Brake Rotor Clip Structure Without Rivets or Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotor clips for brake assemblies, secured by rivets or pins, face issues with high force-induced bending or breakage, uneven force distribution, and potential damage to the rotor disk during replacement, due to the expense and difficulty of manufacturing and using these fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A clip designed from two complementary flexible sheet metal strips with pre-bent ends and integrated pins and apertures, allowing a form-fitting engagement without the need for external fasteners, providing a secure and lightweight solution that distributes forces evenly and is easy to manufacture and install.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rivets or pins are used to secure the rotor clip, then the clip can be firmly attached to the rotor drive lug, but the fasteners are subject to high forces causing bending or breakage and create hot spots that damage the clip and rotor disk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate fastener components (rivets or pins) from the system entirely. Instead of using discrete fasteners to secure the clip to the rotor drive lug, the clip itself is formed with integrated fastening features (protrusions and recesses) that are part of the clip body, eliminating the need for external fasteners and their associated reliability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the fastening function with the clip structure itself. The protrusions and recesses are integrated into the clip body, merging the securing mechanism with the protective cover function. This eliminates the separation between the clip and fastener, creating a unified component that distributes forces more evenly.
2Strength
If expensive and difficult-to-manufacture rivets are used, then the required strength and security are achieved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the separate fastener component from the system, eliminating the need for specialized rivets or pins. The fastening function is achieved through the clip's own geometry (protrusions and recesses), which can be manufactured using standard sheet metal forming processes, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and form of the fastening mechanism from discrete metal fasteners to integrated geometric features of the clip itself. The protrusions and recesses are formed as integral parts of the sheet metal clip through bending and forming operations, transforming the fastening approach from component assembly to monolithic forming.
3Strength
If rivets are used to secure the clip, then the clip can be firmly attached, but the risk of damage to the rotor disk material during clip replacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate fastener components that pose a risk of damaging the rotor disk during installation and replacement. By integrating the fastening features directly into the clip body, the risk of accidental damage from loose fasteners or improper fastener installation is eliminated.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip's fastening features (protrusions and recesses) are self-aligning and self-securing. The design allows the clip to automatically engage with the rotor drive lug through its geometric features, eliminating the need for separate fastener installation steps that could potentially damage the rotor disk.
4Strength
If the force on the fasteners is not equally distributed, then hot spots are created causing damage, but using traditional fastener designs makes equal distribution difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fastening function with the clip structure, creating a unified component where the protrusions and recesses are integral to the clip body. This integration ensures that forces are distributed across the entire contact area between the clip and rotor drive lug, rather than being concentrated at discrete fastener points, eliminating hot spots and the complexity of achieving equal force distribution.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A clip for a rotor disk of a brake assembly, the clip comprising: a first half comprising a first sheet metal strip (30) having a body portion (30') and a first end (31) and a second end (32) bent in a first direction relative to the body portion; and a second half comprising a second sheet metal strip (40) having a body portion (40') having a length the same as the length of the body portion (30') of the first sheet metal strip (30), the second sheet metal strip having a first end (41) and a second end (42) bent in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, relative to the body portion (40') of the second sheet metal strip; and wherein one of the first end of the first sheet metal strip and the first end of the second sheet metal strip is provided with a first pin (33) protruding from the end and the other of the first end of the first sheet metal strip and the second sheet metal strip is provided with a first aperture (43) configured to receive the first pin when the first and second sheet metal strips are assembled such that their first ends overlap; and wherein one of the second end of the first sheet metal strip and the second end of the second sheet metal strip is provided with a second pin (34) protruding from the end and the other of the second end of the first sheet metal strip and the second sheet metal strip is provided with a second aperture (44) configured to receive the second pin when the first and second sheet metal strips are assembled such that their second ends overlap.