Planetary Gear Sensor for Disc Brake Wear and Stroke Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor devices for disc brakes face challenges in simultaneously achieving high resolution and large measuring range, leading to increased costs and complexity, particularly in detecting wear and actuation stroke with existing mechanical adjustment systems.
Innovation Solution
A sensor device with a planetary gear system that can switch between detecting wear and actuation stroke, using a single sensor gear to superimpose both input variables, allowing for high accuracy and adaptability with minimal parts, enabling efficient conversion for different applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single sensor is used to detect both wear and actuation stroke, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to the conflicting requirements of large measuring range and high resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The planetary gear system segments the measurement functions by directing different input movements to different gear components: wear detection through the sun gear and actuation stroke detection through the ring gear, allowing a single sensor to measure both parameters with high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The planetary gear system enables the single sensor to perform multiple measurement functions simultaneously by superimposing wear and actuation stroke signals on the same sensor through different gear transmission paths
2Length of stationary object
If a sensor with large measuring range is used, then the measuring range is increased, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The planetary gear system divides the total measurement range into two segments: the sun gear handles the large wear path (60mm) while the ring gear handles the small actuation stroke (4.5mm), allowing each segment to be optimized for its specific range while maintaining high resolution
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a one-dimensional measurement approach to a two-dimensional gear system where radial and tangential movements are separated and transmitted through different gear components, enabling simultaneous large range and high precision measurement
3Measurement precision
If the actuation stroke is significantly smaller than the wear path, then the sensor must have both large measuring range and high resolution, but this leads to increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The planetary gear system segments the measurement tasks so that the sun gear transmits wear information and the ring gear transmits actuation stroke information to the same sensor, allowing the sensor to operate at optimal resolution for both parameters without requiring separate high-resolution sensors
Data Source
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AI summary
A sensor device (15) for a disc brake has a sensor gear mechanism (16) which can be coupled to at least one transmitter, wherein the sensor gear mechanism (16) is arranged in a housing as a planetary gear mechanism and has an input for a first variable, which can be detected by the sensor device (15) and which is associated with wear of the disc brake, and has an input for a second variable, which can be detected by the sensor device (15) and which is associated with an operating movement of the disc brake. The sensor device (15) can be changed over from a first state for detecting the first variable, which is associated with wear of the disc brake, and the second variable, which is associated with an operating movement of the disc brake, to a second state for detecting only the first variable, which is associated with wear of the disc brake.