Ventilated brake rotor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12313136-B2
Application number	US-202017757484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A ventilated brake rotor rotationally associated with a vehicle element to be braked, having a rotation axis and defining an axial direction, parallel to or coinciding with the rotation axis, a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction and a circumferential direction, perpendicular to both the axial and radial directions, has a cup-shaped body having at least one ventilation opening passing through a cup-shaped body thickness to allow passage of a cooling fluid for cooling the ventilated brake rotor, at least one front annular portion for connecting the ventilated brake rotor to the vehicle element to be braked, and a side portion extending from the at least one front annular portion at least in the axial direction. A protective element shields the at least one ventilation opening preventing foreign bodies from entering into the cup-shaped body and allowing the cooling fluid to cross the at least one ventilation opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ventilated brake rotor rotationally associated with a vehicle element to be braked,
wherein said ventilated brake rotor has a rotation axis (A),
wherein said ventilated brake rotor defines an axial direction (A-A), parallel to, or coinciding with, the rotation axis (A), a radial direction (R-R) and a circumferential direction (T-T), wherein said radial direction (R-R) is perpendicular to said axial direction (A-A) and wherein said circumferential direction (T-T) is perpendicular to both said axial direction (A-A) and said radial direction (R-R),
wherein said ventilated brake rotor comprises a cup-shaped body, wherein said cup-shaped body comprises at least one ventilation opening, wherein said at least one ventilation opening passes through a cup-shaped body thickness to allow passage of a cooling fluid for cooling said ventilated brake rotor,
wherein said cup-shaped body comprises at least one front annular portion, and a side portion,
wherein said at least one front annular portion is configured to connect the ventilated brake rotor to said vehicle element to be braked,
wherein said side portion extends from the at least one front annular portion at least in the axial direction (A-A), and
wherein the ventilated brake rotor further comprises
a protective element configured to shield said at least one ventilation opening preventing foreign bodies from entering into said cup-shaped body, and allowing the cooling fluid to cross said at least one ventilation opening,
wherein said protective element is a separable piece selectively removable from said cup-shaped body via a snap-fit, wherein the snap-fit enables rotation of the protective element with respect to the cup-shaped body.

2. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein said cup-shaped body has a cup-shaped body thickness, and wherein said protective element has a protective element thickness, wherein the protective element thickness is smaller than said cup-shaped body thickness, and wherein at least one of the following features applies:
said at least one ventilation opening is an opening of large dimensions, wherein said opening of large dimensions is an opening passing through the cup-shaped body thickness, wherein said protective element is arranged to partially cover said at least one ventilation opening transforming said opening of large dimensions into a plurality of openings of smaller dimensions;
said protective element is configured to increase drawing of said cooling fluid from an interior to an exterior of said cup-shaped body through said at least one ventilation opening;
said protective element comprises a plurality of ventilation holes.

3. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following features applies:
said protective element comprises a perforated metal sheet,
said protective element comprises at least one portion having a warp and weft configuration,
said protective element is made of a metal material,
said protective element is made of a composite material.

4. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein said side portion comprises at least one cylindrical crown, wherein said at least one front annular portion comprises a radially inner circular crown and a radially outer circular crown, wherein said radially inner circular crown comprises a plurality of connection holes configured to connect said ventilated brake rotor to said vehicle element to be braked, wherein said cup-shaped body comprises a plurality of ventilation openings, wherein said protective element is an annular protective element, and wherein said annular protective element and said cup-shaped body have a shape coupling to be axially and radially constrained, covering said ventilation openings.

5. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 4 , wherein said ventilation openings are radial ventilation openings neatly arranged in the circumferential direction (T-T), wherein said at least one cylindrical crown comprises said radial ventilation openings, wherein said protective element is a cylindrical annular protective element, wherein said cylindrical annular protective element comprises an axially front coupling portion and an axially rear coupling portion, wherein said at least one cylindrical crown comprises an axially rear connection seat and an axially front connection seat, wherein said axially front coupling portion and said axially rear coupling portion are connected to said axially front connection seat and to said axially rear connection seat, respectively, so that said cylindrical annular protective element is axially and radially constrained to said cup-shaped body.

6. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 4 , wherein said ventilation openings are axial ventilation openings neatly arranged in the circumferential direction (T-T), wherein said radially outer circular crown comprises said axial ventilation openings, wherein said protective element is a circular annular protective element, wherein said circular annular protective element comprises at least one radially outer cylindrical coupling portion, wherein said at least one cylindrical crown comprises an axially front annular connection seat, wherein said radially outer cylindrical coupling portion is connected to said axially front annular connection seat so that said circular annular protective element is axially and radially constrained to said cup-shaped body.

7. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 1 , wherein said ventilated brake rotor comprises at least one braking band, wherein said at least one braking band is one from:
a disk braking band arranged outside said cup-shaped body and extending radially from said cup-shaped body,
a cylindrical braking band arranged inside said cup-shaped body.

8. The ventilated brake rotor of claim 7 , wherein said ventilated brake rotor comprises connection means, and wherein said connection means are configured to constrain said cup-shaped body to said disk braking band.

9. A brake comprising the ventilated brake rotor of claim 1 .

10. The brake of claim 9 , comprising a parking brake of drum-in-hat type.

11. A vehicle comprising the ventilated brake rotor of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Brembo Spa

Inventors

• Maronati Gianluigi
• Bosis Alberto

Classifications

• F16D2065/1328

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

• F16D2065/1316

  radially segmented · CPC title

• F16D65/10

  Drums for externally- or internally-engaging brakes · CPC title

• F16D65/0081

  Brake covers · CPC title

• B60Y2306/05

  Cooling · CPC title