Brake Assembly With Isolated Retraction Plate for Vibration Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake assemblies in vehicles experience vibrations during braking operations due to imperfections in the heat sink's friction surfaces, which can lead to material fatigue and reduce the useful life of components, as these vibrations propagate through mechanically attached systems.
Innovation Solution
The brake assembly design features a piston that extends through a lumen in the retraction plate to contact the heat sink before the retraction plate, ensuring the piston is mechanically separated from it, thereby reducing vibration propagation and using an adjuster system with a spring to create clearance during non-braking operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the piston is mechanically attached to the retraction plate, then the structural integrity and force transmission are improved, but vibration propagation increases causing material fatigue and reduced component life
Solution Approach 1:
The brake assembly is divided into separate functional components: the piston assembly and the retraction plate are mechanically separated rather than rigidly attached. This segmentation allows the piston to contact the heat sink directly while the retraction plate follows behind, isolating the piston from vibrations generated during braking operations and preventing vibration propagation that would cause material fatigue.
2Reliability
If the piston contacts the heat sink before the retraction plate, then vibration propagation is reduced, but the complexity of the braking mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is designed to contact the heat sink before the retraction plate during braking operations. This preliminary action allows the piston to initiate the braking force application directly to the heat sink, establishing contact and force transmission before the retraction plate arrives, thereby mitigating vibrations at their source rather than attempting to control them afterward.
3Reliability
If the retraction plate is isolated from vibrations, then component life is prolonged, but the force transmission efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The piston acts as an intermediary element between the hydraulic system and the heat sink. It transmits hydraulic force directly to the heat sink during braking, while the retraction plate serves as a separate component that follows the piston's motion. This intermediary arrangement allows effective force transmission through the piston while isolating the retraction plate from vibrational forces, maintaining both power transmission efficiency and component reliability.
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
This design mitigates vibration issues, prolongs the life of brake assembly components, and provides improved braking control, response, and thermal protection by isolating the retraction plate from vibrations and allowing the wheel to spin with reduced friction during non-braking operations.
Implementation Method 1
an adjuster system with a spring to create clearance during non-braking operations
Implementation Method 2
the brake assembly may displace pistons to compress the rotating rotor discs engaged with the wheel against the stationary stator discs, therefore producing torque that decelerates the rotational motion of the wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A brake assembly includes a heat sink, a piston, and a retraction plate. The retraction plate defines a lumen. The piston is mechanically separated from the retraction plate and configured to extend through the lumen defined by the retraction plate to contact the heat sink during a braking operation. The piston is configured to contact the heat sink prior to the retraction plate contacting the heat sink during the braking operation.