Wheel system with brake and corresponding braking enhancement
AssigneeRENAULT s.a.s.
InventorNirmal CHAKARAVARTHI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automotive vehicle wheel and brake system includes a wheel axle, an angularly split wheel drum, the wheel drum including at least two separate wheel segments that are each radially movable, and a deforming actuator system including a deforming actuator to displace at least one of the wheel segments relative to at least another segment in such a way that an outer circumference of the wheel is temporarily deformed. The deforming actuator system also includes an electronic system that, during at least one predefined braking process, triggers the deforming actuator system so as to impose a temporary shape deformation of the split wheel drum.
Claims11
1-10. (canceled)
An automotive vehicle wheel and brake system, comprising a wheel axle;
- an angularly split wheel drum to rotate around the wheel axle and to support the vehicle weight by contacting the ground directly or through a tire, the wheel drum comprising at least two separate wheel segments that are each radially movable so as to vary a maximum outer radius measured from the wheel axle;
- a deforming actuator system comprising a deforming actuator configured to displace at least one of the wheel segments relative to at least another of the wheel segments such that an outer circumference of a wheel is temporarily deformed from a circular shape to a different shape,
- wherein the deforming actuator system comprises an electronic system that is configured to, during at least one predefined braking process, trigger the deforming actuator system so as to impose a temporary shape deformation of the split wheel drum.
The automotive vehicle wheel and brake system according to claim ii, further comprising:
- a main braking system to stop rotational motion of the drum around the wheel axle;
- a wheel speed estimator to estimate a rotational speed of the split drum;
- and
- a wheel position sensor to estimate an angular position of the split drum,
- wherein the electronic system is configured to trigger a braking process in view of stopping the vehicle, and
- wherein the electronic system is configured to trigger the deforming actuator system to induce the temporary shape deformation of the split drum during the braking process when the angular speed of the wheel is less than a first speed threshold, and when the position of the split drum is within a predefined group of angular positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.