit the signal to an evaluation unit for determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the brake caliper unit is removed from the rail vehicle for metrological testing, then the contact pressure measurement can be performed, but the maintenance complexity and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
A force measuring sensor is introduced as an intermediary component between the brake pad holder and the brake disc. This sensor serves as a mediator that enables direct force measurement during normal operation without requiring removal of the brake caliper unit, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The force measuring sensor is pre-installed in the brake pad holder before the brake pad is mounted. This preliminary action ensures that the measurement capability is already in place when the brake assembly is installed on the vehicle, eliminating the need for complex post-installation testing procedures
2Ease of operation
If visual inspection is used during maintenance, then the maintenance process is simple, but the measurement accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The manual visual inspection process is replaced by an electronic force measuring sensor that directly measures the contact pressure. This substitution maintains the simplicity of the maintenance process while dramatically improving measurement precision, as the sensor provides objective numerical data rather than subjective visual assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The brake pad holder is designed with an integrated force measuring sensor that automatically measures and records the contact pressure during normal brake operation. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex manual testing procedures while providing accurate measurement data
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
Enables direct measurement of contact pressure during maintenance, allowing for more accurate wear assessment and potentially extending the interval between refurbishments, thus reducing costs without compromising safety.
Implementation Method 1
at least one force measuring sensor (3) which is introduced into the carrier plate (2) in such a way that when the brake is active it generates a measurement signal which is a measure of the contact pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The device (1) has a carrier plate (2) fixed to a brake lining holder instead of a brake lining. A force measuring sensor (3) is inserted into the carrier plate so as to generate a measurement signal during braking to measure a pressing force of the carrier plate on a brake disk. A connection cable (4) transmits the measurement signal from the force measuring sensor to an evaluation unit (5) such that the evaluation unit is supplied with the measurement signal by the connection cable. The evaluation unit determines magnitude of the pressing force at the brake disk from the measurement signal. An independent claim is also included for a method for measuring contact pressure applied on a brake disk by a brake lining of a brake caliper unit of a disk-braked rail vehicle.