Dual-Pivot Brake Exoskeleton Bridge for Load Transmission
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dual-pivot brakes face issues with load transmission, causing caliper arms to experience both twisting and bending loads due to a one-piece bridge member, which results in inefficient brake performance.
Innovation Solution
A dual-pivot brake design featuring a two-piece exoskeleton bridge with symmetric and spaced bridge members interconnected by axles, allowing caliper arms to pivot and transmit brake forces in a center plane, reducing torsion and enhancing stiffness and weight efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a one-piece bridge member is used to connect caliper arms, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the caliper arms experience both twisting and bending loads which reduces braking performance
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge member is divided into two separate bridge members instead of using a one-piece construction. Each bridge member connects to one caliper arm, allowing the structure to separate and transmit loads more efficiently through the rocker link mechanism, eliminating the twisting-bending load combination.
Solution Approach 2:
The load transmission path is extended into a third dimension by introducing the rocker link that connects the two bridge members. This creates a spatial mechanism where forces are transmitted through a different geometric path, allowing pure bending loads on the caliper arms rather than combined twisting and bending.
2Device complexity
If a one-piece bridge member is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the caliper arms are subject to bending and torsion which affects operation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge is segmented into two separate members connected through the rocker link mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function more efficiently, with the caliper arms experiencing only pure bending loads which is the optimal load type for their structural design, thereby improving operation efficiency.
3Reliability
If a two-piece exoskeleton bridge is used to enable pure bending of caliper arms, then braking performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge is divided into two separate members that work in conjunction with the rocker link. This segmentation enables the caliper arms to experience pure bending loads which improves braking performance, while the modular nature of the segmented design allows for easier manufacturing and assembly compared to a complex one-piece design.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker link introduces a spatial dimension to the load transmission mechanism, creating a three-dimensional force transmission path. This dimensional change allows the system to achieve superior braking performance through optimized force vectors while maintaining reasonable device complexity through the use of simple geometric relationships.
4Strength
If a two-piece bridge member with axles is used, then stiffness is increased and weight is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge is segmented into two separate members that can be manufactured independently with optimized cross-sections for stiffness. The segmentation allows each piece to be manufactured more easily with standard machining processes, while the overall assembly achieves superior stiffness through the distributed structural configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Each bridge member is designed with local optimizations in their cross-sectional geometry and material distribution to achieve maximum stiffness-to-weight ratio. The local quality of each segment is tailored to its specific functional requirements, allowing for efficient manufacturing while maintaining high overall structural stiffness.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual-pivot brake includes first and second caliper arms linked together and disposed symmetrically with respect to each other. The dual-pivot brake further includes an exoskeleton bridge including a two-piece bridge member consisting of first and second bridge members. The first and second bridge members are interconnected together by first and second axles, respectively. The first and second caliper arms are pivotally mounted on the first and second axles respectively and selectively move toward or away from each other in the operation of the dual-pivot brake.