Brake rotor and lightweight wheel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548317-B2
Application number	US-202016903928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A brake rotor includes a friction portion, a hat portion axially extending from the friction portion and including a top face that is axially displaced from the friction portion and a side wall that extends from the friction portion to the top face, and a nose portion which extends axially from the top face of the hat portion away from the friction portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brake rotor comprising:
a friction portion;
a hat portion axially extending from the friction portion and including a top face that is axially displaced from the friction portion and a side wall that extends from the friction portion to the top face; and
a nose portion which extends axially from the top face of the hat portion away from the friction portion,
wherein the hat portion includes a plurality of drainage slots on a bottom surface opposite the top face that faces toward the friction portion.

2. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein the friction portion is made of a first material and the nose portion is made of a second material that is different from the first material.

3. The brake rotor of claim 2 , wherein the first material comprises one of cast-iron and steel and the second material comprises Aluminum.

4. The brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein the friction portion, the hat portion, and the nose portion comprise Aluminum.

5. The brake rotor of claim 1 , further comprising a coating on at least a portion of the brake rotor.

6. The brake rotor of claim 5 , wherein the coating comprises one of an epoxy coating, an anodized coating, a passivation coating, a conversion coating, a thermal spray coating, and an e-coating.

7. A wheel assembly comprising:
a wheel including a first plurality of through holes;
an axle bearing including a second plurality of through holes;
a plurality of fasteners;
a brake rotor including:
a friction portion;
a hat portion axially extending from the friction portion and including a top face that is axially displaced from the friction portion and a side wall that extends from the friction portion to the top face, wherein the top portion includes a third plurality of through holes; and
a nose portion which extends axially from the top face of the hat portion away from the friction portion; and

a plurality of wheel studs each extending successively through a corresponding one of the second plurality of through holes in the axle bearing; a corresponding one of the third plurality of through holes in the brake rotor, a corresponding one of the first plurality of through holes in the wheel, and threadably engaging a corresponding one of the plurality of fasteners,
wherein the hat portion includes a plurality of drainage slots on a bottom surface disposed opposite the top face that faces toward the friction portion and is configured to direct a fluid away from the wheel.

8. The wheel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the friction portion is made of a first material and the nose portion is made of a second material that is different from the first material.

9. The wheel assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first material comprises one of cast-iron and steel and the second material comprises Aluminum.

10. The wheel assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of bushings, wherein the plurality of wheel studs each extend successively through a corresponding one of the second plurality of through holes in the axle bearing; a corresponding one of the third plurality of through holes in the brake rotor, a corresponding one of the first plurality of through holes in the wheel, a corresponding one of the plurality of bushings, and threadably engage a corresponding one of the plurality of fasteners.

11. The wheel assembly of claim 8 , wherein the friction portion, the hat portion, and the nose portion comprise Aluminum.

12. The wheel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the wheel comprises at least one of Aluminum and Magnesium.

13. The wheel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the nose portion comprises an inner cylindrical surface that receives a correspondingly-sized central projection of the axle bearing and an outer cylindrical surface that is received into a correspondingly-sized pilot hole of the wheel.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Zhan Henry
• Wang Jianfeng
• Wang Congjie
• Liu Ming
• Sachdev Anil K

Classifications

• F16D69/0408

  specially adapted for plane linings · CPC title

• B60B27/0052 Primary

  the element being a brake disc · CPC title

• F16D2200/0013

  Cast iron · CPC title

• F16D2200/003

  Light metals, e.g. aluminium · CPC title

• F16D65/127

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