Rotary joint assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017129293-A1
Application number	US-201515318734-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rotary joint assembly including a rotating portion. The rotating portion includes an annular body and a pair of annular sealing members. Each annular sealing member of the pair of annular sealing members is attached to a side of the annular body. An air passageway is formed in the annular body. The rotary joint assembly also includes a non-rotating portion. The non-rotating portion has a non-rotating portion air passageway formed therein. The non-rotating portion air passageway is in fluid communication with the air passageway formed in the annular body. A pair of annular air seal members are provided between the rotating portion and the non-rotating portion. Each annular air seal member of the pair of annular air seal members contacts a sealing surface of one of the annular seal members to provide a seal around an interface between the air passageway formed in the annular body and the non-rotating portion air passageway.

First claim

1 . A rotary joint assembly, comprising:
a rotating portion which comprises an annular body and a pair of annular sealing members, each annular sealing member of the pair of annular sealing members is attached to a side of the annular body, and an air passageway is formed in the annular body; a non-rotating portion having a non-rotating portion air passageway formed therein, the non-rotating portion air passageway being in fluid communication with the air passageway formed in the annular body; and a pair of annular air seal members provided between the rotating portion and the non-rotating portion, wherein each annular air seal member of the pair of annular air seal members contacts a sealing surface of one of the annular sealing members to provide a seal around an interface between the air passageway formed in the annular body and the non-rotating portion air passageway.

2 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the annular body is thicker around opposite ends of the air passageway formed therein.

3 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the air passageway formed in the annular body is in a perpendicular relationship with an axis of rotation of the rotary joint assembly.

4 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the annular sealing members are attached to opposite sides of the annular body and disposed in separate grooves formed in the annular body.

5 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the annular air seal members are disposed in separate grooves formed in the non-rotating portion.

6 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating portion air passageway is stationary with respect to the air passageway formed in the annular body and comprises a first portion, which is of a generally cylindrical shape, and a second portion, which is annular.

7 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary joint assembly further comprises a central opening, is generally annular and is positioned around a portion of a hub so as to separate a hub flange from a knuckle ring.

8 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the non-rotating portion comprises an outboard wall portion and an inboard wall portion, wherein the outboard wall portion and the inboard wall portion each comprise a radially extending portion, the radially extending portion of the outboard wall portion being in a spaced apart parallel relationship with the radially extending portion of the inboard wall portion and the rotating portion being disposed between the radially extending portions.

9 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of outer annular seal members provided between the rotating portion and the non-rotating portion, wherein each outer annular seal member of the pair of outer annular seal members is positioned radially between one of the annular air seal members and an outer end of the rotating portion.

10 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a first spacer member formed in a unitary manner with the annular body, the first spacer member extending radially from the annular body toward an axially extending portion of the non-rotating portion and a second spacer member, the second spacer member being secured to the axially extending portion of the non-rotating portion.

11 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the rotary joint assembly is attached to the hub flange via a torque plate and one or more hub fasteners.

12 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the rotary joint assembly is attached to the knuckle ring via a mounting plate, a generally ring-shaped member, and one or more fasteners.

13 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the outboard wall portion and the inboard wall portion each comprise an axial extending portion and the axial extending portion of the inboard wall portion overlaps the axially extending portion of the outboard wall portion so that the axial extending portion of the inboard wall portion is provided radially out from the axial extending portion of the outboard wall portion.

14 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the rotary joint assembly comprises a central opening and the central opening is at least partially defined by a portion of the outboard wall portion.

15 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the non-rotating portion comprises an outboard wall portion and an inboard wall portion and an axial spacer member is attached to each of the outboard wall portion and the inboard wall portion to limit the axial movement of the rotating portion relative to the non-rotating portion, the axial spacer members being provided in a spaced apart parallel relationship with each other and each axial spacer member is positioned radially between one of the annular air seal members and one of the outer annular seal members.

16 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the first spacer member and the second spacer member are both annular members.

17 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the torque plate comprises an axially extending portion having an air passageway aperture formed therein, the air passageway aperture being aligned with the air passageway formed in the annular body.

18 . A rotary joint assembly for a steerable axle, comprising:
a rotating portion attached to a hub flange via a torque plate, the rotating portion comprises an annular body and a pair of annular sealing members, each annular sealing member of the pair of annular sealing members is attached to a side of the annular body, and an air passageway is formed in the annular body; a non-rotating portion attached to a knuckle flange, the non-rotating portion having a non-rotating portion air passageway formed therein, the non-rotating portion air passageway being in fluid communication with the air passageway formed in the annular body; a pair of annular air seal members provided between the rotating portion and the non-rotating portion, wherein each annular air seal member of the pair of annular air seal members contacts a sealing surface of one of the annular sealing members to provide a seal around an interface between the air passageway formed in the annular body and the non-rotating portion air passageway; a pair of outer annular seal members provided between the rotating portion and the non-rotating portion, wherein each of the outer annular seal members of the pair of outer annular seal members is positioned radially between one of the annular air seal members and an outer end of the rotating portion and contacts the sealing surface of one of the annular sealing members; and a pair of axial spacer members provided between the rotating portion and the non-rotating portion, the axial spacer members being provided on opposite sides of the rotating portion and each axial spacer member of the pair of axial spacer members separates one of the annular air seal members from one of the outer annular seal members.

19 . The rotary joint assembly according to claim 18 , further comprising a first annular spacer member formed in a unitary manner with the annular body, the first annular spacer member extending radially from the annular body toward an axially extending portion of the non-rotating portion and a second annular spacer member, the second annular spacer member secured to the axially extending portion and extending radially therefro

Assignees

• Dana Heavy Vehicle Sys Group

Inventors

• Knapke Brian V
• Racine Lloyd G

Classifications

• F16J15/3236

  with at least one lip for each surface, e.g. U-cup packings · CPC title

• B60C23/003 Primary

  comprising rotational joints between vehicle-mounted pressure sources and the tyres · CPC title

• B60C23/00363

  Details of sealings · CPC title

• B60C23/00345 Primary

  Details of the rotational joints · CPC title

• B60C23/00381

  specially adapted for steerable wheels · CPC title