Wheel carrier assembly for a front axle or rear axle of a motor vehicle

A wheel carrier assembly for a front axle or rear axle of a motor vehicle, with a wheel carrier part on which a link for a control arm assembly, a fixing device for a damper strut and a recess for a wheel bearing are provided. The wheel carrier part includes an air guide device for supplying air to a disk brake assembly, which as brake parts has at least a brake disk and a brake caliper. The wheel carrier part has a circumferentially hollow wheel carrier housing part. The air guide device includes at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening directed onto a brake part.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2020 111 517.2, filed Apr. 28, 2020, the content of such application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a wheel carrier assembly for a front axle or rear axle of a motor vehicle, with a wheel carrier part on which linking means for a control arm assembly, fixing means for a damper strut and a recess for a wheel bearing are provided, wherein the wheel carrier part comprises air guide means for supplying air to a disk brake assembly, which as brake parts has at least a brake disk and a brake caliper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such wheel carrier assemblies have been known for a long time in the prior art. They serve substantially for wheel suspension and are connected to the vehicle body via a control arm assembly and a damper strut. The disk brake assembly for a respective assigned vehicle wheel is also arranged in the region of the wheel carrier assembly. In order now to cool brake parts, such as for example the brake disk, with travel air, it is known, for example from German patent specification DE 199 43 536 C1, which is incorporated herein by reference, to use the outside of the wheel carrier part for air guidance. This cooling may however be inadequate, in particular in driving situations in which high braking energy is required, which can lead to increased wear on the vehicle brakes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing challenges, the wheel carrier part described herein has a circumferentially hollow wheel carrier housing part, wherein at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening directed onto a brake part are provided as the air guide means. In this way, it is possible firstly to conduct the travel air to the brake parts in a more targeted fashion, and secondly pressure differences may be utilized in order to increase the flow speed of the cooling travel air.

Particularly advantageously, the at least one air inlet opening is formed in the region of a front transverse control arm of the control arm assembly. In this way, in a simple fashion, a high dynamic pressure can be created at the air inlet opening. This effect may be further amplified if an air guide member is provided on the front transverse control arm in order to conduct the travel air to the air inlet opening in targeted fashion.

Particularly preferably, a first outlet opening is provided in the region of the brake caliper in order to cool this by direct air flow. Here, the brake caliper is cooled particularly effectively if the first outlet opening is provided between two fixing points of the brake caliper on the wheel carrier housing part.

Advantageously, a second outlet opening for air flow onto the brake disk and/or a brake part is provided on an opposite side to the first outlet opening, viewed in the direction of travel.

In a particularly compact embodiment, a fixing ring is provided in the upper region of the wheel carrier housing part with respect to a vehicle vertical axis, as a fixing means for the damper strut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1shows a perspective front view of a wheel carrier assembly2according to aspects of the invention of a left front axle side of a motor vehicle. The wheel carrier assembly2comprises a wheel carrier part4, which is configured as a wheel carrier housing part and has linking means6,8(see alsoFIG.2) for a control arm assembly10. Also, a fixing means12is provided in the form of a fixing ring for a damper strut14, and a recess16for a wheel bearing18. The fixing means12for the damper strut14is here configured as a fixing ring and is arranged in the upper region of the wheel carrier housing part4with respect to a vehicle vertical axis. Furthermore, a disk brake assembly20is shown which, in the present exemplary embodiment, comprises a brake disk22, a brake chamber24and a brake caliper26as brake parts.

With such a wheel carrier assembly2, the brake chamber24or brake disk22and brake caliper26can be cooled to a limited extent by a gap28between the wheel carrier housing part4and the disk brake assembly20(see also drawn arrows). This cooling may not, however, be adequate, in particular in driving situations in which a high braking energy is required. It order now to provide air cooling with a higher through-flow speed at the brake parts such as the brake disk22, brake chamber24and brake disk26, the wheel carrier housing part4—as shown inFIG.2—is formed circumferentially hollow, wherein as air guide means, an air inlet opening32is formed in the region of a front transverse control arm30of the control arm assembly10, and two air outlet openings34,36in the region of the brake disk22or brake chamber24and in the region of the brake caliper26respectively. By means of the air inlet opening32arranged in the region of the front transverse control arm30, a dynamic pressure is created in the region of the air inlet opening32, whereby the travel air is conducted with increased through-flow speed through the hollow wheel carrier housing part4to the respective air outlet openings34,36(see also drawn arrows). In this context, it is noted that the term “circumferentially hollow wheel carrier housing part4” means that the cavity may also be interrupted, for example by the fixing ring12for the damper strut14. It should merely be guaranteed that the travel air can easily pass from the inlet opening32to the various outlet openings34,36. Here, the first outlet opening34for cooling the brake caliper26is provided between two fixing points38,40of the brake caliper26on the wheel carrier housing part4. The second outlet opening36for air flow onto the brake disk22and/or the brake chamber24is provided on an opposite side to the first outlet opening34, viewed in the direction of travel. The direction of travel is indicated by an arrow inFIG.2.

In order now to further increase the dynamic pressure at the air inlet opening32, in the present exemplary embodiment (as shown inFIG.1), an air guide member42is provided on the front transverse control arm30. This conducts the travel air in the direction of the air inlet opening32in targeted fashion.

It should be clear that the wheel carrier assembly2according to aspects of the invention allows a highly efficient cooling of the brake parts22,24,26of the disk brake assembly20in as simple and economic a fashion as possible.