Composite Disc Brake Caliper Body Reducing Weight and Heat Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brake calipers face issues with bridge element damage after high usage, leading to ineffective braking, increased weight and size, heat deformations, and high production costs, as well as the need for complete replacement of brake cylinders upon failure.
Innovation Solution
A composite material caliper body with strategically oriented reinforcement fibers, a central containment ring, and connecting band that distributes mechanical stresses, reducing weight and size while preventing deformation and allowing for interchangeable braking means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If overdimensioned bridge elements are used to increase robustness, then reliability is improved, but weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The brake caliper body is made from composite material (such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic) instead of traditional metal materials. This composite material provides high strength and stiffness while significantly reducing weight, thereby achieving both improved reliability and reduced weight simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local reinforcement strategies by placing specific fiber orientations and densities in critical stress areas of the composite caliper body, allowing optimal strength distribution without unnecessary weight addition throughout the entire structure
2Strength
If metal caliper body is used to withstand braking stresses, then strength is improved, but heat deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The composite material (particularly carbon fiber reinforced plastics) has inherently low thermal conductivity and high thermal stability, allowing the caliper body to maintain its strength and dimensional stability at high temperatures without the heat deformation problems associated with metal materials
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting composite materials with specific thermal and mechanical properties that are optimized for high-temperature braking conditions, thereby improving both strength and heat resistance simultaneously
3Volume of moving object
If single-piece metal caliper is used to reduce size, then volume is reduced, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite material allows for cost-effective manufacturing of complex, compact caliper geometries through processes like resin transfer molding or autoclave curing, which can produce integrated single-piece structures without the extensive machining required for metal calipers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent may incorporate modular or segmented design approaches within the composite structure, allowing for easier manufacturing and assembly while maintaining the overall compact single-piece appearance and performance
4Weight of moving object
If composite material caliper is used to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local reinforcement strategies by placing specific fiber orientations and densities in critical stress areas of the composite caliper body, allowing optimal strength distribution without unnecessary material usage, thereby reducing production cost while maintaining weight reduction benefits
Data Source
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AI summary
A caliper body (1), particularly for disc brakes of the type comprising at least one brake disc (100) that is provided with two opposite braking surfaces (101) upon which it is possible to actuate respective braking means (102), and which comprises a central portion (2) that has two substantially opposite sides from which two lateral portions (3) protrude which are intended to face the two opposite braking surfaces (101) when the caliper body (1) is arranged so as to straddle the brake disc. The peculiarity of the invention consists in that the caliper body (1) is in one piece made of composite material constituted by a basic matrix in which appropriately oriented reinforcement fibers are dispersed and in that each one of the portions (3) comprises a seat for accommodating respective braking means (102) which can be associated with the caliper body (1) by the interposition of connecting means.