Braking surface cooling assembly and brake performance enhancing methods
AssigneeIngalls Engineering Company, Inc.
InventorThomas W. O'Rourke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vanes positioned immediately adjacent the swept area of a moving friction brake rotor induce a flow of air over the rotor by displacing the boundary layer of gases from the rotor surface and conducting such layer along the intercepting surface of the vane, and thus inducing a flow of cooler air over the rotor. Under heavy braking, friction pad particles and substantial quantities of thermal energy in the superheated gases of the boundary layer are removed by the vanes.
Claims20
A cooling assembly for a rotational braking surface wherein a swept area at the rotational braking surface is defined by braking engagement of a friction pad with the rotational braking surface, said cooling assembly comprising:
- a first cooling vane having a body of a selected length;
- and
- a first positioning structure associated with said first vane for nonrotational positioning of said first vane in an angled disposition adjacent to the swept area of the rotational braking surface, said positioning of said first vane selected to intercept a boundary layer of fluid associated with the rotational braking surface and the swept area, said length of said body of said first cooling vane selected so that said body extends across the swept area, whereby said first cooling vane directs at least a part of said boundary layer of fluid away from the swept area of the rotational braking surface during rotation thereof.
A braking surface cooling assembly for use in association with a vehicle brake assembly including a nonrotational mounting support, a rotary braking surface having a normal forward direction of rotation, and a friction pad mounted for controlled intermittent engagement with the rotary braking surface so as to define a generally annular swept area between the pad and the braking surface, wherein an adherent fluid boundary layer moves with the rotary braking surface, said braking surface cooling assembly comprising:
- at least one fluid guiding cooling vane securable to the mounting support, said cooling vane including an elongated body having opposed ends with opposed leading and trailing surfaces extending between said ends of said elongated body, said elongated body of said vane being adapted for positioning relative to the rotary braking surface angled in at least one of a radial direction and a rake direction with said leading surface of said elongated body immediately adjacent to the swept area of the rotary braking surface to intercept and redirect at least a portion of the fluid boundary layer moving with the rotary braking surface at the swept area, said elongated body having a length at least sufficient to extend entirely across the swept area adjacent thereto.
A method of enhancing the performance of a brake assembly comprising a rotary braking member, at least one nonrotating friction pad mounted for controlled intermittent braking engagement with said rotary braking member, and at least one annular swept area defined on said braking member by the area contactable by said friction pad, said rotary braking member including said annular swept area having a boundary layer adhered thereto, said method comprising the steps of:
- rotating said braking member and adhered boundary layer;
- parting at least a portion of said rotating boundary layer from said braking member at said swept area;
- and
- guiding the flow of said portion of said boundary layer to a position spaced from said swept area, whereby a cooling flow of air is induced over said braking member at said swept area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.