Wheel bearing assembly with integrated seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11378129-B2
Application number	US-202017126808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Jan 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

Wheel bearing assembly for motor vehicles, the assembly being provided with a wheel hub and a bearing unit in turn provided with a radially outer ring and at least one radially inner ring provided, respectively, with a first raceway and at least one second raceway, with at least one row of rolling bodies arranged between the radially outer ring and the at least one radially inner ring, and with a cage for containing the at least one row of rolling bodies; the wheel bearing assembly is moreover provided with sealing means integrated in the cage and provided with at least two radial contact lips made of elastomeric material, with at least one first radial lip in contact with the radially inner ring and with at least one second radial lip in contact with the radially outer ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel bearing assembly for motor vehicles, the assembly comprising a wheel-hub and a bearing unit in turn comprising:
a radially outer ring and at least one radially inner ring provided, respectively, with a first raceway and at least one second raceway;
at least one row of rolling bodies arranged between the radially outer ring and the at least one radially inner ring; and
a cage for containing the at least one row of rolling bodies; and
a seal integrated in the cage and provided with at least two radial contact lips made of elastomeric material, with at least one first radial lip in contact with the radially inner ring and with at least one second radial lip in contact with the radially outer ring,
wherein the cage has a support portion on which the at least two radial lips are co-moulded and a centre of gravity of the support portion is positioned approximately on the same nominal pitch diameter of a rolling body, wherein the nominal pitch diameter is the diameter in which a center of the rolling body of the at least one row of rolling bodies is positioned with respect to an axis (X) of symmetry of the bearing unit, and
wherein the support portion has a plurality of openings disposed in a discontinuous manner in a circumferential direction, a plurality of crimping holes and a plurality of grooves made to improve adhesion of an elastomeric material of the at least two radial contact lips on the cage.

2. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial lips are made of vulcanized thermoplastic polymeric material.

3. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial lips have substantially the same length in a radial direction comprised in a range between 1 mm and 5 mm.

4. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial lips have an interference with the corresponding surfaces of the radially inner ring and radially outer ring, the interference extending between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm over the corresponding surfaces.

5. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial lips have a thickness ranging between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm.

6. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness (A) of the support portion ranges between 3 mm and 6 mm.

7. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a thickness (A) of the support portion and a thickness (B) of the radial lips ranges between 50% and 80%.

8. A cage for containing at least one row of rolling bodies in a wheel hub assembly, comprising:
a seal integrated in a cage, the seal provided with at least two radial contact lips, with at least one first radial lip configured to, when assembled in a wheel hub assembly, contact a radially inner ring and with at least one second radial lip configured to, when assembled in a wheel hub assembly, contact with a radially outer ring,
wherein the cage has a support portion on which the at least two radial lips are co-moulded and wherein the cage is configured such that, when assembled in a wheel hub bearing, a centre of gravity of the support portion is positioned approximately on a same nominal pitch diameter of a rolling body, wherein the nominal pitch diameter is the diameter in which a center of the rolling body of a row of rolling bodies is positioned with respect to an axis (X) of symmetry of the wheel hub bearing,
wherein a ratio between a thickness (A) of the support portion and a thickness (B) of a radial lip of the at least two radial lips ranges between 50% and 80%, and
wherein the support portion has a plurality of openings disposed in a discontinuous manner in a circumferential direction, a plurality of crimping holes and a plurality of grooves made to improve adhesion of an elastomeric material of the at least two radial contact lips on the cage.

9. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the at least two radial lips are made of a vulcanized thermoplastic polymeric material.

10. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the at least two radial lips have substantially the same length in a radial direction comprised in a range between 1 mm and 5 mm.

11. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the at least two radial lips have an interference with the corresponding surfaces of the radially inner ring and radially outer ring, the interference varying between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.

12. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the at least two radial lips have a thickness ranging between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm.

13. The cage of claim 8 , wherein the thickness (A) of the support portion ranges between 3 mm and 6 mm.

14. A cage for containing at least one row of rolling bodies in a wheel hub assembly, comprising:
a seal integrated in a cage, the seal provided with at least two radial contact lips, with at least one first radial lip configured to, when assembled in a wheel hub assembly, contact a radially inner ring and with at least one second radial lip configured to, when assembled in a wheel hub assembly, contact with a radially outer ring, wherein the cage has a support portion on which the at least two radial lips are co-moulded and wherein the cage is configured such that, when assembled in a wheel hub bearing, a centre of gravity of the support portion is positioned approximately on a same nominal pitch diameter of a rolling body, wherein the nominal pitch diameter is the diameter in which a center of the rolling body of a row of rolling bodies is positioned with respect to an axis (X) of symmetry of the wheel hub bearing, wherein a ratio between a thickness (A) of the support portion and a thickness (B) of a radial lip of the at least two radial lips ranges between 50% and 80%, wherein the support portion has a plurality of openings disposed in a discontinuous manner in a circumferential direction, a plurality of crimping holes and a plurality of grooves made to improve adhesion of an elastomeric material of the at least two radial contact lips on the cage, wherein the at least two radial lips are made of a vulcanized thermoplastic polymeric material, wherein the at least two radial lips have substantially the same length in a radial direction comprised in a range between 1 mm and 5 mm, wherein the at least two radial lips have an interference with the corresponding surfaces of the radially inner ring and radially outer ring varying between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm, wherein the at least two radial lips have a thickness ranging between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, and wherein the thickness (A) of the support portion ranges between 3 mm and 6 mm.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Gemello Marco
• Missiaggia Giorgio

Classifications

• F16C33/58

  Raceways; Race rings · CPC title

• F16C2326/02

  Wheel hubs or castors · CPC title

• F16C33/7823

  of sealing lips · CPC title

• F16C33/3806

  Details of interaction of cage and race, e.g. retention, centring · CPC title

• F16C33/3887

  Details of individual pockets, e.g. shape or ball retaining means · CPC title