Brake Pad Wear Sensor Mounted on Movable Spring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake pad designs for utility vehicles face issues with uneven wear of friction faces leading to groove formation, damaging the wear sensor housing and reducing service life, and complex mounting processes that increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A brake pad design where the electric wear sensor is mounted on a pad securing spring that can move relative to the backing plate, allowing it to be decoupled from the friction lining and eliminating the need for a cutout in the friction lining, thus preventing damage and simplifying the mounting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the wear sensor is mounted in the friction lining with a cutout, then the wear sensor can detect wear, but the wear volume is reduced and service life is shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The wear sensor is extracted from the friction lining and mounted on the backing plate instead. This eliminates the need for a cutout in the friction lining, preserving the full wear volume and extending service life while maintaining wear detection capability through the sensor's position near the friction interface.
2Measurement precision
If the wear sensor is mounted in the friction lining, then wear can be detected, but the housing material is damaged by groove formation and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The wear sensor is extracted from the friction lining and mounted on the backing plate, removing it from the high-stress environment where groove formation and vibrations occur. This protects the brittle housing material from damage while the sensor remains positioned to detect wear through its proximity to the friction interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake pad is segmented into functional zones: the friction lining for wear generation, the backing plate for structural support and sensor mounting, and the pad securing spring for elastic movement. This segmentation allows the wear sensor to be positioned on the backing plate away from damaging vibrations while still detecting wear effectively.
3Ease of operation
If the wear sensor is mounted after the pad securing spring is attached, then the mounting process becomes complex and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The wear sensor is pre-mounted on the backing plate before the pad securing spring is attached. This preliminary action simplifies the overall assembly process, eliminates the need to guide the sensor through tight spaces between the spring and backing plate, and improves fabrication efficiency without compromising mounting ease.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the pad securing spring is rigidly fixed to the backing plate, then the structure is stable, but the wear sensor housing is damaged by radial movements during vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The pad securing spring is designed with elastic properties, allowing it to move radially in response to vibrations and groove formations. This dynamic capability absorbs the harmful movements that would otherwise damage the wear sensor housing, while the spring remains securely attached to the backing plate through the wear sensor's mounting position.
Data Source
AI summary
A brake pad of a disc brake, in particular for a disc brake for a utility vehicle, has a backing plate, which bears a friction lining and to which an element that can be moved in relation to the backing plate is connected, and an electrical wear sensor designed in such a way that the wear sensor is arranged on the element that can be moved in relation to the backing plate so that the wear sensor itself can be moved in relation to the backing plate.