Lever-Type Disc Brake Layout for Tight Railway Bogie Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric motor-controlled disc-brakes of lever type require significant building space and are prone to bending stresses, making them unsuitable for mobile applications like railway vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A compact disc-brake design with parallel-oriented levers, an electric motor, and a cantilevered angle gear mechanism, allowing for efficient use of limited space and reducing bending stresses on structural elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the electric motor and angle gear are placed between the levers, then the brake mechanism can be compactly arranged, but it requires significant building space in the plane of the brake disc
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the electric motor from a planar arrangement between the levers to a cantilevered extension perpendicular to the brake disc plane. The motor is mounted on one lever and extends outward, allowing the angle gear to be positioned on the opposite lever without requiring intermediate space. This dimensional shift from 2D planar layout to 3D spatial arrangement resolves the space conflict.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the levers are positioned at increased distance and angle to accommodate brake pad wear, then brake pad longevity is improved, but bending stresses on the lever mechanism and worm gear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a load sensor that dynamically adjusts the lever position based on actual brake force requirements. The control system continuously monitors the braking state and actuates the motor to maintain optimal lever geometry, preventing excessive angle and distance increases that would cause bending stresses, while still accommodating normal wear within safe geometric limits.
3Measurement precision
If a load sensor is integrated into the lever mechanism to monitor brake force, then braking control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load sensor is integrated into the existing lever structure, serving dual purposes: monitoring brake force for control precision while simultaneously functioning as part of the lever's structural load path. The sensor is positioned at a critical junction where it measures force without requiring separate mounting structures, thus adding measurement capability with minimal increase in overall device complexity.
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 design enables efficient brake operation in limited spaces, such as railway bogies, by evenly distributing brake force and minimizing structural stress, suitable for mobile applications.
Implementation Method 1
A worm screw in the angle gear is in operative engagement with a nut having an internal thread, the nut being non-rotationally mounted to the said one lever. A worm wheel in the angle gear is operated by an electric motor in order to rotate the worm screw which is then linearly extended towards the other one of the levers, causing the second lever to swing about its pivot axis.
Implementation Method 2
brake pads are arranged and movable so as to be pressed towards the brake disc upon breaking
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electric motor-controlled disc-brake of lever type wherein a lever mechanism (5, 6, 10, 14) comprises lever arms running in parallel and pivotally journalled in a fixed brake caliper (2). An angle gear (10) and an electric motor (14) are pivotally supported in one of the lever arms in such way that the lever arms (5, 6), the brake disc (1) and the electric motor (14) are arranged side by side and in succession in the direction of a wheel shaft and in essentially parallel planes.