Brake Pad Spring Coupling for Axial Retraction and Pad Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disc brake spring assemblies often apply uneven elastic bias, leading to incomplete detachment of brake pads from the disc, residual torque, and uneven wear, due to their design requiring specific adaptation to the caliper and causing angular actions that misalign the pads.
Innovation Solution
A spring assembly directly connected to the brake pads, with a configuration that ensures an axial elastic bias, maintaining the spring away from the disc under all conditions and keeping friction surfaces parallel, using a hinge-like mechanism that adjusts with pad wear and prevents radial slipping, thus applying forces only in the axial direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spring is fixed to the caliper body, then the spring can be retained in position, but the elastic action becomes unbalanced and causes uneven pad displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a caliper pocket as an intermediary structure between the spring and the pads. The spring is fixed to the caliper body within this dedicated pocket, which serves as a mediator to transmit the elastic force uniformly to both pads through coupling portions, eliminating the unbalanced elastic action that would otherwise occur with direct spring-to-pad connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is segmented into a central portion for fixation to the caliper body and two end portions for coupling to the pads. This segmentation allows the spring to be anchored stably while maintaining symmetrical elastic action on both pads, resolving the contradiction between reliable retention and precise alignment.
2Force
If the spring abuts against the apical portion of the pads, then the pads can be biased away from the disc, but the detachment becomes uneven and residual torque remains
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the spring abutting against the apical (radial) portion of the pads, the invention changes the dimension of contact to the lateral surfaces of the pads. The end portions of the spring couple to the lateral surfaces through coupling portions, distributing the biasing force uniformly across both pads and ensuring even detachment without residual torque.
3Reliability
If the spring configuration is adapted specifically to the caliper, then the spring can be securely connected, but the device complexity increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is designed with universal coupling portions that can be securely connected to the caliper body through a standardized pocket structure. This universal design allows the same spring configuration to be adapted to different caliper shapes and sizes without requiring specific spring adaptations, thereby maintaining both reliable connection and high versatility.
4Reliability
If the caliper body is used to support the spring fixation, then the spring can be anchored, but the caliper structure becomes more complex with additional coupling portions
Solution Approach 1:
The spring fixation structure is merged with the existing caliper pocket that accommodates the pads. The coupling portions for spring fixation are integrated into the same pocket structure that already exists for pad accommodation, eliminating the need for separate fixation structures and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable spring anchoring.
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
This configuration ensures consistent and balanced elastic action on brake pads, reducing residual torque and maintaining optimal pad alignment and wear distribution, improving the flexibility and independence of the spring from the caliper shape, while minimizing size and ensuring axial biasing.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (15) configured to elastically bias the pads (6)
Implementation Method 2
rotating the spring (15) like a hinge about the spring-coupling plate portion (37)
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly has two pads having a support plate and a friction material coating, each pad being accommodated in a pocket of a caliper and positionable on a side of a brake disc. At least one spring applies an elastic bias on the pads so as to elastically bias the pads away from the brake disc. The support plate has a plate coupling portion having an inner lower edge, facing the brake disc in a radially inward direction or towards the rotation axis, an inner upper edge, facing the brake disc in a radially outward direction or opposite to the rotation axis, the inner upper edge continuing on a direct upper surface according to the axial direction (A-A), forming an upper spring-coupling plate portion edge. The spring is always in contact exclusively with the inner lower edge and the upper spring-coupling plate portion edge.