Wheel end assembly having a vent passage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11602952-B2
Application number	US-202016991869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2020
Priority date	Aug 12, 2020
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

A wheel end assembly having a spindle, a hub, and a rotary seal assembly. The spindle defines a spindle air passage, a vent passage, and a spindle hole. The hub defines a hub air passage. The rotary seal assembly fluidly connects the spindle air passage to the hub air passage. The vent passage fluidly connects an inboard cavity to the spindle hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel end assembly comprising:
a spindle that defines a spindle air passage, a vent passage, and a spindle hole that extends along an axis;
a hub that is rotatable about the axis and that defines a hub air passage that is adapted to be fluidly connected to a tire;
an inboard wheel bearing that is disposed on the spindle and rotatably supports the hub;
a hub seal that extends from the spindle to the hub; and
a rotary seal assembly that fluidly connects the spindle air passage to the hub air passage, wherein the hub seal and the rotary seal assembly cooperate to at least partially define an inboard cavity, and the vent passage fluidly connects the inboard cavity to the spindle hole.

2. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the spindle and the hub cooperate with the rotary seal assembly and the hub seal to define the inboard cavity.

3. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the inboard wheel bearing is disposed in the inboard cavity.

4. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the spindle air passage is spaced apart from and is not fluidly connected to the spindle hole and the vent passage.

5. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the vent passage is axially positioned between the rotary seal assembly and the inboard wheel bearing.

6. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the vent passage is disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis.

7. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 wherein the spindle air passage has a first port and a second port, the vent passage is axially positioned closer to the second port than the first port, and the second port is axially positioned further from the first port than the vent passage.

8. The wheel end assembly of claim 1 further comprising an outboard wheel bearing that is disposed on the spindle and rotatably supports the hub, wherein the rotary seal assembly is axially positioned between the inboard wheel bearing and the outboard wheel bearing.

9. The wheel end assembly of claim 8 wherein the outboard wheel bearing is disposed in an outboard cavity that is at least partially defined by the hub and a hub cap that is disposed on an end of the hub.

10. The wheel end assembly of claim 9 wherein the spindle and the rotary seal assembly cooperate with the hub and the hub cap to define the outboard cavity.

11. The wheel end assembly of claim 9 wherein the outboard cavity is fluidly connected to the spindle hole.

12. The wheel end assembly of claim 9 wherein the outboard cavity receives a gear reduction unit.

13. The wheel end assembly of claim 12 wherein an axle extends through the spindle hole to the gear reduction unit.

14. A wheel end assembly comprising:
a spindle that defines a spindle hole that extends along an axis, a spindle air passage, and a vent passage;
a hub that is rotatable about the axis and that defines a hub air passage that is adapted to be fluidly connected to a tire;
a hub seal that extends from the spindle to the hub;
an inboard wheel bearing and an outboard wheel bearing that extend around the spindle and rotatably support the hub; and
a rotary seal assembly that is axially positioned between the inboard wheel bearing and the outboard wheel bearing and that fluidly connects the spindle air passage to the hub air passage, wherein the spindle, the hub, the hub seal, and the rotary seal assembly cooperate to define an inboard cavity in which the inboard wheel bearing is disposed, and wherein the vent passage extends from the inboard cavity to the spindle hole.

15. The wheel end assembly of claim 14 wherein the spindle air passage has a first port and a second port, and wherein the spindle includes a tubular portion and a mounting flange that is disposed at an end of the tubular portion and extends radially outward from the tubular portion, wherein the first port is provided in the mounting flange.

16. The wheel end assembly of claim 15 wherein the tubular portion has a first outer surface that extends around the axis, wherein the outboard wheel bearing engages the first outer surface.

17. The wheel end assembly of claim 16 wherein the tubular portion has a second outer surface that extends around the axis and has a larger diameter than the first outer surface, wherein the rotary seal assembly is disposed on the second outer surface and the spindle air passage and the vent passage extend from the second outer surface.

18. The wheel end assembly of claim 17 wherein the spindle includes a third outer surface that is disposed further from the axis than the second outer surface and is axially positioned between the second outer surface and the mounting flange, wherein the inboard wheel bearing is disposed on the third outer surface.

19. The wheel end assembly of claim 18 wherein the spindle includes a fourth outer surface that is disposed further from the axis than the third outer surface and is axially positioned between the third outer surface and the mounting flange, wherein the hub seal is disposed on the fourth outer surface.

20. The wheel end assembly of claim 14 wherein the hub seal is a non-self-venting seal that does not vent the inboard cavity.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Shah Deval H
• Noteboom Ronald
• Godwin Jr Mark L

Classifications

• F16H1/2854

  involving conical gears · CPC title

• F16C2326/02

  Wheel hubs or castors · CPC title

• B60C23/00363

  Details of sealings · CPC title

• F16C19/548

  in O-arrangement · CPC title

• B60B27/0073 Primary

  characterised by sealing means · CPC title