Brake drum

Abstract

A brake drum including a shell portion that has a friction face which is arranged with rotational symmetry with respect to an axis of rotation, and an attachment portion which has a mounting section, wherein the shell portion and the attachment portion are made of different materials and are connected to one another.

Claims

1. A brake drum for a utility vehicle, comprising: a shell portion that has a friction face which is arranged with rotational symmetry with respect to an axis of rotation, wherein the shell portion at least partially comprises an aluminum-ceramic composite material, and wherein a volumetric percentage ratio of ceramic particles to aluminum is in the range from 1.5 to 4; and an attachment portion which has a mounting section, wherein the shell portion and the attachment portion are made of different materials and are connected to one another, the shell portion and the attachment portion are separate pieces, the shell portion has a first connection section and the attachment portion has a second connection section, and wherein the first and second connection sections are connected to one another in a materially bonded manner by a weld.

2. The brake drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shell portion at least partially comprises a material that consists of a discontinuous phase and a continuous phase.

3. The brake drum as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shell portion is entirely the material that consists of the discontinuous phase and the continuous phase.

4. The brake drum as claimed in claim 2, the discontinuous phase of the material includes ceramic particles, and the continuous phase of the material includes aluminum.

5. The brake drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shell portion has the first connection section and the attachment portion has the second connection section via which the shell portion and the attachment portion are at least one of force-fit and form-fit connected.

6. The brake drum as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first and second connection sections are connected to one another by connection arrangement.

7. The brake drum as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first connection section has a first connection face and the second connection section has a second connection face, wherein the connection faces are configured as to be congruent with respect to one another.

8. The brake drum as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connection faces extend perpendicular, parallel and/or at an angle to the axis of rotation.

9. The brake drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of an extent of the attachment portion to an extent of the shell portion along the axis of rotation is between 0.05 and 0.6.

10. The brake drum as defined in claim 9, wherein the ratio is between 0.1 and 0.5.

11. The brake drum as defined in claim 10, wherein the ratio is between 0.17 and 0.4.

12. The brake drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composite material of the shell portion at least partially comprises a metal matrix composite material.

13. The brake drum as claimed in claim 12, wherein the shell portion is entirely the metal matrix composite material.

14. The brake drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment portion comprises a homogeneous material.

15. The brake drum as defined in claim 14, wherein the homogeneous material includes one of aluminum, steel and an alloy.

16. The brake drum as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composite material consists of a discontinuous phase.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and properties of the present invention will emerge from the following description of preferred embodiments, with reference to the appended figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a section view through part of a preferred embodiment of the brake drum according to the invention;

(3) FIGS. 2A-2C shows section views through parts of three different preferred embodiments of the brake drum according to the invention; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a section view through part of another preferred embodiment of the brake drum according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a transverse section view through part of a first preferred embodiment of the brake drum according to the invention. This drum consists of a shell portion 2 and an attachment portion 4. The shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4 are made of different materials and are originally produced separately from one another. In order to form the brake drum according to the invention, the shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4 are connected to one another.

(6) The shell portion 2 has a friction face 6 that is configured to engage with a brake lining (not shown). To that end, the friction face 6 is arranged with rotational symmetry around the axis of rotation x.

(7) The attachment portion 4 has a mounting section 8 for the purpose of securing the brake drum to a vehicle part, in particular a wheel hub rotating on the vehicle axle. In this context, the mounting section 8 can have through-holes for securing wheel bolts.

(8) In order to connect the shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4 to one another, the shell portion 2 has a first connection section 10 and the attachment portion 4 has a second connection section 12. These comprise corresponding connection faces which, in the embodiment shown, are inclined with respect to one another and thus form a V-shaped gap which is intended for welding 14 the shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4.

(9) It has been found to be expedient for the ratio of the extent a of the attachment portion to the extent b of the shell portion, along the axis of rotation x, to be between 0.05 and 0.6.

(10) By virtue of the fact that the shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4 are produced separately from one another and are then connected to one another, it is possible to provide a large number of different shell portions 2 and a large number of different attachment portions 4, and to fit these together in the manner of a building block system, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. The figure shows that two different attachment portions 4 are provided on identical shell portions. The upper brake drum of FIG. 2 shows a very steep attachment portion 4 while the middle brake drum of FIG. 2 shows a very shallow attachment portion 4. The ability to arrange different attachment portions 4 on identical shell portions 2 advantageously makes it possible to provide a brake drum system in which, independently of the shell portion 2, the brake drum can be adapted to different interfaces, by in each case affixing the appropriate attachment portion 4 to the shell portion 2.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a section view through a connection region of the shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4 of a preferred embodiment of the brake drum. The shell portion 2 has, in its first connection section 10, first connection faces 16. Accordingly, the attachment portion 4 has, in its second connection section 12, second connection faces 18. In this context, the connection sections 10, 12 are configured so as to form a step, in that the connection faces 16, 18 have a region extending parallel to the axis of rotation x and a region extending perpendicular to the axis of rotation x. In this context, it is particularly advantageous ifas seen in a radial direction Rthe first connection section 10 of the second shell portion 2 is located at least partially inside the second connection section 12 of the attachment portion 4, since the shell portion 2 experiences greater heating when the brake drum is actuated, and therefore the shell portion 2 tends to expand, thus further strengthening the connection between the shell portion 2 and the attachment portion 4.

(12) Furthermore, it is particularly advantageous if the connection faces 16, 18 form an undercut with respect to one another in the circumferential direction of the brake drum, so as to prevent rotation of the second shell portion 2 with respect to the attachment portion 4. An undercut of this kind is possible for example by forming a toothing or a wave profile on the connection faces 16, 18.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(13) 2 Shell portion 4 Attachment portion 6 Friction face 8 Mounting section 10 First connection section 12 Second connection section 14 Weld 16 First connection face 18 Second connection face a, b Extent R Radial direction x Axis of rotation