Spindle sleeve with retainer for vehicle wheel adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11130367-B2
Application number	US-201716345434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Nov 11, 2016
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for a vehicle is provided that has an axle with an axis. A spindle sleeve with a spindle sleeve inner surface axis coaxial with the axis of the axle is present, along with a spindle sleeve outer surface axis that is not coaxial with the axis of the axle. The spindle sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface. A sleeve washer is present along with a bearing that has an inner race, an outer race, and a roller. The inner race has an inner surface and a front surface in which the front surface is located forward of the inner surface in a lateral direction. The inner race has a curved surface that extends from the front surface to the inner surface, and the sleeve washer engages the front surface. The apparatus also includes a retainer that engages the spindle sleeve and the curved surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
an axle, wherein the axle has an axis;
a spindle sleeve with a spindle sleeve inner surface axis that is coaxial with the axis of the axle, wherein the spindle sleeve has a spindle sleeve outer surface axis that is not coaxial with the axis of the axle, wherein the spindle sleeve has an inner surface and an outer surface;
a sleeve washer;
a bearing that has an inner race and an outer race, wherein the bearing has a roller that is disposed between the inner race and the outer race, wherein the inner race has an inner surface and a front surface, wherein the front surface is located forward of the inner surface in a lateral direction, wherein the inner race has a curved surface that extends from the front surface to the inner surface, wherein the sleeve washer engages the front surface;
a metal retainer that engages the spindle sleeve and the curved surface;
wherein the axle has a keyway, and wherein the sleeve washer has a keyway tab;
a retaining nut in selective rotating communication with the sleeve washer such that rotation of the retaining nut is communicated to the sleeve washer to cause the spindle sleeve to rotate relative to the axle when the retaining nut is in rotating communication with the sleeve washer, wherein rotation of the retaining nut is not communicated to the sleeve washer to cause the spindle sleeve to rotate relative to the axle when the retaining nut is not in rotating communication with the sleeve washer; and
a snap ring that engages the retaining nut when the retaining nut is in rotating communication with the sleeve washer, wherein the retaining nut has a groove into which the snap ring is disposed when the snap ring engages the retaining nut, wherein the snap ring has a snap ring engagement tab, wherein the retaining nut defines a plurality of snap ring apertures, wherein the snap ring engagement tab is disposed through one of the plurality of snap ring apertures.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the curved surface is a round.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the inner race engages the outer surface of the spindle sleeve.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the spindle sleeve has a groove, and wherein the retainer is disposed within the groove of the spindle sleeve.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the spindle sleeve has a plurality of slots that are open on a terminal end of the spindle sleeve and extend in the lateral direction to closed inboard terminal ends, wherein the sleeve washer has a plurality of slot tabs that are disposed within the plurality of slots, wherein the groove is located between the terminal end of the spindle sleeve and the closed inboard terminal ends of the plurality of slots in the lateral direction.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the retainer extends around the spindle sleeve outer surface axis for an amount that is less than 360 degrees.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the entire retainer is located inboard of the sleeve washer in the lateral direction, and wherein the entire retainer is located outboard of the inner surface of the inner race in the lateral direction.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a lock plate that engages the sleeve washer, wherein rotation of the retaining nut is communicated to the sleeve washer through the lock plate to cause the spindle sleeve and the lock plate to rotate relative to the axle when the retaining nut is in rotating communication with the sleeve washer;
wherein the lock plate has a lock plate tab, wherein the keyway tab of the sleeve washer and the lock plate tab are both located within the keyway of the axle when the retaining nut is not in rotating communication with the sleeve washer.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the sleeve washer has a pair of pins located 180 degrees from one another, wherein the lock plate has a pair of pin apertures located 180 degrees from one another, wherein the pair of pins are disposed within the pair of pin apertures in order to cause rotation of the lock plate to be communicated to the sleeve washer, wherein the lock plate has a plurality of lock plate apertures disposed 360 degrees about a lock plate axis, wherein the lock plate apertures extend completely through the lock plate.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the retaining nut has internal threading that engages complimentary external threading of the axle, wherein rotation of the retaining nut on the external threading of the axle causes axial force to be imparted onto the sleeve washer when the retaining nut is not in rotating communication with the sleeve washer.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a hub, wherein the hub, the spindle sleeve, sleeve washer, bearing, and retainer are prepackaged for assembly onto the axle, and wherein the hub is mounted onto the spindle sleeve, wherein the hub extends farther outboard in the lateral direction than the spindle sleeve when the spindle sleeve is mounted onto the axle.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an inboard bearing that has an inboard bearing inner race, an inboard bearing outer race, and an inboard bearing roller, wherein the inboard bearing inner race engages the outer surface of the spindle sleeve, wherein the inboard bearing is located inboard from the bearing in the lateral direction.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein force applied onto the bearing is translated from the bearing to the retainer that is in turn translated from the retainer to the spindle sleeve and causes the spindle sleeve to be removed from the axle along with the retainer and the bearing.

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie
• Merrill Zachary Alexander

Inventors

• Merrill Zachary Alexander

Classifications

• B60G9/00 Primary

  Resilient suspensions of a rigid axle or axle housing for two or more wheels {(the axle being a part of a set of tandem axles B60G5/00-B60G5/065; with leaf springs B60G11/02-B60G11/08)} · CPC title

• B60G2206/50

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

• B60G2206/99

  Suspension element selection procedure depending on loading or performance requirements, e.g. selection of damper, spring or bush · CPC title

• B60G2200/462

  Toe-in/out · CPC title

• B60G2200/46

  camber angle · CPC title