Unitary Brake Bracket Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drum brake bracket assemblies are heavy, costly to manufacture, difficult to assemble, prone to misalignment, and lack flexibility in accommodating varying requirements, leading to issues with torsional stiffness and noise attenuation.
Innovation Solution
A unitary bracket body with a camshaft tube, actuator mounting arm, and brake spider mounting flange, designed without welds or joints, utilizing additive manufacturing for flexibility and weight reduction, and incorporating helical ribs for torsional stiffness, allowing for customizable torsional stiffness and noise management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional bracket assembly with welded joints and support structures is used, then the structural strength and stability are improved, but the weight increases, manufacturing cost increases, and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (bracket body, support structures, mounting flanges) into a single unitary bracket assembly manufactured via additive manufacturing. This integration eliminates the need for separate support structures and welded joints while maintaining structural strength through the monolithic construction and optimized lattice geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies variable material distribution and density throughout the bracket structure, with higher material concentration in high-stress regions and reduced material density in low-stress areas. This localized quality optimization maintains structural strength where needed while minimizing weight in non-critical areas through the lattice structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional bracket assembly with multiple welded joints is used, then the structural stability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases and assembly difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components that would traditionally require welding into a single unitary structure manufactured additively. This eliminates welding operations entirely, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining structural stability through the integrated design and controlled material properties of the additive manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical joining method (welding) with an additive manufacturing process that creates monolithic structures. This substitution eliminates the complexity of welding operations, joint preparation, and post-weld treatment while achieving equivalent or superior structural stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a conventional bracket assembly with fixed geometry is used, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the flexibility to accommodate different application requirements decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adaptation of the bracket design through additive manufacturing, allowing geometry, material distribution, and structural characteristics to be customized for different applications. The digital design files can be modified to accommodate varying mounting requirements, load conditions, and space constraints without changing the manufacturing process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the ability to change geometric parameters, material properties, and structural characteristics through additive manufacturing. Design parameters such as lattice density, wall thickness, feature locations, and overall dimensions can be adjusted to meet specific application requirements while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through digital design modification.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for the bracket assembly, then the production process is well-established, but the control over torsional stiffness and noise attenuation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized variations in material density and structural characteristics throughout the bracket to control torsional stiffness and vibration characteristics. By adjusting lattice density, wall thickness, and structural features in specific regions, the design achieves precise control over torsional properties and noise attenuation while maintaining overall manufacturing feasibility through additive processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for a brake assembly and a brake actuator includes a unitary body including a tube configured to receive a camshaft of the brake assembly and an actuator mounting arm disposed proximate a first end of the tube and configured to receive the brake actuator. In some embodiments, the tube includes one or more helical ribs formed on a radially inner surface. The bracket further includes either a brake spider or a brake spider mounting flange disposed proximate a second end of the tube. In either embodiment, material may be omitted in various locations to reduce the weight of the bracket. The bracket may be formed through an additive manufacturing process and in a manner that achieve at least one of a predetermined torsional stiffness and attenuation of a predetermined natural frequency.