Brake rotor with airflow director

Abstract

A vented disc brake rotor having an airflow director for funneling air into the braking plate vents thereby improving the cooling effectiveness of the rotor. The vented disc brake rotor includes first and second braking plates connected together in a mutually parallel, spaced apart relationship. Braking plate fins are disposed between the inwardly facing surfaces of the braking plates forming a plurality of braking plate vents between the braking plates. The rotor includes an airflow director having an annular flange extending generally radially inwards from the radially inner end of one of the braking plates. The flange includes an inner surface forming an angle with respect to the inner surface of the other braking plate such that the distance between these inner surfaces increases as the flange extends radially inwards. A plurality of director fins are disposed between the flange and the inner surface of one of the braking plates. The cross sectional area of the director vent inlets are larger than the cross sectional area of the braking plate vent inlets. The larger director vent inlets and the angled inner flange surface create a funnel which directs more air into the braking plate vents thereby improving the cooling effectiveness of the rotor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.