Laminated Pad Return Spring for Low-Torque Disc Brake Calipers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disc brake caliper return springs face challenges in reducing volume without compromising design load, leading to residual braking torque, noise, and increased wear, while also risking material yield during assembly and replacement operations.
Innovation Solution
A pad return spring is designed using multiple overlapping sheet layers to decrease width while maintaining thickness, enhancing elasticity and avoiding material yield, thus reducing volume without reducing design load and minimizing residual braking torque.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the volume of the return spring is reduced, then the space occupied by the spring is decreased, but the design load capacity is compromised leading to residual braking torque and increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
The return spring transitions from a conventional three-dimensional coil structure to a two-dimensional laminated sheet structure. Multiple thin sheets are stacked and overlapped to create a planar spring assembly that achieves the required load capacity through layered configuration rather than volumetric expansion, thereby reducing overall volume while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The return spring employs a composite structure consisting of multiple thin sheets made from the same or different materials, stacked and overlapped to form a laminated assembly. This composite configuration allows the spring to achieve the required design load capacity through the cumulative effect of multiple layers, enabling volume reduction while maintaining or enhancing load-bearing capability.
2Volume of moving object
If the thickness of the spring sheet is reduced to decrease volume, then the volume is decreased, but the material may yield during assembly and replacement operations
Solution Approach 1:
The return spring is segmented into multiple thin sheets of reduced individual thickness, which are then stacked and overlapped to form the complete spring assembly. This segmentation allows each individual sheet to be thin enough to reduce overall volume while the cumulative structure of multiple layers provides sufficient strength and elasticity to prevent material yield during assembly and maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring design moves from a single thick three-dimensional element to multiple thin two-dimensional sheets stacked together. This dimensional transformation enables each sheet to have reduced thickness (reducing volume) while the stacked configuration provides the necessary structural integrity and elastic recovery to prevent permanent deformation during handling and installation.
3Volume of moving object
If the width of the spring is reduced, then the volume is decreased, but the elasticity and load-bearing capacity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spring design compensates for reduced width by utilizing the stacking dimension. Multiple sheets are overlapped in the thickness direction to maintain the necessary elasticity and load-bearing capacity that would otherwise require a wider single-element spring. This allows volume reduction through width reduction while preserving functional performance through increased layer count.
Solution Approach 2:
The laminated composite structure of multiple sheets provides cumulative elastic behavior that compensates for reduced individual sheet width. The stacked configuration allows the spring assembly to achieve the required elasticity and load capacity through the combined effect of multiple narrower layers rather than relying on a single wide element.
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 the volume of the spring, maintains design load, and prevents material yield during assembly, resulting in reduced residual braking torque, noise, and wear, while ensuring safe operation.
Implementation Method 1
enhancing elasticity and avoiding material yield
Implementation Method 2
pad return spring is designed using multiple overlapping sheet layers
Data Source
AI summary
A pad return spring for a caliper body. The caliper body has an elongated element connecting bridge connecting a first elongated wheel-side element to a second elongated wheel-side element and having a middle connecting bridge defining an outer middle bridge side, an inner middle bridge side, a middle bridge disc inlet side, and an opposite middle bridge disc outlet side. The pad return spring has a first and a second pad retraction elements, each defining a middle stretch, a first side stretch influencing the first pad, and an opposite second side stretch influencing the second pad to move the first and second pads away from the first and second braking surfaces at the end of a braking action, and an elongated connecting element connecting the first and second pad retraction elements to each other, and an anchoring device to removably restrain the pad return spring to the middle connecting bridge.