Friction Lining Wear Sensor Bundling Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing friction lining wear sensors require separate sensor bodies for each geometry, leading to high production costs and complex pre-assembly processes, and existing solutions involve costly and error-prone manual steps in embedding conductor loops.
Innovation Solution
A sensor body with a recess that securely fixes a bundling element, which combines incoming and outgoing lines into a pair of conductors, using a force-fitting or form-fitting mechanism, eliminating the need for a separate connection piece and simplifying assembly by using elastic or shape-fitting methods to maintain the conductor loop in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate sensor body with socket is created for each individual geometry, then the conductor loop can be properly guided and fixed, but production costs increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a single standardized sensor body design that can accommodate multiple geometries through the use of a flexible conduit system. The socket and guide channels are designed with universal dimensions that work across different sensor geometries, eliminating the need to create separate sensor bodies for each geometry while maintaining proper conductor loop fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the fixation system into separate functional elements: a standardized sensor body with universal socket and guide channels, a flexible conduit for routing, and clamping mechanisms. This segmentation allows the conductor loop to be properly guided and fixed without requiring geometry-specific sensor bodies, reducing production costs while maintaining reliability.
2Productivity
If pre-assembly is performed with multiple sensors connected to one another, then assembly efficiency improves, but the process becomes complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized sensor body design with universal socket and guide channel dimensions enables pre-assembled sensor modules to be interconnected using the same connection procedures. This universality simplifies pre-assembly processes by eliminating the need for different assembly procedures for different geometries, reducing complexity and errors while improving assembly efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If the socket is omitted to simplify assembly, then production complexity decreases, but the conductor loop cannot be pulled tight enough to remain fixed under vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible conduit (hose or tube) to route and protect the conductor loop between the sensor body and the contacting device. This flexible element allows the conductor loop to be pulled tight and secured without requiring a complex socket structure, maintaining fixation reliability under vibration while keeping the overall assembly simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a flexible conduit as an intermediary element between the sensor body and the contacting device. This mediator allows the conductor loop to be properly tensioned and protected without requiring a bulky socket, achieving both assembly simplicity and reliable fixation under vibrational conditions.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The sensor has a sensor body (10) wrapped around a conductor loop (14) by a circumferential groove, which is formed in the sensor body. An inlet line (141) and an outlet line (142) of the conductor loop are bundled at an end of the sensor body into a pair of conductors (143) and fixed at the sensor body. An annular bundle element (16) connecting the inlet and outlet lines to the pair of conductors is fixed in a corresponding recess (22) of the sensor body in a form-fit and/or force-fit manner. The bundle element is formed in an S-, X- or E-shape.