With Means For Cooling Brake Patents (Class 188/71.6)
  • Patent number: 6202802
    Abstract: A bicycle disc brake caliper is provided with a cooling system that transfers heat away from the actuating fluid. Basically, the bicycle disc brake caliper has a housing and a piston unit, with a coolant member of the cooling system attached to the housing. The housing has a frame mounting member sized to be coupled to a portion of a bicycle frame. The piston unit is movably coupled to the housing between a release position, in which the piston unit is spaced from a brake disc mounted to a wheel of a bicycle, and a braking position, in which the piston unit engages the brake disc of the bicycle wheel. The coolant member has a coolant area for receiving coolant to create a coolant heat sink that transfers heat from the housing. The housing has an actuating passage in fluid communication with the piston unit to move the piston unit via an actuating fluid. In one embodiment, the cooling system includes a pump and a reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Yasushi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6196358
    Abstract: A bicycle disc brake caliper is provided with a detachable cooling system that transfers heat away from the actuating fluid. Basically, the bicycle disc brake caliper has a housing and a piston unit, with a coolant member of the cooling system attached to the housing. The housing has a frame mounting member sized to be coupled to a portion of a bicycle frame. The piston unit is movably coupled to the housing between a release position, in which the piston unit is spaced from a brake disc mounted to a wheel of a bicycle, and a braking position, in which the piston unit engages the brake disc of the bicycle wheel. The coolant member has a coolant area for receiving coolant to create a coolant heat sink that transfers heat from the housing. The housing has an actuating passage in fluid communication with the piston unit to move the piston unit via an actuating fluid. In one embodiment, the cooling system includes a pump and a reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Yasushi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6193023
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a brake rotor including a central hat section, a peripheral annular friction section having a pair of annular spaced apart friction plates, and plurality of posts extending between said friction plates. The posts include a plurality of first posts having an elongated cross sectional shape, and a plurality of second posts having a circular cross sectional shape. The posts are arranged in a plurality of circumferentially extending rows and radially extending columns to form vents for cooling the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry K. Telfer
  • Patent number: 6189669
    Abstract: A friction device includes a clutch pack operable to connect and disconnect drive and driven members for transferring and interrupting torque therebetween. A piston is supported in the clutch housing and defines a first expandable chamber. The piston is responsive to the pressure of fluid in the expandable chamber to move between disengaged and engaged positions thereby actuating the clutch pack. An outer ring is slidably supported within the housing to form a second expandable chamber. The outer ring includes at least one orifice extending therethrough. The piston closes the orifice in the outer ring when the drive and driven members are disconnected and has a second position where the orifice is open. A second source of lubricant pressure separate from the piston actuating fluid flows into the second expandable chamber thence through the orifice and from the outer diameter of the clutch pack between the adjacent plates and disks to the inner diameter of the clutch pack for cooling the pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Kremer, Paul T. McCrary, R. Keith Martin
  • Patent number: 6186285
    Abstract: A brake arrangement for a vehicle adapted for connection to an axle end. The brake arrangement includes a rotor disc adapted, in use, to rotate with the axle end and a stationary housing enclosing the rotor disc with one or more seals. A substantially sealed zone is provided within at least part of the stationary housing such that at least a braking effect region of the rotor disc, in use, passes through the substantially sealed zone. At least one friction pad is located adjacent a braking surface of the rotor disc in the braking effect region so as to operationally engage the braking surface during a vehicle braking operation. The stationary housing contains a liquid medium within at least the substantially sealed zone, the brake arrangement being characterized in that the liquid medium has a viscosity of less than 7 centistokes mm2/sec at 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Brake Technologies Pty., Ltd.
    Inventor: Francis Edward Parsons
  • Patent number: 6170617
    Abstract: A bicycle disc brake caliper is provided with a cooling system that transfers heat away from the actuating fluid. Basically, the bicycle disc brake caliper has a housing and a piston unit, with a coolant member of the cooling system attached to the housing. The housing has a frame mounting member sized to be coupled to a portion of a bicycle frame. The piston unit is movably coupled to the housing between a release position, in which the piston unit is spaced from a brake disc mounted to a wheel of a bicycle, and a braking position, in which the piston unit engages the brake disc of the bicycle wheel. The coolant member has a coolant area for receiving coolant to create a coolant heat sink that transfers heat from the housing. The housing has an actuating passage in fluid communication with the piston unit to move the piston unit via an actuating fluid. In one embodiment, the cooling system includes a pump and a reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Yasushi Nakamura