Vehicle hub bearing unit provided with a protective ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662937-B2
Application number	US-201514805928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle hub bearing unit including an outer ring; a wheel hub rotating about a common axis of symmetry of the outer ring and of the wheel hub; a wheel flange that extends radially from the wheel hub on the outside of the outer ring; a plurality of rolling bodies interposed between the outer ring and the wheel hub; at least one sealing assembly arranged on the side of the wheel flange, which is delimited towards the outer ring by a radially extending first face; and a protective ring that surrounds the outer ring and which radially extends in a position facing the first face of the wheel flange and beyond a first annular step of the first face that protrudes axially; a radially outer section of the protective ring overhangingly axially extending from the outer ring towards the wheel flange and axially beyond the first annular step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle hub bearing unit comprising:
an outer ring, wherein the outer ring is stationary in use;
a wheel hub, rotating in use about a common symmetry axis of the outer ring and of the wheel hub, the wheel hub being arranged within the outer ring and comprising a wheel flange that extends radially from the wheel hub and radially beyond an outside of the outer ring;
a plurality of rolling bodies interposed between the outer ring and the wheel hub;
a sealing assembly comprising at least one annular lip, the sealing assembly being interposed between the wheel hub and the outer ring;
the wheel flange being delimited between a first face and a second face that are mutually opposing and radial extending, the first face facing the outer ring and the second face facing a direction opposite to that of the first face, the first face of the wheel flange is provided with a first annular step that axially protrudes towards the outer ring and which is arranged in a radial position between the at least one annular lip of the sealing assembly and a radially outer peripheral edge of the wheel flange; and
a protective ring which surrounds the outer ring and which radially extends from the outer ring in a position facing the first face of the wheel flange, the protective ring comprising a fixing portion and a flange portion, wherein the fixing portion is fixed to a radially outer lateral surface of the outer ring and is radially aligned with and axially opposed to the first annular step of the wheel flange, the flange portion faces the wheel flange and extends radially from a first end of the fixing portion;
the flange portion further comprises a radially inner section and a radially outer section, the radially inner section extends radially from the first end of the fixing portion in a direction parallel to the first face of the wheel flange, the radially outer section extends from a radially outer end of the radially inner section in a direction radially outwardly and axially away from the outer ring and axially towards the wheel flange such that the radially outer section is arranged obliquely to the first face of the wheel flange, the radially outer section of the protective ring has a radially outer peripheral end rim which axially extends towards the first face of the wheel flange so as to form therewith a labyrinth seal oriented in a radial direction, parallel to the first face, an obtuse angled bend being present between the radially outer section and the radially inner section of the protective ring, the obtuse angled bend is arranged radially on the outside of the first annular step; wherein:
the radially outer section of the protective ring extends in an axial direction and also in the radial direction so that the radially outer peripheral end rim thereof is arranged beyond the first annular step in the axial direction such that the protective ring axially overlaps on the first annular step, and
the flange portion of the protective ring radially extends from the fixing portion beyond the first annular step such that the radially outer peripheral end rim is arranged in a radial position which is spaced from the first annular step and such that it exerts no labyrinth seal action therewith.

2. The vehicle hub bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the radially outer peripheral end rim of the radially outer section of the protective ring is spaced apart in the radial direction from the first annular step by an amount that is larger than a distance measured in the axial direction between the first face of the wheel flange and the outer ring.

3. The vehicle hub bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the radially outer section of the protective ring is obliquely directed to the common symmetry axis and is truncated-conical in shape.

4. The vehicle hub bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first face of the wheel flange has a second annular step that axially protrudes towards the outer ring with respect to the first annular step and is arranged radially inward of the first annular step, in a radial position located between the at least one annular lip of the sealing assembly and the first annular step.

5. The vehicle hub bearing unit according to claim 4 , wherein, towards the wheel flange, the outer ring has a first outer ring end delimited by a radially outer frontal rim and a radially inner frontal rim, which are chamfered and are arranged in radial positions substantially corresponding to respective radial positions of corresponding edges of the first and second annular steps.

6. The vehicle hub bearing unit according to claim 5 , wherein the first face of the wheel flange has a curve sealing surface for the at least one annular lip of the sealing assembly obtained immediately adjacent to the second annular step and radially at the innermost side of the second annular step; the sealing assembly being fixed to the outer ring at the radially inner frontal rim thereof.

7. The vehicle hub bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a radially outer edge of the first annular step is connected to a radially extending outer surface of the first face by a curved surface.

Assignees

• Duch Daniele
• Fadda Gianmario
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Duch Daniele
• Fadda Gianmario

Classifications

• B60B27/0073 Primary

  characterised by sealing means · CPC title

• F16C33/782

  of the sealing region · CPC title

• F16C19/186

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

• F16C33/7876

  with sealing lips · CPC title

• B60B27/0026

  of the radial type, e.g. splined key · CPC title