Vehicle Brake Wear Detector Cable Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wear detectors for vehicle brake pads with U-shaped electrical cables are prone to unstable positioning due to lateral open grooves, leading to potential misalignment and failure to detect limit wear conditions under vibrations or brake disk sliding.

Innovation Solution

A wear detector design featuring a two-pole wiring system with a single-piece insulating attachment body and a through hole configuration that securely houses and stabilizes the cable portions, using a through hole with opposed portions and a retention shoulder to maintain the cable's position, ensuring stable fixation and preventing slippage during use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If an open lateral groove is used to hold the detection stretch, then the wiring can be easily assembled, but the detection stretch becomes unstable and may shift position under vibrations or brake disk sliding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidposition stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The through hole is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion with constant cross-section for cable insertion and a second widened portion for stable positioning. This segmentation allows the cable to be easily inserted while ensuring stable fixation in the widened section, resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and position stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hole cross-section is varied along the axial dimension, transitioning from a constant cross-section in the first portion to a widened cross-section in the second portion. This dimensional change provides both easy insertion (narrow section) and stable positioning (widened section), simultaneously achieving ease of manufacture and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If the detection stretch is loosely positioned in a groove, then the structure remains simple, but the detection may fail under vibrations or brake disk sliding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoiddetection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The through hole is segmented into two functional portions along its length, with each portion serving a specific purpose: insertion and positioning. This simple segmentation maintains structural simplicity while dramatically improving detection reliability by preventing stretch displacement under vibrations or sliding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the hole have different cross-sectional qualities: the first portion has a constant cross-section for easy cable passage, while the second portion is widened to provide secure positioning. This local variation in geometry maintains overall structural simplicity while ensuring reliable detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the cable portions are not securely housed, then the manufacturing process remains simple, but electrical continuity cannot be maintained until limit wear is reached

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcable positioning precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The hole is segmented into an insertion portion and a positioning portion, allowing simple manufacturing processes to be used while achieving precise cable positioning. The widened second portion naturally guides and secures the cable portions without requiring complex manufacturing steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

By varying the hole cross-section along its length, the design achieves precise cable positioning (in the widened portion) without complicating the manufacturing process. The dimensional transition from narrow to wide section provides self-alignment and secure positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2345826B9Wear detector for a braking member of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2013.03.27 ICP
  • EP2345826B9 patent drawingFigure 1~6
  • EP2345826B9 patent drawingFigure 7~10

AI summary

A wear detector (1) has an attachment body (6) designed to be coupled to a braking member of a vehicle and wiring (5) provided with an electrical cable; the electrical cable has an end curved to form a U, two cable portions (16) carried by the attachment body, and two cable branches defining the prolongations, respectively, of the cable portions (16) on the outside of the attachment body (6) ; the attachment body (6) has a single through hole (10) having an inlet (12) and an outlet (13) and housing both of the cable portions (16); a retention shoulder (20) is carried by the attachment body and is engaged by the end of the cable to prevent the end itself from sliding back towards the inlet of the through hole.