Coaxial helical brake and method of braking in lightweight brake configuration
OwnerLester Erlston, Michael Milesinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coaxial helically actuated disc brake is provided. The coaxial disc brake includes a pressure plate that is rotationally actuated and helically guided by a brake support structure to axially engage a brake pad carrier with a rotor. The pressure plate, brake pad carrier and rotor are all coaxial with the rotating member upon which the coaxial disc brake acts. Multiple concentric pressure plates and brake pad carriers can be used. Multiple brake pad carriers acting as stators can be coaxially stacked between multiple coaxial rotors. A low friction device, material or element can be placed between the pressure plate and brake pad carrier to allow for easier disengagement of the brake.
Claims25
A coaxial disc brake comprising:
- a rotor with a braking surface, the rotor attachable to a rotating member;
- a brake support structure mounted to a non-rotating structure associated with the rotating member;
- a brake pad carrier supported by the brake support structure and arranged to have a braking surface facing the braking surface of the rotor;
- brake pad material attached to the braking surface of brake pad carrier;
- a pressure plate supported by the brake support structure and positioned on a side of the brake pad carrier opposite the rotor;
- and
- an actuator mounted on the brake support structure, the actuator arranged to apply a rotational motion to the pressure plate,
- where the rotor, brake support structure, brake pad carrier, and pressure plate are arranged coaxial to the rotating member,
- and where the brake support structure is arranged to helically guide the pressure plate during actuation to axially engage the pressure plate against the brake pad carrier thereby axially engaging the brake pad material against the braking surface of the rotor.
A method of braking a rotating member, comprising:
- attaching a rotor with a braking surface coaxially with a rotating member;
- mounting a braking support structure to a non-rotating structure associated with the rotating member, the braking support structure being mounted coaxially with the rotating member;
- positioning a brake pad carrier in the braking support structure, the brake pad carrier having a braking surface facing the braking surface of the rotor and positioned to be coaxial with the rotating member;
- applying a brake pad material to the braking surface of the brake pad carrier;
- positioning a pressure plate in the braking support structure on a side of the brake pad carrier opposite the rotor, the pressure plate positioned to be coaxial with the rotating member;
- applying a rotational motion to the pressure plate with an actuator;
- and
- axially engaging the brake pad material with the braking surface of the rotor by helically guiding the pressure plate in the braking support structure causing the pressure plate to apply an axial force to the brake pad carrier.
The method of 13, in which axially engaging the brake pad material with the braking surface of the rotor includes helically guiding the pressure plate to cause the pressure plate to axially engage the brake pad carrier thereby causing the brake pad carrier to axially engage with the rotor and a non-rotating structure associated with the rotating member.
A coaxial disc brake comprising:
- a rotor;
- a brake pad carrier with brake pad material applied on a surface facing the rotor;
- a pressure plate, with the rotor, brake pad carrier and pressure plate arranged coaxially;
- and
- a means for helically engaging the pressure plate against the brake pad carrier thereby causing the brake pad carrier to move axially and the brake pad material to axially engage the rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.