Brake rotors having a custom designer feature and methods for forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9279467-B2
Application number	US-201113304896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2011
Priority date	Nov 28, 2011
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A method is disclosed for forming a brake rotor including a desired custom marking having a predetermined size and shape. The method includes applying a chemical treatment to a marking portion of a surface of the rotor. The marking portion has a size and shape corresponding to the predetermined size and shape of the desired custom marking. The chemical treatment is configured to affect, in a predetermined manner, an ability of a stimulus, to which the rotor is to be exposed, to alter properties of the rotor. The method also includes exposing the rotor, having the chemical treatment applied thereto, to the stimulus. The stimulus alters properties of the rotor at the marking portion differently than the stimulus alters properties of the rotor at other portions of the rotor adjacent the marking portion, thereby forming physical differences in the rotor, which, being visually perceptible, form the custom marking.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, for forming a brake rotor including a desired custom marking having a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, comprising:
applying a chemical treatment to a marking portion of a surface of the brake rotor, wherein:
the marking portion to which the chemical treatment is applied has a size and a shape corresponding to the predetermined size and the predetermined shape of the desired custom marking; and
the chemical treatment is configured to affect, in a predetermined manner, an ability of a stimulus, to which the brake rotor is to be exposed, to alter properties of the brake rotor; and
exposing the brake rotor, having the chemical treatment applied thereto, to the stimulus configured to alter properties of the brake rotor, wherein:
the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at the marking portion differently than the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at other portions of the brake rotor adjacent the marking portion, thereby forming physical differences in the brake rotor; and
the physical differences in the brake rotor, being visually perceptible, form the custom marking.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the brake rotor to the stimulus includes performing at least one process comprising:
a nitriding process;
a carburizing process;
a boronizing process; or
an oxidation process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the brake rotor having the custom marking has an improved physical quality as compared to brake rotors that do not have the custom marking.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the improved physical quality relates to a coefficient of friction quality.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the improved physical quality relates to mass of the rotor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the marking portion is a first marking portion;
the predetermined size and the predetermined shape are a first predetermined size and a first predetermined shape, respectively;
the custom marking is a first custom marking;
the physical differences are first physical differences;
the method is also for forming the brake rotor including a second desired custom marking having a second predetermined size and a second predetermined shape; and
the method further comprises:
applying the chemical treatment to a second marking portion of the surface of the brake rotor, wherein the second marking portion to which the chemical treatment is applied has a size and a shape corresponding to the second predetermined size and the second predetermined shape of the second desired custom marking; and
exposing the brake rotor, having the chemical treatment applied thereto, to the stimulus, wherein:
the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at the second marking portion differently than the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at other portions of the brake rotor adjacent the second marking portion, thereby forming second physical differences in the brake rotor; and
the second physical differences in the brake rotor, being visually perceptible, form the second custom marking.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second predetermined size and the second predetermined shape of the second desired custom marking are the same as the first predetermined size and the first predetermined shape, respectively, of the first desired custom marking.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the second predetermined size and the second predetermined shape of the second desired custom marking are different than the first predetermined size and the first predetermined shape, respectively, of the first desired custom marking.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the first marking portion is on a frictional surface of the brake rotor to be contacted by a rotor pad in operation of the rotor; and
the second marking portion is on a hat surface, of a hat portion, of the brake rotor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marking portion is on a frictional surface of the brake rotor to be contacted by a rotor pad in operation of the rotor.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the chemical treatment to the marking portion of the surface of the brake rotor includes applying the treatment by brushing the chemical treatment onto the marking portion.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the chemical treatment to the marking portion of the surface of the brake rotor includes applying the treatment by spraying the chemical treatment onto the marking portion.

13. A method, for forming a brake rotor including a desired custom marking having a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, comprising:
applying a chemical treatment to a marking portion of a surface of the brake rotor, wherein:
the marking portion to which the chemical treatment is applied has a size and a shape corresponding to the predetermined size and the predetermined shape of the desired custom marking; and
the chemical treatment is configured to affect, in a predetermined manner, an ability of a stimulus, to which the brake rotor is to be exposed, to alter properties of the brake rotor; and
exposing the brake rotor, having the chemical treatment applied thereto, to the stimulus configured to alter properties of the brake rotor, wherein:
the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at the marking portion differently than the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at other portions of the brake rotor adjacent the marking portion, thereby forming physical differences in the brake rotor; and
the physical differences in the brake rotor, being visually perceptible, form the custom marking, wherein exposing the brake rotor to the stimulus includes exposing the brake rotor to ferritic nitrocarburizing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ferritic nitrocarburizing comprises at least one of:
gaseous exposure;
salt bath exposure;
plasma exposure; or
fluidized-bed exposure.

15. A method, for forming a brake rotor including a desired custom marking having a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, comprising:
applying a chemical treatment to a marking portion of a surface of the brake rotor, wherein:
the marking portion to which the chemical treatment is applied has a size and a shape corresponding to the predetermined size and the predetermined shape of the desired custom marking; and
the chemical treatment is configured to affect, in a predetermined manner, an ability of a stimulus, to which the brake rotor is to be exposed, to alter properties of the brake rotor; and
exposing the brake rotor, having the chemical treatment applied thereto, to the stimulus configured to alter properties of the brake rotor, wherein:
the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at the marking portion differently than the stimulus alters properties of the brake rotor at other portions of the brake rotor adjacent the marking portion, thereby forming physical differences in the brake rotor; and
the physical differences in the brake rotor, being visually perceptible, form the custom marking, wherein the marking portion is on a hat surface, of a hat portion, of the brake rotor.

Assignees

• Hanna Michael D
• Webster James A
• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Hanna Michael D
• Webster James A

Classifications

• F16D2069/002

  Combination of different friction materials · CPC title

• F16D65/12 Primary

  Discs; Drums for disc brakes · CPC title