Development of Drum EPB System for Passenger Vehicle
摘要
This paper describes the design and test results of an eDrum (Electric Parking Drum Brake) system for passenger vehicles. Due to the recent release of regulations in Europe regarding friction material dust emissions, drum brake systems—which were primarily used in small passenger cars and trucks—have started to gain attention as an alternative. Drum brake systems can minimize friction material dust emissions without additional costs or design changes. However, since conventional drum brakes use a parking cable for the parking system, there was a need to develop a drum brake combined with an Electric Parking Brake (EPB) system. Recently, some brake suppliers have introduced drum brakes combined with electric parking systems, but these systems also use short parking cables and levers, which are still subject to the quality issues associated with parking cables. In this study, we developed a drum EPB system that directly pushes the shoes by mounting an actuator on the wheel cylinder. This system operates the shoes directly without cables, resulting in a simpler structure and faster response time compared to cable-type EPB systems. Additionally, by replacing the mechanical adjuster system with EPB logic control, quality problems caused by mechanical adjuster failures can be prevented, costs can be reduced, and the system package can be simplified. The eDrum was tested for parking performance and adjuster performance on a dynamometer and bench, targeting application in small electric vehicles. The test results showed that it met the required parking performance and clearance. This study introduces an additional option for electric parking systems, providing a wider range of choices to meet future stringent environmental regulations.