The invention relates to a brake shoe for a drum brake system, the brake shoe having a length configured to extend in a circumferential direction of a brake drum of the drum brake system, and a width configured to extend in an axial direction of the brake drum, wherein the brake shoe has spatially varying thermal properties along its length, in particular a change in heat capacity and/or a change in thermal expansion coefficient and/or a change in thermal conductivity. The invention also relates to a drum brake system having a brake shoe of the above-mentioned type.

The present invention relates to a friction member comprising a friction material and a back metal, wherein the friction material comprises no copper, or has a copper content of less than 0.5% by mass in terms of a copper element even if the friction material comprises copper, the friction material comprises magnesium oxide and a carbon material comprising graphite and coke, the carbon material is obtained by blending in a combination of a coarse-grained material and a fine-grained material, an average particle diameter of the coarse-grained material is 100 to 600 μm, and an average particle diameter of the fine-grained material is less than 100 μm.

A method for producing a multi-layered wet friction material includes providing a bottom layer, providing a top layer produced independently of the bottom layer from different materials, and bonding the bottom layer to the top layer. The bottom layer and the top layer may be produced from different formulations and supplied as raw papers. A formulation of the top layer may include twenty to sixty percent (20%-60%) filler, ten to forty percent (10%-40%) wood pulp, five to ten percent (5%-10%) aramid, and twenty-five to thirty-five percent (25%-35%) phenolic resin. A formulation of the bottom layer may include ten to fifty percent (10%-50%) filler, ten to forty percent (10%-40%) wood pulp, five to ten percent (5%-10%) aramid, five to fifteen percent (5%-15%) carbon, and twenty-five to thirty-five percent (25%-35%) phenolic resin.

A clutch system includes a first clutch member and a second clutch member for transmitting torque from a vehicle power generator. The first clutch member includes a first a first clutch element having a first surface and a first friction material disposed on said first surface. The second clutch member is configured to engage the first clutch plate and includes a second clutch element having a second surface and a second friction material disposed on the second surface. The first friction material is configured to be engaged with the second friction material during operation of the vehicle power generator.

A friction pad including a friction pad body including an annular base defining an aperture down a central axis, and first and second opposing major surfaces, where the friction pad body includes a low friction material, and where at least one of the major surfaces includes a plurality of grooves adapted to retain lubricant.

A friction device for a vehicle having a flanged wheel (with a wheel flange and wheel tread) includes a backing plate and a friction structure. The backing plate may interface with a brake actuator of the vehicle. The friction structure is attached to the backing plate and comprises a friction material; the friction structure has a longitudinal flange side, a longitudinal rim side, and two opposing ends, and defines a brake surface for engaging the flanged wheel for braking. The friction structure includes an extended volume portion of the friction material on the longitudinal flange side, which defines a flange contact region of the brake surface. The flange contact region may at least partially engage the flange and to align the friction device with the wheel tread, e.g., the flange contact region may be complementary in shape to at least part of the flange.

A friction material composition imparts superior friction coefficient, abrasion resistance, aggressiveness against an opposite member, and brake noise preventive characteristics in high speed and high load braking to a friction material, although containing no copper, which can pollute rivers, lakes, the ocean, or other environments, or containing copper in an amount of at most 0.5 mass. Moreover, a friction material and a friction member each uses the friction material composition. The friction material composition includes a binder, an organic filler, an inorganic filler, and a fibrous base material, and the friction material composition contains copper in an amount of at most 0.5 mass % as an element or contains no copper. The binder contains silicone-rubber dispersed phenolic resin in an amount of 5 to 10 mass %. The inorganic filler contains zirconium oxide in an amount of 20 to 33 mass %.

The present invention provides a friction material and a brake pad having excellent wear resistance while exhibiting a high friction coefficient under high-temperature and high-speed conditions. A friction material containing: 40 mass % or more and 80 mass % or less of a matrix containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Ni and Fe; 10 mass % or more and 30 mass % or less of inorganic particles containing zircon particles, titania particles, and mullite particles; and 10 mass % or more and 30 mass % or less of a lubricant containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of graphite, molybdenum disulfide, boron nitride and calcium fluoride, wherein a content of the zircon particles is 30 vol % or more and 36 vol % or less, a content of the titania particles is 30 vol % or more and 36 vol % or less, and a content of the mullite particles is 30 vol % or more and 36 vol % or less with respect to a total content of 100 vol % of the zircon particles, the titania particles, and the mullite particles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a brake device deterioration prediction system capable of accurately predicting a deterioration time of a brake device. The brake device deterioration prediction system includes an observation unit, a conversion unit, a generation unit, and a prediction unit. The observation unit acquires operation data regarding the operation of the brake device when the brake device operates. The conversion unit converts the operation data into index data indicating deterioration of the brake device for each preset unit of time. The generation unit generates a deterioration model including a trend component showing a trend of long-term change and a periodic component showing a periodic change, as a model showing a change-with-time of deterioration represented by the index data. The prediction unit predicts the deterioration time of the brake device based on the deterioration model.

The present invention provides a sintered metal friction material that has excellent wear resistance, heat resistance even at high load and has a higher friction coefficient while maintaining a friction coefficient and wear resistance that are hard to decrease, and has a reduced content of copper of less than 5 mass %. There is provided a sintered metal friction material characterized in that the sintered metal friction material comprises a sintered material of a friction material composition, the friction material composition comprises matrix metals and a friction modifier, the matrix metals comprise following 20 to 40 mass % of iron powder, 20 to 40 mass % of nickel powder, 0.5 to 10 mass % of zinc powder, 0.5 to 5 mass, of tin powder, 0.5 to 4 mass % of copper powder and 0.5 to 5 mass % of sintering assist powder.