Brake dust collector

Abstract

To provide a small-size brake dust collector capable of efficiently suppressing the temperature rise of a brake while collecting brake dust even in the travel of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A brake dust collector 1 for a disc-brake in which a caliper 6 is arranged on the front of a brake disc 5 includes a dust cover 10 for covering the brake disc 5 in a range from the lower end of the caliper 6 to the rear of the brake disc 5, a side face closing window 12 for opening / closing the side face of the dust cover 10 at the lower side of the caliper 6 to take travel wind therein, and a dust collecting filter 15 for collecting brake dust while exhausting the travel wind taken into the dust cover 10 to the rear side of a vehicle 2, the side face closing window 12 being controlled to be opened in linkage with the braking operation of the disc brake.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dust collecting device for a brake. [Background technology]

[0002] Friction brakes are a known vehicle braking mechanism that generates braking force through friction between brake pads and brake discs that rotate integrally with the axle.When braking, the brake pads that are pressed against the brake disc are worn down, generating brake dust, which is abrasion powder that is released into the atmosphere as particulate matter (PM).Therefore, it is necessary to collect this brake dust.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a brake dust treatment device that prevents the release of brake dust by sealing the entire friction brake with a dust cover, and collects brake dust using negative pressure that utilizes the intake and exhaust of the engine.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for suppressing an internal temperature rise by covering the entire friction brake with a disc cover and forcibly sending cooling air into the cover using a cooling device such as an air conditioner when the ignition is on. The disc cover device in Patent Document 2 is configured so that a sliding window is provided on the side of the disc cover, and when the ignition is turned off after driving has finished, the window is opened to allow outside air to cool the inside of the cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-108812 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-196684 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the entire friction brake is covered with a dust cover, which may lead to an increase in the size of the dust collection device.Furthermore, in the conventional technology, a separate cooling device is required to suppress the temperature rise during driving, which generates brake dust, and this cooling consumes energy.

[0007] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a small brake dust collecting device that can efficiently suppress an increase in brake temperature while collecting brake dust even while the vehicle is in motion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the brake dust collecting device of the present invention is a brake dust collecting device for a disc brake configured to have a brake disc for braking a vehicle wheel and a caliper that presses against the brake disc when the wheel is braked, and is equipped with: a dust cover that is arranged to cover approximately the lower half of the brake disc from the front to the rear of the brake disc when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and that collects brake dust that is generated when the caliper is pressed against the brake disc; a side opening / closing window that is arranged in the dust cover and opens and closes the side of the dust cover to take in airflow from the vehicle; and a dust collecting filter that collects the brake dust while discharging the airflow taken in by the dust cover to the rear of the vehicle when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the opening / closing side window is controlled to open and close in conjunction with the braking operation of the disc brake. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The brake dust collecting device of the present invention is configured to cover approximately the lower half of the brake disc with a dust cover and to use the wind generated by the caliper to send brake dust generated by the caliper to a dust collecting filter. During deceleration of the vehicle, which can generate brake dust, the brake dust collecting device creates an airflow inside the dust cover using a side window that opens in conjunction with the braking action of the disc brakes, thereby collecting brake dust without using an external intake / exhaust mechanism. Furthermore, since the dust cover does not seal the brake disc and the wind can be introduced into the dust cover during deceleration of the vehicle, which can cause the disc brakes to become hot, the brake dust collecting device can efficiently suppress an increase in brake temperature without using an external cooling mechanism. Therefore, the present invention provides a compact brake dust collecting device that can efficiently suppress an increase in brake temperature while collecting brake dust even while the vehicle is moving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle equipped with a brake dust collecting device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a brake dust collecting device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the arrangement of the brake dust collecting device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a side opening / closing window. [Figure 5] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of wind generated by a brake dust collecting device according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a timing chart showing an example of operation timing of the brake dust collecting device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically illustrating the configuration of a dust collecting device for a brake according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the contents described below, and can be implemented with any modifications within the scope that does not change the gist of the disclosure. Furthermore, all drawings used to explain the embodiments are schematic representations of components, and may be partially emphasized, enlarged, reduced, or omitted to facilitate understanding, and may not accurately represent the scale, shape, etc. of the components.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle 2 equipped with a brake dust collecting device 1 according to the present invention. The vehicle 2 is equipped with disc brakes as braking mechanisms for each wheel 3, and can decelerate by using calipers 6 to press against brake discs 5 that rotate together via axles 4. The calipers 6 may have a known hydraulically operated configuration, and a description thereof will be omitted here. The brake dust collecting device 1 of this embodiment is applied to a disc brake in which the calipers 6 are located in front of the brake discs 5 when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 2, for example, and collects brake dust generated during braking to prevent it from scattering into the atmosphere. Note that, although the following description will be given taking as an example a case in which the calipers 6 are located in front of the brake discs 5, the location of the calipers 6 is not limited to the front of the brake discs 5.

[0013] Here, the brake dust collecting device 1 is connected to a control device 7 (ECU) that integrally manages the running of the vehicle 2 and the operations of various in-vehicle devices, and as will be described in detail later, is controlled based on a braking control signal from the control device 7. The control device 7 also receives sensor signals from a brake sensor Sb that detects the braking operation by the driver of the vehicle 2 and a vehicle speed sensor Sv that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 2, and generates a braking control signal based on these signals.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the brake dust collecting device 1. In Fig. 2, the internal structure is shown transparently so that the overall configuration of the brake dust collecting device 1 can be seen. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the arrangement of the brake dust collecting device 1. Fig. 3 shows the brake dust collecting device 1, a brake disc 5, and a caliper 6 in an assembled state.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the brake dust collecting device 1 of this embodiment includes a dust cover 10, an air guide channel 11, a side opening window 12, an internal opening window 13, a rear opening 14, and a dust collecting filter 15.

[0016] The dust cover 10 is shaped to cover approximately the lower half of the brake disc 5 from the lower end 6a (see Figure 3) of the caliper 6, which is the front part of the brake disc 5, to the rear part of the brake disc 5, and is fixed to the body of the vehicle 2 by a fixing member not shown.

[0017] The air guide passage 11 is a tubular member formed along the outer peripheral surface of the bottom of the dust cover 10, and has a front opening that introduces running wind from the front of the vehicle 2 when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 2, and guides the running wind to the rear of the dust cover 10.

[0018] The side opening / closing window 12 is provided on the side of the dust cover 10 below the caliper 6, and is configured to be controlled to open when braking is performed while the vehicle 2 is traveling, thereby taking in the traveling wind into the dust cover 10. The side opening / closing window 12 is configured to open outward with its opening surface facing the front of the vehicle 2, thereby allowing the traveling wind to be taken in efficiently.

[0019] 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the side opening window 12. The side opening window 12 has a plate-shaped door body 12c connected to one side of an opening formed in a side surface of the dust cover 10 via a rotation shaft 12b, and the door body 12c is biased by a torsion spring 12d so that the door body 12c closes the opening. In addition, the side opening window 12 has a motor 12e controlled by the control device 7 described above connected to the rotation shaft 12b, and the door body 12c is controlled to open when the motor 12e is driven based on a braking control signal from the control device 7.

[0020] 2, the internal opening / closing window 13 is a window mechanism that opens and closes an opening in the lower part of the dust cover 10 that communicates with the air guide channel 11, and is controlled to open and close in conjunction with the side opening / closing window 12, thereby allowing the traveling wind taken in by the dust cover 10 to merge with the air guide channel 11. Note that the internal opening / closing window 13 can employ an opening / closing mechanism similar to that of the side opening / closing window 12, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0021] In this embodiment, the rear opening 14 is an opening provided at the rear of the air guide channel 11, and is configured to discharge the traveling wind taken in by the dust cover 10 and the air guide channel 11 toward the rear of the vehicle 2 when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 2.

[0022] The dust collection filter 15 is attached to the rear opening 14 and purifies the air by collecting brake dust contained in the airflow discharged from the rear opening 14 during running.

[0023] Next, a description will be given of the operation of collecting brake dust by the brake dust collecting device 1. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of wind generated by the brake dust collecting device 1. More specifically, Fig. 5 is a side view of the brake dust collecting device 1 in a traveling vehicle 2, seen transparently from the vehicle width direction.

[0024] When the driver applies the brakes to the vehicle 2 while it is moving, a frictional force is applied to the rotating brake disc 5 in the caliper 6, slowing down the vehicle 2, and the control device 7 detects the braking operation via the brake sensor Sb. At this time, brake dust generated by friction between the brake pads in the caliper 6 and the brake disc 5 falls into the internal space of the dust cover 10 below the caliper 6.

[0025] Furthermore, the control device 7 controls the side window 12 to open when the vehicle 2 is decelerating, thereby taking in the traveling wind indicated by arrow F1 into the dust cover 10. The control device 7 also controls the inner window 13 to open in conjunction with the side window 12. As a result, inside the dust cover 10, brake dust that has fallen from the caliper 6 is carried by the airflow indicated by arrow F2 toward the inner window 13.

[0026] Meanwhile, in the air guide channel 11, the traveling wind indicated by arrow F3 is taken in by the always-open front opening, and together with the airflow indicated by arrow F2 that flows in from inside the dust cover 10 through the inner opening / closing window 13, this is directed as the airflow indicated by arrow F4 to the rear opening 14. At this time, the amount of airflow directed to the rear opening 14 can be increased not only by the traveling wind taken in through the side opening / closing window 12, but also by the traveling wind directly taken in by the air guide channel 11, so brake dust can be directed to the rear opening 14 more stably.

[0027] Therefore, the dust collection filter 15 can collect brake dust contained in the airflow of arrow F4, and discharges air that does not contain brake dust toward the rear of the vehicle 2 as the airflow indicated by arrow F5.

[0028] Incidentally, by reducing the flow path cross section of the air guide channel 11 when the internal opening / closing window 13 is open, the flow velocity inside the air guide channel 11 is accelerated. At this time, by setting the flow velocity inside the air guide channel 11 to be faster than the flow velocity inside the dust cover 10, negative pressure is generated near the top of the internal opening / closing window 13, and the airflow indicated by arrow F2 containing brake dust can be efficiently introduced into the air guide channel 11.

[0029] Next, an explanation will be given of the opening / closing control of the side opening / closing window 12 and the inner opening / closing window 13 in response to the traveling state of the vehicle 2. Fig. 6 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation timing of the brake dust collecting device 1. More specifically, Fig. 6 shows the timing at which the control device 7 controls the opening / closing state W12 of the side opening / closing window 12 and the opening / closing state W13 of the inner opening / closing window 13 in response to the vehicle speed V and the state of the brake operation B that change as the vehicle 2 travels.

[0030] The control device 7 constantly monitors the vehicle speed V and brake operation B while the ignition of the vehicle 2 is ON, and when the vehicle speed V does not meet a predetermined first threshold, it prohibits the opening control of the side opening / closing window 12 and the internal opening / closing window 13 regardless of the brake operation B.

[0031] Here, the predetermined first threshold value is a threshold value of the vehicle speed V that is set in advance in the control device 7 in order to determine whether the vehicle is in a low-speed state where the brake temperature hardly rises even during braking and hardly any brake dust is generated. In this embodiment, the first threshold value is set to 15 km / h.

[0032] When the vehicle 2 starts traveling and the vehicle speed V reaches the first threshold value, the control device 7 permits the opening control of the side opening window 12 and the interior opening window 13 (timing T1). However, because the brake operation B has not yet been performed at this timing, the opening / closing states W12 and W13 remain CLOSE.

[0033] The control device 7 also detects the brake operation B at timing T2, but suspends the opening control of the side window 12 and the inner window 13 until the braking operation continues for a predetermined first period. Here, the predetermined first period is a time threshold that is set in advance in the control device 7 as a short period after deceleration begins during which the brake temperature hardly rises and hardly any brake dust is generated. In this embodiment, the first period is set to be one second.

[0034] By setting this first period, the control device 7 does not immediately control the side opening / closing window 12 and the internal opening / closing window 13 to open even when it detects brake operation B, and can prevent each opening / closing window from opening and closing frequently even if, for example, brake operation B is detected multiple times in a short period of time.

[0035] Furthermore, at timing T5 when the brake operation B is started at timing T4 and continues beyond the first period, the control device 7 controls to open the side window 12 and the internal window 13. As a result, the side window 12 and the internal window 13 are opened, and the generated brake dust is collected by the dust collection filter 15 as described above.

[0036] In this case, even if the brake operation B ends at timing T6, the control device 7 suspends the closing control of the side opening / closing window 12 and the interior opening / closing window 13 until a predetermined second period has elapsed after the braking is released.

[0037] Here, the predetermined second period is a threshold value that is set in advance in the control device 7 as the time during which brake dust remains inside the dust cover 10 even after braking is released. In this embodiment, the second period is set to 0.5 seconds.

[0038] At timing T7 when the brake operation B ends at timing T6 and the second period has elapsed, the control device 7 controls the side opening / closing window 12 and the inner opening / closing window 13.

[0039] Then, after the brake operation B is detected again at timing T8, the control device 7 controls the side opening / closing window 12 and the inner opening / closing window 13 to open at timing T9 when the first period has elapsed.

[0040] After that, even if the brake operation B continues, if the vehicle 2 has sufficiently decelerated, it becomes unnecessary to collect brake dust and cool the disc brakes. Therefore, after the vehicle speed V has decreased to a predetermined second threshold at timing T10, the control device 7 controls the side opening / closing window 12 and the internal opening / closing window 13 at timing T11 when a predetermined third period has elapsed.

[0041] Here, the predetermined second threshold is a threshold that is set in advance in the control device 7 in order to determine whether the vehicle speed V has sufficiently decelerated due to braking, resulting in a low speed state where the brake temperature hardly increases and almost no brake dust is generated. In this embodiment, the second threshold is set to 15 km / h, the same as the first threshold.

[0042] The predetermined third period is a threshold value that is set in advance in the control device 7 as the time during which brake dust remains inside the dust cover 10 even after the vehicle speed V has decreased to the second threshold value. In this embodiment, the third period is set to 0.5 seconds, the same as the second period.

[0043] As a result, the control device 7 controls the side opening / closing window 12 and the inner opening / closing window 13 at timing T11 while the brake operation B is continued.

[0044] When the vehicle speed V is less than the first threshold value, the opening control of the side window 12 and the internal window 13 is prohibited regardless of the brake operation B at timings T12 and T13. In this way, the side window 12 and the internal window 13 are controlled to open only when it is necessary to collect brake dust or cool the disc brakes, thereby providing waterproof and mudproof effects against water droplets and other foreign objects that may fly in while the vehicle 2 is traveling or stopped.

[0045] As described above, the brake dust collecting device 1 according to this embodiment is configured to cover approximately the lower half of the brake disc 5 with the dust cover 10, and to utilize the airflow taken in from below the caliper 6 where brake dust is generated to send the brake dust to the dust collecting filter 15. When the vehicle 2 decelerates, which may generate brake dust, the brake dust collecting device 1 creates an airflow inside the dust cover 10 using the side opening / closing window 12, which is controlled to open in conjunction with the braking action of the disc brakes, so that the brake dust can be collected without using an external intake / exhaust mechanism.

[0046] Furthermore, the brake dust collecting device 1 does not seal the brake disc 5 with the dust cover 10, and can take in the wind from the vehicle 2 while it is decelerating, which can cause the disc brakes to become hot, so that the rise in brake temperature can be efficiently suppressed without using an external cooling mechanism.

[0047] Therefore, the brake dust collecting device 1 according to the present invention can be formed small so as not to cover the entire brake disc 5, and can efficiently suppress an increase in brake temperature even while the vehicle 2 is traveling.

[0048] This concludes the description of the embodiment, but the brake dust collecting device 1 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the running wind taken into the dust cover 10 is merged into the air guide channel 11, but it is also possible to configure the device without the air guide channel 11.

[0049] 7 is a side view schematically illustrating the configuration of a modified dust collecting device for brakes 1′. The modified dust collecting device for brakes 1′ differs from the above-described dust collecting device for brakes 1 in that it does not include the air guide channel 11 and the internal openable / closable window 13, and the rear opening 14 and the dust collecting filter 15 are provided directly at the rear of the dust cover 10.

[0050] Even with this configuration, the wind from the vehicle traveling, as shown by arrow F6, taken in by the side opening / closing window 12, can send brake dust along the inner surface of the dust cover 10 to the rear opening 14, as shown by arrow F7, and the brake dust can be collected by the dust collection filter 15, and the purified air can be discharged toward the rear of the vehicle 2, as shown by arrow F8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1, 1' Brake dust collector 2 vehicles 5 brake discs 6 calipers 7 Control Device 8 Brake Sensor 9 Vehicle speed sensor 10 dust cover 11 Airflow channel 12 Side opening window 13. Internal opening window 14 Rear opening 15 Dust collection filter

Claims

1. A brake dust collecting device for a disc brake configured to have a brake disc for braking a wheel of a vehicle and a caliper that presses against the brake disc when the wheel is braked, a dust cover that is provided to cover substantially a lower half of the brake disc from the front to the rear of the brake disc when viewed in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, and that receives brake dust that is generated when the caliper is pressed against the brake disc; a side opening / closing window provided in the dust cover, which opens and closes a side of the dust cover to take in wind as the vehicle travels; a dust collection filter that collects the brake dust while discharging the traveling wind taken in by the dust cover to the rear of the vehicle when viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, The side opening / closing window is controlled to open in conjunction with the braking operation of the disc brake.

2. an air guide channel formed along a bottom outer peripheral surface of the dust cover, for introducing airflow from the front of the vehicle as viewed in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle and guiding the airflow to the dust collection filter; 2. The brake dust collecting device according to claim 1, further comprising: an internal opening / closing window that opens and closes in conjunction with the side opening / closing window, and that allows traveling wind taken into the dust cover to join the air guide channel.

3. The brake dust collecting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side opening / closing window is provided so as to open outward and have an opening surface facing forward of the vehicle when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

4. The dust collecting device for a brake according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side opening / closing window is controlled to open when the braking operation continues for a predetermined first period.

5. 3. The dust collecting device for brakes according to claim 1, wherein the opening control of the side opening / closing window is prohibited when the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined first threshold value.

6. The dust collecting device for a brake according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side opening / closing window is controlled to close when a predetermined second period has elapsed after braking is released.

7. 3. The dust collecting device for brakes according to claim 1, wherein the side window is controlled to close when a predetermined third period has elapsed after the vehicle speed has decreased to a predetermined second threshold value.

8. the caliper is provided in front of the brake disc as viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, 3. The brake dust collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the dust cover is provided from a lower end of the caliper to a rear portion of the brake disc.

Images