Torque Button Bushing Assembly for Brake Stack Wear Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft braking systems experience wear at torque plate contact surfaces with torque buttons, leading to unserviceable conditions and premature scrapping due to material differences, where the tougher torque button material can deform and wear down the torque plate.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sacrificial bushing made of a softer material between the torque plate and torque button, allowing for replacement and extending the service life of both components by absorbing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a torque button made of tougher material is used, then the torque button can withstand higher torsional forces, but it deforms and wears down the torque plate contact surface
Solution Approach 1:
A bushing is introduced as an intermediary component between the torque button and torque plate. The bushing has a softer contact surface that interfaces with the torque button, while its harder body provides structural support. This mediator protects the torque plate from direct contact with the tough torque button material, eliminating wear on the torque plate while maintaining the strength benefits of the tough torque button material.
Solution Approach 2:
The bushing exhibits local quality by having different material properties at different locations: the contact surface facing the torque button is softer to reduce wear on the torque plate, while the bulk material is harder to provide structural support. This localized variation in material properties allows the single component to simultaneously address both the strength requirement and the wear prevention requirement.
2Strength
If the torque plate and torque button are made of dissimilar materials, then the torque button can provide necessary strength, but the material incompatibility accelerates wear at the contact surface
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing serves as a material bridge between the torque button and torque plate. It provides a compatible contact surface that reduces wear while maintaining the structural integrity needed for high-strength applications. The intermediary material selection optimizes the interface between dissimilar materials, preventing the accelerated wear that would occur from direct contact between incompatible materials.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the torque plate contact surface is made harder to resist wear, then wear resistance improves, but the torque button material can still deform the contact surface under high torsional loads
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing applies local quality by having a softer contact surface layer that is optimized for wear resistance through material compatibility, while the underlying bulk material provides the hardness and structural support needed to resist deformation under high torsional loads. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows simultaneous optimization of wear resistance and deformation resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A braking arrangement includes a torque plate, a torque button, and a sacrificial bushing. The torque button comprises a head portion and a shaft portion, wherein the head portion is configured to extend at least partially into a torque pocket of an end plate of a brake stack and the shaft portion is configured to extend through an aperture disposed in a back leg of the torque plate. The bushing is configured to be removably coupled between the shaft portion of the torque button and the back leg of the torque plate.