Pivoting Brake Shoe Mechanism for Secure Locking and Easy Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing braking devices for wheelchairs and similar applications fail to provide secure holding, easy release under load, and maintain a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective design, especially during emergency stops and when kinetic energy is utilized for deceleration.
Innovation Solution
A braking device with a pivot-bearing brake shoe that engages with a contact element using kinetic energy for braking, featuring a release element that allows easy disengagement and a compact design, utilizing an activation element and transmission element to move the brake shoe into contact, enhancing braking force through pivoting motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid brake components are used for secure locking, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to high friction forces requiring increased effort for disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The brake shoe is designed with a pivot bearing that allows it to rotate dynamically during engagement and disengagement. This pivoting motion converts the rigid pressing action into a rotational movement, enabling the brake to engage securely through pivoting while allowing easy release by simply moving the transmission element, which automatically pivots the brake shoe back to its retracted position.
2Reliability
If gear teeth are used for braking at standstill, then reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to high friction forces under load requiring increased disengagement effort
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot-bearing brake shoe transforms the static gear-tooth pressing action into a dynamic pivoting motion. During engagement, the brake shoe pivots to press its toothed surface against the contact element's gear teeth, providing secure locking. During disengagement, the same pivoting mechanism allows the brake shoe to rotate back freely, enabling rapid release even under full load and speed conditions.
3Reliability
If spring-loaded friction brakes are used for safety braking, then reliability is improved, but weight increases due to the required large electromagnet for electromagnetic release
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the electromagnetic release mechanism with a purely mechanical pivoting system. Instead of using a large electromagnet to release the brake, the system uses the pivoting motion of the brake shoe controlled by the transmission element. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for heavy electromagnetic components while maintaining reliable safety braking functionality.
4Force
If brake shoes are pressed against the contact element with activation element force, then braking force is improved, but use of energy deteriorates as braking force increases only in proportion to activation element force
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot-bearing mechanism converts the small activation force into a larger braking force through rotational motion. When the transmission element moves the brake shoe toward the contact element, the pivoting action amplifies the braking effect, allowing the brake to generate sufficient stopping force with minimal energy input, rather than requiring continuous high force pressing.
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 device achieves reliable braking with minimal energy input for initiation and release, ensuring secure stopping and easy disengagement, while maintaining a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective structure.
Implementation Method 1
the brake shoe (3) is pivotally connected to the transmission element (5) on a pivot bearing (4)
Implementation Method 2
enhancing braking force through pivoting motion
Implementation Method 3
the brake shoe makes contact with the transmission element... pressing their surfaces against the inside of a brake drum, thus producing a braking effect
Data Source
Figure 1~2c
AI summary
A brake device and a contact element (6) which can be brought into engagement with same and can be moved relative to the brake unit. The brake unit has an activation element (9) and at least one brake element (2), wherein the activation element acts on the transmission element (5) for the displacement of the brake element in the direction of the contact element as far as making contact with the latter by way of the brake shoe (3). In order to utilize the actual movement force for braking purposes, the brake shoe (3) is connected via a disengagement element to a displaceable transmission element (5) which, on account of a transverse force which emanates from the contact element (6), is disengaged from an activation position into an extreme position, in which the force absorption corresponds ultimately to the transverse force. Therefore, a brake operation can be carried out on account of the transmission of the movement force from a contact element to a brake unit via a brake shoe which is mounted on a disengagement element, which brake unit can act both as an emergency brake and as a parking brake.