Brake Pad Sliding Geometry for Full Disc Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Disc brake pads often fail to fully retract after brake release, resulting in residual contact with the brake disc, which causes drag, reduces fuel efficiency, and increases wear on both the brake pad and disc.
Innovation Solution
A brake pad design featuring a sliding portion that extends downwards, utilizing gravity and vibrations to move away from the brake disc when the brake is released, eliminating the need for additional retracting mechanisms and reducing friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the brake pad is designed with a conventional horizontal sliding surface, then the brake pad can be easily manufactured and assembled, but the brake pad fails to fully retract after brake release causing residual contact and drag
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding portion is designed with an asymmetric downward extension that creates a gravitational advantage for retraction. The lower side of the brake pad includes a sliding portion extending downwardly towards the opposite surface, creating an asymmetric geometry that leverages gravity to pull the brake pad away from the brake disc during retraction, ensuring complete separation and eliminating drag.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using conventional horizontal sliding surfaces that require external retracting mechanisms, the invention inverts the approach by using a downwardly extending sliding portion that utilizes gravitational force in the opposite direction of brake application. This inversion allows the brake pad to retract automatically without additional mechanisms.
2Reliability
If additional retracting mechanisms are added to ensure complete brake pad retraction, then drag is reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The brake pad's own weight and the downwardly extending sliding portion create a self-service retraction system. The gravitational force acting on the asymmetric sliding portion automatically pulls the brake pad away from the brake disc during retraction, eliminating the need for external retracting mechanisms while ensuring complete separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the retracting function from separate mechanical mechanisms and integrates it into the basic geometry of the sliding portion itself. By taking out the need for additional retracting components and embedding the retraction capability directly into the sliding portion's downward extension, the design simplifies the overall system while maintaining reliable retraction.
3Reliability
If the sliding portion extends downwards towards the opposite surface, then gravitational force aids retraction reducing drag, but the friction between sliding portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the sliding portion by extending it downwardly towards the opposite surface. This parameter change creates a gravitational component that aids retraction. The downward extension angle and length are optimized to provide sufficient gravitational assistance while controlling frictional forces during the sliding motion.
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 effectively reduces drag, enhances fuel efficiency, and minimizes wear on brake components by ensuring complete retraction of the brake pad without extra mechanisms, leveraging gravitational and vibrational forces.
Implementation Method 1
the brake pad will due to gravitation and vibrations move away from the brake disc, when the driver has released the brake pedal
Implementation Method 2
Vehicle vibrations further add to urge the brake pad to move in the retracting direction when no brake force is applied by the driver
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a brake pad for a vehicle, adapted to be connected to a carrier around a rotatable brake disc which rotates around a geometrical centre axis, the brake pad comprising an upper side, a lower side, a friction surface extending downwardly from the upper side to the lower side and being adapted to be pressed against a brake disc, an opposite surface extending downwardly from the upper side to the lower side and being adapted to be faced away from the brake disc, wherein the lower side comprises at least one sliding portion configured to slide against a mating sliding portion of a carrier, wherein the at least one sliding portion extends downwards towards the opposite surface.