Force Transmitting Assembly with Floating Housing and Segmented Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clutch-brake assemblies face issues with inertia and torque variability across different machine applications, and they often require costly and time-consuming repairs due to splined hubs that wear and become imbalanced.
Innovation Solution
An annular brake assembly with a floating housing and a rotor fixedly attached to the shaft, featuring axially movable pressure plates with friction surfaces that maximize torque and minimize inertia by covering the rotor's working surface with friction material, and using springs or pneumatic/hydraulic systems for clamping and releasing the rotor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If friction material is mounted on pressure plates clamping on the rotor, then torque is maximized by optimizing torque-to-inertia ratio, but device complexity increases due to additional clamping mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure plates are merged with the friction material into a single integrated component. The friction material is directly mounted on the pressure plates, combining the clamping function and friction function into one element, thereby maximizing torque transmission while reducing device complexity by eliminating separate friction material components and their mounting mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If splined hubs are used to provide axial freedom for the rotor, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to wear and imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The splined hub structure is completely removed from the design. Instead of using splines to provide axial freedom, the invention uses a floating housing that moves axially independently, extracting the problematic splined connection while preserving the needed axial movement capability through a different mechanism that does not suffer from wear and imbalance issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction material is designed as a replaceable, consumable component that can be easily replaced when worn. This disposable approach to friction material, combined with the elimination of wear-prone splined hubs, improves reliability by allowing simple maintenance without complex repairs, effectively replacing worn components rather than repairing complex worn mechanisms.
3Ease of repair
If friction material is mounted on the rotor itself, then ease of repair is improved by allowing easy replacement, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The friction material is segmented as a separate, replaceable component that can be independently replaced from the rotor. This segmentation allows the friction material to be easily swapped out for repair without affecting the rotor's precision components, thereby improving ease of repair while maintaining manufacturing precision requirements only for the rotor itself, not the friction material assembly.
4Stability of the object's composition
If axial movement of housing is limited, then stability is improved, but productivity decreases due to maintenance downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with dynamic, limited axial movement capability that allows it to shift position during operation to accommodate friction material replacement. This dynamic design provides just enough movement freedom for easy maintenance while maintaining stability during normal operation, thereby improving productivity by reducing maintenance downtime without sacrificing operational stability.
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 effectively reduces inertia, maximizes torque, and allows for easy replacement of friction material without disassembly, reducing maintenance downtime and costs, while maintaining balanced operation across various industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of springs urge the front and rear annular pressure plates for braking action
Implementation Method 2
Friction material is in contact with substantially all of the working surface of a rotor in order to optimize the torque-to-inertia ratio
Data Source
AI summary
A force transmitting assembly 20 transmits force to engage and disengage a driven shaft 28. When the force transmitting assembly 20 is engaged, front and rear annular pressure plates 32, 34 frictionally retain a rotor 36 fixedly mounted on the shaft 28 and stops rotation of the shaft 28. The force transmitting assembly 20 maximizes torque and minimizes inertia by providing friction surfaces with friction material substantially engaging the entire working surface of the rotor 36. The force transmitting assembly includes an axially moveable housing 22 attached directly to a mounting flange 24.