What are the common faults of the brake system of an electric wheelchair?

What are the common faults of the brake system of an electric wheelchair?
The brake system of an electric wheelchair is a key component to ensure the safety of the user. Its common faults mainly include the following aspects:

1. Wear or damage of the brake
The brake is the core component of the brake system of an electric wheelchair. After long-term use, the friction pad or brake disc of the brake will lose its original braking performance due to wear. For example, when the friction pad is severely worn, the braking effect will be significantly reduced, and even brake failure may occur. In addition, the mechanical components inside the brake may also be damaged due to aging, fatigue, etc., causing the brake system to fail to work properly

2. Brake circuit failure
The brake system of an electric wheelchair is usually connected to the controller through an electrical circuit to control the brake. Failure of the brake circuit will cause the brake signal to fail to be transmitted normally, thereby causing the brake system to fail. For example, the wire of the brake circuit may be broken due to aging, wear or external force, or the connector may have poor contact, resulting in interruption of the brake signal. In addition, electronic components in the brake circuit, such as relays and sensors, may also affect the normal operation of the brake system due to failures

3. Failure of the manual brake
Although electric wheelchairs mainly rely on the electric brake system, the manual brake, as an auxiliary brake device, still plays an important role in emergency situations or when the electric brake system fails. The reasons for the failure of the manual brake may include loose brake handles, broken brake lines, or brake caliper failures. For example, when the brake handle is loose, the user cannot apply enough braking force through the handle, resulting in the manual brake not working properly; a broken brake line will cause the manual brake to fail completely

4. Brake circuit failure
The brake circuit failure of an electric wheelchair refers to a problem with the electrical circuit in the brake system, causing the brake to fail to work properly. For example, a blown fuse in the brake circuit, a damaged circuit board, or a solenoid valve failure will interrupt the brake circuit, causing the brake to lose its power source. This failure will not only cause brake failure, but may also trigger a chain reaction in other electrical systems, affecting the normal use of the electric wheelchair

5. Deterioration of braking performance
The braking performance of an electric wheelchair may gradually decline with the increase of usage time. This may be due to poor lubrication inside the brake, impurities attached to the surface of the brake disc or friction pad, etc. For example, oil or dust attached to the surface of the brake disc will reduce the friction coefficient and make the braking effect worse. In addition, the spring and other components inside the brake may also lose their original elasticity due to fatigue, resulting in insufficient braking force

6. Slow braking response
Slow braking response means that when the electric wheelchair needs to brake, the braking system cannot respond in time, resulting in a longer braking distance. This may be due to wear or jamming of mechanical parts inside the brake system, which prevents the brake from generating braking force quickly. For example, when parts such as the piston or push rod inside the brake are severely worn, the braking response time will increase. In addition, the electrical control part of the brake system may also affect the braking response speed due to faults

7. Abnormal braking noise
During use, the brake system of the electric wheelchair may have abnormal noises, such as sharp friction sounds or metal impact sounds. This is usually caused by wear, looseness or damage to the parts inside the brake. For example, when the friction plate is worn to a certain extent, it will produce abnormal friction with the brake disc, making a sharp friction sound; when the spring or retaining spring inside the brake is loose, it will also produce a metal impact sound during the braking process

8. Brake failure
Brake failure is one of the most serious faults in the electric wheelchair brake system. It will cause the user to be unable to effectively slow down or stop during driving, which is very likely to cause safety accidents. The causes of brake failure may include brake damage, brake line interruption, brake circuit failure, manual brake failure and other factors. For example, when the friction plate or brake disc inside the brake is severely damaged, the brake cannot generate enough braking force, resulting in brake failure; the failure of the brake line or brake circuit will also cause the brake system to lose control signals, resulting in brake failure

Summary
There are many types of brake system failures in electric wheelchairs, involving brakes, brake lines, manual brakes, brake circuits and other aspects. These faults will not only affect the normal use of electric wheelchairs, but also endanger the safety of users. Therefore, it is very important to regularly inspect and maintain the brake system of electric wheelchairs. Users should develop good usage habits and check the status of the brake system before each trip to ensure its normal operation. At the same time, electric wheelchair manufacturers and maintenance agencies should also strengthen the research and development and maintenance technical support of the braking system to improve the safety and reliability of electric wheelchairs.