Reduced drag wet disc brake
First Claim
1. A wet disc brake assembly comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity;
at least one non-rotating plate slidably connected to said housing and disposed within said cavity;
a hub supported for rotation relative to said housing;
at least one rotating plate slidably connected to said hub and disposed with said cavity adjacent said at least one non-rotating plate with said rotating plate rotating in conjunction with said hub;
a fluid disposed within said cavity to at least partially surround said rotating and non-rotating plates with said fluid having a viscosity that varies under application of an electrical current;
an actuator movably mounted to said housing within said cavity and selectively abutting one of said plates with said actuator moving axially toward said rotating and non-rotating plates to move and compress said plates together for increasing a drag force experienced by said plates and said actuator moving axially away from said rotating and non-rotating plates to allow said plates to move apart from each other for decreasing a drag force experienced by said plates; and
a current source selectively applying an electrical current to vary said viscosity of said fluid whereby generation of said electrical current increases and viscosity of said fluid for increasing said drag force experienced by said plates and an absence of said electrical current results in a low viscosity of said fluid for decreasing said drag force experienced by said plates such that said rotational speed of said hub can be electronically controlled.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reduced drag wet disc brake assembly is disclosed in which the viscosity of the fluid in the assembly is capable of changing. At higher traveling speeds, the viscosity of the fluid is low. However, when the viscosity of the fluid increases the speed of the vehicle decreases. The wet disc brake assembly comprises a brake cavity, a rotating plate disposed within the cavity that is rotatingly connected to the hub, two non-rotating plates disposed within the cavity on either side of the rotating plate, a current source connected to the rotating and non-rotating plates, and an electrorheological fluid filling the brake cavity. The viscosity of the electrorheological fluid changes depending on the electric current experienced by the fluid. In an alternative embodiment, the brake assembly also includes a coiled conductive wire connected to a current source to produce a magnetic field and the cavity is filled with magnetic Theological fluid instead of electrorheological fluid. The viscosity of the magnetic rheological fluid changes depending on the magnet field experienced by the fluid. Both embodiments can also include a piston that transmits a supplemental braking torque on the rotating plate to aid in decreasing the vehicle'"'"'s speed.
32 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A wet disc brake assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a cavity;
at least one non-rotating plate slidably connected to said housing and disposed within said cavity;
a hub supported for rotation relative to said housing;
at least one rotating plate slidably connected to said hub and disposed with said cavity adjacent said at least one non-rotating plate with said rotating plate rotating in conjunction with said hub;
a fluid disposed within said cavity to at least partially surround said rotating and non-rotating plates with said fluid having a viscosity that varies under application of an electrical current;
an actuator movably mounted to said housing within said cavity and selectively abutting one of said plates with said actuator moving axially toward said rotating and non-rotating plates to move and compress said plates together for increasing a drag force experienced by said plates and said actuator moving axially away from said rotating and non-rotating plates to allow said plates to move apart from each other for decreasing a drag force experienced by said plates; and
a current source selectively applying an electrical current to vary said viscosity of said fluid whereby generation of said electrical current increases and viscosity of said fluid for increasing said drag force experienced by said plates and an absence of said electrical current results in a low viscosity of said fluid for decreasing said drag force experienced by said plates such that said rotational speed of said hub can be electronically controlled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification