Brake systems having back plates with projecting inserts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196278-B2
Application number	US-202117508052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 19, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle brake system includes a back plate that may support a composite pad, and at least one conditioning insert coupled to the back plate and that may contact a surface of a wheel during a braking event and thereby to condition at least a portion of the surface of the wheel. Optionally, the back plate can define a U-shaped coupler that is centrally located and has two ends that are distal from the coupler. The back plate can have a centerline extending from a first end of the ends to a second end of the ends while passing through a center of the back plate, and the at least one conditioning insert can be disposed off of the centerline so as to not be centrally disposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle brake system, comprising:
a back plate configured to support a composite pad; and
at least two conditioning inserts coupled to the back plate and configured to contact a surface of a wheel during a braking event and thereby to condition at least a portion of the surface of the wheel;
wherein the back plate defines a U-shaped coupler that is centrally located and has two ends that are distal from the coupler, the back plate having a centerline extending from a first end of the two ends to a second end of the two ends while passing through a center of the back plate, and the at least two conditioning inserts are disposed off of the centerline so as to not be centrally disposed.

2. The vehicle brake system of claim 1 , wherein each of the conditioning inserts of the at least two conditioning inserts is disposed proximate to one of the two ends of the back plate.

3. The vehicle brake system of claim 2 , wherein the back plate includes abutment portions that are disposed proximate to the ends of the back plate and that are configured to engage a brake head, and wherein the at least two conditioning inserts are disposed between the abutment portions along a length of the back plate.

4. The vehicle brake system of claim 2 , wherein the back plate includes abutment portions that are disposed proximate to the ends of the back plate and that are configured to engage a brake head, and wherein each of the at least one conditioning inserts is disposed opposite at least one of the abutment portions.

5. The vehicle brake system of claim 1 , wherein a first conditioning insert of the at least two conditioning inserts is disposed on one side of the centerline and a second conditioning insert of the at least two conditioning inserts is disposed on an opposite side of the centerline.

6. The vehicle brake system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two conditioning inserts are located on a same side of the centerline.

7. The vehicle brake system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the composite pad coupled with the back plate and at least partially enclosing the at least two conditioning inserts, the composite pad configured to engage the surface of the wheel during the braking event to slow or stop rotation of the wheel, wherein outer ends of the at least two conditioning inserts are exposed and not enclosed within the composite pad.

8. The vehicle brake system of claim 1 , wherein the composite pad has a larger radius of curvature on a first side of the composite pad that faces a flange of the wheel than on an opposite, second side of the composite pad that faces away from the flange of the wheel.

9. The vehicle brake system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two conditioning inserts include an array of elongated pins.

10. A vehicle brake system, comprising:
a back plate configured to support a composite pad, the back plate elongated from a first end to a second end; and
conditioning inserts coupled to the back plate proximate to the first and second ends of the back plate, the conditioning inserts configured to contact a surface of a wheel during a braking event and thereby to condition at least a portion of the surface of the wheel;
wherein the back plate has a centerline extending from the first end to the second end while passing through a center of the back plate, and at least one of a first conditioning insert or a second conditioning insert is disposed off of the centerline so as to not be centrally disposed.

11. The vehicle brake system of claim 10 , wherein the back plate includes abutment portions that are disposed proximate to the first and second ends of the back plate and that are configured to engage a brake head, and wherein the first and second conditioning inserts are disposed between the abutment portions.

12. The vehicle brake system of claim 10 , wherein the back plate includes abutment portions that are disposed proximate to the first and second ends of the back plate and that are configured to engage a brake head, and wherein the first and second conditioning inserts are disposed opposite the abutment portions.

13. The vehicle brake system of claim 10 , wherein the back plate includes opposite first and second edges that each extend from the first end to the second end with the centerline midway between the first and second edges, and wherein the first conditioning insert is between the first edge and the centerline and the second conditioning insert is between the second edge and the centerline.

14. The vehicle brake system of claim 10 , further comprising the composite pad, wherein the composite pad has a larger radius of curvature on a first side of the composite pad that faces a flange of the wheel than on an opposite, second side of the composite pad that faces away from the flange of the wheel.

15. A method comprising:
obtaining a back plate configured to support a composite pad; and
forming at least one conditioning insert coupled to the back plate and positioned to contact a surface of a wheel during a braking event and thereby to condition at least a portion of the surface of the wheel
wherein the back plate is formed to have a U-shaped coupler that is centrally located and two ends that are distal from the coupler, and the at least one conditioning insert is formed proximate to one of the two ends of the back plate; and
wherein the back plate is formed to have a centerline extending from a first end of the two ends to a second end of the two ends while passing through a center of the back plate, and the at least one conditioning insert is formed in a location off of the centerline so as to not be centrally disposed.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one conditioning insert is formed as a plurality of conditioning inserts with each of the conditioning inserts disposed proximate to one of the two ends of the back plate.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one conditioning insert is formed as first and second conditioning inserts with the first conditioning insert disposed on one side of the centerline and the second conditioning insert on an opposite side of the centerline.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Bowden A Gary

Classifications

• F16D2250/0084

  Assembly or disassembly · CPC title

• F16D65/0037

  Devices for conditioning friction surfaces, e.g. cleaning or abrasive elements · CPC title

• F16D65/092 Primary

  for axially-engaging brakes, e.g. disc brakes · CPC title

• F16D65/062 Primary

  engaging the tread of a railway wheel · CPC title