Brake Pad Retention via Radial Spring Biasing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pneumatically-operated disc brakes in commercial vehicles experience 'pad kick' due to brake pad rotation during brake application, leading to noise, increased wear, and fatigue damage to the pad and caliper mounting structure, as existing retention methods fail to adequately suppress these issues.
Innovation Solution
A brake pad mounting and retention system utilizing a spring reaction bar and leaf springs to bias the brake pad radially outward, with wedge-shaped or gear tooth-shaped mount abutments and corresponding indentations on the pad, providing increased retention and guidance to minimize pad kick and vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional transverse suspension pins or leaf spring retainers are used to hold brake pads, then brake pad retention is achieved, but pad kick and vibrations occur during brake application
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing the brake pad to be passively held by traditional retainers and hoping to minimize rotation, this invention actively biases the brake pad radially outward using springs. This inverted approach - proactively preventing pad kick rather than passively accepting it - creates continuous contact between the pad and disc, effectively suppressing vibrations and rotations during brake application.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism applies a preliminary outward biasing force to the brake pad before brake application occurs. This pre-positioning ensures the pad is already optimally oriented and contacted against the disc, preventing the harmful rotational motion (pad kick) from occurring in the first place rather than correcting it after it starts.
2Reliability
If brake pads are constrained by mount abutment surfaces, then retention is provided, but wear and fatigue damage increase to the pad and caliper mounting structure
Solution Approach 1:
This invention replaces static, rigid retention methods with a dynamic spring-based system that continuously adapts to operational conditions. The springs provide ongoing radial outward biasing that maintains optimal pad-to-disc contact while accommodating thermal expansion, wear, and load variations, thereby reducing stress concentrations and fatigue damage to mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism dynamically adjusts the radial position and contact pressure of the brake pad during operation. By changing the force parameter through spring compression and expansion, the system maintains optimal retention while minimizing harmful stresses and wear on both the pad and mounting structure throughout the brake's operational cycle.
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 system effectively suppresses pad kick and vibrations during brake application, reducing wear and fatigue on brake components, thereby enhancing brake pad retention and overall system reliability.
Implementation Method 1
A spring reaction bar and springs are provided over each brake pad to bias the surface features at the lateral sides of the brake pad against the undersides (i.e., radially inner sides) of corresponding surface features of the mount structure carrying the brake caliper and/or brake pads.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are provided for suppressing undesired brake pad motion during brake application, and for installing and removing brake pads utilizing the inventive arrangements. One embodiment of the invention includes brake pads and a carrier mount having complementary surface features that retain the brake pad when the brake pad is in its installed position and a brake pad biasing structure that biases the brake pad in the radially outward direction to bias contact faces of the mount horn and the brake pad against one another to suppress brake pad kick and vibration and related wear and component fatigue.