Composite brake disc
AssigneeDunlop Limited
InventorsThomas G. Fennell, Ronald Fisher, David C. Johnson, Lynda M. Perks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a composite brake disc such as a carbon composite brake disc having reinforcement provided by layers of carbon fibre material, the drive region is provided with additional reinforcement to that of the friction region by laying or otherwise providing additional fibre reinforcement material substantially uniformly in the drive region.
Claims26
A brake disc for use in a multi-disc brake said disc having an annular friction region adapted in use to have an annular friction surface disposed at an axial side face of the disc and having radially of said friction region a generally annular peripheral drive region comprising arcuate portions separated by a plurality of circumferentially spaced keyways extending radially from the drive periphery of the drive region remote from said friction region and adapted in use to transmit the torque generated at the friction surface to at least one reaction member in an associated wheel and brake assembly wherein said disc comprises a plurality of laminae each substantially parallel to said friction surface said laminae each comprising an assemblage of fibres in which the plurality of laminae and the fibres therein are bonded together by a matrix material said disc wherein within a radial section or radial sector the fibre volume fraction is substantially constant and the fibre volume fraction in a radial sector positioned in proximity to the drive periphery radius is greater than the fibre volume fraction in a radial section positioned in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius to provide a composite brake disc wherein the, strength of the composite material is higher in the proximity of the drive periphery radius than in the proximity of the non-drive periphery radius thereby to provide improved tangential load bearing characteristics in the arcuate portions of the composite disc.
A brake disc for use in a multi-disc brake said disc having an annular friction region adapted in use to have an annular friction surface disposed at an axial side face of the disc and having radially of said friction region a generally annular peripheral drive region comprising arcuate portions separated by a plurality of circumferentially spaced keyways extending radially from the drive periphery of the drive region remote from said friction region and adapted in use to transmit the torque generated at the friction surface to at least one reaction member in an associated wheel and brake assembly wherein said disc comprises a plurality of laminae each substantially parallel to said friction surface said laminae each comprising an assemblage of fibres in which the plurality of laminae and the fibres therein are bonded together by a matrix material said disc wherein within a radial section or radial sector the fibre volume fraction is substantially constant and the fibre volume fraction in a radial sector positioned in proximity to the drive periphery radius is greater than the fibre volume fraction in a radial section positioned in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius to provide a composite brake disc wherein the, strength of the composite material is higher in the proximity of the drive periphery radius than in the proximity of the non-drive periphery radius thereby to provide improved tangential load bearing characteristics in the arcuate portions of the composite disc, the annular width of the radial sector positioned in proximity to the drive periphery radius being at least substantially equal to the radial depth of the contact face of the reaction member, strengthening of said arcuate portions being provided during fabrication of the composite structure by greater axial compaction of laid up laminae in at least part of the drive region than those in the friction region prior to bonding of the laminae, the fibre being carbon fibre in a composite structure being a carbon-carbon composite structure with the fibre volume fraction in the drive region being at least 10% greater than the fibre volume fraction in the friction region.
A brake disc for use in a multi-disc brake said disc having an annular friction region adapted in use to have an annular friction surface disposed at an axial side face of the disc and having radially of said friction region a generally annular peripheral drive region comprising arcuate portions separated by a plurality of circumferentially spaced keyways extending radially from the drive periphery of the drive region remote from said friction region and adapted in use to transmit the torque generated at the friction surface to at least one reaction member in an associated wheel and brake assembly wherein said disc comprises a plurality of laminae each substantially parallel to said friction surface said laminae each comprising an assemblage of fibres in which the plurality of laminae and the fibres therein are bonded together by a matrix material said disc wherein in that within a radial section or radial sector the fibre volume fraction is substantially constant and the fibre volume fraction in a radial sector positioned in proximity to the drive periphery radius is greater than the fibre volume fraction in a radial section positioned in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius to provide a composite brake disc wherein the thermal conductivity is higher in the annular friction region than in the drive region.
A method of fabricating a generally annular fibre-reinforced composite brake disc having an annular friction region adapted in use to have an annular friction surface disposed axially of the disc and having radially of said friction region a generally annular peripheral drive region comprising arcuate portions separated by a plurality of circumferentially spaced keyways extending radially from the drive periphery of the drive region remote from said friction region and adapted in use to transmit the torque generated at the friction surface to at least one reaction member in an associated wheel and brake assembly in which a plurality of generally annular laminae are laid up co-axially relative to one another said laminae each comprising an assemblage of fibres wherein in that in the method, the laid up laminae are compacted axially between platens of a compression fixture to provide a laminae assembly in which the fibre volume fraction within a radial section or radial sector is substantially constant and the fibre volume fraction in a radial sector positioned in proximity to the drive periphery radius is greater than the fibre volume fraction in a radial section positioned in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius;
- and the laminae assembly and the fibres therein are infiltrated with and bonded together by a matrix material to provide a composite brake disc wherein the compressive strength of the composite material is higher in proximity to the drive periphery radius than in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius thereby to provide improved tangential load bearing characteristics in the arcuate portions of the composite disc.
A method of fabricating a generally annular fibre-reinforced composite brake disc having an annular friction region adapted in use to have an annular friction surface disposed axially of the disc and having radially of said friction region a generally annular peripheral drive region comprising arcuate portions separated by a plurality of circumferentially spaced keyways extending radially from the drive periphery of the drive region remote from said friction region and adapted in use to transmit the torque generated at the friction surface to at least one reaction member in an associated wheel and brake assembly in which a plurality of generally annular laminae segments each comprising an assemblage of fibres are radially disposed to provide a helical annulus and adjacent segments within the helical annulus have fibres of each segment disposed at an angle to fibres of helically-contacting adjacent segments and characterised in that in the method, the laid up laminae are compacted axially between platens of a compression fixture to provide a laminae assembly in which the fibre volume fraction within a radial section or radial sector is substantially constant and the fibre volume fraction in a radial sector positioned in proximity to the drive periphery radius is greater than the fibre volume fraction in a radial section positioned in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius;
- and the laminae assembly and the fibres therein are infiltrated with and bonded together by a matrix material to provide a composite brake disc wherein the compressive strength of the composite material is higher in proximity to the drive periphery radius than in proximity to the non-drive periphery radius thereby to provide improved tangential load bearing characteristics in the arcuate portions of the composite disc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.