Friction device with flange engagement beam centering
AssigneeRfpc Holding Corp.
InventorAlan Gary Bowden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A friction device and method for a wheel may include a backing plate and a friction material disposed on the backing plate to form a brake surface to engage a surface of the wheel. The friction material extends between a first end and a second end along a central longitudinal axis, and between a rim side and a flange side. The friction material may include an extended volume portion that includes one or more protrusions and/or recesses extending away from a longitudinal flange side of the friction material to engage the flange of the wheel. The method including engaging and disengaging a brake surface.
Claims21
A friction device comprising:
- a backing plate configured to interface with a brake actuator of a vehicle having a wheel with a wheel flange and a wheel tread;
- and
- a friction structure attached to the backing plate and comprising a friction material, the friction material defining a central longitudinal axis, the friction structure having a longitudinal flange side, a longitudinal rim side, and two opposing ends and defining a brake surface for engaging the wheel, and
- the friction structure comprising an extended volume portion of the friction material on the longitudinal flange side, the extended volume portion defining a plurality of flange contact protrusions and recesses, wherein one or more of the plurality of flange contact protrusions may at least partially engage the wheel flange at least during initial use of the friction device with the wheel, and wherein at least one protrusion of the plurality of flange contact protrusions extends a different length from the longitudinal flange side than each of the other protrusions of the plurality of flange contact protrusions.
A friction device comprising:
- a backing plate configured to interface with a brake actuator of a vehicle having a wheel with a wheel flange and a wheel tread;
- and
- a friction structure attached to the backing plate and comprising a friction material, the friction material defining a central longitudinal axis, the friction structure having a longitudinal flange side, a longitudinal rim side, and two opposing ends and defining a brake surface for engaging the wheel, and
- the friction structure includes an extended volume portion of the friction material on the longitudinal flange side, the extended volume portion defining a flange-engagement portion extending from the longitudinal flange side and extending continuously along a longitudinal length of the friction structure from opposing end to opposing end, wherein the flange-engagement portion extends from the longitudinal flange side at varying lengths along the longitudinal length of the flange-engagement portion.
A friction device comprising:
- a backing plate;
- and
- a friction structure attached to the backing plate, the friction structure comprising a friction material, the friction material defining a central longitudinal axis, the friction structure having a longitudinal flange side, a longitudinal rim side, and two opposing ends and defining a brake surface for engaging the wheel, and the friction structure includes one or more wearable protrusions extending from the longitudinal flange side, the one or more wearable protrusions configured to engage a flange of the wheel.
21-40. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.