Modular Vehicle Wheel System with Detachable Brake Rotor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle wheel systems with integrated brake rotors face challenges in maintaining a large enough friction radius for effective braking while being lightweight and thermally efficient, especially in sporty applications, and are often costly and difficult to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A modular vehicle wheel design where the brake rotor is detachably fastened to the wheel disc with thermally conductive abutments, allowing for efficient heat dissipation and reduced thermal stress, featuring a uniformly axially directed drilling and screwing mechanism with retaining bushings and support bushings for effective heat transfer and assembly simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional one-piece brake rotors are used with cast material, then manufacturing is simple, but weight is high and thermal dissipation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The brake rotor is divided into a hub section and a friction ring section that can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. The hub section contains axially extending support sections with recesses, while the friction ring is mounted onto these support sections. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the hub can be designed for thermal management and structural support, while the friction ring can be optimized for braking performance and made from lightweight materials.
2Strength
If conventional one-piece brake rotors are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but thermal dissipation capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The brake rotor is divided into a hub section and a friction ring section that can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. The hub section contains axially extending support sections with recesses, while the friction ring is mounted onto these support sections. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the hub can be designed for thermal management and structural support, while the friction ring can be optimized for braking performance and made from lightweight materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake rotor employs a composite construction combining the hub section (typically metal for structural support and thermal management) with the friction ring (which can be made from composite or ceramic materials optimized for friction and heat resistance). This composite approach enables the friction ring to withstand high temperatures and thermal stress while the hub section dissipates heat to the wheel disc, improving overall thermal dissipation capability.
3Power
If the brake rotor is designed with larger friction radius, then braking effectiveness improves, but the complexity of integration with wheel disc increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake rotor is divided into a hub section and a friction ring section that can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. The hub section contains axially extending support sections with recesses, while the friction ring is mounted onto these support sections. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the hub can be designed for thermal management and structural support, while the friction ring can be optimized for braking performance and made from lightweight materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The support sections extending axially from the hub section serve multiple functions: they provide mounting structure for the friction ring, create recesses for heat dissipation, and establish the interface for thermal coupling with the wheel disc. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and simplifies the overall integration while maintaining large friction radius for effective braking.
4Temperature
If thermally conductive coupling is implemented between brake rotor and wheel disc, then thermal stress on rim ring reduces, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal coupling function is merged into the support sections that already exist for mounting the friction ring. The support sections extend axially from the hub and include thermally conductive coupling elements that directly contact the wheel disc. This integration means the same structural components serve both mechanical mounting and thermal management functions, avoiding the need for separate thermal coupling devices and simplifying assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake rotor employs a composite construction combining the hub section (typically metal for structural support and thermal management) with the friction ring (which can be made from composite or ceramic materials optimized for friction and heat resistance). This composite approach enables the friction ring to withstand high temperatures and thermal stress while the hub section dissipates heat to the wheel disc, improving overall thermal dissipation capability.
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
This design results in a lightweight, easily maintainable, and cost-effective vehicle wheel system that can handle high-performance demands with reduced thermal stress on the rim ring, enabling flexible configuration and simplified maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal energy coupling between the brake rotor and the wheel disc occurs in the area of the supports and abutments through tightly joined clamping of the components involved against each other
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle wheel system (1) for motor vehicles comprising a central wheel disc (2) having an attachment flange (27) for arrangement on a chassis component (14), and having a brake rotor (4) which is provided coaxially with respect to a central rotational axis Ax and whose external circumference is secured to the wheel disc (2) but is otherwise freely oriented in the radially inward direction. The object is to propose a vehicle wheel system which is of lightweight construction and easy to maintain. The object is achieved according to the invention in that the brake rotor (4) is secured in an exchangeable fashion by a plurality of support sections (16) at its outer circumference with detachable attachment means (6) and, for the purpose of conducting away heat, is secured in a thermally conductive fashion to a plurality of abutment sections (17) on the circumference of the wheel disc (2), with the result that overall a modular design (MAB) is obtained.