A method for estimating a braking force applicable between pad and brake disc by an electric parking-braking system of a vehicle is described. The method may include detecting, by one or more sensors of electric quantities of an electric motor, an electric current delivered to the electric motor and an instantaneous value of an electric voltage for electrically supplying the electric motor, during a parking-braking operation. The parking-braking operation may have a first non-contact stage between a first pair of pads of a first brake caliper and a first brake disc. The parking-braking operation may also have a second contact stage between the first pair of pads of the first brake caliper and the first brake disc.

For rapid and precise actuation of a friction brake, the thermal expansion of the friction brake is determined using a thermal model of the friction brake and therefrom the temperature-dependent shift in the contact point is determined for the braking operation and the temperature-dependent shift in the contact point is taken into account when determining the actuation measure of the friction brake to be adjusted.

A caliper guide assembly and a method of manufacture. The guide assembly may include a guide pin, a guide bore arranged to receive the guide pin and permit relative axial sliding thereof, a bush arranged to define at least part of the guide bore, and a sensor arrangement configured to provide an output indicative of a state of wear of the bush.

An architecture that provides automatic monitoring of brake conditions making use of a wear pin on a brake. The disclosure makes use of the fact that a wear pin is required to be provided on an aircraft brake, by integrating monitoring functions such as displacement sensors and/or temperature sensors, into the pin. This means that the automatic monitoring components are not taking up more space on the brake than is already taken up by the compulsory wear pin.

According to an aspect, there is provided an elevator car parking brake comprising a brake carrier having a first plate and a second plate, the plates being spaced from each other and positioned to enable a guide rail to travel within the space between the plates, a caliper movably connected to the brake carrier, brake pads, and an actuator configured to move the brake pads against a guide rail in a braking operation. The elevator car parking brake further comprises at least one first compression spring arranged between the first plate of the brake carrier and a brake pad directly associated with the actuator; and at least one second compression spring arranged between the second plate of the brake carrier and the caliper, the first and second compression springs being configured to keep the brake pads substantially centered with respect to the brake carrier.

A method for operating a parking brake which has an actuator with an actuating element and an electric motor, the electric motor is operatively connected to the actuating element in order to displace the latter, the electric motor is actuated in order to displace the actuating element by a predefined movement travel, and an actual movement travel of the actuating element is monitored in order to actuate the electric motor. The method includes determining the actual movement travel of the actuating element in a manner which is dependent on a motor current and/or a motor voltage of the electric motor.

A brake device applies a braking force to a vehicle by pressing a friction material against a rotor rotating integrally with a wheel. A temperature estimation method applied to the brake device includes: calculating an amount of absorbed energy absorbed by the rotor based on an amount of kinetic energy that the vehicle loses and an amount of potential energy that the vehicle loses during braking of the vehicle; and estimating a temperature of the rotor based on the amount of absorbed energy.

Various residual braking torque indication devices, systems, and methods are described. The devices, systems, and methods can include a sensorized brake pad. An output signal of the sensorized brake pad can be processed to provide an indication of a residual braking torque. The residual braking torque indicator can be calibrated to reference data to provide an actual measurement of the residual braking torque.

A method and a system for monitoring wear of a braking frictional pad of a vehicle including a hydraulic brake device acting on a wheel thereof, the hydraulic brake device having a brake disc rotatable with the wheel and a braking frictional pad configured to be non-rotatable relative to the wheel and be linearly movable parallel to a rotational axis of the wheel, the system including: a record module configured to record a time required by the hydraulic brake device for establishing a brake hydraulic pressure when the vehicle is parked; and an electrical control unit in data communication with the record module and configured to compare the time required for establishing the brake hydraulic pressure with a time required by the same hydraulic brake device for establishing the brake hydraulic pressure and recorded when the braking frictional pad is brand new, so as to determine the wear state of the braking frictional pad.

Various machines, systems, and methods for generating calibration data for a sensorized brake pad are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system includes a fixture, a brake pad retainer, a pressure plate, an actuator and a controller. The actuator applies a pressure to the sensorized brake pad and signals from the pressure sensors are received. Calibration data is generated based on the signals received from the pressures sensors when the pressure is applied to the sensorized brake pad.