Disc Brake Asymmetric Coding Mechanism for Installation Error Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Incorrect installation of brake shoes in disc brakes, such as using the wrong type or mixing up left and right shoes, and using unapproved brake shoes, can compromise the functional and operational safety of commercial vehicles, particularly due to the lack of effective design features that prevent incorrect mounting and ensure compatibility.
Innovation Solution
A disc brake design featuring projections on the brake caliper and corresponding indentations on the pad carrier plate that form a coding system, allowing only compatible brake shoes to be mounted correctly, with the friction lining facing the brake disc, and preventing unapproved shoes from being used without manipulation, achieved through machining a flat contact surface and using a disk milling cutter to create these features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bore with projection and groove design is used to prevent incorrect brake shoe installation, then installation correctness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to additional manufacturing effort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies asymmetry by providing a projection on only one side of the brake caliper's reaction-side contact surface, rather than using symmetric bore-and-projection designs. The pad carrier plate corresponds with a groove on its friction lining side that receives this single projection. This asymmetric configuration prevents incorrect installation (improving reliability) while requiring only minimal machining of the projection from the existing contact surface, avoiding the additional manufacturing complexity of bored holes and multiple projections (maintaining ease of manufacture)
2Reliability
If separate pins are let into the reaction-side contact surface to engage grooves in the pad carrier plate, then anti-correct installation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the projection feature directly into the brake caliper's reaction-side contact surface, combining the mounting surface function with the coding function into a single integrated structure. The projection emanates directly from the base of the brake caliper and is arranged at a distance from the lateral contact surface, eliminating the need for separate pins or additional components. This reduces device complexity while maintaining the reliability benefit of preventing incorrect installation
3Ease of manufacture
If the side milling cutter engages completely across the pressure surface, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the coding feature cannot be created
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies partial action by configuring the side milling cutter to engage the pressure surface only to a specific extent, stopping before completely across the surface. This partial engagement leaves the projection area on the right and left sides untouched, allowing the projection to be formed while still achieving the necessary flat contact surface for the brake shoe. This resolves the contradiction by showing that complete milling is not required - partial milling suffices to achieve both manufacturing simplicity and coding capability
Data Source
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AI summary
The brake has a brake pad (1) overlapping a brake disk, where brake shoes are arranged in the brake pad. The brake shoes have a friction lining (4) attached to a lining carrier plate (3) and loadable at the brake disk. The carrier plate lies at a metal-cut processed contact surface (6) within the brake pad, where the contact surface runs parallel to the brake disk. A projection (7) is provided in a border region of the contact surface and held in a groove-like recess (8) of the carrier plate. The projection is formed from an unprocessed region of the brake pad that is formed from cast iron.