Abstract:
The present invention is a system which improves the airflow in a disc braking system by using impellers which are powered by a drive shaft that is rotated via a roller that is contacted with the brake rotor. A housing is provided that fits on a brake disc which holds the impellers, drive shaft, and filters. In an alternative embodiment, twin impellers could be used on either side of the rotor to maximize the air flow through the impellers. It is another object of the present invention to provide an impeller shroud housing that has an inlet to allow air to enter the shrouding. There is a mesh filter on the inlet which can capture particles as air is forced into the shrouding. Another filter on the shroud housing outlet to capture the remaining particles as air is forced out of the shroud housing and onto the rotor to aid in cooling of the braking system.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed towards a system for collecting the waste discharged from brake pads used in standard disc braking systems. More specifically, the invention discloses a system utilizing impellers, powered by the momentum of the brake rotor, to direct brake pad waste to a collection area. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Disc brake systems are the most common form of braking mechanisms used today for vehicle wheels and most specifically for mass produced automobiles. Disc braking systems work by utilizing brake pads which are compressed against a rotor (also called a disc) to slow down a vehicle&#39;s wheels. As a by-product of this system, a large amount of heat is released as the kinetic energy from the wheel momentum is converted by the friction created by the brake pads. Additionally, as brake pads erode they release harmful particles into the atmosphere. These harmful particles can also enter and pollute water streams. The present invention addresses and alleviates these common problems. 
     Cooling is a primary concern for disc braking systems. This is because at high temperatures, the coefficient of friction needed for stopping power is reduced and brake performance is consequently diminished. For this reason, most disc systems include vanes that facilitate airflow and many brake rotors have open bridges that allow for air to flow through the rotor and remove heat from the surface. To that end, many US patents have also been directed towards devices that provide cooling air to reduce the operating temperature of braking systems. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,620,616, 4,503,944, 3,664,467, 4,317, 508, 6,446,766 and 4,440,270. Some US patents have also focused in the use of fans or impellers to aide in air flow. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,880,683, 7,111,710 and 4,013,146. 
     The waste that is released into the atmosphere from brake pads also creates multiple dilemmas. As force is applied to brake pads, the material on the pads is ground away. This material is known as brake dust and can be problematic for two main reasons. The first is that brake dust is highly corrosive and harmful to the environment. It is estimated that up to ninety percent of the worn away brake pad particles are released into the atmosphere. The dust created, which contains carbon fibers, metal filings and acidic adhesive material, is extremely caustic to the environment. The second problem is that the remainder of the brake dust that is not released into the atmosphere is deposited on the vehicle wheels. The brake dust can be corrosive enough to burn through wheel coatings and leave expensive wheels damaged and unsightly. As a result, there have been a number of devices that have introduced dust shields or filter systems designed to reduce brake dust. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,094,268, 4,484,667, 6,371,569, 6,173,821, 6,932,199, 6,155,650 and 5,772,286. U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,053 discloses a system that utilizes a suction mechanism along with a filter to capture brake dust. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,642 discloses a device that utilizes an electrostatic charge to collect charged brake dust particles. 
     None of the above referenced devices addresses all the problems associated with brake pad waste. Therefore, there is a need for a system that can provide additional cooling air to brake rotors, prevent harmful brake dust from being discharged into the atmosphere, and protect the finish on vehicle wheels from being damaged. Accordingly, the present invention described herein encompasses these and other elements. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention is to provide a system which improves the airflow in a disc braking system by using impellers which are powered by a drive shaft that is rotated via a roller and is contacted with the brake rotor. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a housing that fits around a brake disc which holds the impellers, drive shaft, and filters. In an alternative embodiment, twin impellers could be used on either side of the rotor to maximize the air flow through the impellers. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an impeller housing that has an inlet to allow air to enter the shrouding. There is a mesh filter on the inlet which can capture particles as air is forced into the impeller housing. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide another filter on the impeller housing outlet to capture the remaining particles as air is forced out of the impeller housing and onto the rotor to aid in cooling of the braking system. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the housing can be designed to encompass the brake caliper so that the amount of brake residue captured and the air flow recycled on the brake rotor can be maximized. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide pressure release valves near the air intake and outlet on the impeller housing. When either of these valves is activated, it will allow air to bypass the filters in the case they have been clogged. The bypassed air will be redirected to the brake rotor to aid in cooling. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates perspective view of the current invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the drive shaft of the current invention. 
         FIG. 3   a  illustrates a perspective view of the floating bearing unit. 
         FIG. 3   b  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the floating bearing unit. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of the drive shaft in an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates and exploded view of an impeller housing. 
         FIG. 6   a  illustrates a perspective view of the current invention showing the inlet filters. 
         FIG. 6   b  illustrates a perspective view of the current invention showing the outlet filters. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates and exploded view of the current invention showing the impeller assembly with the reverse centrifugal clutch configuration. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the current invention attached to a disc brake assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different formulations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the compositions or formulations of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but are merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the system  10  for increasing the airflow in a disc brake system and collecting brake pad waste is shown. The system  10  is contained in a main housing  11 . The housing  11  is attached to a baffle plate  16  that is found in the braking system of many automobiles. In other embodiments, the housing  11  could also be bolted to the brake caliper  19 . In yet another exemplary embodiment, the housing could also be designed to encompass the caliper to maximize the amount of airflow from the rotor that can be recycled and amount of brake pad waste captured. The housing  11  is designed to fit over the brake disc or rotor  17 . The housing  11  holds the drive shaft  12 , drive shaft roller  13 , floating bearings  14  and impellers  15 . The impellers are held within an impeller housing  21 . In the preferred embodiment, the system  10  is designed to have an impeller housing unit on each side of the brake rotor. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , an exploded view of the drive shaft  12  is shown. The drive shaft  12  is held in the housing  11  and is attached to the housing  11  using floating bearings  14 . The floating bearing unit, which will be described in greater detail blow, allows the drive shaft  12  to be properly positioned under different heat conditions or after wear in the braking system. In the preferred embodiment, the drive shaft  12  utilizes a roller  13  to contact the rotor  17 . When a vehicle wheel turns, the rotor  17  will be rotated in the same direction the wheel rotates and in turn will contact the roller  13 . The roller  13  will then turn the drive shaft  12  in the opposite direction of the rotor  17 . As will be described later, the drive shaft  12  will be used to power the impellers  15  to draw air from the rotor  17 . The roller  13  can be constructed from a high temperature Silicon compound or any material that withstand the heat and wear caused by the contact with the rotor  17 . It is appreciated that in other embodiments, various methods can be used so that the rotor  17  can power the drive shaft  12 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , one such alternative embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, there is a direct drive design wherein the rotor  17  and drive shaft  12  are fashioned with gears  31 ,  32  that contact as the rotor  17  is turned. The direct drive configuration would eliminate the need for a roller attachment. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , the floating bearing system for the drive shaft will be described in greater detail. The ends of the drive shaft  12  and bearings  14  are contained in block  29  which rests in the unit housing  11 . As best seen in  FIG. 3   b , there are machined out channels  30  above and on the sides of the block  29 . Inside the channels are ball bearings  28  and springs  27 . Set screws  26  are used to contain the unit and place pressure against the springs  27 . With the springs  27  holding the block  29  in place, it has the ability to “float” or move along the vertical and horizontal planes. This will allow the system  10  to function effectively under increased heat conditions and even as the break system wears. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the drive shaft  12  utilizes a spring belt  20  to contact and turn the impellers  15 . It is also appreciated that other methods could be used to transfer power from the drive shaft  12  to the impellers  15 . These include a direct drive design wherein in the drive shaft  12  and impellers  15  are fitted with gears that contact as the drive shaft  12  is turned. In addition, a V-belt or chain drive could be utilized to turn the impellers  15 . Finally, the gear ratio between the impeller and drive shaft can be adjusted to determine the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air drawn by the impellers. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 ,  6   a  and  6   b , a cross sectional view of the impeller housing  21  and prospective views showing the filters  24 ,  25  are shown.  FIG. 6   a  shows a view showing the inlet filter  24 . As seen in  FIG. 6   b , the identical configuration is used on the other side of the impellers  15  for the outlet filter  25 . The impeller housing  21  covers the impellers  15  and has an air inlet  22  and air outlet  23 . When the impellers  15  are turned air will be drawn from the brake rotor  17  into the air inlet  22  of the impeller housing  21 . The air will then pass through the inlet filter  24 , the outlet filter  25 , and finally out the air outlet  23  before being directed back onto the brake rotor  17 . The impeller housing  21  is also designed to have a pressure release valve  33  on both the air inlet  22  and air outlet  23 . If the inlet filter  24  is clogged, the pressure release valve  33  on the air inlet will be opened to allow air to enter the impeller housing. Likewise, if the air outlet filter is clogged, the pressure release valve  33  on the air outlet  23  will be opened to allow air to leave the impeller housing. The impeller housing  21  will also be fitted with a small hole  34  so that a small amount of brake dust can be directed onto the drive shaft  12 . This minimal amount of brake dust will be used to lubricate the drive shaft  12  to maximize its efficiency. Additionally, the impeller housing  21  can be insulated to reduce the noise from the system. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the air inlet and air outlet filters  24 , 25  will be standard reusable steal or copper mesh filters with a micron filter of approximately 80 microns. It is, however, appreciated that any filter type capable of capturing the particles released from brake pads can be used in the system. Another environmental benefit of the system is that once the filters are cleaned the brake dust can be recycled. 
     In the preferred embodiment, one impeller  15  will be positioned on either side of the brake rotor  17 . In other exemplary embodiments various configurations can be used to adjust the amount of air drawn from the rotor  17 . One such configuration is a twin impeller design. In that configuration two impellers would be used in parallel in each impeller housing  21 . By using more than one impeller, the amount of airflow redirected to the brake rotor  17  will be increased. Additionally, impellers with curved paddles can be used to reduce the noise from the system. 
       FIG. 7  shows another embodiment wherein the impeller assembly is also fitted with a reverse centrifugal clutch assembly  35 . The centrifugal clutch  35  links the impeller shaft  36  with the power drive from the spring belt  20 . The purpose of the reverse clutch  35  is to disengage when the impeller creates an output beyond a set maximum RPM (rotations per minute) and air flow (CFM). This will prevent any damage to the assembly which may occur at extreme operating conditions. The clutch  35  consists of an outer drum attached directly to the spring belt  37 . The drum holds a pair of cylindrical clutch weights attached to a drum with a pair of springs enclosed in a guide. The springs keep constant pressure on the clutch weights that come in contact with the impeller shaft  36 . With the clutch  35  engaged, both the impeller shaft  36  and spring belt shaft  37  work as one. Only at a high RPM rates will the clutch  35  disengage and allow the impeller shaft  36  to slow or stop. When the RPMs are reduced there is less centrifugal force so that the springs push the clutch weights back up against the impeller shaft  36 . This will engage the two shafts  36 , 37  again so that the system  10  can function as previously described. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , the system for introducing increased airflow in a brake system and collecting brake pad waste will be described. In order to stop the motion of vehicle wheels, disc brake systems are used. Wheels are connected to a brake rotor  17  that turns with the wheels. To slow the movement of the rotor  17  and in turn the wheels, a brake caliper  19  is used. The caliper  19  is fitted with brake pads  18  which are positioned on either side of the brake rotor  17 . The caliper is used to press the brake pads  18  against the rotor. The kinetic energy of the rotor  17  is then converted to heat by the friction between the rotor  17  and the brake pads  18 . As the brake pads  18  wear, particles are released from the pads. This “brake dust” comprises the waste that is collected by the filters  24 ,  25 . 
     As the rotor  17  is turned, the drive shaft  12  is engaged and is powered by the rotation of the rotor  17 . The drive shaft  12  in turn powers the impellers  15 . The rotation of the impellers  15  creates a suction that draws the air and brake dust from the rotor into the impeller housing  21 . Once in the impeller housing  21 , the airflow is moved through both the inlet  24  and outlet  25  filters. These filters capture the brake dust so that is not released into the atmosphere or deposited on the vehicle wheels. The airflow is then directed out of the impeller housing  21  and back onto the brake rotor  17 . This increased airflow onto the rotor  17  will act to cool the braking system and increase the overall brake efficiency of the vehicle brakes. 
     It is to be appreciated that additional advantages, modifications and equivalent embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details and representative devices, shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.