Wheel end assembly having a seal interface with a tone ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052913-B2
Application number	US-201615346792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A wheel end assembly that has a spindle, a hub, a tone ring, and a seal assembly. The tone ring may be mounted to the hub and may have a tone ring opening that may extend around the spindle. The seal assembly may be disposed in the tone ring opening and may extend from the spindle to the tone ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel end assembly comprising:
a spindle;
a hub that is rotatably disposed on the spindle;
a tone ring that is fixedly mounted to the hub and that has a tone ring opening that extends around the spindle, a first tone ring flange, and a second tone ring flange that is disposed opposite the first tone ring flange and extends toward a first wheel bearing;
a tone ring seal that extends around the second tone ring flange and that extends from the second tone ring flange to the hub; and
a seal that is disposed in the tone ring opening and that extends from the spindle to the first tone ring flange and the second tone ring flange.

2. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the seal is spaced apart from the hub.

3. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the seal is completely disposed in the tone ring opening.

4. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the hub extends continuously around at least a portion of the tone ring.

5. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the seal extends continuously around the spindle and the tone ring extends continuously around the seal.

6. The wheel end assembly of claim 5 wherein the spindle is disposed around an axis and has a spindle mounting flange that extends away from the axis and is mounted to a support member, wherein the seal is axially positioned between the spindle mounting flange and the first wheel bearing.

7. The wheel end assembly of claim 6 wherein the support member is a steering knuckle.

8. The wheel end assembly of claim 6 wherein the seal is spaced apart from and does not engage the spindle mounting flange and the first wheel bearing.

9. The wheel end assembly of claim 6 wherein the hub has a hub cavity that receives the spindle and the first wheel bearing, wherein at least a portion of the seal is disposed outside the hub cavity and is not received in the hub cavity.

10. The wheel end assembly of claim 9 wherein the tone ring is disposed between the hub and the seal and the seal is at least partially received in the hub cavity.

11. A wheel end assembly comprising:
a spindle that extends around an axis;
a hub that receives the spindle and is rotatable about the axis with respect to the spindle, wherein the hub has a hub cavity;
a tone ring that is fixedly mounted on the hub and that has a tone ring opening that receives the spindle, a first tone ring flange that protrudes from a first side of the tone ring, and a second tone ring flange disposed opposite the first tone ring flange that protrudes from a second side of the tone ring that engages the hub and is disposed opposite the first side, wherein the second tone ring flange extends into the hub cavity; and
a seal that is disposed in the tone ring opening and that extends from the spindle to the first tone ring flange and the second tone ring flange, wherein the seal is spaced apart from and does not engage the hub.

12. The wheel end assembly of claim 11 wherein the hub has a first hub end surface, a second hub end surface that is disposed opposite the first hub end surface, and the hub cavity extends from the first hub end surface to the second hub end surface, wherein the tone ring is coupled to the first hub end surface and is partially received in the hub cavity.

13. The wheel end assembly of claim 12 wherein the tone ring extends around and is spaced apart from first and second wheel bearings that rotatably support the hub.

14. The wheel end assembly of claim 12 wherein the second tone ring flange extends toward a first wheel bearing that is disposed in the hub cavity and that rotatably supports the hub.

15. The wheel end assembly of claim 14 further comprising a tone ring seal that extends around the second tone ring flange and that extends from the second tone ring flange to the hub.

16. The wheel end assembly of claim 15 wherein the tone ring seal extends continuously around the second tone ring flange and the seal.

17. The wheel end assembly of claim 15 wherein the hub extends continuously around the tone ring seal.

18. The wheel end assembly of claim 14 wherein the second tone ring flange extends around a portion of the first wheel bearing.

19. The wheel end assembly of claim 14 further comprising a brake rotor that is fixedly disposed on the hub, wherein the brake rotor extends around the second tone ring flange.

20. A wheel end assembly comprising:
a spindle that extends around an axis;
a hub that receives the spindle and is rotatable about the axis with respect to the spindle, wherein the hub has a first hub end surface that is disposed at an end of a first hub mounting flange, a second hub end surface that is disposed opposite the first hub end surface, and a hub cavity that extends from the first hub end surface to the second hub end surface;
a tone ring that contacts the first hub end surface and that has a tone ring opening that receives the spindle, a first tone ring flange that protrudes from a first side of the tone ring, and a second tone ring flange disposed opposite the first tone ring flange that protrudes from a second side of the tone ring that is disposed opposite the first side, wherein the second tone ring flange extends into the hub cavity;
a seal that is disposed in the tone ring opening and that extends from the spindle to the first tone ring flange and the second tone ring flange, wherein the seal is spaced apart from and does not engage the hub; and
a brake rotor that contacts the first hub mounting flange.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Sinka Aaron
• Yang Kou
• Hamblin James

Classifications

• G01P3/48

  by measuring frequency of generated current or voltage {(in general G01R23/00)} · CPC title

• B60G2206/50

  Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments · CPC title

• B60B27/02 Primary

  adapted to be rotatably arranged on axle · CPC title

• F16J15/326

  with means for detecting or measuring relative rotation of the two elements · CPC title

• B60B27/0068

  the element being a sensor · CPC title