Patent ID: 7353920

Claim:
A fluid cooled brake housing for a brake system that includes friction pads and a rotatable element to be braked, the housing comprising: a circumferential wall and two axial end walls that define a cavity for housing the friction pads and rotatable element; an opening in at least one of the axial end walls through which a portion of the rotatable element can extend; a fluid flow path formed around the periphery of the circumferential wall such that the fluid flow path is external to the defined cavity; a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid flow path; a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the fluid flow path; a supply of cooling fluid in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the cooling fluid flowing from the fluid inlet through the fluid flow path to the fluid outlet thereby cooling the entire brake housing; and a seal means for sealing the opening such that the cavity can be at least partially filled with a volume of lubricating fluid to provide a wet brake housing.