Abstract:
A brake disk with enhanced cooling features. The brake disk defines a plurality of channels with ribs located within those channels. Two friction plates are connected together by way of a plurality of vanes. The vanes define channels through which cooling air travels. The ribs extend from the surface of friction plates and are chevron shaped. The channels extend between an inner diameter of the brake disk and an outer diameter and direct cooling air from radially inner regions of the brake disk. The ribs create increased air turbulence and flow features which provide greater heat transfer, thereby providing improved cooling.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional Application Number 60/826185, filed Sep. 19, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The present disclosure is directed to a brake disk for a disk brake system. 
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]    Disk brake systems are particularly suitable for high performance motor vehicles, such as racing cars, high-powered motor vehicles, heavy vehicles, vehicles pulling trailers, etc. Such disk brake systems consist of a caliper, a brake disk, and a center hub. During braking, hydraulic pressure is applied to the pistons within the brake caliper and the caliper pads make contact with the friction plate of the brake disk. The kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted into thermal energy due to friction between the caliper pads and friction plates of the brake disk. As a result, the caliper pads and friction plates become heated, and the heat must be dissipated as quickly as possible to prevent overheating of the components of the disk brake system. 
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]    The present disclosure relates to a brake disk for a disk brake system defining a plurality of channels and including a plurality of ribs disposed within each of the channels. The brake disk may comprise a pair of opposed friction plates and a plurality of vanes disposed between the friction plates defining the channels. The vanes and ribs may extend from the surface of one of the friction plates toward the other friction plate. The ribs may interconnect the vanes or otherwise extend from one vane to the other vane, and may be chevron shaped or have any other suitable shape. The channels may extend between an inner diameter of the brake disk and an outer diameter and direct cooling air from the radially inner regions of the brake disk. 
         [0005]    Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following Detailed Description. 
     
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a disk brake system having a brake disk in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway perspective view of the brake disk of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the brake disk of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the cross section of the ribs and brake disk. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a disk brake system  100  comprising a brake disk  110  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a caliper  112 , and a center hub  130 . The caliper  112  is disposed about the brake disk  110 , and the center hub  130  is coupled to the inner diameter of the brake disk  110 . The center hub  130  is attached to a vehicle wheel and rotates the brake disk  1   10 . 
         [0010]    The brake disk  110  includes a pair of opposed friction plates  206  and  208 , a plurality of vanes  212  disposed between the friction plates and defining a plurality of channels  214  between the friction plates, and a plurality of ribs  216  disposed within the channels  214 . The brake disk  110  further defines a center hole  218 . Each of the friction plates  206  and  208  includes an outer face  220  and an inner face  210 . The outer faces  220  of the friction plates  206  and  208  may also define a plurality of crescent shaped-grooves  222 . 
         [0011]    The friction plates  206  and  208  are interconnected by the plurality of vanes  212 . The vanes  212  may be formed or cast as part of either friction plate  206  or  208  on the friction plate inner faces  210 . The vanes  212  may instead be formed as part of both friction plates  206  and  208  or may be formed as a separate structure. The vanes  212  extend in a curved or other aerodynamic manner between the inner diameter of the brake disk  110  and the outer diameter of the brake disk  110 . The vanes  212  can instead begin and terminate at any other point within the brake disk  110 , and may have any other suitable configuration in accordance with other embodiments. 
         [0012]    A plurality of the ribs  216  are disposed within each of the channels  214 . The ribs  216  extend from the inner face  210  of each of the friction plates  206  and  208 , between the vanes  212 . The ribs  216  interconnect the vanes  212 . However, the ribs  216  may also not interconnect the vanes  212 . The ribs  216  are chevron or “v” shaped with the apex being disposed nearest the inner diameter brake disk  110 , opposing the air flow. 
         [0013]    The ribs  216  on the friction plate  206  are offset relative to the ribs  216  of the friction plate  208 . The ribs  216  on each friction plate can also be directly across from each other. An offset of ribs  216  is generally desirable, however, to minimize the reduction in air flow through the channels  214 . The spacing, placement, shape and number of the ribs  216  can be optimized for the given circumstances. 
         [0014]    The ribs  216  may be disposed anywhere else within the channels  214  in accordance with other embodiments. The ribs  216  can be added to the vanes  212  in addition to or instead of the friction plates  206  and  208 . The ribs  216  also can be formed or otherwise disposed on only one friction plate or otherwise arranged or disposed in any other suitable manner. The ribs  216  can also be individually located within the channel  214 , without contacting either vane  212 . 
         [0015]    Each of the ribs  216  has a rectangular cross-section. The ratio of the height of the ribs  216  divided by the height of the vanes  212  may be roughly equal to  0 . 125 . The ribs  216 , however, may have any other suitable cross-section. For example, the cross section of the ribs  216  can be rounded, pointed, or have any other suitable cross-section. The ribs  216  can also have any suitable height. The height, width, shape, length, number, and position of the ribs  216  can be widely varied. The ribs  216  can have any other shape in accordance with other embodiments. For example, the ribs  216  can be straight, curved, convex, concave, reverse chevron etc. The ribs  216  also can have any geometric shape, including rectangular or cylindrical discrete appendages. 
         [0016]    The ribs  216  consist of cast iron and are manufactured with a conventional method for this type of product; using a rigid sand core produced from a split corebox placed in a hard sand mould produced by a pattern. The ribs  216  are cast as a part of the friction plates  206  and  208 . The ribs  216  can be made from any suitable material for these temperatures, can be formed using any manufacturing process, and can be attached via a welding process or mechanically or with an adhesive rather than being cast as part of the friction plates  206  and  208 . The ribs  216  can also be cast onto or attached to the vanes  212  instead of the friction plates  206  and  208 . The ribs  216  can be cast onto any structure within the channel  214 . In addition, the entire brake disk  110 , with friction plates  206  and  208 , vanes  212 , and ribs  216 , can be cast as a single component using an investment casting process with a dissolvable core or other suitable casting technique. 
         [0017]    In operation of the disk brake system  100 , the vehicle wheel turns the center hub  130 , which turns the brake disk  110 . During braking, pistons within the caliper  112  are engaged and pads within the caliper  112  move to contact the outer faces  220  of the friction plates of the brake disk  110 . The contact with the outer faces  220  of the friction plates  206  and  208  and pads causes friction as the kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted to thermal energy or heat. As a result, the brake disk  110 , center hub  130 , and vehicle wheel slow and the brake disk  110  becomes heated. As the brake disk  110  rotates, air is drawn into the channels  214  at the brake disk  110  inside diameter and exits at the brake disk  110  outer diameter. As the air travels within the channels  214 , heat is extracted from the brake disk  110 . The crescent shaped-grooves  222  may perform various functions, such as, for example, drainage of foreign material from the friction plate outer faces  220  and pads, and counter acting brake shudder or pulsing. 
         [0018]    The ribs  216  inside the channels  214  of the brake disk  110  in accordance with the illustrated embodiment improve massflow and heat transfer coefficients by causing turbulence and high heat transfer flow features within the channels  214 . This turbulence may improve aerodynamic mixing between air traveling in the center of the channel  214  and air traveling closer to the disk inner faces  210  and vanes  212 , create local attachment points which increase local heat transfer coefficient, and create secondary flows of air which promote the redistribution of massflow to enhance heat transfer. The shape of ribs  216  may reduce total pressure loss. 
         [0019]    While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure but rather as an explanation of one preferred embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible. Accordingly the scope of the disclosure should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.