Disc brake rotor

A brake rotor comprising:

• an annular mounting flange;
• a pair of spaced apart brake friction plates, each of said brake friction plates including inner surfaces which are tapered radially inwardly from a radially outer end to a radially inner end thereof to define a cross-sectional thickness at said radially outer ends which is greater than a cross-sectional thickness defined at said radially inner ends, said tapered inner surfaces extend uninterrupted from said radially outer ends to said radially inner ends;
• a plurality of radially extending fins disposed between and connected to said inner surfaces of said brake friction plates;
• and
• an annular friction disc extending from said mounting flange and having a plurality of passageways formed therethrough extending from a radially inner end to a radially outer end, said passageways defining a generally uniform cross-sectional area throughout their entire radial length, said radially outer end of each of said passageways defining a first center axially extending dimension, a first end axially extending dimension which is smaller than said first center axially extending dimension, and a first circumferentially extending dimension, said radially inner end of each of said passageways defining a second center axially extending dimension which is greater than said first center axially extending dimension, a second end axially extending dimension which is smaller than said second center axially extending dimension and greater than said first end axially extending dimension, and a second circumferentially extending dimension which is smaller than said first circumferentially extending dimension, said passageway defining a generally straight side wall surface between said first center axially extending dimension and said first end axially extending dimension and between said second center axially extending dimension and said second end axially extending dimension.

A brake rotor comprising:

• an annular mounting flange;
• and
• an annular friction disc extending from said mounting flange and having a plurality of passageways formed therethrough extending from a radially inner end to a radially outer end, each of said passageways being of a generally octagonal shape and including a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall, a fourth side wall, a fifth side wall, a sixth side wall, a seventh side wall, and an eighth side wall, said first and second side walls being directly adjacent one another, said second and third side walls being directly adjacent one another, said third and fourth side walls being directly adjacent one another, said fourth and fifth side walls being directly adjacent one another, said fifth and sixth side walls being directly adjacent one another, said sixth and seventh side walls being directly adjacent one another, said seventh and eighth side walls being directly adjacent one another, and said eighth and first side walls being directly adjacent one another, at least said first, fourth, fifth, and eighth side walls are straight side walls, said friction disc further including a pair of spaced apart brake friction plates, each of said brake friction plates including inner surfaces which are tapered radially inwardly from a radially outer end to a radially inner end thereof to define a cross-sectional thickness at said radially outer ends which is greater than a cross-sectional thickness defined at said radially inner ends.

A brake rotor comprising:

• an annular mounting flange;
• and
• an annular friction disc extending from said mounting flange and having a passageway formed therethrough extending from a radially inner end to a radially outer end, said radially outer end of said passageway defining a first center axially extending dimension, a pair of opposed first end axially extending dimensions which are generally equal to one another and smaller than said first center axially extending dimension, and a first circumferentially extending dimension defined between opposed first circumferential outermost ends of said passageway at said radially outer end thereof, said radially inner end of said passageway defining a second center axially extending dimension which is greater than said first center axially extending dimension, a pair of opposed second end axially extending dimensions which are generally equal to one another and smaller than said second center axially extending dimension, and a second circumferentially extending dimension defined between opposed second circumferential outermost ends of said passageway at said radially inner end thereof and which is smaller than said first circumferentially extending dimension, said opposed first end axially extending dimensions being located adjacent to but not at said opposed first circumferential outermost ends of said passageway, said opposed second end axially extending dimensions being located adjacent to but not at said opposed second circumferential outermost ends of said passageway, and said passageway having four side walls extending between said first and second center axially extending dimensions and said first and second end axially extending dimensions, wherein said four side walls are generally straight side walls.