Railway Disc Brake Pad with Belleville Washers for Noise Reduction
Solution Overview
Problem
Disc brakes for railway vehicles face challenges in achieving optimal braking efficiency while maintaining a low noise level, with existing solutions being complex and not fully effective in noise reduction.
Innovation Solution
A pad design featuring a base plate with directly fixed friction elements, including a planar lamina, friction material insert, fixing pin, anti-rotation pegs, and Belleville washers, allowing for dual movement of friction elements to enhance pressure distribution and noise reduction, eliminating the need for support plates and simplifying assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a plurality of elastic elements are used between the base plate and support plates, then noise level is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the support plates from the structure, extracting the problematic intermediate component. The friction elements are now directly attached to the base plate, eliminating the need for elastic elements between base plate and support plates while maintaining noise reduction through the direct connection and friction element design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the support plate function directly into the base plate by fixing friction elements directly to the base plate. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate support plates and the elastic elements that would connect them, reducing device complexity while maintaining the required functionality
2Reliability
If support plates are used to fix friction elements, then braking efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the support plates from the assembly, reducing the number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled. The friction elements are now directly fixed to the base plate, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining braking efficiency through proper direct attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the support plate function directly into the base plate structure. By fixing friction elements directly to the base plate, the manufacturing process is simplified as fewer separate parts need to be produced and assembled, while the base plate itself is designed to provide the necessary structural support for effective braking
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple support plates and elastic elements are used, then noise reduction is achieved, but assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes support plates and the elastic elements that would connect them, significantly reducing the number of components that need to be assembled. This extraction of unnecessary intermediate components directly reduces assembly time while maintaining noise reduction through the direct friction element-to-base-plate connection
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the support plate function directly into the base plate and fixing friction elements directly to it, the assembly process is simplified. Fewer parts mean fewer assembly steps and less time required to assemble the brake pad while maintaining the noise reduction functionality
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 improved braking efficiency and reduced noise levels with a simpler component structure, enhancing productivity through fewer parts and easier assembly, while allowing for easy replacement of friction elements.
Implementation Method 1
Belleville washers (17) arranged around a respective fixing pin (7) and interposed between the friction element (4) and the base plate (3), each of said Belleville washers (17) providing a dual kind of movements of the friction elements (4)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a
Figure 3b~3c
AI summary
A pad for disc brakes for railway vehicles comprising a fixing plate to fix the pad as a whole to a disc brake structure, a base plate (3), and a plurality of friction elements (4) reversibly fixed to said base plate (3). Each friction element (4) comprises a planar lamina (5), an insert (6) made of friction material and irreversibly fixed to the planar lamina (5) and a fixing pin (7) engaging a respective fixing hole (14) formed in the base plate (3). Each friction element (4) comprises a pair of anti-rotation pegs (8) engaging a respective pair of holes (15) formed in the base plate (3) and arranged on opposite sides with respect to the fixing pin (7). Moreover, for each friction element (4), the pad comprises at least one Belleville washer (17) arranged between the planar lamina (5) and the base plate (3).