Crossed Spring Spreader for Compact Active Caliper Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake systems with active caliper releases face challenges in providing sufficient displacement travel and easy pad exchange for smaller, separate parking brake calipers, which require shorter brake pads and less wear, while maintaining a compact design and preventing drag torque.
Innovation Solution
A spreading device with a central wire and two spring wires, featuring bent and leg portions that cross each other, allowing for telescoping and easy alignment with pad backplates, enabling sufficient displacement travel and compact design suitable for smaller pads, along with a retainer bar for stability and automatic alignment during pad exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If two spring elements are provided for active caliper release, then sufficient displacement travel is guaranteed, but the device complexity and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate spring elements into a single spring element that provides both spreading and returning functions. This single spring element is configured to act on both brake pads simultaneously, merging the functions of what would traditionally require two separate springs, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining sufficient displacement travel.
Solution Approach 2:
The single spring element is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as both a spreading element and a returning element for both brake pads. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate spring elements for each pad, reducing the overall number of components while ensuring adequate displacement travel for wear compensation.
2Volume of moving object
If a separate parking brake caliper is used with shorter pads, then the caliper size is reduced, but the fixation of the active caliper release becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element is segmented into multiple functional portions: a first end for connection to the brake carrier, a second end for connection to the brake pad, and intermediate sections including bow sections and leg portions. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function, enabling effective fixation even with shorter brake pads in a compact caliper.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element incorporates bow sections with specific curvature radii that allow it to utilize three-dimensional space efficiently. The bow sections can be oriented at different angles and positions, enabling the spring element to achieve sufficient length and mechanical advantage within the constrained space of a smaller caliper, thereby facilitating proper fixation without requiring excessive linear space.
3Length of moving object
If the spring element has enough length for displacement travel, then wear compensation is sufficient, but the caliper design becomes less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement through bow sections with specific curvature radii. Instead of extending linearly, the spring element folds back on itself using curved bow sections, allowing it to achieve the necessary effective length for displacement travel while occupying minimal linear space within the caliper.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element is configured to nest within the caliper structure, with bow sections that fold back and leg portions that can be positioned within available spaces. This nested arrangement allows the spring element to achieve sufficient length for wear compensation while being contained within the compact caliper volume.
4Volume of moving object
If the bent portions of spring wires are spaced apart, then compact design is enabled, but the alignment with pad backplate becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element is designed with self-aligning features where the leg portions and connecting portions automatically orient themselves during installation. The geometric configuration of the bow sections and leg portions creates natural alignment paths that guide the spring element into the correct position relative to the brake pad connection elements, eliminating the need for complex external alignment procedures.
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 solution provides a compact and efficient active caliper release system that ensures sufficient displacement travel for smaller brake pads, facilitates easy pad exchange, and prevents pad fallout, while maintaining effective braking performance and heat transfer capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The bent portion of the first spring wire is spaced from the bent portion of the second spring wire (on a central bar), and wherein one leg portion of the first spring wire crosses one leg portion of a second spring wire, and the other leg portion of the first spring wire crosses the other leg portion of the second spring wire
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A spreading device (1) for brake pads (7), comprises: a central wire (2) with at least one attachment portion (2a), a first spring wire (3), a second spring wire (4), a first interface element (5), connecting the first spring wire (3) to the central wire (2), a second interface element (6), connecting the second spring wire (4) to the central wire (2), wherein the first spring wire (3) comprises: a bent portion (3b), two leg portions (3c1, 3c2), respectively connected to the bent portion (3b) at both sides, and two connecting portions (3a1, 3a2), being connected to the respective leg portion (3c1, 3c2), and wherein the second spring wire (4) comprises the same elements as the first spring wire (3) wherein the bent portion (3b) of the first spring wire (3) is spaced from the bent portion (4b) of the second spring wire (3) on the central wire (2). In one embodiment, one leg portion (3c1) of the first spring wire (3) crosses one leg portion (4c1) of the second spring wire (4), and the other leg portion (3c2) of the first spring wire (3) crosses the other leg portion (4c2) of the second spring wire (4). In another embodiment, each leg portion (3c1, 3c2; 4c1, 4c2) comprises at least one bow section (3d1, 3d2; 4d1, 4d2) including a total bow of more than 90°. By such designs, a more compact design, being in particular suitable for shorter brake pads for a separate parking brake caliper, can be enabled.