Low friction sealing device for a wheel hub assembly connected to a constant velocity joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016152072-A1
Application number	US-201514951493-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sealing device for a wheel hub assembly having an outer ring and an inner ring. The sealing device includes a first (stationary) annular shield and a second (rotating) annular shield, each having a journalling portion and a flange portion radially extending in cantilever fashion from the journalling portion and towards the other shield; and an annular sealing element carried by the first shield and provided with a plurality of annular sealing lips. The first shield is coupled radially on the outside of the outer ring. The second shield flange portion includes a radially outer annular stretch opposite the journalling portion, extending axially towards the first shield and is incurved radially from the exterior towards the interior, on the side opposite the first shield, forming a U-arranged parallel to a common symmetry axis of the first and second shields, having a concavity thereof facing the side opposite the first shield.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sealing device for a wheel hub assembly connected to a constant velocity joint and intended to be interposed between an inner ring and an outer ring of the wheel hub assembly and to extend straddling between the wheel hub and the constant velocity joint; the sealing device comprising:
a first annular shield, stationary in use, and a second annular shield, rotating in use, wherein the first annular shield and the second annular shield are adapted to be anchored by an anchoring component of respective annular journalling sleeve-shaped portions thereof to the outer ring and to the inner ring of the wheel hub assembly, respectively, and the first annular shield and the second annular shield each include a respective annular flange portion which radially extends in cantilever fashion from the journalling portion and toward the other shield, and an annular sealing element carried by the first shield and which is provided with a plurality of annular sealing lips; the flange portion of the second shield carrying, on the side opposite to the first shield and in use toward the constant velocity joint, an annular signal generating element made of a synthetic plastic or magnetizable elastomeric material; wherein, in combination: i) the annular journalling portion of the first shield is intended to fluid-tightly couple, in use, radially on the outside of the outer ring of the wheel hub assembly, ii) the flange portion of the second shield comprises a first radially outer annular stretch opposite to the journalling portion of the second shield, and which extends axially from the same side of the annular journalling portion of the second shield and toward the first shield, which first annular stretch is incurved radially from the exterior toward the interior and on the side opposite to the first shield to form in radial section a U arranged parallel to a common symmetry axis of the first and the second annular shields and having a concavity thereof facing the side opposite to the first shield to form a curved bottom annular channel on the side of the signal generating element, iii) an end edge of the first annular stretch of the flange portion of the second shield being arranged on the side opposite to, and radially flush with, the annular journalling portion of the first shield, iv) a curved bottom wall of the annular channel formed by the first annular stretch of the flange portion of the second shield cooperating without contact with the flange portion of the first shield to form therewith, in a radial position which is more inner than the radial position of the annular journalling portion of the first shield, a first labyrinth seal, which is directed radially, v) a first radially outer annular lip of the annular sealing element radially and axially extending in cantilever fashion from the first shield and toward the second shield so as to move obliquely away from the symmetry axis, and being arranged radially on the inside of the first annular stretch of the flange portion of the second shield to form a V-shaped annular channel facing radially toward the exterior and arranged in radial section immediately below the first annular stretch of the flange portion of the second shield, and vi) a free end of the first annular lip forming, with a radially inner end of the first annular stretch and within an annular chamber delimited between the first and the second shields, a second labyrinth seal, which is directed axially.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , the annular journalling sleeve-shaped portion of the second shield further comprising:
a first stretch defined by a first L-shaped fold which axially extends in cantilever fashion from the flange portion and toward the first shield; and a second stretch defined by a U-shaped fold, which radially overlaps in contact with the stretch defined by the first L-shaped fold on the side of the inner ring and which extends axially backward with respect to the first L-shaped fold, toward the constant velocity joint and beyond the flange portion of the second shield.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein:
from the second fold a third L-shaped fold extends, on the side opposite to the first stretch defined by the first fold, the third L-shaped fold being obtained in one piece with the second stretch defined by the second fold and extending radially toward the interior of the journalling sleeve-shaped portion of the second shield; the third fold being intended to axially extend, in use, in cantilever fashion from the inner ring and, with respect to the flange portion of the second shield, toward the constant velocity joint to form a tubular element adapted to be arranged, in use, straddling the wheel hub assembly and the constant velocity joint, coaxial with the inner ring; the third L-shaped fold defining a first thrust shoulder for mounting the second shield onto a radially outer surface of the inner ring.

4 . The device according to claim 2 , further comprising a third annular shield intended, in use, to couple radially toward the interior of the journalling sleeve-shaped portion of the second shield;
a third L-shaped fold facing radially toward the exterior and toward the journalling sleeve-shaped portion of the second shield; and a tubular element which extends in cantilever fashion from the third L-shaped fold and is adapted to be arranged, in use, straddling the wheel hub assembly and the constant velocity joint, coaxial with the inner ring and intended to be journalled onto the inner ring, in axial sequence immediately after the second shield in a direction which moves away from the first shield, to axially extend, in use, in cantilever fashion from the inner ring, toward the constant velocity joint; the third L-shaped fold defining a first thrust shoulder for mounting the third shield within an annular step of one end of the inner ring.

5 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein a free end of the tubular element is provided, radially on the interior thereof, with an L-shaped edge on the side opposite to a direction of cantilevered radial extension of the flange portion of the second shield; the L-shaped edge of the free end of the tubular element being entirely embedded in an annular gasket.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the journalling portion of the first shield is adapted to be coupled radially on the outside of the outer ring with the interposition of an o-ring which is arranged radially on the inside of the journalling portion of the first shield.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein a free end of the first annular lip is delimited by an annular flat surface,
wherein the annular flat surface is parallel to the symmetry axis and faces the radially inner end of the first annular stretch, with which the annular flat surface cooperates to form the second labyrinth seal.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , the annular sealing element further comprising a second annular lip which axially extends in cantilever fashion beyond the free end of the first annular lip and radially on the inside of the first annular lip so as to slidingly cooperate with the flange portion of the second shield in a radial position which is much closer to the journalling portion of the second shield than to the free end of the first annular lip.

9 . A wheel hub assembly connected with a constant velocity joint, comprising:
a sealing device comprising:
a first annular shield, stationary in use, and
a second annular shield, rotating in use,
wherein the first annular shield and the second annular shield are adapted to be anchored by an anchoring component of respective annular journalling sleeve-shaped portions thereof to the outer ring a

Assignees

• Duch Daniele
• Morello Fausto
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Duch Daniele
• Morello Fausto

Classifications

• F16J15/3232

  having two or more lips · CPC title

• F16C2326/02

  Wheel hubs or castors · CPC title

• F16C33/7876

  with sealing lips · CPC title

• F16C33/7823

  of sealing lips · CPC title

• F16C19/186

  with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs · CPC title