Brake Rotor Wear Layout for Faster Commercial Vehicle Service
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brake assemblies for commercial vehicles require complex and labor-intensive service operations for exchanging wear parts, as the entire brake assembly must be disassembled to access and replace worn brake pads and rotors, leading to high labor efforts and potential damage to wheel bearings and hubs.
Innovation Solution
A brake assembly design where the brake member with the higher wear rate is positioned on the rotor, allowing only the brake member to be accessed for maintenance, while the braking member with a lower wear rate is integrated with the actuator mechanism and remains assembled, reducing the need for frequent disassembly and labor efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the entire brake assembly is disassembled to access wear parts, then the wear parts can be replaced, but the labor effort and complexity of service operations increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The brake assembly is divided into functionally independent segments: the brake member (rotor) with wear parts can be accessed and replaced separately from the braking member (caliper) and actuator mechanism. This segmentation allows service personnel to only disassemble the necessary portion (brake member) rather than the entire assembly, directly reducing service time and labor effort while maintaining complete wear parts replacement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The wear-prone brake member is extracted as a separately accessible component from the complete brake assembly. The design enables the brake member to be removed independently through the wheel hub opening without requiring removal of the braking member or actuator mechanism, thus extracting the maintenance operation from the complex full assembly disassembly process
2Ease of repair
If the entire brake assembly is disassembled for maintenance, then wear parts can be exchanged, but the device complexity and number of parts to handle increase
Solution Approach 1:
The brake assembly is segmented into independently serviceable units. The brake member forms a maintenance-accessible module that can be serviced separately from the braking member and actuator mechanism. This functional segmentation reduces the perceived device complexity during service operations, as personnel only need to handle the relevant segment rather than the entire complex assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional approach is inverted: instead of the braking member being removable for maintenance, the brake member is designed to be the separately accessible component. This inversion allows maintenance personnel to access wear parts through the wheel hub opening without disturbing the complex actuator mechanism and braking member, effectively simplifying the service process despite the overall assembly complexity
3Ease of repair
If the entire brake assembly is disassembled and reassembled, then wear parts can be replaced, but the risk of affecting wheel bearings and hubs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance operation is extracted from the full assembly disassembly process. The brake member can be removed and replaced independently through the wheel hub opening without requiring removal of wheel bearings or disturbance to the hub assembly. This extraction eliminates the risk of accidental damage to these critical components that would otherwise occur during complete assembly disassembly and reassembly
Solution Approach 2:
The service operation is segmented into isolated steps affecting only the brake member. By designing the brake member as a separately accessible component, the maintenance task is confined to a specific segment that does not involve wheel bearings or hubs, thereby protecting these components from potential damage while still enabling complete wear parts replacement
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 design simplifies the exchange of wear parts by focusing maintenance on the brake member with the higher wear rate, reducing labor efforts and minimizing the need to disassemble the entire brake assembly, thereby decreasing the complexity and cost of service operations.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one braking member is axially movable with respect to the rotational axis, and an actuator mechanism configured to move the at least one braking member in the axial direction towards the at least one brake member to apply a braking force on the radial surface of the at least one brake member
Implementation Method 2
a wear rate of a material of the at least one brake member portion intended for the frictional pairing is higher than a wear rate a material of the at least one braking member intended for the frictional pairing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a brake assembly (1) for braking a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a brake member assembly (2) comprising at least one brake member (2a, 2b) configured to rotate about a rotational axis (R), at least one braking member (3a, 3b) arranged on a radial surface side of the at least one brake member (2a, 2b) with respect to the rotational axis (R), wherein the at least one braking member (3a, 3b) is axially movable with respect to the rotational axis (R), and an actuator mechanism (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) configured to move the at least one braking member (3a, 3b) in the axial direction towards the at least one brake member (2a, 2b) to apply a braking force on the radial surface of the at least one brake member (2a, 2b), wherein the at least one brake member (2a, 2b) provides at least one brake member portion (20a, 20b) arranged and configured to provide a contact surface on the radial surface side of the at least one brake member (2a, 2b) for the at least one braking member (3a, 3b) to form a frictional pairing with the at least one braking member (3a, 3b) upon contact, and wherein a wear rate of a material of the at least one brake member portion (20a, 20b) intended for the frictional pairing is higher than a wear rate a material of the at least one braking member (3a, 3b) intended for the frictional pairing.