Ventilated brake disc

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10619689-B2
Application number	US-201615375317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2016
Priority date	Dec 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A friction ring configured to be fixed to a hub at one or more fixation points is provided. The friction ring includes a ring shaped body; an outer surface configured to be contacted by a brake mechanism; an inner surface configured to contact a portion of a hub or axle to impart a braking force thereto; at least one through-hole for receiving a fastener for fixing the friction ring to the hub or axle; and at least two protrusions extending from the inner surface of the friction ring forming a channel. A cross-sectional area of an inflow portion of the channel is smaller than a cross-sectional area of an outflow portion of the channel. A brake assembly including a hub and the fixation ring is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A friction ring, comprising:
a plurality of segments configured to be affixed to a hub or an axle and arranged about the hub or axle to form a ring shaped body, wherein each segment comprises:
a front side and a rear side, each side comprising an outer surface configured to be contacted by a brake mechanism and an inner surface connected to a portion of the hub to impart a braking force thereto;
a single through-hole extending between the outer surface of the front side and the outer surface of the rear side of the segment for receiving a fastener for fixing the segment to the hub or axle; and
at least two protrusions extending from the inner surface of the front side to the inner surface of the rear side of the segment, the at least two protrusions forming a radially open channel therebetween,

wherein a cross-sectional area of an inflow portion of the channel between the at least two protrusions is smaller than a cross-sectional area of an outflow portion of the channel between the at least two protrusions.

2. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the channel extends between a circumferential inner edge and a circumferential outer edge of the segment and is positioned to direct airflow across the inner surface of the front side or the inner surface of the rear side of the segment.

3. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the inflow portion of the channel is disposed radially inwardly from the outflow portion of the channel, such that airflow is directed from an inner circumferential edge to an outer circumferential edge of the segment.

4. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the single through-hole of each segment fixes the segment to the hub or the axle at a single fixation point in order to maximize an air inlet area thereby maximizing an air flux across the inner surface of the friction ring.

5. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions comprise radially extending fins.

6. The friction ring of claim 5 , wherein the radially extending fins are tapered in the radial direction, such that a radially inner portion thereof is narrower than a radially outer portion thereof, and in a transverse direction, such that portions of the fins adjacent to the inner surfaces are wider than central portions of the fins.

7. The friction ring of claim 5 , wherein each of the radially extending fins defines a linear longitudinal axis extending from a radially inner portion of the fin to a radially outer portion of the fin, and wherein the linear longitudinal axis of each fin is offset from a radius of the friction ring by at least 5 degrees.

8. The friction ring of claim 5 , further comprising at least one transverse rib extending between adjacent radially extending fins, thereby defining a curving airflow path.

9. The friction ring of claim 8 , wherein the at least one through-hole is positioned radially inwardly from the transverse ribs.

10. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the at least two protrusions are positioned such that a single radius of the friction ring passes through both of the protrusions.

11. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the single through-hole is positioned radially inward from a central circumferential axis of each segment.

12. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions of each segment comprise a plurality of radially extending fins defining a plurality of radially open channels between adjacent fins of the plurality of fins, and wherein the single through-hole of each segment is positioned such that a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of open channels remains constant or increases along an entire length of the channel, from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the channel.

13. The friction ring of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions of each segment comprise a plurality of radially extending fins defining a plurality of radially open channels between adjacent fins of the plurality of fins, and wherein the single through-hole of each segment is positioned such that each radially open channel is not obstructed by the single through-hole along an entire length of the channel, from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the channel.

14. A brake assembly comprising:
a brake disc comprising a plurality of segments arranged to form a front friction ring and a rear friction ring, the friction rings being configured to contact a braking mechanism;
a hub configured to be connected to an axle, the hub comprising a central rotor and a radially extending flange encircling at least a portion of the central rotor; and
a pin fixed to and extending through the flange for fixing the brake disc to the flange,
wherein each segment comprises:
a front side and a rear side, each side comprising an outer surface configured to be contacted by a brake mechanism and an inner surface connected to a portion of the hub or the axle to impart a braking force thereto;
a single through-hole extending between the outer surface of the front side and the outer surface of the rear side of the segment for receiving the pin for connecting the segment to the hub or the axle; and
at least two protrusions extending from the inner surface of the front side to the inner surface of the rear side of the segment, the at least two protrusions forming a radially open channel therebetween, wherein a cross-sectional area of an inflow portion of the channel between the at least two protrusions is smaller than a cross-sectional area of an outflow portion of the channel between the at least two protrusions.

15. The brake assembly of claim 14 , wherein the channel extends between a circumferential inner edge and a circumferential outer edge of the inner surface of the sides of the segment, the channel being positioned to direct airflow across the inner surface of the front and rear side of the segment.

16. The brake assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of segments is fixed to the hub at a single fixation point.

17. The brake assembly of claim 16 , wherein, when fixed to the hub, each segment is rotatable about the single fixation point.

18. The brake assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of segments is fixed to the hub at a single fixation point in order to maximize an air inlet area thereby maximizing an air flux across the inner surface of each segment body.

19. The brake assembly of claim 14 , wherein the protrusions comprise a radially extending fin, and further comprising one or more transverse ribs extending between adjacent radially extending fins, the transverse ribs being positioned to define a curving airflow path.

20. The brake assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least two protrusions are positioned such that a radius of the segment passes through each of the at least two protrusions.

21. A brake disc configured to be fixed to a hub and/or axle at a plurality of fixation points, the brake disc comprising a plurality of segments arranged to form a front friction ring and a rear friction ring, wherein each of the plurality of segments comprises:
a front side and a rear side, each side comprising an outer surface configured to be contacted by a brake mechanism and an inner surface configured to contact a portion of the hub or the axle to impart a braking force thereto;
a single through-hole extending between the outer surface of the front side and the outer surface of the rear side of the segment for receiving a pin for connecting the segment to the hub or the axle; and
at least two protrusions extending from

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Boffelli Roberto

Classifications

• F16D2065/1388

  to shaft or axle · CPC title

• F16D2065/1384

  to wheel hub · CPC title

• F16D65/123

  comprising an annular disc secured to a hub member; Discs characterised by means for mounting · CPC title

• F16D2065/1392

  Connection elements · CPC title

• F16D2065/1312

  circumferentially segmented · CPC title