Brake rotor and tone ring assembly

Abstract

A wheel assembly includes a wheel hub and brake rotor that rotate about an axis. The brake rotor includes a first mount interface for attachment to the wheel hub and a second mount interface for attachment to a tone ring. The first and second mount interfaces are independent of each other. The first mount interface comprises a first plurality of apertures that receive a first set of fasteners to secure the brake rotor to the wheel hub. The second mount interface comprises a second plurality of apertures that receive a second set of fasteners to secure the tone ring to the brake rotor.

1 . A wheel assembly comprising: 
 a wheel hub defining an axis of rotation;    a brake rotor having a first mount interface comprising a first plurality of apertures to receive a first set of fasteners to secure said brake rotor to said wheel hub, and wherein said brake rotor includes a second mount interface comprising a second plurality of apertures to receive a second set of fasteners, said second mount interface being independent of said first mount interface; and    a tone ring mounted to said brake rotor via said second mount interface.    
   
   
       2 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said first and said second plurality of apertures have a non-overlapping relationship with each other.  
   
   
       3 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said first and said second plurality of apertures are non-coaxial.  
   
   
       4 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said brake rotor and said tone ring remain attached to each other via said second mount interface as said brake rotor is removed from said wheel hub at said first mount interface.  
   
   
       5 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said tone ring is separably removable from said brake rotor via said second mount interface while said brake rotor remains attached to said wheel hub at said first mount interface.  
   
   
       6 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said brake rotor and said tone ring remain attached to each other via said second mount interface as said brake rotor is removed from said wheel hub at said first mount interface and wherein said tone ring is separably removable from said brake rotor via said second mount interface while said brake rotor remains attached to said wheel hub at said first mount interface.  
   
   
       7 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  including a third plurality of apertures formed within said tone ring, said third plurality of apertures being aligned with said second plurality of apertures when said tone ring is attached to said brake rotor at said second mount interface.  
   
   
       8 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said brake rotor includes an inner circumferential portion with an opening surrounding an outer surface of said wheel hub, an outer circumferential portion defining a braking surface, and a wall portion interconnecting said inner circumferential portion with said outer circumferential portion, and wherein said first plurality of apertures are formed within said inner circumferential portion and said second plurality of apertures are formed within said wall portion.  
   
   
       9 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 8  wherein said inner circumferential portion comprises a generally flat disc-shaped portion with said first plurality of apertures extending through said generally flat disc-shaped portion, each of said first plurality of apertures being spaced apart from each other about said axis of rotation.  
   
   
       10 . The wheel assembly according to  claim 8  wherein said wall portion extends in a direction generally parallel to said axis of rotation with said second plurality of apertures being formed within a plurality of discretely spaced extensions extending radially inwardly from said wall portion toward said axis of rotation, each of said plurality of discretely spaced extensions including one of said second plurality of apertures.  
   
   
       11 . A method for assembling a wheel comprising the steps of: 
 (b) mounting a brake rotor to a wheel hub at a first mount interface by inserting a first set of fasteners through a first set of apertures formed within the brake rotor; and    (b) mounting a tone ring to the brake rotor at a second mount interface that is independent from the first mount interface by inserting a second set of fasteners through a second set of apertures formed within the brake rotor.    
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the first and the second plurality of apertures are non-coaxial.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 11  including unfastening the first set of fasteners to remove the brake rotor from the wheel hub while the tone ring remains fastened to the brake rotor via the second mount interface.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 11  including unfastening the second set of fasteners to remove the tone ring from the brake rotor while the brake rotor remains fastened to the wheel hub via the first mount interface.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 11  including unfastening the first set of fasteners at the first mount interface to remove the brake rotor from the wheel hub while the tone ring remains fastened to the brake rotor during removal of the brake rotor via the second mount interface, and in an independently operable step, unfastening the second set of fasteners at the second mount interface to remove the tone ring from the brake rotor while the brake rotor remains fastened to the wheel hub during removal of the tone ring via the first mount interface.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the wheel hub, the brake rotor, and the tone ring rotate about an axis of rotation and including circumferentially spacing the first plurality of apertures about the axis of rotation and circumferentially spacing the second plurality of apertures about the axis of rotation such that the first and the second plurality of apertures have a non-overlapping relationship.