Disk brake friction surfaces with tunable indent patterns for minimizing brake pad radial taper wear

A disc brake system of a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a sliding caliper;
• an inboard brake pad connected with said sliding caliper;
• an outboard brake pad connected with said sliding caliper;
• and
• a brake rotor comprising:
• an outboard side rotor cheek disposed facing said outboard brake pad, said outboard side rotor cheek having an outboard radial inner edge and an oppositely disposed outboard radial outer edge, said outboard inner and outer radial edges being mutually separated by an outboard rotor radial height, an outboard friction surface being located at said outboard side rotor cheek;
• a plurality of outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns disposed circumferentially around said outboard friction surface, all of said outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns being disposed closer to said outboard radial inner edge than to said outboard radial outer edge such that said outboard brake rotor friction surfaces originate substantially at said outboard radial inner edge generally outside said outboard friction surface and terminate remotely from said outboard radial outer edge generally inside said outboard friction surface, each said outboard brake rotor surface indent pattern being oriented at a predetermined outboard sweep angle with respect to a radiant of the rotor and extending a predetermined indent radial height parallel to the radiant less than said outboard rotor radial height;
• and
• an inboard side rotor cheek disposed facing said inboard brake pad, said inboard side rotor cheek having an inboard radial inner edge and an oppositely disposed inboard radial outer edge, said inboard inner and outer radial edges being mutually separated by an inboard rotor radial height, an inboard friction surface being located at said inboard side rotor cheek;
• wherein said predetermined indent radial height is such that said plurality of outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns reduce radial taper wear of the outboard brake pad of the disc brake system.

A disc brake system of a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a fixed caliper;
• an inboard brake pad connected with said fixed caliper;
• an outboard brake pad connected with said fixed caliper;
• and
• a brake rotor comprising:
• an inboard side rotor cheek disposed facing said inboard brake pad, said inboard side rotor cheek having an inboard radial inner edge and an oppositely disposed inboard radial outer edge, said inboard inner and outer radial edges being mutually separated by an inboard rotor radial height, an inboard friction surface being located at said inboard side rotor cheek;
• a plurality of inboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns disposed circumferentially around said inboard friction surface, all of said inboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns originating substantially at said inboard radial inner edge and terminating remotely from said inboard radial outer edge, wherein all of said inboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns are disposed closer to said inboard radial inner edge than to said inboard radial outer edge, each said inboard brake rotor surface indent pattern being oriented at a predetermined inboard sweep angle with respect to an inboard radiant of the rotor and extending a predetermined inboard indent radial height parallel to the inboard radiant less than said inboard rotor radial height;
• an outboard side rotor cheek disposed facing said outboard brake pad, said outboard side rotor cheek having an outboard radial inner edge and an oppositely disposed outboard radial outer edge, said outboard inner and outer radial edges being mutually separated by an outboard rotor radial height an outboard friction surface being located at said outboard side rotor cheek;
• and
• a plurality of outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns disposed circumferentially around said outboard friction surface, all of said outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns being disposed closer to said outboard radial inner edge than to said outboard radial outer edge such that said outboard brake rotor friction surfaces originate substantially at said outboard radial inner edge generally outside said outboard friction surface and terminate remotely from said outboard radial outer edge generally inside said outboard friction surface, each said outboard brake rotor surface indent pattern being oriented at a predetermined outboard sweep angle with respect to an outboard radiant of the rotor and extending a predetermined outboard indent radial height parallel to the outboard radiant distantly less than said outboard rotor radial height;
• wherein said predetermined inboard indent radial height is such that said plurality of inboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns reduce radial taper wear of the inboard brake pad of the disc brake system;
• and
• wherein said predetermined outboard indent radial height is such that said plurality of outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns reduce radial taper wear of the outboard brake pad of the disc brake system.

A method for reducing radial taper wear of brake pads of disc brake systems, comprising the steps of:

• determining a radial taper wear profile for an outboard brake pad of the disc brake system;
• providing a brake rotor having an inboard friction surface of an inboard rotor cheek, and an outboard friction surface of an outboard rotor cheek;
• and
• forming a plurality of outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns in said outboard friction surface disposed circumferentially around said outboard friction surface and originating substantially at an outboard radial inner edge of the outboard rotor cheek, each said outboard brake rotor surface indent pattern being oriented at a predetermined outboard sweep angle with respect to an outboard radiant of the rotor and extending a predetermined outboard radial height parallel to the outboard radiant less than an outboard rotor radial height such that said plurality of outboard brake rotor friction surface indent patterns reduce the radial taper wear of the outboard brake pad of the disc brake system responsive to the radial taper wear profile.