Anti-dust and cooling cover for brake assembly

• US 6,155,650 A
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Barger
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Barger
• Inventors: Barger, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US09/404,242
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 301/6.1, 301/6.3, 301/6.91, 301/37.1, 188/218 A, 188/264 A, 188/264 AA
• US Class Current: 301/6.3
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2055/0037 Protective covers
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/847 with open cooling system, e.g. cooled by air

Abstract

An anti-dust and cooling cover adapted for being positionable between a wheel and a brake assembly of a vehicle and being in rotation with the wheel and the brake assembly is disclosed. The cover includes a plate and a wall, and is adapted for substantially surrounding the assembly. The plate has an outer surface, an inner surface, a perimeter, a plurality of holes, and an opening. When the cover is positioned between the wheel and the assembly, the outer surface of the plate is adjacent to the wheel while the inner surface of the plate is adjacent to the assembly. The wall has an outer surface, an inner surface, a plurality of openings along the wall, and a plurality of louvers fixed along the outer surface of the wall. The wall projects perpendicularly from the plate along the perimeter of the plate to form the cover. When the wheel, the assembly, and the cover are in rotation due to the vehicle moving forward, air about the louvers and the openings of the wall is scooped up by the louvers and is drawn into the chamber through the openings of the wall to create air flow.

Claims

1. An anti-dust and cooling cover adapted for being positionable between a wheel and a brake assembly of a vehicle and being in rotation with the wheel and the brake assembly, said cover comprising:

a plate having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a perimeter,

said outer surface of said plate being adjacent to the wheel and said inner surface of said plate being adjacent to the assembly when said cover is positioned between the wheel and the assembly; and

a wall having an outer surface, an inner surface, a plurality of openings located at predetermined locations along said wall, and a plurality of louvers fixed at predetermined locations along said outer surface of said wall, said wall projecting perpendicularly from said plate along said perimeter of said plate to form said cover wherein said cover is adapted for being in communication with the assembly, and is dimensioned and configured for substantially surrounding the assembly whereby a chamber is formed therebetween,

each of said louvers forming a hood over a corresponding opening of said openings in said wall wherein air about said louvers and said openings in said will is scooped up by said louvers and is drawn into said chamber though said openings of the wall when the wheel, the assembly, and said cover are in rotation relative to one another.

2. The cover according to claim 1 wherein:

said plate is circular and said wall is cylindrical.

3. The cover according to claim 1 wherein:

said plate and a rotor of the assembly are adjacent and parallel to one another when said cover is in communication with the assembly.

4. The cover according to claim 1 wherein:

said cover is manufactured of one piece construction.

5. The cover according to claim 1 wherein:

said plate further has a plurality of holes at predetermined locations along said plate, and an opening at a predetermined location along said plate,

each of said holes being adapted for permitting a corresponding bolt of a plurality of wheel bolts of the assembly to pass through each of said holes,

said opening being adapted for permitting an end of an axle spindle of the vehicle to pass through said opening.

6. The cover according to claim 1 wherein:

each of said louvers is formed by a plate extending at an angle from a first lengthwise edge of a respective opening of said openings in said wall and by two end plates,

said plate of each of said louvers having a first end, a second end, a first lengthwise edge, a second lengthwise edges and two side edges,

said first lengthwise edge of said plate being attached to said wall and said second lengthwise edge of said plate being a free edge wherein said plate of each of said louvers is connected to said respective opening wherein said first lengthwise edge of said plate is coextensive with said first lengthwise edge of said respective opening,

said second lengthwise edge of said plate being spaced apart from a second lengthwise edge of said respective opening opposite said first lengthwise edge of said opening along which said plate of each of said louvers is attached,

said end plates extending between said side edges of said plate of each of said louvers and two side edges of said respective opening at each end of said plate of each of said louvers whereby said plate of each of said louvers and said end plates cooperatively form a scoop over said respective opening and also cooperatively define a respective louver of said louvers.

7. The cover according to claim 6 wherein:

each of said openings in said wall is rectangular;

said plate of each of said louvers is elongated and rectangular; and

each of said end plates is substantially triangular.