Brake Dust Cover Venting for Low Drag and Rotor Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake dust covers either compromise cooling performance or increase air resistance when attempting to reduce vehicle air resistance, often resulting in increased weight and potential brake issues like fade or vapor lock.
Innovation Solution
A brake dust cover with a main body overlapping part of the rotor, an extension to the outer diameter side, and strategically positioned openings to introduce air into the rotor, blocking airflow from the wheelhouse while ensuring cooling performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the size of the brake dust cover is increased to block airflow and reduce air resistance, then air resistance is reduced, but cooling performance deteriorates and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake dust cover is segmented into a main body and an extension portion, with the extension specifically designed to block airflow at the inner diameter side of the rim without requiring an overall increase in cover size. This segmentation allows targeted airflow blocking to reduce air resistance while preserving cooling pathways through the rotor.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension portion is positioned specifically at the inner diameter side of the rim where airflow blocking is most effective for reducing air resistance. This local quality approach blocks airflow only where needed for drag reduction while leaving other areas open for brake cooling, thus resolving the contradiction between air resistance reduction and cooling performance.
2Loss of energy
If the size of the brake dust cover is increased to block airflow, then air resistance is reduced, but the weight of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake dust cover is divided into a main body and a lightweight extension portion. The extension is designed with minimal material (such as a thin plate or wire structure) to block airflow at the critical inner diameter side of the rim, achieving air resistance reduction without significant weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension portion can be constructed from thin plates, wires, or flexible materials that provide effective airflow blocking at the inner diameter side of the rim while minimizing weight. This allows the cover to achieve drag reduction functionality without the penalty of excessive weight from a fully solid structure.
3Loss of energy
If the brake dust cover is designed to block airflow for air resistance reduction, then air resistance is reduced, but brake cooling performance deteriorates causing fade or vapor lock
Solution Approach 1:
The brake dust cover is segmented into a main body that allows cooling airflow and an extension portion that blocks airflow at the inner diameter side of the rim. This segmentation enables the extension to reduce air resistance while the main body preserves adequate cooling pathways to prevent brake fade and vapor lock.
Solution Approach 2:
Airflow blocking is applied locally at the inner diameter side of the rim through the extension portion, while the rest of the brake dust cover maintains open pathways for cooling airflow. This local quality approach ensures that air resistance is reduced without compromising overall brake cooling performance and reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces air resistance by blocking airflow and ensures adequate cooling by directing air into the rotor's air channel, maintaining brake performance without excessive weight or interference with the caliper.
Implementation Method 1
reduces an air resistance of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
an opening that is formed in the main body and through which air in a wheelhouse is introduced toward the rotor
Data Source
AI summary
A brake dust cover is installed in a brake system including a rotor disposed on an inner diameter side of a rim of a wheel and a caliper interposing and holding the rotor with brake pads and includes a main body, an extension, and an opening. The main body is disposed adjacent to the rotor on an inside of the rotor in a vehicle width direction, that is disposed so as to overlap at least a part of the rotor when viewed from an axle direction, and that is disposed such that an outer circumferential edge portion thereof is separated from an inner circumferential surface of the rim. The extension extends from a part of the outer circumferential edge portion of the main body to an outer diameter side. The opening is formed in the main body, and air in a wheelhouse is introduced toward the rotor through the opening.