Cap retainer and a pulley assembly including the cap retainer and method of assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452580-B2
Application number	US-201514612383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2009
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

An insert moldable cap retainer for securing a bearing cap to a pulley assembly is disclosed. The cap retainer includes a hollow neck configured to receive a bearing cap, a plate that extends outward from the neck with the neck protruding upward from the plate, and a continuous or discontinuous flange extending downward from the outer periphery of the plate. The plate is configured to be juxtaposed with an upper surface of an outer race of a bearing and the flange is configured to be juxtaposed with an outer surface of the outer race of the bearing when the cap retainer is positioned on the bearing. The cap retainer and bearing are insert moldable together to have an integral pulley body connected thereto. A pulley assembly is also disclosed that includes the insert moldable cap retainer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assembling a pulley assembly, the method comprising:
providing an injection mold configured to form a pulley body;
positioning a bearing comprising an inner race, an outer race, and a rolling element between the inner race and the outer race in the injection mold;
positioning a cap retainer on an upper surface of the bearing, the cap retainer comprising a hollow neck configured to receive a bearing cap and a plate extending outward from the neck with the neck protruding upward from the plate, wherein the neck defines an opening that allows for access to the bearing, and the neck defines at least one feature to connect the bearing cap to the neck; and
injecting a resin into the injection mold to form a pulley body integrally molded to the bearing and the cap retainer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cap retainer further comprises a continuous or discontinuous flange extending downward from the outer periphery of the plate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plate is adjacent to the upper surface of the bearing and the flange is adjacent to an outer surface of the outer race of the bearing.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning a shield on a lower surface of the bearing before injecting the resin, the shield comprising a plate having a generally central opening and having a continuous or discontinuous flange extending from the outer periphery of the plate, wherein the plate is adjacent the lower surface of the bearing and the flange is adjacent an outer surface of the outer race of the bearing.

Assignees

• Swane Jeffrey A
• Dayco Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Swane Jeffrey A

Classifications

• B29L2031/32

  Wheels, pinions, pulleys, castors or rollers {, Rims (inner tubes B29L2023/245; gears B29L2015/003; tyres B29L2030/00)} · CPC title

• F16C33/723 Primary

  Shaft end sealing means, e.g. cup-shaped caps or covers · CPC title

• B29D99/0032 Primary

  Producing rolling bodies, e.g. rollers, wheels, pulleys or pinions (bushes for bearings B29D33/00; gear wheels B29D15/00) · CPC title

• F16C13/006

  Guiding rollers, wheels or the like, formed by or on the outer element of a single bearing or bearing unit, e.g. two adjacent bearings, whose ratio of length to diameter is generally less than one · CPC title

• F16H55/48

  manufactured exclusively or in part of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics  (F16H55/38, F16H55/42, F16H55/46 take precedence) · CPC title