Tone Ring Retention Using Biasing Element Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disc brake assemblies with tone rings face issues such as integrity problems due to casting difficulties, corrosion, and increased costs from separate machining and fastening, as well as reliability concerns from thermal expansion differences between materials.
Innovation Solution
A disc brake assembly design featuring a groove in the rotor's barrel portion to receive a biasing element and a tone ring with a tapered step, allowing for secure engagement and alignment, which provides a cost-effective and reliable method to attach the tone ring without additional fasteners, using an interference fit or split retaining ring to secure the tone ring in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If exciter teeth are cast into the brake rotor, then the tone ring can be integrated with the rotor, but casting difficulties cause integrity issues and corrosion breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the tone ring from the brake rotor, making them independent components. The tone ring is installed separately in a keyed seat within the rotor, allowing each component to be manufactured and treated independently, thus avoiding the integrity and corrosion issues of cast-in teeth.
Solution Approach 2:
The exciter teeth are extracted from the rotor body and placed on a separate tone ring component. This extraction allows the teeth to be formed on a dedicated component that can be optimized for their specific function, avoiding the manufacturing difficulties of casting them into the rotor.
2Stability of the object's composition
If tone rings are formed separately and bolted onto rotors, then casting integrity issues are avoided, but additional machining steps and fasteners increase costs and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the tone ring installation with the rotor structure by creating a keyed seat within the rotor bore. The keyed configuration integrates the retention function directly into the rotor, eliminating the need for separate fasteners and reducing assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyed seat in the rotor serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables precise alignment, and secures the tone ring in place. This multi-functional design replaces what would otherwise require separate fastening components and alignment features.
3Device complexity
If tone rings are press-fitted to brake rotors, then assembly is simplified, but different thermal expansion coefficients cause separation during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a localized keyed configuration within the rotor bore that provides mechanical interlocking. This local structural feature ensures the tone ring remains securely positioned even when thermal expansion differences occur between the tone ring and rotor materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyed seat employs an asymmetric geometry with keys and corresponding keyways that create a non-uniform interference fit. This asymmetric design provides directional locking that prevents separation during thermal cycling, overcoming the limitations of symmetric press-fits.
Data Source
AI summary
A disc brake assembly having a rotor defining a rotational axis and including a barrel portion and a disc portion extending generally radially outward from said barrel portion, the barrel portion including a tone ring receiving portion with a generally cylindrical inner surface having a tone ring receiving surface and a groove with an axially outer wall, an axially inner wall and a radially outer bottom surface; a generally annular tone ring positioned concentrically within said cylindrical inner surface of said tone ring receiving portion and having a generally radially facing outer surface; a resilient biasing element received in the groove and having a generally annular shape including a plurality of substantially linear segments and corners, the resilient biasing element may be shaped such that it is flexed when seated within the groove so that the corners are urged against the radially facing outer surface, and the substantially linear segments are urged against the axially outer wall and the radially facing outer surface of the tone ring to prevent separation of the tone ring from the rotor during use. In one aspect, the biasing element is formed in the shape of a regular polygon, such as a dodecahedron.