Granted Patent B2

US 12,655,879 · App. 17/534,494 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: Roberto Boffelli (Camisano, IT); José Manuel Saraiva Carvalho (Cologne, DE)

Assignee: POLI S.r.l.

F16D65/121F16D2065/1384F16D2065/1392

Abstract

Claims (31)

1 . An adapter comprising:

a body having plural surfaces configured to extend around at least a portion of an axle of a vehicle system, the body comprising an interior portion and an exterior portion, wherein the interior portion is positioned between a center passage of the body and the exterior portion in a radial direction away from the center passage;

a hub coupling feature positioned on the interior portion of the body, the hub coupling feature configured to be coupled with a portion of a wheel hub of the vehicle system, the wheel hub operably coupled with the axle of the vehicle system; and

a brake disc coupling feature positioned on the exterior portion of the body radially outward from the hub coupling feature, the brake disc coupling feature including an exterior protrusion extending away from an exterior surface of the body in a direction away from the center passage of the body such that the exterior protrusion forms at least a portion of the radially outermost surface of the body, the brake disc coupling feature configured to be coupled with a segment of plural segments of a brake disc assembly, the brake disc assembly comprising plural segments disposed around a perimeter of the body, wherein the exterior protrusion comprises a first side and a second side facing away from the first side along a center axis of the axle, wherein the exterior protrusion is configured to extend into a pocket defined radially inward along a centerline of the brake disc assembly such that the first side and the second side of the exterior protrusion are bounded by the segment of the brake disc assembly and accommodate expansion of the segment of plural segments to stabilize the wheel hub regardless of an imbalance caused by expansion of the segment of plural segments, the brake disc assembly configured to control a rotational speed of the axle,

wherein the hub coupling feature and the brake disc coupling feature allow the brake disc assembly to be operably coupled with the wheel hub.

2 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the brake disc coupling feature is a first brake disc coupling feature and the segment of plural segments is a first segment, the adapter further comprising plural brake disc coupling features,

wherein the first brake disc coupling feature is configured to be coupled with the first segment of the plural segments of the brake disc assembly, and

wherein a second brake disc coupling feature is configured to be coupled with a second segment of the plural segments of the brake disc assembly.

3 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the brake disc coupling feature is configured to couple a first brake disc of the brake disc assembly that is disposed on a first side of the body with a second brake of the brake disc assembly that is disposed on a second side of the body.

4 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the brake disc coupling feature is configured to be uncoupled from the brake disc assembly to one or more of repair or replace the brake disc assembly.

5 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the body is shaped to control one or more flow characteristics of a fluid configured to move through one or more of the wheel hub or the brake disc assembly.

6 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the center passage of the body is concentric with the center axis of the axle.

7 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the hub coupling feature includes a third passage that is configured to be aligned with a fourth passage of the wheel hub, the third and fourth passages configured to receive a first fastener to couple body of the adapter with the wheel hub, and wherein a first passage of the brake disc coupling feature and a second passage of the brake disc assembly are configured to receive a second fastener to couple the body of the adapter with the brake disc assembly.

8 . A method comprising:

coupling a portion of a wheel hub of a vehicle system with a hub coupling feature of an adapter, the adapter including a body having plural surfaces configured to extend around at least a portion of an axle of the vehicle system, the body comprising an interior portion and an exterior portion, the interior portion is positioned between a center passage of the body and the exterior portion in a radial direction away from the center passage, the hub coupling feature positioned on the interior portion of the body, the wheel hub operably coupled with the axle; and

coupling a brake disc coupling feature of the adapter with a segment of plural segments of a brake disc assembly, the brake disc assembly comprising plural segments disposed around a perimeter of the body, the brake disc coupling feature positioned on the exterior portion of the body radially outward from the hub coupling feature, the brake disc coupling feature including an exterior protrusion extending away from an exterior surface of the body in a direction away from the center passage of the body such that the exterior protrusion forms at least a portion of the radially outermost surface of the body, wherein the exterior protrusion comprises a first side and a second side facing away from the first side along a center axis of the axle, wherein coupling the brake disc coupling feature of the adapter with the portion of a brake disc assembly comprises positioning the exterior protrusion within a pocket defined radially inward along a centerline of the brake disc assembly such that the first side and the second side of the exterior protrusion are bounded by the segment of the brake disc assembly and accommodate expansion of the segment of plural segments to stabilize the wheel hub regardless of an imbalance caused by expansion of the segment of plural segments.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising rotating the wheel hub, the adapter, and the brake disc assembly via rotation of the axle.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising uncoupling the segment of the brake disc assembly from the brake disc coupling feature to one or more of repair or replace the segment of the brake disc assembly.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the brake disc assembly is a segmented brake disc assembly, wherein the brake disc coupling feature is a first brake disc coupling feature and the segment of the brake disc assembly is a first segment, the adapter further comprising plural brake disc coupling features, and further comprising:

coupling the first brake disc coupling feature with the first segment of the plural segments of the segmented brake disc assembly; and

coupling a second brake disc coupling feature with a second segment of the plural segments of the segmented brake disc assembly.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising directing a fluid through one or more of the wheel hub or the brake disc assembly, wherein the body is shaped to control one or more flow characteristics of the fluid as the fluid moves through the one or more of the wheel hub or the brake disc assembly.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the center passage of the body is concentric with the center axis of the axle.

14 . A brake system comprising:

a wheel hub operably coupled with an axle of a vehicle system;

a segmented brake disc assembly configured to control a rotational speed of the axle, the segmented brake disc assembly comprising a segment, wherein a pocket is defined in the segment defined radially inward along a centerline of the segment; and

an adapter having a body extending around at least a portion of the axle, the body including an interior portion and an exterior portion, the interior portion being positioned between a center passage of the body and the exterior portion in a radial direction away from the center passage, the body comprising a hub coupling feature positioned on the interior portion of the body, the hub coupling feature configured to be coupled with a portion of the wheel hub of the vehicle system, the body comprising a brake disc coupling feature positioned on the exterior portion of the body radially outward from the hub coupling feature, the brake disc coupling feature including an exterior protrusion extending away from the body of the adapter in a direction away from the center passage such that the body has a varying diameter about a perimeter of the body and the exterior protrusion forms at least a portion of the radially outermost surface of the body, wherein the exterior protrusion comprises a first side and a second side facing away from the first side along a center axis of the axle, the exterior protrusion configured to extend into the pocket of the segment of the segmented brake disc assembly such that the first side and the second side of the exterior protrusion are bounded by the segmented brake disc assembly and accommodate expansion of the segment to stabilize the wheel hub regardless of an imbalance caused by expansion of the segment.

15 . The brake system of claim 14 , wherein the segmented brake disc assembly comprises plural segments disposed around a perimeter of the axle.

16 . The brake system of claim 15 , wherein the brake disc coupling feature is a first brake disc coupling feature, the adapter further comprising plural brake disc coupling features.

17 . The brake system of claim 14 , wherein the segment of the segmented brake disc assembly is configured to be uncoupled from the brake disc coupling feature of the adapter to one or more of repair or replace the segment of the segmented brake disc assembly.

18 . The brake system of claim 14 , wherein the hub coupling feature includes a first passage and the wheel hub includes a second passage that is aligned with the first passage, the first and second passages configured to receive a first fastener to couple the wheel hub with the body of the adapter, and wherein the brake disc coupling feature includes a third passage and the segmented brake disc assembly includes a fourth passage that is aligned with the third passage, the third and fourth passages configured to receive a second fastener to couple the segmented brake disc assembly with the body of the adapter.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (36)