VEHICLE WHEEL BRAKING SYSTEM
A braking system for a wheel of a vehicle includes a regenerative brake unit and a friction brake unit. The regenerative brake unit comprises a generator including a rotor and a stator. The rotor is fixedly attached to the wheel and includes a moving friction surface integrally constructed thereon. The friction brake unit includes a stationary friction surface that engages the moving friction surface of the rotor when the friction brake unit is actuated.
1 . A braking system for a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
a regenerative brake unit comprising a generator including a rotor and a stator, said rotor being fixedly attached to said wheel and including a moving friction surface integrally constructed thereon; and
a friction brake unit having a stationary friction surface that engages the moving friction surface of the rotor when the friction brake unit is actuated.
2 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the moving friction surface is integrally formed with the rotor.
3 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the moving friction surface is integrally joined to a surface of the rotor.
4 . The braking system of claim 2 wherein the moving friction surface is welded, fused, or bonded on the surface of the rotor.
5 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a two wheeled vehicle.
6 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a three or more wheeled vehicle.
7 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein in one mode of operation, the rotor and stator comprise a motor for driving the wheel.
8 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the generator comprises a switched reluctance generator.
9 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the generator comprises a permanent magnet generator or an induction generator.
10 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the rotor rotates around the stator.
11 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the rotor rotates within the stator.
12 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the moving friction surface is axially spaced from the body of the rotor.
13 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the moving friction surface is axially aligned with the body of the rotor.
14 . The braking system of claim 12 wherein the moving friction surface is located radially outboard of the body of the rotor.
15 . The braking system of claim 12 wherein the moving friction surface is located radially inboard of the body of the rotor.
16 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the moving friction surface comprises a circular friction surface that circumscribes a rotational axis of the wheel.
17 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the stator is radially spaced from the rotor with a radially extending air gap therebetween.
18 . The braking system of claim 1 wherein the stator is axially spaced from the rotor with an axially extending air gap therebetween.
19 . The braking system of claim 1 further comprising a user actuation device and a controller coupled to the user actuation device, the regenerative brake unit, and the friction brake unit, said controller controlling operation of the regenerative brake unit and the friction brake unit.
20 . The braking system of claim 19 wherein the generator comprises a switched reluctance generator, and the friction brake unit includes an antilock brake mechanism, and wherein the switched reluctance generator provides wheel speed data to the controller for use in controlling operation of the antilock brake mechanism.
21 . The braking system of claim 19 wherein the generator comprises a switched reluctance generator, and the friction brake unit comprises a hydraulic-mechanical disc brake, and further comprising an antilock brake system (ABS) controller for controlling the hydraulic-mechanical disc brake in an antilock braking mode, wherein the switched reluctance generator provides wheel speed data to the ABS controller for use in controlling operation of the hydraulic-mechanical disc brake in the antilock braking mode.
22 . The braking system of claim 19 wherein the friction brake unit comprises an electro-mechanical disc brake and an electric motor for driving the disc brake, and wherein the generator comprises a switched reluctance generator that provides wheel speed data to the controller, and wherein the controller uses the wheel speed data for controlling operation of the electro-mechanical disc brake in an antilock braking mode.
23 . A braking system for a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
a regenerative brake unit comprising a switched reluctance generator including a rotor and a stator, said rotor being fixedly attached to said wheel and including a moving friction surface thereon; and
a friction brake unit having a stationary friction surface that engages the moving friction surface of the rotor when the friction brake unit is actuated.
24 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the moving friction surface is integrally constructed on the rotor.
25 . The braking system of claim 24 wherein the moving friction surface is integrally formed with other parts of the rotor.
26 . The braking system of claim 24 wherein the moving friction surface is integrally joined to a surface of the rotor.
27 . The braking system of claim 26 wherein the moving friction surface is welded, fused, or bonded on the surface of the rotor.
28 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the vehicle is a two wheeled vehicle.
29 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the vehicle is a three or more wheeled vehicle.
30 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein in one mode of operation, the rotor and stator comprise a motor for driving the wheel.
31 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the rotor rotates around the stator.
32 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the rotor rotates within the stator.
33 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the moving friction surface is axially spaced from the body of the rotor.
34 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the moving friction surface is axially aligned with the body of the rotor.
35 . The braking system of claim 34 wherein the moving friction surface is located radially outboard of the body of the rotor.
36 . The braking system of claim 34 wherein the moving friction surface is located radially inboard of the body of the rotor.
37 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the moving friction surface comprises a circular friction surface that circumscribes a rotational axis of the wheel.
38 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the stator is radially spaced from the rotor with a radially extending air gap therebetween.
39 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the stator is axially spaced from the rotor with an axially extending air gap therebetween.
40 . The braking system of claim 23 wherein the friction brake unit includes an antilock brake mechanism, and wherein the switched reluctance generator provides wheel speed data to a controller for use in controlling operation of the antilock brake mechanism.
41 . The braking system of claim 40 wherein the friction brake unit comprises a hydraulic-mechanical disc brake.
42 . The braking system of claim 40 wherein the friction brake unit comprises an electro-mechanical disc brake and an electric motor for driving the disc brake.