Disc Brake Pad Support and Strap Guide for Taper Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy truck disc brake systems face issues with uneven pad wear due to turning moments generated by frictional forces, and existing solutions often increase complexity, cost, and weight, particularly in lighter duty applications where single piston brakes are used.
Innovation Solution
A disc brake design featuring a spreader plate that distributes force from the actuation mechanism to the brake pad, with a pad spring to resiliently bias the support radially inwardly and a pad retainer clip to hold the brake pad in place, minimizing rotation and reducing taper wear through a guided interface with the pad strap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a single piston is used in lighter duty applications, then cost and weight are reduced, but uneven pad wear increases due to turning moments from frictional forces
Solution Approach 1:
A spreader plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the piston and brake pad. The spreader plate distributes the frictional forces more evenly across the pad, counteracting the turning moments that cause uneven wear. This mediator allows the single piston design to maintain both weight reduction and improved wear uniformity.
2Reliability
If two bearings are provided on a common axis, then pad wear uniformity improves, but cost, weight, and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the wear-uniformity function from the bearing mechanism and relocates it to the spreader plate. By removing the need for a second bearing and its associated components (carrier, cover plate), the design achieves pad wear uniformity through a simpler force distribution mechanism rather than through complex mechanical constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The spreader plate combines multiple functions: it distributes force from the piston, counters turning moments, and ensures even pad wear. By merging these functions into a single component rather than requiring separate bearings and carriers, the design reduces complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If a channel and dog formation are machined in the carrier, then taper wear is counteracted, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase, and carrier strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the taper wear resistance function from the carrier and relocates it to the spreader plate. Instead of machining complex channels and dogs into the carrier, the spreader plate provides the necessary force distribution to prevent taper wear, thereby simplifying carrier manufacturing and maintaining carrier strength.
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 provides a lightweight, compact, and cost-effective disc brake system with reduced taper wear and simplified manufacturing, maintaining effective braking performance while minimizing component complexity and weight.
Implementation Method 1
The pad spring may comprise an offset portion extending outboard of the support
Implementation Method 2
turning moments generated by the frictional forces within the brake as the brake is applied
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A
AI summary
A disc brake for heavy vehicles, the disc brake comprising first and second brake pads (11a, 11b) arranged to face a brake rotor (10), a caliper (3) for applying a clamp load to the brake pads to retard rotation of the rotor, the caliper further comprising a radial opening dimensioned for the fitting and removal of the brake pads therethrough, and a pad strap (92) arranged to extend over the opening and releasably restrain the brake pads (11a, 11b) at least radially outwardly with respect to the caliper, wherein the disc brake further comprises at least one support (12') for supporting a rear face of at least one of the brake pads, the support being provided with a guide formation (95') configured to engage with the pad strap and thereby restrict rotation of the brake pad about a radial axis.