Split Friction Disk Brake Assembly for Vibration Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aircraft brake assemblies face issues with torque and vibrations during use, and the manufacturing of thick friction disks is challenging due to their limited thickness as unitary pieces.

Innovation Solution

A disk brake system comprising split friction disks with a damping feature of lower density between the disk halves, allowing for thicker end and pressure plates to shift composite material, reducing stator and rotor disk thicknesses, and using carbon composite materials to minimize vibrations and noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If thick friction disks are manufactured as unitary pieces, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The friction disks are divided into multiple thinner disk halves (rotor disk halves and stator disk halves) that can be manufactured separately as unitary pieces with improved ease of manufacture, then assembled together with damping features to form the complete brake assembly that maintains structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If friction disks are made thinner to ease manufacturing, then manufacturing difficulty is reduced, but vibration damping capability worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing easeVSAvoidvibration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Damping features (such as damping material or dampers) are introduced as intermediary elements between the rotor disk halves and stator disk halves to provide vibration damping capability, compensating for the reduced thickness of the individual friction disks while maintaining manufacturing ease

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The brake assembly uses composite construction with different materials serving different functions: friction materials for braking, and damping materials with different density and damping characteristics for vibration control, creating a composite structure that achieves both manufacturing ease and vibration damping

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Object-affected harmful factors

If carbon composite materials are used, then vibration and noise are reduced, but material selection complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidmaterial selection flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The damping features utilize carbon composite materials with specifically controlled density parameters (different from the friction disk materials) and damping characteristics to optimize vibration and noise reduction while maintaining compatibility with the overall brake assembly design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 system effectively dampens vibrations and noise while enabling easier manufacturing of thinner friction disks, enhancing the brake's effectiveness and reducing manufacturing difficulties.

Implementation Method 1

a damping feature located axially between a split friction disk first half and a split friction disk second half. The damping feature may have a density that is less than the rotor density and the stator density

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3770457B1Damped heatsink disk brake assembly
Publication Date: 2022.06.22 GOODRICH CORP
  • EP3770457B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3770457B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3770457B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A disk brake system comprises a pressure plate (30) coupled axially to a rotor friction disk (42) having a rotor density and a stator friction disk (40) having a stator density located axially between the pressure plate and an end plate (32). The rotor friction disk and the stator friction disk are annular disks, and the rotor friction disk and the stator friction disk are adjacent to one another and disposed coaxially and at least one of the rotor friction disk and the stator friction disk is a split friction disk comprising a split friction disk first half and a split friction disk second half (82). The disk brake system also comprises a damping feature (50), having a dampening feature density, located axially between the split friction disk first half and the split friction disk second half.