Brakes – Elements – Brake wheels
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-08
2001-04-17
Oberleitner, Robert J. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Elements
Brake wheels
C188S21800R, C188S01800A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216828
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle brake rotor and specifically to a rotor having a vented hat section in which the angles of the vents are adjusted to increase the quantity of air flowing through the vents.
Rotors are generally well known in the art, and are used extensively in caliper disc brakes, power transmission devices, clutches, and other similar machinery and mechanisms. Brake rotors are used in vehicle disc brake system which slow the vehicle by inhibiting the rotation of the vehicle wheels. Rotors typically include a central hat section secured to the spindle or axle of the vehicle wheel and a peripheral friction surface extending radially from the hat section. When the driver applies the brakes, brake pads are moved into engagement with the friction surface creating frictional forces which slow the vehicle. A vast amount of heat is generated at the friction surface by the frictional forces during braking. The heat is conducted from the friction surface to the rest of the rotor and to other components to which the rotor is connected. Excess heat leads to premature brake wear and/or failure.
Rotors are commonly cooled using moving air to absorb the heat from the rotor and carry it away. It is known to “ventilate” the rotors by forming holes or vents through portions of the rotor. As the rotor turns, air is moved through the vents to cool the rotor. The cooling effectiveness of the vents is proportional to the quantity of air passing through the vents. The more air which moves through the vents, the more heat that is dissipated and the greater the cooling effects. Therefore, it is desirable to move as much air as possible through the vents.
Vents have been formed in the hat section to move cooling air through the hat section for cooling the rotor when the rotor turns. Typically these vents have been formed through the hat wall at right angles to the hat wall surface. As the rotor turns, the right angled vents create a pressure differential from one side of the hat wall to the other which causes the air to move from the areas of high pressure to the areas of low pressure. It is desirable to increase the amount of air moved through the hat wall vents to improve the cooling effectiveness of the vents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a rotor having a vented hat section. The rotor includes a central hat section joined to a radially outer annular friction section. The hat section includes a generally circular mounting face for mounting the rotor on an associated drive member such as a spindle or vehicle axle, and a cylindrical hat wall extending axially from the periphery of the mounting face to the radially inner edge of the annular friction section. The hat wall includes a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface.
A plurality of spaced apart vents are defined in the hat wall. The vents are preferably defined by a first aperture formed in the hat wall radially outer surface, a second aperture formed in the hat wall radially inner surface, and a vent wall extending through said hat wall from said first aperture to said second aperture. The vent wall preferably includes an upper surface nearest the mounting face and a lower surface nearest the friction section. The vent upper wall and lower surfaces preferably extend straight through the hat wall and are parallel to each other.
The upper and lower surfaces form an angle A with respect to the outer surface of the hat wall. The size of the angle A determines in part the quantity of air pushed or pumped through the vent when the rotor turns. The angle A can be varied to change the amount of air moved through the vents when the rotor turns. The angle A is preferably not ninety degrees, although any suitable size of angle A may be used.
The vents also preferably include a pair of side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces which also extend through the hat wall and are approximately parallel to each other. The angle B formed between the vent walls and the radius of the rotor determines in part the quantity of air pushed or pumped through the vents when the rotor turns. The angle B can be varied to achieve a predetermined amount of air moving through the hat section vents as the rotor turns.
The vent aperture formed in the outer hat wall surface is elongated and extends along a first aperture axis. The aperture axis forms a predetermined angle C with respect to a line extending axially along the radially outer surface of said hat wall. The size of the angle C determines in part the quantity of air flowing through the vent when the rotor is turning. The orientation of the aperture can be changed to change the direction of the aperture axis and thus change its angle C with respect to the axially extending line to achieve a predetermined quantity of air flow through the vent.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5161652 (1992-11-01), Suzuki
patent: 5915747 (1999-06-01), Dickerson et al.
patent: 3924849 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 000521754 (1993-01-01), None
patent: 61-282633 (1986-12-01), None
patent: 2-17235 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 4233424 (1994-04-01), None
Hayes Lemmerz International Inc.
Marshall & Melhorn LLC
Oberleitner Robert J.
Sy Mariano
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