Floating Housing Force Transmitting Assembly Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing force transmitting assemblies, such as brake and clutch systems, experience high wear due to continuous forces applied to splined couplings, leading to increased maintenance costs and reduced durability, while also being bulky and heavy.
Innovation Solution
A force transmitting assembly with a rotor disc and floating components supported by nested tube subassemblies, allowing axial movement of the float and pressure plates, and a spring housing forming a fluid pressure chamber to manage braking and clutching operations, reducing wear and maintaining performance with a smaller, lighter design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If splined couplings are used to connect rotor disc and shaft, then axial movement of rotor disc during engagement is enabled, but high wear occurs due to continuous forces applied to the splines
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling function is segmented between the floating plate assembly (handling axial movement) and the nested tube subassemblies (handling torque transmission). This separates the wear-inducing axial movement function from the torque transmission function, allowing each component to be optimized for its specific purpose and reducing overall wear.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving the rotor disc axially during engagement, the invention inverts the approach by moving the floating plate assembly axially while keeping the rotor disc stationary. This eliminates wear on the splined coupling between the rotor disc and shaft, as the axial movement now occurs in the floating plate assembly supported by nested tube subassemblies.
2Reliability
If traditional brake assembly design is used, then adequate braking performance is achieved, but assembly size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nested tube subassemblies consist of multiple tubes positioned concentrically within one another, creating a compact structure that provides adequate support and guidance for the floating plate assembly. This nested configuration reduces the overall envelope size and weight of the assembly while maintaining the necessary structural integrity and braking performance.
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 assembly minimizes wear, reduces overall weight, and lowers assembly costs while maintaining functionality, providing a more durable and robust structure by keeping the rotor disc stationary during engagement and disengagement, thus reducing rotational inertia and preventing friction lining detachment.
Implementation Method 1
a spring housing which functions as a piston, and a cylinder coupled to the spring housing to form a fluid pressure chamber, wherein the spring housing moves in a first direction when pressurized fluid enters the fluid pressure chamber and the spring housing moves in a second direction when pressurized fluid exits the fluid pressure chamber
Implementation Method 2
Braking occurs when friction linings attached to plates on either side of the rotor disc clamp down onto the rotor disc. The engagement between the rotor disc faces and the friction linings creates braking action, slowing and eventually stopping rotation of the rotor disc.
Data Source
AI summary
A force transmitting assembly includes a mounting flange having a central opening to receive a shaft, wherein the mounting flange is mountable on a frame, a rotor disc mountable on the shaft and rotatable with the shaft, the rotor disc having a first planar face and a second planar face, a float plate having a first friction surface engageable with the first planar face, and a pressure plate having a second friction surface engageable with the second planar face. The brake assembly also includes a spring housing, which operates as a piston, and a cylinder coupled to the spring housing to form a fluid pressure chamber, wherein the spring housing moves in a first direction when pressurized fluid enters the fluid pressure chamber and the spring housing moves in a second direction when pressurized fluid exits the fluid pressure chamber. The assembly further includes a plurality of nested tube subassemblies supporting the float plate, the pressure plate, and the spring housing to allow axial movement of at least one of the float plate, the pressure plate, and the spring housing. The nested tube subassemblies also transmit torque from the rotor to the mounting flange during the engaged condition of the brake assembly.