Brake node

Abstract

In this specification, a plurality of aspects for a vehicle structure are provided. The vehicle structure may include a caliper portion configured to apply braking force. The caliper portion may include an inner housing, an outer housing, and a bridge portion that connects the inner housing and the outer housing. In various embodiments, the outer housing may include an inner surface configured to face the rotor. This inner surface includes a sweep area configured to allow the rotor to be tilted during attachment and detachment of the rotor. The vehicle structure may further include an upright portion configured to couple to a wheel of the vehicle. The upright portion is connected to the inner housing. Further, the vehicle structure may include a stiffening portion that connects the upright portion to at least the bridge portion or the outer housing. In various embodiments, the vehicle structure may be 3D printed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 392,823, entitled "Brake Nodes", filed on Jul. 27, 2022, and U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 360,716, entitled "Brake Nodes", filed on Jul. 27, 2023. The contents of both applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth herein.

[0002] Field The present disclosure generally relates to brakes and suspension systems for land vehicles such as automobiles, and more specifically, to the integration of suspension components such as wheel uprights and brake calipers.

Background Art

[0003] An automobile is a complex machine with many independent dedicated systems. For example, an automobile has a braking system. The function of the braking system is to apply a braking force to the wheels to stop the automobile. The braking system may include components such as a rotor and brake pads. The braking system may also include a corresponding brake caliper. The brake caliper seats the brake pads and brings the brake pads into contact with the rotor with a force that decelerates and stops the rotor and the wheel attached to this rotor by friction. An automobile further has a suspension system. The suspension system bears the weight of the automobile and receives various dynamic loads that the automobile experiences during driving, cornering, stopping, etc. The suspension system may include, for example, a wheel upright (also called a wheel carrier, knuckle, or simply an upright) attached to the wheel to enable the rotation of the wheel. To cause the upright to perform the movement of changing the direction of the wheel and the movement accompanied by the up-and-down movement of the wheel, for example, when driving on a rough road, various other suspension components such as control arms and other link mechanisms may be attached to the upright.

[0004] Conventionally, the brake caliper and the upright are separate components. The brake caliper (especially the inner housing of the caliper) is bolted to the upright, and the rotor is positioned between the brake pads. When brake maintenance is required, the brake caliper is removed from the upright and lifted so that the rotor and the brake pads can be removed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0005] In the present disclosure, it is recognized that the brake caliper and the upright can be formed as an integral structure. As will be described in more detail below for various embodiments, various advantages may be realized in various embodiments. For example, advantages may include weight reduction, rigidity, reduction in the number of parts, reduction in assembly man-hours, incorporation of functions, improvement in vehicle dynamics, and the like. In various embodiments including the integrated vehicle structure, reduction in the number of parts may enable further facilitation or acceleration of brake maintenance or servicing.

[0006] However, the integration of the brake caliper and the upright brings some issues. For example, since the brake caliper cannot be removed from the upright, it may be difficult or impossible to remove the rotor without removing the integrated brake caliper and upright together during brake maintenance. In this case, brake maintenance may be extremely difficult and time-consuming. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may mitigate or eliminate this problem. For example, the integrated caliper and upright may include a sweep area on the inner surface of the outer housing. The rotor can be tilted in the sweep area so that the rotor portion connected to the wheel can be removed to remove the rotor.

[0007] Disclosed herein in various embodiments is a vehicle structure. In one aspect, the vehicle structure includes a caliper portion configured to apply a braking force. For example, the caliper portion may include an inner housing, an outer housing, and a bridge portion. The bridge portion connects the inner housing and the outer housing. In one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure includes an upright portion configured to couple to a wheel of the vehicle. For example, the upright portion may be connected to the inner housing of the caliper portion.

[0008] Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure may include a stiffening portion that connects the upright portion to at least the bridge portion or the outer housing. For example, the stiffening portion may include an outer stiffening structure configured to connect the upright portion to the outer housing. In another example, the stiffening portion includes a bridge stiffening structure configured to connect the upright portion to the bridge portion. These exemplary stiffening portions may further include an intersecting stiffening structure that connects the upright portion to the outer stiffening structure. In one or more embodiments, the stiffening portion may include an intersecting stiffening structure configured to connect the outer stiffening structure to the bridge stiffening structure. In one or more embodiments, the stiffening portion may be configured to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the caliper portion, the upright portion, and the stiffening portion may be an integral structure. In one or more embodiments, the caliper portion, the upright portion, and the stiffening portion may be a 3D printed structure. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the caliper portion includes an integrated printed fluid channel configured to supply brake fluid to the inner and outer housings. In a plurality of other embodiments, the upright portion or the stiffening portion includes a portion of the integrated printed fluid channel. In one or more embodiments, the caliper portion, the upright portion, or the stiffening portion may be at least partially hollow.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure includes a cooling element configured to enhance the cooling of at least a portion of the vehicle structure. For example, the cooling element includes at least a 3D printed fin, a channel for an air flow, a channel for an air flow from a wheel well, an air scoop, a diffuser, or an intersecting bridge cooling duct.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the caliper portion, upright portion, or stiffening portion includes at least an integrated printed channel for attachment to wiring or a sensor. For example, the integrated printed channel may be configured for at least a pad wear warning sensor, a temperature sensor, or a smart brake pad sensor.

[0012] In another aspect, the vehicle structure includes a caliper portion configured to apply a braking force. The caliper portion may include an inner housing, an outer housing, and a bridge portion. The bridge portion connects the inner housing and the outer housing. Further, the outer housing may include an inner surface configured to face the rotor. This inner surface includes a sweep area configured such that the rotor can be tilted during attachment and removal of the rotor. The sweep area may include a curved surface. In one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure includes an upright portion configured to couple to a wheel of the vehicle. The upright portion is connected to the inner housing.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure further includes a seat configured to seat a pad stopper. For example, the seat may be disposed on the front side of the caliper portion. The pad stopper may be configured to transmit a force from a portion of the brake pad to the vehicle structure. The portion of the brake pad is an area of the brake pad that does not contact the vehicle structure during braking due to the sweep area. For example, the seat may be configured to seat a plate-shaped pad stopper. Further, the seat may include one slot. In one or more embodiments, the seat may be configured to seat a pad stopper. The pad stopper includes stopper portions for both the inner brake pad and the outer brake pad. In one or more embodiments, the seat may be configured to seat a pad stopper that includes only the stopper portion for the outer brake pad. In one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure may include a second seat configured to seat a second pad stopper. The second seat may be disposed on the rear side of the caliper portion.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the caliper portion may be a 3D printed structure. This caliper portion is configured to supply brake fluid to the inner and outer housings and includes an integrated printed fluid channel. For example, the upright portion, or a stiffening portion that connects the upright portion to at least the bridge portion or the outer housing, may be a 3D printed structure. This 3D printed structure may include a portion of the integrated printed fluid channel.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle structure further includes a cooling element configured to enhance the cooling of at least a portion of the vehicle structure. For example, the cooling element may include at least 3D printed fins, air flow channels, air flow channels from the wheel well, air scoops, diffusers, or cross-bridge cooling ducts.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, at least the caliper portion, the upright portion, or a stiffening portion that connects the upright portion to at least the bridge portion or the outer housing may include an integrated printed channel for attaching at least wiring or sensors. For example, the integrated printed channel may be configured for at least a pad wear warning sensor, a temperature sensor, or a smart brake pad sensor.

[0017] From the following detailed description, in which only some embodiments are illustrated and described as examples, other multiple aspects will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the concepts described herein can have other different multiple embodiments without departing from the present disclosure, and some details can be changed in various other respects. Therefore, the drawings and the detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] In the following, various aspects are presented not as limitations but as examples in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0019]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Several solutions have been developed to maximize the structural rigidity of brake calipers. However, all of these known solutions follow the general architecture of traditional disc brake calipers, where the outer housing is connected to the inner housing, and the inner housing is connected to the wheel upright. Such a brake caliper architecture generally relies on two or more connecting bridges spanning the inner and outer housings to handle the total clamping force generated across the entire brake rotor and the tangential force applied by the outer brake pads due to the frictional effect. Therefore, the rigidity of this structure, or more generally, its weight-to-rigidity ratio, is compromised by the design of such connecting bridges. The design of the connecting bridges is restricted by the available space between the brake rotor and the wheel rim. At the same time, when trying to address the potential dynamic instability of the system and NVH phenomena such as brake squeal, the above-known solutions do not give much freedom to adjust the design of the brake caliper for fine-tuning its vibration modes, particularly the so-called torsion and shear modes. The reason is that the above connecting bridges do not significantly contribute to such vibration modes.

[0021] To overcome the above-mentioned constraints associated with the traditional design of brake calipers, there is a felt need to come up with a brake caliper assembly in which both the inner and outer housings are interconnected to the main wheel upright structure by independent support structural elements respectively. This enables an improvement in the weight-to-rigidity ratio of the product and additional functionality for adjusting its vibration modes to address the NVH problems of the brake.

[0022] The brake node is a vehicle structure, including a wheel upright part (also called a carrier or a knuckle) that holds a wheel hub bearing unit and is suitable for connecting it to the kinematic points of a plurality of suspension links (for example, strut links), and inner and outer housings configured to face each side of the brake rotor, the inner and outer housings including a set of pistons, seals, and dust boots configured to convert hydraulic pressure into a clamping force on the rotor, that is, a disk brake caliper part. The upright part and the caliper part are integrally formed as one part, for example, by 3D printing, and include a supplementary rigid structure between the upright and the center (also called a bridge) part of the caliper, and between the upright and the outer housing. The brake node may include an internal hydraulic channel for distributing pressure within the structure, and one or more bleeder screws with dust caps for filling and discharging the hydraulic circuit. The brake node may include a removable pad stopper for transmitting the tangential force from one or more brake pads to the rest of the structure. This force is generated by a braking operation that brings the pads into contact with the rotating rotor. The brake node may include a connecting tie rod for suppressing the deformation of the caliper housing. The brake node may be configured to seat two brake pads using a removable retaining pin, a clip for holding the brake pads in place, and a spring for avoiding excessive play and rattle in the assembly. Depending on the application, the brake node may further include an electric parking brake device (an electric drum in-hat or an electric parking brake caliper).

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle structure 100 according to one or more embodiments described herein. The vehicle structure 100 includes a caliper portion 110, an upright portion 120, and a reinforcing structure. The reinforcing structure includes a front reinforcing structure 132 and a rear reinforcing structure 134. The caliper portion 110 includes inner and outer housings 140, 150 and a pad stopper seat 160. The pad stopper seat 160 is configured to receive a pad stopper 165 in the seat. The inner and outer housings 140, 150 include a plurality of piston cylinders 180 and are configured to accommodate a plurality of pistons that are hydraulically actuated to apply a braking force to a rotor (not shown). The reinforcing structure includes a front reinforcing structure 132 disposed on the front side of the caliper portion 110 (i.e., the side in the direction in which the forward driving rotor movement moves away from the caliper) and a rear reinforcing structure 134 disposed on the rear side of the caliper portion 110 (i.e., the side in the direction in which the forward driving rotor movement moves toward the caliper). From the perspective view shown in FIG. 1, the movement of the rotor is shown as counterclockwise. That is, in this figure, the portion of the rotor passing through the caliper will move upward.

[0024] In various embodiments, the stiffening structure may provide rigidity for the connection between the caliper portion 110 and the upright portion 120. In various embodiments, the stiffening structure may reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) of the vehicle structure. In various embodiments, such as the vehicle structure 100 shown in each figure, the caliper portion 110, the upright portion 120, and the stiffening structure may be formed as an integral structure, that is, formed as a single component. For example, in various embodiments, the vehicle structure 100 may be 3D printed. 3D printing of the vehicle structure 100 may enable several advantages since printing of complex shapes is possible. For example, topology optimization of the entire structure may be performed to provide the required performance characteristics (such as rigidity, NVH) in a lighter weight compared to traditional caliper and upright assemblies. The weight reduction of the vehicle structure 100 may be comparable to the reduction of the unsprung mass, and thus may improve the performance of the vehicle, such as vehicle dynamics. Additionally, forming the vehicle structure 100 as an integrated structure may reduce the number of components compared to traditional caliper and upright assemblies, and thus may reduce the assembly time and the cost associated with the procurement of multiple different components (that is, no assembly is required for the integrated vehicle structure). This may reduce supply chain issues. In various embodiments, having an integrated design may enable the incorporation of cooling elements, as described in more detail herein.

[0025] Note that although the various embodiments described herein relate to an integrated vehicle structure, the caliper portion 110, the upright portion 120, and / or the stiffening structure may each be formed as separate components that are assembled to each other. For example, the caliper portion, the upright portion, and the stiffening structure may each be formed as separate components and adhered or bolted to each other. In this embodiment, a plurality of portions of the vehicle structure 100 may be made hollow. This may provide a better stiffness-to-weight ratio compared to a completely solid structure.

[0026] Figure 2 shows the exemplary vehicle structure 100 in a top view of the caliper, that is, a view looking down on the caliper 110. As can be seen from Figure 2, the caliper portion 110 further includes a bridge structure 210 (also referred to as a central structure). In this example, the bridge structure 210 includes two parts, that is, one is the upper side and the other is the lower side as seen in this figure. In various embodiments, the bridge structure 210 may include one or more individual parts.

[0027] Figure 3 shows the exemplary vehicle structure 100 in a bottom view of the caliper, that is, a view looking up at the caliper portion 110. As shown in this figure, the auxiliary rigid structures 132, 134 may be connected to the outer housing 150 (outer housing connection portions 220, 225), and further may be connected to the bridge structure 210 (bridge structure connection portions 230, 235). Note that in this figure, it should be noted that the bridge structure connection portion of the rear auxiliary rigid structure 134 is partially blocked by the upright portion. The auxiliary rigid structures 132, 134 may be connected to the upright portion 120 at the upright connection portions 245, 250.

[0028] Figures 4 and 5 show an exemplary vehicle structure 100 and illustrate details of the rear stiffening structure 134. The rear stiffening structure 134 (shown in dashed lines) may include an outer (housing) stiffening structure 410 that connects the upright portion 120 to the outer housing 150, a bridge stiffening structure 420 that connects the upright portion to the bridge structure 210, and an intersection stiffening structure 430 that connects the outer stiffening structure to the bridge stiffening structure. The intersection stiffening structure 430 may provide, for example, additional rigidity and / or NVH improvement. The illustrated intersection stiffening structure 430 connects the outer stiffening structure 410 and the bridge stiffening structure 420, but in various embodiments, the intersection stiffening structure may connect the upright portion 120 to the outer stiffening structure, may connect the upright portion to the bridge stiffening structure, and / or may connect the outer stiffening structure to the bridge stiffening structure. Note that various combinations of the intersection stiffening structure 430 are included within the scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that various embodiments may include the outer stiffening structure 410 without including the bridge stiffening structure 420, or may include only the bridge stiffening structure without including the outer stiffening structure. These various combinations of stiffening structures may be applied to the front and rear stiffening structures 132, 134 in the same combination or in different combinations. Various embodiments may include only the front stiffening structure without including the rear stiffening structure, or may include only the rear stiffening structure without including the front stiffening structure.

[0029] Figures 6 and 7 show an exemplary vehicle structure 100 and illustrate details of the front reinforcement structure 132. The front reinforcement structure 132 may include an outer (housing) reinforcement structure 610, a bridge reinforcement structure 620, and an intersection reinforcement structure 630. As shown in FIG. 6, the intersection reinforcement structure 630 begins at the upright portion 120 and extends continuously between the outer and bridge reinforcement structures 610, 620. In this example, the intersection reinforcement structure 430 is not directly connected to the caliper portion 110. In various embodiments, the intersection reinforcement structure 630 may be connected to the caliper portion 110 so as to extend continuously from the upright portion 120 to the caliper portion, or may be connected to the caliper portion rather than the upright portion, or there may be various other combinations.

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary vehicle structure 800 according to one or more embodiments described herein. The vehicle structure 800 includes a caliper portion 810 and an upright portion 815. The caliper portion 810 includes inner and outer housings 840, 850 and a pad stopper seat 160. The inner and outer housings 840, 850 include a plurality of piston cylinders 880 and are configured to accommodate a plurality of pistons that are hydraulically actuated to apply a braking force to the rotor. FIG. 8 also shows the outer housing 850 including an inner surface configured to face the rotor when the rotor is attached to the vehicle structure 800. This inner surface may include a sweep area 820 in which the rotor can be tilted during attachment and removal of the rotor. The sweep area 820 may be, for example, a curved surface. For example, FIG. 8 further shows a cross-sectional view of the piston cylinder 880. This figure shows the brake fluid channel openings 830, 835 of the fluid channel. As will be described in more detail herein, the fluid channel may be integrally printed in the vehicle structure 800.

[0031] FIGS. 9 and 10 show further cross-sectional views of the exemplary vehicle structure 800 shown in FIG. 8. These figures show the attachment and removal of the rotor 910 to the vehicle structure 800. Specifically, FIGS. 9 and 10 show how the sweep area 820 allows the rotor to be tilted.

[0032] Figure 9 shows an exemplary vehicle structure 800 with a rotor 910 attached. It can be seen that the rotor 910 fits snugly into the caliper portion. This may allow for efficient operation of the braking system without requiring excessive displacement (e.g., displacement of the brake pedal) or application of excessive moment to the piston or pad.

[0033] Figure 10 shows an exemplary vehicle structure 800 with the rotor 910 tilted for removal, i.e., detachment (or attachment if these steps are reversed). As shown, the sweep area 820 may provide room for tilting the rotor 910 during attachment or removal of the rotor 910. In some embodiments where the caliper portion 810 and the upright portion 815 are formed as an integral part (e.g., because the caliper portion cannot be disassembled from the upright portion), the sweep area 820 may be necessary to allow removal of the rotor 910. In some embodiments, the sweep area may simply make removal or attachment of the rotor 910 easier.

[0034] Figures 11 and 12 show an exemplary vehicle structure 1100 including a pad stopper seat 1160 configured to seat a pad stopper 1165 (shown removed and floating in space in the figure). Note that in a typical caliper design, it is noted that during braking, the leading edges of the brake pads 1170, 1175 are brought into contact with the surface of the caliper. Thereby, when the brake pads sit on the caliper portion, a lateral force of the brake pads may be transmitted to the surface of the caliper portion. Since the surface of the caliper portion is rigid, it may receive this force without deformation. Blocking the brake pads in this way may be important. The reason is that hard braking may generate a strong lateral force on the brake pads. This figure shows that the direction of rotation of the rotor 1110 is towards the back of this page at the position of the brake pads.

[0035] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, with the addition of the sweep area 1120, an area of the outer brake pad may not be blocked by the surface of the caliper portion. FIG. 11 shows the arrangement of the leading edge of the outer brake pad 1170 (the brake pad is not shown for clarity). Such an unblocked area is shown in this figure. During hard braking, the unblocked area may rotate the outer brake pad in its seat. This is undesirable and in some cases dangerous. The caliper portion may include a pad stopper seat (such as the pad stopper seat 1160) that can seat a pad stopper (such as the pad stopper 1165).

[0036] FIG. 12 shows the pad stopper 1165 attached to the pad stopper seat 1160. As shown, the pad stopper 1165 may contact the leading edge of the outer brake pad 1170 that was not in contact with the surface of the caliper portion due to the sweep area 1120. When sitting on the caliper portion, the pad stopper 1165 may transmit the lateral force of the brake pad to the surface of the pad stopper. Since the pad stopper can be firmly seated on the pad stopper seat 1160, the force can be transmitted to the caliper portion. Thereby, for example, the pad stopper 1165 may prevent the rotation of the brake pad in its seat during hard braking.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, the pad stopper seat 1160 is configured to seat a pad stopper 1165 that includes stopper portions for both the outer brake pad 1170 and the inner brake pad 1175. In various embodiments, the pad stopper seat 1160 may be configured to seat a pad stopper 1165 that includes only a stopper portion for the outer brake pad 1170 and does not include a stopper portion for the inner brake pad 1175. As can be seen from FIG. 12, for example, the inner surface of the inner housing does not require the sweep area 1120, and the leading edge of the inner brake pad may contact the surface of the caliper portion during braking.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, a single pad stopper sheet is included on the front side of the caliper portion (i.e., the side where the rotor during forward rotation moves away from the center of the caliper portion). In one or more embodiments, a second pad stopper sheet may be included on the rear side of the caliper portion (i.e., the side where the rotor during forward rotation moves toward the center of the caliper portion). The rear pad stopper may be effective during braking when reversing, i.e., when the vehicle is moving backward.

[0039] FIG. 13 shows an exemplary vehicle structure 1300, showing a pad stopper 1365 attached to a pad stopper sheet, and attached outer and inner brake pads 1370, 1375. This figure shows the arrangement of the brake pads and the pad stopper, and the state where the pad stopper may contact the leading edge of the outer brake pad 1370 during braking. The direction of rotation by the rotor during forward drive is indicated by the arrow "A". This figure further shows a brake fluid port 1380. The brake fluid port 1380 may be connected to an integrated printed fluid channel for brake fluid, as described in more detail herein.

[0040] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary vehicle structure 1400, showing a sweep area 1420 included on the inner surface of the outer housing 1450 on the rear side of the caliper portion 1410. As disclosed herein, the trailing edge of the outer brake pad 1470 is shown, indicating that a portion of the trailing edge of the outer brake pad 1470 may not contact the surface of the caliper portion. As disclosed herein, the pad stopper sheet and the pad stopper 1465 may be included on the rear side of the caliper portion to accommodate braking in the reverse direction. In various embodiments, the speed of the vehicle during reverse is much slower than the speed during forward. In this case, the pad stopper for the rear side of the caliper portion may not be necessary.

[0041] FIGS. 15-20 show an exemplary vehicle structure 1500 having a pad stopper 1565 in various perspectives and cross-sectional views.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, an exemplary vehicle structure 1500 includes a pad stopper seat 1560 located in the caliper portion, as disclosed herein. The pad stopper seat 1560 may be a slot, channel, or other groove formed in the caliper portion. For example, the pad stopper seat 1560 may be formed adjacent to the edge of the bridge or the central portion of the caliper portion. The pad stopper seat 1560 is configured to receive a pad stopper 1565. The pad stopper 1565 is shown in a state removed from the vehicle structure 1500.

[0043] FIGS. 17-20 show the vehicle structure 1500 with the pad stopper 1565 attached to or seated on the pad stopper seat 1560. When attached, the pad stopper 1565 is located adjacent to the rotor and the sweep area 1520. The rotor may be tilted along the sweep area 1520 for attachment or removal. The pad stopper 1565 may transmit the tangential force from one or more brake pads to the rest of the vehicle structure 1500. This tangential force is generated by a braking operation that contacts the pads against the rotating rotor. The rotational direction of the rotor 1510 during vehicle forward movement is indicated by arrow "B".

[0044] Figures 21 and 22 show an exemplary vehicle structure 2100 and incorporate printed internal fluid channels 2120 according to one or more embodiments. The fluid channels 2120 may supply brake fluid to each piston cylinder 2130 of the caliper portion 2110. In this embodiment, the fluid channels 2120 may be included in the caliper portion and a portion of the stiffening structure. Thereby, for example, the brake fluid port 2125 may be positioned closer to the brake fluid source. Thereby, for example, the brake fluid port 2125 may be positioned closer to the steering pivot point, reducing the sag or exposed length of the conventional brake hose, and reducing the dynamic compliance of the circuit, its exposure to external elements, and the total storage capacity of the brake fluid. In various embodiments, the incorporated printed fluid channels 2120 may be included in the caliper portion only, in the caliper portion and the stiffening structure, in the caliper portion and the upright portion, or in any combination thereof.

[0045] Figure 22 shows an exemplary vehicle structure, emphasizing only the incorporated printed fluid channels without emphasizing the piston cylinders emphasized in the previous figure.

[0046] Figures 23 - 25 show an exemplary vehicle structure 2300 and various cooling elements configured to enhance the cooling of at least a portion of the vehicle structure.

[0047] Figure 23 shows a vehicle structure 2300 having an air channel 2330 that directs an air flow from the inner wheel well (i.e., from behind the wheel as viewed from the side of the vehicle). In one or more embodiments, the air channel 2330 may be a printed feature of the caliper portion 2310. In one or more embodiments, the air channel 2330 may be a printed feature of the upright portion 2320. The air channel 2330 may be configured as a scoop for air directed across the caliper portion 2310 towards the brake pads.

[0048] FIG. 24 shows an exemplary vehicle structure 2300 and shows a diffuser 2340 and an intersecting bridge cooling duct 2350 disposed on one side of the caliper portion 2310. The diffuser 2340 and / or the intersecting bridge cooling duct 2350 may flow air across the surface of the rotor or a brake pad (not shown). These features may be integrally printed on the caliper portion 2310.

[0049] FIG. 25 shows an exemplary vehicle structure 2500 and shows integrally printed heat dissipating fins 2560. The fins 2560 may enable better cooling of a portion of the vehicle structure 2500. For example, the fins 2560 may be integrally printed on the inner and outer housings 2540, 2550 of the caliper portion to enable cooling of the caliper portion 2510 and the brake fluid within the caliper portion.

[0050] FIG. 26 shows an exemplary vehicle structure 2600 and shows a caliper portion 2610 having an integrally printed channel 2620 for wiring and / or sensor 2630. For example, the integrally printed channel 2620 may be configured to seat a pad wear warning sensor, a temperature sensor, or a smart brake pad sensor. The integrally printed channel may be used for wiring for the sensor or for other purposes.

[0051] FIGS. 27-33 show an exemplary vehicle structure in various perspectives and various cross-sectional views. For example, FIG. 27 shows a bottom perspective view of a vehicle structure 2700 having a brake fluid port 2780 located in a stiffening portion of a caliper portion 2710.

[0052] The detailed description set forth above in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended to provide an explanation of the various illustrative embodiments of the concepts disclosed herein and is not intended to be an exclusive presentation of only the embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. The terms "exemplary" and "example" as used herein mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and are not to be construed as necessarily preferred or advantageous over other embodiments presented in this disclosure. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough and complete disclosure that will fully convey the scope of the concepts to those skilled in the art. However, the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form or are omitted entirely in order to avoid obscuring the various concepts presented throughout this disclosure.

[0053] The foregoing description has been provided to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments presented throughout this disclosure will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the claims are not to be limited to the exemplary embodiments presented throughout this disclosure, but rather are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, including all equivalents of the elements of the exemplary embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later become known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, anything not disclosed herein is dedicated to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly recited in the claims. Except where a claim element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase "step for", no claim element is to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph (f), or similar law in the applicable jurisdiction.

Claims

1. A caliper part configured to apply braking force, including an inner housing, an outer housing, and a bridge part, wherein the bridge part connects the inner housing and the outer housing, and the caliper part; An upright part configured to be coupled to a wheel of a vehicle, and the upright part is connected to the inner housing; A vehicle structure comprising a supplementary rigid part that connects the upright part to at least the bridge part or the outer housing.

2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the caliper part, the upright part, and the supplementary rigid part are of an integral structure.

3. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the caliper part, the upright part, and the supplementary rigid part are of a 3D printed structure.

4. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary rigid part includes an outer supplementary rigid structure configured to connect the upright part to the outer housing.

5. The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein the supplementary rigid part further includes an intersecting supplementary rigid structure that connects the upright part to the outer supplementary rigid structure.

6. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary rigid part includes a bridge supplementary rigid structure configured to connect the upright part to the bridge part.

7. The vehicle structure according to claim 6, wherein the supplementary rigid part further includes an intersecting supplementary rigid structure that connects the upright part to the bridge supplementary rigid structure.

8. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary rigid part includes an intersecting supplementary rigid structure configured to connect the outer supplementary rigid structure to the bridge supplementary rigid structure.

9. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary rigid part is configured to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).

10. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein at least the caliper part, the upright part, or the supplementary rigid part is at least partially hollow.

11. The caliper part is of a 3D printed structure, and the caliper part includes an integrally printed fluid channel configured to supply brake fluid to the inner and outer housings. The vehicle structure according to claim 1.

12. The vehicle structure according to claim 11, wherein at least the upright part or the supplementary rigid part is of a 3D printed structure and includes a part of the integrally printed fluid channel.

13. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling element configured to enhance the cooling of at least a part of the vehicle structure.

14. The vehicle structure according to claim 13, wherein the cooling element includes at least a 3D printed fin, a channel for air flow, a channel for air flow from a wheel well, an air scoop, a diffuser, or an intersecting bridge cooling duct.

15. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein at least the caliper part, the upright part, or the stiffening part includes an embedded printed channel for mounting at least wiring or sensors.

16. The vehicle structure according to claim 15, wherein the embedded printed channel is configured for at least a pad wear warning sensor, a temperature sensor, or a smart brake pad sensor.

17. A caliper part configured to apply a braking force, including an inner housing, an outer housing, and a bridge part, the bridge part connecting the inner housing and the outer housing, the outer housing including an inner surface configured to face a rotor, the inner surface including a sweep area configured to allow the rotor to be tilted during attachment and detachment of the rotor, a caliper part; An upright part configured to be coupled to a wheel of a vehicle, the upright part being connected to the inner housing; A vehicle structure comprising.

18. The vehicle structure according to claim 17, wherein the sweep area includes a curved surface.

19. Further comprising a seat configured to seat a pad stopper, the pad stopper being configured to transmit a force from a part of a brake pad to the vehicle structure, the part of the brake pad being an area of the brake pad that does not contact the vehicle structure during braking due to the sweep area, the vehicle structure according to claim 17.

20. The vehicle structure according to claim 19, wherein the seat is configured to seat a plate-shaped pad stopper.

21. The vehicle structure according to claim 19, wherein the seat includes slots.

22. The vehicle structure according to claim 19, further comprising the pad stopper attached to the seat.

23. The vehicle structure according to claim 19, wherein the seat is configured to seat a pad stopper including stopper portions for both the inner brake pad and the outer brake pad.

24. The vehicle structure according to claim 19, wherein the seat is configured to seat a pad stopper including only a stopper portion for the outer brake pad.

25. The vehicle structure according to claim 19, wherein the seat is disposed on the front side of the caliper portion.

26. The vehicle structure according to claim 25, further comprising a second seat configured to seat a second pad stopper, wherein the second seat is disposed on the rear side of the caliper portion.

27. The vehicle structure according to claim 17, wherein the caliper portion has a 3D printed structure and includes an integrated printed fluid channel configured to supply brake fluid to the inner and outer housings.

28. The vehicle structure according to claim 27, wherein at least the upright portion, or a supplementary rigid portion connecting the upright portion to at least the bridge portion or the outer housing, has a 3D printed structure and includes a part of the integrated printed fluid channel.

29. The vehicle structure according to claim 17, further comprising a cooling element configured to enhance cooling of at least a part of the vehicle structure.

30. The vehicle structure according to claim 29, wherein the cooling element includes at least a 3D printed fin, a channel for an air flow, a channel for an air flow from a wheel well, an air scoop, a diffuser, or an intersecting bridge cooling duct.

31. The vehicle structure according to claim 17, wherein at least the caliper portion, the upright portion, or a supplementary rigid portion connecting the upright portion to at least the bridge portion or the outer housing includes an integrated printed channel for mounting at least wiring or sensors.

32. The vehicle structure according to claim 31, wherein the integrated printed channel is configured for at least a pad wear warning sensor, a temperature sensor, or a smart brake pad sensor.

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