Brake rotor with decorative insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10378599-B2
Application number	US-201715643004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A brake rotor comprising a brake pad wear surface; a hat surface; and a decorative insert comprising an insert material, the decorative insert disposed on the brake pad wear surface, the hat surface, or both; wherein at least one of a friction coefficient between the decorative insert and a brake pad is substantially the same as a friction coefficient between the brake pad wear surface and the brake pad, a wear rate of the decorative insert is substantially the same as or greater than a wear rate of the brake pad wear surface, or a wear rate of the decorative insert is substantially the same as or greater than a wear rate of the hat surface; and at least a portion of the decorative insert is visible on the brake pad wear surface, the hat surface, or both.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brake rotor comprising:
a brake pad wear surface;
a hat surface; and
a decorative insert comprising an insert material,
wherein the decorative insert is disposed on the brake pad wear surface;
a wear rate of the decorative insert is greater than a wear rate of the brake pad wear surface;
and
at least a portion of the decorative insert is visible on the brake pad wear surface.

2. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein the insert material comprises a metallic material, a ceramic material, a mineral material, a glass material, or a combination thereof.

3. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein the insert material comprises aluminum, copper, manganese, a porcelain enamel, titanium, steel, stainless steel, nickel, zirconium, silicon carbide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, nickel oxide, zirconium oxide, chromium carbide, alumina, aluminum titanium, magnesium zirconate, silicon nitride, boron nitride, titanium diboride, a silicate mineral, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

4. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein the decorative insert defines a custom design feature.

5. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein the brake rotor comprises iron, titanium, steel, copper, carbon, silicon carbide, nickel, titanium boride, aluminum, boron nitride, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, an alloy thereof, a metal matrix composite thereof, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

6. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the brake pad wear surface that includes the decorative insert has a wear rate that is greater than a wear rate of the brake pad wear surface that does not include the decorative insert.

7. A method for forming a decorative insert on a brake pad wear surface, the method comprising:
positioning an insert material into a mold;
casting a brake rotor in the mold around the insert material; and
processing the brake rotor so that at least a portion of the insert material is visible on the brake pad wear surface;
wherein
a wear rate of the decorative insert is greater than a wear rate of the brake pad wear surface.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of the decorative insert is about 0.5 to about 10 millimeters.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the insert material comprises a metallic material, a ceramic material, a mineral material, a glass material, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the insert material comprises aluminum, copper, manganese, a porcelain enamel, titanium, steel, stainless steel, nickel, zirconium, silicon carbide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, nickel oxide, zirconium oxide, chromium carbide, alumina, aluminum titanium, magnesium zirconate, silicon nitride, boron nitride, titanium diboride, a silicate mineral, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising performing at least one process comprising:
a nitriding process;
a carburizing process;
a boronizing process; or
an oxidation process
to the brake rotor after the step of casting.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein a portion of the brake pad wear surface that includes the decorative insert has a wear rate that is greater than a wear rate of the brake pad wear surface that does not include the decorative insert.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Mettrick Christopher J
• Riefe Mark T
• Holly Michael L
• Webster James A
• Walker Michael J
• Sachdev Anil K

Classifications

• F16D65/125

  characterised by the material used for the disc body · CPC title

• F16D2065/1328

  internal cavities, e.g. cooling channels · CPC title

• F16D2200/0004

  metallic · CPC title

• F16D65/127 Primary

  characterised by properties of the disc surface; Discs lined with friction material · CPC title

• F16D2250/0015

  around inserts · CPC title