An elastic adjustable brake pad for use in a train, comprising a brake pad frame (1) provided with a fourth through hole (18), a brake block assembly, and a spiral compression spring (6); the brake block assembly comprises a brake block (16), a rivet (4), a Belleville spring (5), and a rivet sleeve (3), the brake block (16) comprising a friction block (10) and a static sheet steel back (7) fixedly mounted together, the rivet (4) passing through the brake block (16) and being sleeved in turn by the Belleville spring (5) and the rivet sleeve (3); the fourth through hole (18) is a stepped counterbore, and the rivet (4) in the brake block (16) penetrates the fourth through hole (18) and extends outward therefrom, the spiral compression spring (6) being sleeved over the outside of the rivet sleeve (3), and the outer side of one end of the rivet sleeve (3) being provided with a clamping groove clamped to an elastic retainer ring (2), one end of the spiral compression spring (6) abutting a step on which a secondary counterbore (20) is located, and the other end thereof abutting the lower end face of the elastic retainer ring (2); a plurality of anti-rotation pins are arranged between the static sheet steel back (7) and the brake pad frame (1). The present brake pad has the advantages of automatically adjusting the brake clearance, ensuring the friction area at all times, improving brake efficiency, extending service life, and low manufacturing costs.

A method in which at least one piezoceramic sensor, which converts every mechanical force to which it is subjected into an electrical signal and having a Curie temperature higher than 200 C., is solidarized directly onto the surface of a metal support element of a vehicle braking element, which during use faces a vehicle element to be braked. While in contact with such a surface, an electrical circuit is implemented that picks up and eventually processes the electrical signal, the electrical circuit being connected with a connector integrated with the metal support element. An electrically insulating layer sandwiches the at least one piezoceramic sensor and the electrical circuit, and a block of friction material with an underlying damping layer is formed upon the electrically insulating layer. After forming the block of friction material, the piezoceramic sensor is polarized by applying a predetermined potential difference thereto by means of the connector.

A piston assembly for a multi-disk system may comprise an adjustor sleeve and a piston configured to telescope relative to the adjustor sleeve. A puck may be located at an end of the piston. The piston assembly may include a multi-layer insulator. The multi-layer insulator may comprise a first insulator layer contacting the puck or the piston, and a second insulator layer contacting the first insulator layer. The first and second insulator layers may each comprise a solid disk.

A method of manufacturing a brake pad including a friction pad and a mounting structure includes providing a cure mold; filling the cure mold with granulated thermoset plastic to form the mounting structure and particulate friction material to form the friction pad; and press curing in a single step the filled cure mold to form the brake pad.

A coated backing plate for a brake pad and method of manufacturing a brake pad having a coated backing plate, where the coating for the backing plate includes a bond layer. The bond layer includes an inboard surface, an outboard surface, a closed pore network toward the outboard surface that faces the inboard surface of the reinforcement plate, and an open pore network at the inboard surface of the bond layer. The open pore network includes a recessed topology having a plurality of craters configured to interlock a friction material of a friction pad or one or more intermediate layers, such as a transition layer and/or a thermal barrier layer.

A brake element is sensorized by at least one piezoceramic sensor arranged between a metallic support element and a block of friction material of a brake element, the sensor being completely embedded within the block. An electrical voltage signal generated by at least one piezoceramic sensor, without the need for a power supply, is picked up by an electrical circuit integrated into the metallic support element. The electrical voltage signal is processed in the form of equal length of samples per unit of time of the detected signal by successively processing in real time each sample of equal length of time sample of the signal by applying an algorithm. The algorithm is selected from at least one of a sequence of integrations of voltage values in the sample carried out in an interval of time in the order of milliseconds; FFT voltage data sample; and integral of the voltage data sample.

A method in which at least one piezoceramic sensor and an electric circuit to collect an electric signal emitted by the piezoceramic sensor when subjected to a mechanical stress and possibly processing it are made as an electrically insulated unit. The unit is equipped with at least a branching ending with respective electric contacts and having the connected at least one piezoelectric sensor. The electric circuit and the at least one sensor are mechanically fixed integral with a first surface of a supporting metal element of a brake pad. Branching is formed so as to position the at least one piezoelectric sensor at a predetermined point of the first surface.

A brake element is sensorized by at least one piezoceramic sensor arranged between a metallic support element and a block of friction material of a brake element, the sensor being completely embedded within the block. An electrical voltage signal generated by at least one piezoceramic sensor, without the need for a power supply, is picked up by an electrical circuit integrated into the metallic support element. The electrical voltage signal is processed in the form of equal length of samples per unit of time of the detected signal by successively processing in real time each sample of equal length of time sample of the signal by applying an algorithm. The algorithm is selected from at least one of a sequence of integrations of voltage values in the sample carried out in an interval of time in the order of milliseconds; FFT voltage data sample; and integral of the voltage data sample.

Method wherein at least one piezoceramic sensor (15) and an electric circuit (18) to collect an electric signal emitted by the piezoceramic sensor (15) when subjected to a mechanical stress and possibly processing it are made as a unit electrically insulated (118) equipped with at least a branching (119) ending with respective electric contacts (20,21) having connected the at least one piezoelectric sensor (15), where the electric circuit (18) and the at least one sensor (15) are mechanically fixed integral with a first surface (13) of a supporting metal element (11) of a brake pad (1) and branching (119) is formed so as to position the at least one piezoelectric sensor (15) at a predetermined point of the first surface (13).

A method in which at least one piezoceramic sensor, which converts every mechanical force to which it is subjected into an electrical signal and having a Curie temperature higher than 200 C., is solidarized directly onto the surface of a metal support element of a vehicle braking element, which during use faces a vehicle element to be braked. While in contact with such a surface, an electrical circuit is implemented that picks up and eventually processes the electrical signal, the electrical circuit being connected with a connector integrated with the metal support element. An electrically insulating layer sandwiches the at least one piezoceramic sensor and the electrical circuit, and a block of friction material with an underlying damping layer is formed upon the electrically insulating layer. After forming the block of friction material, the piezoceramic sensor is polarized by applying a predetermined potential difference thereto by means of the connector.