Rivetless Friction Disc Structure for Low-Cost Damper Assembly

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing friction discs for damper devices are costly to produce due to the need for rivets and processing holes in the friction materials.

Innovation Solution

A friction disc design that eliminates the use of rivets by incorporating engaging protrusions and recesses on the support plate, allowing the friction materials to be unitarily rotated with the support plate without the need for rivets or processing holes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rivets are used to attach friction materials to the support plate, then the friction materials can be unitarily rotated with the support plate, but the production cost increases and the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunitary rotation of friction materialsVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the rivets from the friction disc structure. Instead of using separate rivet components to attach the friction materials, the support plate is designed with integrated engaging protrusions that directly engage with recesses in the friction materials, thereby removing the need for rivets and reducing production cost while maintaining unitary rotation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the attachment function into the support plate structure itself by forming engaging protrusions directly on the support plate. This combines the support function and the attachment function into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate rivet components and simplifying the overall assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If rivets are used to attach friction materials to the support plate, then the friction materials can be unitarily rotated with the support plate, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunitary rotation of friction materialsVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the rivets from the friction disc structure. Instead of using separate rivet components to attach the friction materials, the support plate is designed with integrated engaging protrusions that directly engage with recesses in the friction materials, thereby removing the need for rivets and reducing production cost while maintaining unitary rotation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the attachment function into the support plate structure itself by forming engaging protrusions directly on the support plate. This combines the support function and the attachment function into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate rivet components and simplifying the overall assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If holes are provided in friction materials for rivet processing, then the friction materials can be attached to the support plate, but the friction material width must be increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment capabilityVSAvoidfriction material width

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing holes in the friction materials for rivet insertion, the invention inverts the approach by providing protrusions on the support plate that engage with recesses in the friction materials. This reverses the traditional hole-making approach and eliminates the need for holes in the friction materials, allowing for reduced material width

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS20250163993A1Friction disc and damper device

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 EXEDY CORP

AI summary

A friction disc producible at low cost is disclosed. A support plate includes a first engaging protrusion, a through-hole, a second engaging protrusion, and a recess. The first engaging protrusion protrudes from a first lateral surface of the support plate to a first side in an axial direction. The through-hole extends inside the first engaging protrusion in the axial direction. The second engaging protrusion protrudes from a second lateral surface of the support plate to a second side in the axial direction. The recess overlaps with the second engaging protrusion as seen in the axial direction. The recess is recessed on the first lateral surface to the second side in the axial direction. A first friction material includes a first engaging recess engaged with the first engaging protrusion. A second friction material includes a second engaging recess engaged with the second engaging protrusion.