Manual Brake Release Lever Locking for Power-Fail Electric Motors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric motors lack a reliable mechanism to safely release the brake in the event of a power failure or lack of energization, leading to potential unintentional brake release.

Innovation Solution

A safety device with a pivotably arranged hand release lever is equipped with a retaining part, rod part, and joint, limiting the pivoting movement based on the rotational position of the rod part, ensuring the brake can be released manually or electromagnetically depending on the current supply.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the brake is electromagnetically actuated without additional safety devices, then the structure is simple, but the brake may release unintentionally during power failure or lack of energization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake operation reliabilityVSAvoidbrake device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A safety device acts as an intermediary between the electromagnetic brake system and the manual release lever. This safety device includes a retaining part, rod part, and joint that work together to control the pivoting movement of the manual release lever, preventing unintentional brake release while maintaining electromagnetic operation during normal power supply

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The safety device dynamically changes the degree of freedom of the manual release lever based on the rotational position of the rod part. When the rod part is in certain rotational positions, it limits the pivoting movement of the lever; when in other positions, it allows full pivoting movement. This dynamic control ensures reliable brake operation in different conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the hand release lever is allowed free pivoting movement, then manual release is always possible, but unintentional release may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual release accessibilityVSAvoidunintentional release prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The rod part of the safety device dynamically adjusts the pivoting freedom of the manual release lever based on its rotational position. In normal operation, the rod part limits the lever's pivoting movement to prevent unintentional release. When manual release is needed, the rod part can be rotated to a position that allows the lever to pivot freely, enabling reliable manual release when required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 safety device prevents unintentional brake release and allows reliable operation regardless of energization, enabling manual release when needed, thus ensuring safe and controlled brake operation.

Implementation Method 1

a magnetic body acting as a coil core for a brake coil (62), an armature disk (63) being arranged axially between the brake pad carrier and the magnetic body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic force: Lorentz Force

Implementation Method 2

spring elements (61) being supported on the magnetic body, the armature disk (63) being pressed by the spring elements (61) against the brake pad carrier (610)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Spring

Implementation Method 3

brake pads (611, 612) which are pressed by the brake pad carrier (610) against a braking surface (601) formed on the first flange part (11)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP4295058B1Electric motor having an electromagnetically actuable brake
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 SEW EURODRIVE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4295058B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4295058B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4295058B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electric motor having an electromagnetically actuable brake, wherein the brake is releasable by means of a pivotably arranged manual release lever (7), in particular lever part, in particular in the event of failure of the voltage supply, current supply failure or if the brake is not being energized, wherein a securing device for limiting the pivoting movement of the manual release lever (7) is arranged on the electric motor, wherein the securing device has at least one holding part (3), a rod part (4) and a joint, wherein the holding part (3) is fastened to the electric motor, wherein the rod part (4) is arranged rotatably by means of a joint formed between the rod part (4) and the holding part (3), wherein the limiting of the pivoting movement of the manual release lever (7) is dependent on the rotational position of the rod part (4).