Inflation and deflation wheel end assembly of built-in rotary sealing structure and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly of a built-in rotary sealing structure and a vehicle, the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly comprises a wheel end assembly, the wheel end assembly comprises a steering knuckle and a hub which are rotationally connected through a hub outer bearing and a hub inner bearing, an annular cavity is formed between the end, close to the hub inner bearing, of the hub and the steering knuckle, and a first ventilation channel is formed in the steering knuckle; a second ventilation channel is formed in the hub; and the sealing assembly is located in the annular cavity in a sealed mode and comprises an annular spacer bush, oil gas seals connected with the steering knuckle and the hub in a sealed mode are arranged on the two sides of the annular spacer bush correspondingly, and a third ventilation channel communicating with the first ventilation channel and the second ventilation channel is formed in the annular spacer bush. The sealing assembly is arranged at the end, close to the hub inner bearing, of the hub, the hub outer bearing and the hub inner bearing can be prevented from being greatly changed, and the problem that the sealing assembly cannot be arranged is effectively solved. The sealing assembly can prevent dust and water and can also serve as a rotary oil gas seal for inflating and deflating the tire, and the use cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle wheel end assemblies, and in particular to an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Wheel end assemblies with tire inflation and deflation interfaces are currently available for trucks and other vehicles. Wheel end assemblies with tire inflation and deflation interfaces can deliver supplementary air to the wheel ends of the vehicle, automatically inflate and deflate the wheels, and achieve dynamic and automatic adjustment of tire pressure, thereby achieving automatic inflation and deflation functions.

[0003] In the related technology, the currently widely used method is to install an oil seal and an air seal in the wheel rim assembly to form a rotating sealed air path. The oil seal is used to prevent the lubricating oil in the wheel rim assembly from entering the air path, and the air seal prevents high-pressure gas from entering the lubricating oil chamber.

[0004] However, the performance of wheel-side oil and gas seals largely restricts the promotion and use of central tire inflation and deflation systems, especially in commercial vehicles. Some existing oil and gas seals have some shortcomings in terms of cost, service life and sealing performance, which makes users have a poor experience in central tire inflation and deflation systems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotating seal structure to solve the problem in the related art that the oil / gas seal is arranged in the middle of the wheel hub bearing, requiring an additional dust ring to block mud and sand, resulting in increased costs.

[0006] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, comprising:

[0007] A wheel end assembly, the wheel end assembly comprising a steering knuckle and a wheel hub rotatably connected via a wheel hub outer bearing and a wheel hub inner bearing, an annular cavity being formed between the steering knuckle and an end of the wheel hub close to the wheel hub inner bearing, a first air passage being provided on the steering knuckle, and a second air passage being provided on the wheel hub;

[0008] A sealing assembly is sealably located in the annular cavity, and the sealing assembly includes an annular spacer, and oil and gas seals for sealingly connecting the steering knuckle and the wheel hub are respectively provided on both sides of the annular spacer, and a third air passage connecting the first air passage and the second air passage is opened on the annular spacer.

[0009] In some embodiments: an annular end cover for axially positioning the sealing assembly in the annular cavity is detachably connected to the end surface of the wheel hub near one end of the inner bearing of the wheel hub, and the annular end cover surrounds the outer circumference of the steering knuckle and rotates synchronously with the wheel hub.

[0010] In some embodiments: the inner diameter of the sealing assembly is larger than the outer diameter of the wheel hub inner bearing, the sealing assembly surrounds the outer circumference of the wheel hub inner bearing in the annular cavity, and the sealing assembly at least partially overlaps with the wheel hub inner bearing in the radial direction at the outer circumference of the wheel hub inner bearing.

[0011] In some embodiments: the steering knuckle comprises a steering knuckle shaft seat and a steering knuckle shaft head which are fixedly connected to each other, the wheel hub is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle shaft head, and an annular groove is formed at one end of the wheel hub near the inner bearing of the wheel hub with an opening facing the steering knuckle shaft seat;

[0012] An annular flange with one end extending into the annular groove is provided on the steering knuckle shaft seat at one end close to the wheel hub, and an annular cavity for accommodating the sealing assembly is formed between the annular flange and the annular groove.

[0013] In some embodiments: the sealing assembly further comprises a shaft sleeve sleeved on the annular flange, and the shaft sleeve is provided with a first vent hole communicating with the first vent channel and the third vent channel;

[0014] The annular spacer and the oil-gas seal are both coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve, and the inner ring of the oil-gas seal is rotatably sealed with the shaft sleeve.

[0015] In some embodiments: a sealing ring is provided between the inner wall of the shaft sleeve and the annular flange, an inner flange is provided at one end of the shaft sleeve away from the steering knuckle shaft seat, and the shaft sleeve is fixedly connected to the end of the annular flange through the inner flange by countersunk screws.

[0016] In some embodiments: an annular ventilation groove is provided on the inner wall of the annular spacer, a second ventilation hole connected to the annular ventilation groove is provided on the outer wall of the annular spacer, the annular spacer is connected to the first air duct through the annular ventilation groove, and the annular spacer is connected to the second air duct through the second ventilation hole.

[0017] In some embodiments: the oil and gas seal includes a skeleton, to which are connected an air seal and an oil seal arranged at intervals, the air seal is close to the annular spacer, and the oil seal is far away from the annular spacer, and the air seal and the oil seal include a rubber sealing ring, and a polytetrafluoroethylene material coating coated on the surface of the rubber sealing ring.

[0018] A second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, comprising:

[0019] A wheel end assembly, the wheel end assembly comprising a steering knuckle and a wheel hub rotatably connected via a wheel hub outer bearing and a wheel hub inner bearing, the steering knuckle is provided with a first air passage, the wheel hub is provided with a second air passage, the steering knuckle, the wheel hub, the wheel hub outer bearing and the wheel hub inner bearing together form an annular cavity, and an annular end cap for axially positioning the wheel hub inner bearing is detachably connected to an end surface of the wheel hub close to one end of the wheel hub inner bearing;

[0020] A sealing assembly is sealably located in the annular cavity, and the sealing assembly includes an annular spacer, and oil and gas seals for sealingly connecting the steering knuckle and the wheel hub are respectively provided on both sides of the annular spacer, and a third air passage connecting the first air passage and the second air passage is opened on the annular spacer.

[0021] In some embodiments: a shoulder for axially limiting one of the oil and gas seals is provided on the inner hole of the wheel hub, a retaining ring groove for axially limiting another oil and gas seal is provided on the inner wall of the wheel hub, and a hole elastic retaining ring is clamped in the retaining ring groove.

[0022] In some embodiments: the sealing assembly further comprises a shaft sleeve sleeved on the steering knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle, and the shaft sleeve is provided with a first vent hole communicating with the first vent channel and the third vent channel;

[0023] The annular spacer and the oil-gas seal are both coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve, and the inner ring of the oil-gas seal is rotatably sealed with the shaft sleeve.

[0024] In some embodiments: a sealing ring is provided between the inner wall of the shaft sleeve and the steering knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle, a mounting hole is opened on the side wall of the shaft sleeve, and the shaft sleeve is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle through the mounting hole by a countersunk screw.

[0025] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, including:

[0026] A wheel rim and a tire connected to an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly of a built-in rotary seal structure as described in any of the above embodiments; and

[0027] A central tire inflation and deflation system, the central tire inflation and deflation system comprising a control valve assembly, a wheel side pipeline connected to tires of each wheel position, the wheel side pipeline being connected to a first air passage of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly;

[0028] The second air passage of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly is connected to a wheel side valve through a wheel side pipeline, and the wheel side valve is connected to the air valve of the tire.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this application include:

[0030] An embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel-end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotating sealing structure. Since the inflation / deflation wheel-end assembly with a built-in rotating sealing structure of the present application is provided with a wheel-end assembly, the wheel-end assembly includes a steering knuckle and a wheel hub rotatably connected by an outer bearing of a wheel hub and an inner bearing of a wheel hub, an annular cavity is formed between an end of the wheel hub close to the inner bearing of the wheel hub and the steering knuckle, a first air passage is provided on the steering knuckle, and a second air passage is provided on the wheel hub; a sealing assembly, which is sealed in the annular cavity, and the sealing assembly includes an annular spacer, oil and gas seals for sealingly connecting the steering knuckle and the wheel hub are respectively provided on both sides of the annular spacer, and a third air passage connecting the first air passage and the second air passage is provided on the annular spacer.

[0031] Therefore, the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly of the built-in rotary sealing structure of the present application forms an annular cavity for accommodating the sealing component between the end of the wheel hub close to the inner bearing of the wheel hub and the steering knuckle, and the sealing component is sealed in the annular cavity. First, the sealing component is arranged at the end of the wheel hub close to the inner bearing of the wheel hub, which can avoid major changes to the outer bearing of the wheel hub and the inner bearing of the wheel hub, and effectively solve the problem that there is insufficient space between the bearings and the sealing component cannot be arranged. Second, the sealing component is arranged at the end of the wheel hub close to the inner bearing of the wheel hub. While the sealing component can be configured, the dust ring on the outside of the original inner bearing of the wheel hub is cancelled. The dust ring on the outside of the original inner bearing of the wheel hub is replaced with a sealing component. The sealing component can be dustproof and waterproof, and can also act as a rotating oil and gas seal for inflation and deflation of the tire, which reduces the cost of use and adds the function of a rotating air chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the air passage communication structure of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 2 A structural cross-sectional view of a sealing component of an inflatable and deflation wheel end assembly according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the air passage communication structure of the inflator and deflation wheel end assembly according to the second embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 A structural cross-sectional view of a sealing component of an inflator and deflation wheel end assembly according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5A cross-sectional view of the air passage communication structure of the inflator and deflation wheel end assembly according to the third embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 6 A structural cross-sectional view of a sealing component of an inflator and deflation wheel end assembly according to a third embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the air passage communication structure of the inflator and deflation wheel end assembly according to the fourth embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a structural cross-sectional view of the sealing component of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly according to the fourth embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Reference numerals:

[0042] 10. Wheel end assembly; 11. Steering knuckle; 11a. Steering knuckle shaft seat; 11b. Steering knuckle shaft head; 11c. Annular flange; 12. Wheel hub; 12a. Annular groove; 13. Wheel hub inner bearing; 14. Wheel hub outer bearing; 15. First air passage; 16. Second air passage; 17. Annular cavity; 18. Shoulder; 19. Elastic retaining ring for hole;

[0043] 20. Sealing assembly; 21. Annular spacer; 22. Oil and gas seal; 22a. Frame; 22b. Gas seal; 22c. Oil seal; 23. Third air passage; 24. Shaft sleeve; 25. Sealing ring; 26. Annular end cover; 27. Countersunk screw; 28. First air hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0045] The embodiments of the present application provide an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotating seal structure, which can solve the problem in the related art that the oil and gas seal is arranged in the middle of the wheel hub bearing, requiring an additional dust ring to block mud and sand, resulting in increased costs.

[0046] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, and the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly includes:

[0047] The wheel end assembly 10 includes a steering knuckle 11 and a wheel hub 12 which are rotatably connected via a wheel hub outer bearing 14 and a wheel hub inner bearing 13. The distance between the wheel hub outer bearing 14 and the vehicle axle is greater than the distance between the wheel hub inner bearing 13 and the vehicle axle. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The wheel hub outer bearing 14 is not shown. An annular cavity 17 is formed between the end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13 and the steering knuckle 11. A first air passage 15 is provided on the steering knuckle 11, and a second air passage 16 is provided on the wheel hub 12. The first air passage 15 is used to communicate with an air tank or an air pump through an air charging pipe, and the second air passage 16 is used to connect with a wheel side valve of a tire through a wheel end pipeline.

[0048] The sealing assembly 20 is sealed in the annular cavity 17. The sealing assembly 20 includes an annular spacer 21. Oil and gas seals 22 are provided on both sides of the annular spacer 21 to seal and connect the steering knuckle 11 and the wheel hub 12. A closed air chamber is formed between the oil and gas seals 22 on both sides of the annular spacer 21, which can achieve better static sealing. A third air passage 23 is provided on the annular spacer 21 to connect the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16. The outer rings of the annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seal 22 are connected to the inner hole of the wheel hub 12 in an interference seal, and the inner ring of the oil and gas seal 22 is connected to the steering knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle 11 in a rotational seal.

[0049] The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly of the built-in rotary seal structure of the embodiment of the present application forms an annular cavity 17 for accommodating the sealing component 20 between the end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13 and the steering knuckle 11, and the sealing component 20 is sealed in the annular cavity 17. First, the sealing component 20 is arranged at the end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13, which can avoid major changes to the wheel hub outer bearing 14 and the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and effectively solve the problem that there is insufficient space between the bearings and the sealing component 20 cannot be arranged.

[0050] Second, the sealing assembly 20 is arranged at one end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13. While the sealing assembly 20 can be arranged, the dust ring on the outer side of the original wheel hub inner bearing is cancelled. The dust ring on the outer side of the original wheel hub inner bearing is replaced with the sealing assembly 20. The sealing assembly 20 can be dustproof and waterproof, preventing external dust or water from entering the inner hole of the wheel hub 12 to contaminate the grease, and can also seal the grease in the inner hole of the wheel hub 12, so that the grease can reliably lubricate the wheel hub outer bearing 14 and the wheel hub inner bearing 13.

[0051] The sealing assembly 20 can also serve as a rotating oil-gas seal for inflating and deflation of the tire, which reduces the use cost and adds the function of a rotating air chamber. When the tire pressure needs to be controlled, the sealing assembly 20 is used to connect the tire and the air pump through the wheel end pipeline. The air pump inflates the tire through the sealing assembly 20, and can also deflate the tire through the sealing assembly 20 and the wheel side valve, so that the tire runs under a suitable tire pressure environment.

[0052] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, and the end surface of the hub 12 of the inflation wheel end assembly close to the inner bearing 13 of the hub is detachably connected with an annular end cover 26 for axially positioning the sealing assembly 20 in the annular cavity 17, and the annular end cover 26 surrounds the outer circumference of the steering knuckle 11 and rotates synchronously with the hub 12. A plurality of mounting holes are provided on the circumference of the annular end cover 26, and a plurality of threaded holes are provided on the circumference of the end surface of the hub 12 close to the inner bearing 13 of the hub.

[0053] The annular end cover 26 of the embodiment of the present application is detachably connected to the wheel hub 12 by means of a hexagon socket screw or a countersunk screw 27. One end of the annular end cover 26 close to the wheel hub 12 contacts one of the oil and gas seals 22, and the other oil and gas seal 22 contacts the inner end surface of the wheel hub 12. When the annular end cover 26 is pressed against one of the oil and gas seals 22, the two oil and gas seals 22 and an annular spacer 21 can be axially positioned in the annular cavity 17, so that the third air passage 23 can reliably connect the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16.

[0054] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, and the inner diameter of the sealing component 20 of the inflation wheel end assembly is larger than the outer diameter of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub. The sealing component 20 surrounds the outer circumference of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub in the annular cavity 17, and the sealing component 20 at the outer circumference of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub at least partially overlaps with the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub in the radial direction, or does not overlap with each other. The sealing component 20 and the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub are coaxially arranged.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the inner diameter of the sealing assembly 20 is larger than the outer diameter of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub, and the sealing assembly 20 surrounds the outer periphery of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub in the annular cavity 17, so that the outer periphery of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub at least partially overlaps with the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub in the radial direction, and preferably the outer periphery of the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub completely overlaps with the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub in the radial direction. In this way, the axial space occupied by the sealing assembly 20 and the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub on the steering knuckle 11 is minimized, and the outer bearing 14 of the wheel hub, the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub and the sealing assembly 20 can be arranged and installed without increasing the length of the steering knuckle 11.

[0056] If the length of the steering knuckle 11 can not only accommodate the installation of the wheel hub outer bearing 14 and the wheel hub inner bearing 13, but also have extra space for arranging the sealing assembly 20, then the sealing assembly 20 can be directly arranged on the steering knuckle shaft head 11b of the steering knuckle 11, and the sealing assembly 20 is located between the wheel hub inner bearing 13 and the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a of the steering knuckle 11.

[0057] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, wherein the steering knuckle 11 of the inflation wheel end assembly includes a steering knuckle shaft seat 11a and a steering knuckle shaft head 11b that are fixedly connected to each other. The wheel hub 12 is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle shaft head 11b, and an annular groove 12a with an opening toward the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a is provided at one end of the wheel hub 12 near the wheel hub inner bearing 13. An annular flange 11c with one end extending into the annular groove 12a is provided on the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a near the wheel hub 12, and an annular cavity 17 for accommodating the sealing assembly 20 is formed between the annular flange 11c and the annular groove 12a.

[0058] In order to reduce the axial space occupied by the sealing assembly 20 in the steering knuckle 11, the embodiment of the present application realizes that the sealing assembly 20 is at least partially overlapped with the wheel hub inner bearing 13 in the radial direction at the outer periphery of the wheel hub inner bearing 13. An annular groove 12a with an opening toward the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a is provided at one end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and an annular flange 11c with one end extending into the annular groove 12a is provided on the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a close to the wheel hub 12, so that the sealing assembly 20 can be installed in the annular cavity 17 formed between the annular flange 11c and the annular groove 12a to accommodate the sealing assembly 20.

[0059] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, and the sealing component 20 of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly also includes a shaft sleeve 24 sleeved on the annular flange 11c, and a first vent hole 28 is opened on the shaft sleeve 24 to connect the first vent 15 and the third vent 23. The annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seal 22 are coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve 24, and the inner ring of the oil and gas seal 22 is rotatably sealed and connected to the shaft sleeve 24.

[0060] A sealing ring 25 is provided between the inner wall of the shaft sleeve 24 and the annular flange 11c, and an inner flange is provided at one end of the shaft sleeve 24 away from the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a, and the shaft sleeve 24 is fixedly connected to the end of the annular flange 11c through the inner flange by a countersunk screw 27. In the embodiment of the present application, the shaft sleeve 24 is sleeved on the annular flange 11c, and the annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seal 22 are coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve 24. The annular spacer 21 is used to protect the steering knuckle shaft head 11b from being worn by the oil and gas seal 22. When the shaft sleeve 24 is worn, the countersunk screw 27 can be removed to replace the new shaft sleeve 24.

[0061] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, wherein an annular vent groove is provided on the inner wall of the annular spacer 21 of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly, and a second vent hole connected to the annular vent groove is provided on the outer wall of the annular spacer 21. The annular spacer 21 is connected to the first vent 15 through the annular vent groove, and the annular spacer 21 is connected to the second vent 16 through the second vent hole.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, an annular vent groove is provided on the inner wall of the annular spacer 21, and a second vent hole connected to the annular vent groove is provided on the outer wall of the annular spacer 21. When the annular spacer 21 rotates synchronously with the wheel hub 12, the annular spacer 21 can always be connected to the first air passage 15 through the annular vent groove. This ensures that when the wheel hub 12 rotates relative to the steering knuckle 11, the internal air passage of the sealing assembly 20 is always connected to the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16.

[0063] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflator end assembly of a built-in rotary seal structure, and the oil and gas seal 22 of the inflator end assembly includes a skeleton 22a, and an air seal 22b and an oil seal 22c are connected to the skeleton 22a. The air seal 22b is close to the annular spacer 21, and the oil seal 22c is far away from the annular spacer 21. The air seal 22b and the oil seal 22c both include a rubber seal ring and a polytetrafluoroethylene material coating coated on the surface of the rubber seal ring, taking into account the characteristics of wear resistance and easy installation.

[0064] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly of a built-in rotary seal structure, the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly comprising:

[0065] The wheel end assembly 10 includes a steering knuckle 11 and a wheel hub 12 which are rotatably connected through a wheel hub outer bearing 14 and a wheel hub inner bearing 13. A first air passage 15 is provided on the steering knuckle 11, and a second air passage 16 is provided on the wheel hub 12. The steering knuckle 11, the wheel hub 12, the wheel hub outer bearing 14 and the wheel hub inner bearing 13 together form an annular cavity 17. An annular end cap 26 for axially positioning the wheel hub inner bearing 13 is detachably connected to the end surface of the wheel hub 12 near one end of the wheel hub inner bearing 13. The first air passage 15 is used to communicate with an air tank or an air pump through an air charging pipe, and the second air passage 16 is used to connect with a wheel side valve of a tire through a wheel end pipeline.

[0066] The sealing assembly 20 is sealed in the annular cavity 17. The sealing assembly 20 includes an annular spacer 21. Oil and gas seals 22 are provided on both sides of the annular spacer 21 to seal and connect the steering knuckle 11 and the wheel hub 12. A closed air chamber is formed between the oil and gas seals 22 on both sides of the annular spacer 21, which can achieve better static sealing. A third air passage 23 is provided on the annular spacer 21 to connect the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16. The outer rings of the annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seal 22 are connected to the inner hole of the wheel hub 12 in an interference seal, and the inner ring of the oil and gas seal 22 is connected to the steering knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle 11 in a rotational seal.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, an annular end cover 26 for axially positioning the wheel hub inner bearing 13 is detachably connected to the end surface of the wheel hub 12 near one end of the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and the annular end cover 26 is detachably connected to the wheel hub 12 by means of a hexagon socket screw or a countersunk screw 27. The end of the annular end cover 26 near the wheel hub 12 is in contact with the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and when the annular end cover 26 is pressed against the wheel hub inner bearing 13, the wheel hub inner bearing 13 can be axially positioned in the inner hole of the wheel hub, so that the sealing assembly 20 is axially positioned on the steering knuckle 11, and the third air passage 23 can be reliably connected to the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16.

[0068] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary sealing structure, wherein a shoulder 18 for axially limiting one of the oil and gas seals 22 is provided on the inner hole of the wheel hub 12 of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly, and a retaining ring groove for axially limiting another oil and gas seal 22 is provided on the inner wall of the wheel hub 12, and a hole elastic retaining ring 19 is clamped in the retaining ring groove. The shoulder 18 and the hole elastic retaining ring 19 axially limit the oil and gas seal 22 and the annular spacer 21 in the annular cavity 17.

[0069] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary sealing structure, wherein the sealing component 20 of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly further comprises a shaft sleeve 24 sleeved on the steering knuckle shaft head 11b of the steering knuckle 11, and a first vent hole 28 connecting the first vent 15 and the third vent 23 is provided on the shaft sleeve 24. The annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seal 22 are both coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve 24, and the inner ring of the oil and gas seal 22 is rotatably sealed and connected to the shaft sleeve 24.

[0070] A sealing ring 25 is provided between the inner wall of the shaft sleeve 24 and the knuckle shaft head 11b of the knuckle 11, and a mounting hole is provided on the side wall of the shaft sleeve 24. The shaft sleeve 24 is fixedly connected to the knuckle shaft head 11b of the knuckle 11 through the mounting hole by a countersunk screw 27. In the embodiment of the present application, the shaft sleeve 24 is sleeved on the knuckle shaft head 11b of the knuckle 11, and the annular spacer 21 and the oil-gas seal 22 are coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve 24. The annular spacer 21 is used to protect the knuckle shaft head 11b from being worn by the oil-gas seal 22. When the shaft sleeve 24 is worn, the countersunk screw 27 can be removed to replace the new shaft sleeve 24.

[0071] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising: a rim and a tire connected to an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly of a built-in rotary sealing structure as described in any of the above embodiments; and a central tire inflation / deflation system, the central tire inflation / deflation system comprising a control valve assembly, a wheel side pipeline connecting the tires of each wheel position, the wheel side pipeline connecting to a first air duct 15 of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly; a second air duct 16 of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly connecting to a wheel side valve via the wheel side pipeline, the wheel side valve connecting to the valve stem of the tire.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, the high-pressure gas delivered by the central inflation and deflation system of the tire is delivered to each tire through the control valve assembly, the wheel-side pipeline, the inflation and deflation wheel-end assembly, the wheel-side valve, and the valve nozzle air pipe in sequence to play the role of inflation. When deflated, the gas in the tire is delivered to the control valve assembly in sequence through the wheel-side valve nozzle air pipe, the wheel-side valve, the inflation and deflation wheel-end assembly, and the wheel-side pipeline, and the deflation is controlled by the control valve assembly. When maintaining pressure, the gas in the wheel-side air circuit is discharged into the atmosphere by the central inflation and deflation system of the tire to play the role of maintaining pressure. When measuring pressure, the air circuit in the central inflation and deflation system of the tire is connected to the wheel-side pipeline, the inflation and deflation wheel-end assembly, the wheel-side valve, the valve nozzle air pipe and the tire to achieve the effect of pressure measurement.

[0073] The main function of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly is to provide a rotating air chamber. The control valve assembly and the wheel side pipeline are stationary relative to the vehicle as a whole, but the wheel side valve is installed on the tire and rotates with the rotation of the vehicle tire. Therefore, the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly provides the gas delivered by the control valve assembly and the wheel side pipeline to the wheel side valve and the valve nozzle air pipe to realize the inflation action of the system, or the gas in the tire is transmitted to the valve nozzle air pipe and the wheel side valve through the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly to the wheel side pipeline and the control valve assembly to realize the deflation action of the system.

[0074] How it works

[0075] An embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel-end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotating sealing structure. The inflation / deflation wheel-end assembly with a built-in rotating sealing structure of the present application is provided with a wheel-end assembly 10, which includes a steering knuckle 11 and a wheel hub 12 rotatably connected via a wheel hub outer bearing 14 and a wheel hub inner bearing 13, an annular cavity 17 is formed between the steering knuckle 11 and one end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13, a first air passage 15 is provided on the steering knuckle 11, and a second air passage 16 is provided on the wheel hub 12; a sealing assembly 20, which is sealed in the annular cavity 17, and the sealing assembly 20 includes an annular spacer 21, and oil and gas seals 22 for sealingly connecting the steering knuckle 11 and the wheel hub 12 are respectively provided on both sides of the annular spacer 21, and a third air passage 23 connecting the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16 is provided on the annular spacer 21.

[0076] Therefore, the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly of the built-in rotary seal structure of the present application forms an annular cavity 17 for accommodating the sealing component 20 between the end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13 and the steering knuckle 11, and the sealing component 20 is sealed in the annular cavity 17. First, the sealing component 20 is arranged at the end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13, which can avoid major changes to the wheel hub outer bearing 14 and the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and effectively solve the problem that there is not enough space between the bearings and the sealing component 20 cannot be arranged.

[0077] Second, the sealing assembly 20 is arranged at one end of the wheel hub 12 close to the wheel hub inner bearing 13. While the sealing assembly 20 can be arranged, the dust ring on the outer side of the original wheel hub inner bearing is cancelled. The dust ring on the outer side of the original wheel hub inner bearing is replaced with the sealing assembly 20. The sealing assembly 20 can be dustproof and waterproof, and can also serve as a rotating oil and gas seal for tire inflation and deflation, which reduces the use cost and adds the function of a rotating air chamber.

[0078] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0079] It should be noted that, in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0080] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features applied for herein.

Claims

1. An inflatable wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, characterized in that: include: A wheel end assembly (10), the wheel end assembly (10) comprising a steering knuckle (11) and a wheel hub (12) rotatably connected via a wheel hub outer bearing (14) and a wheel hub inner bearing (13), an annular cavity (17) being formed between the steering knuckle (11) and one end of the wheel hub (12) close to the wheel hub inner bearing (13), a first air passage (15) being provided on the steering knuckle (11), and a second air passage (16) being provided on the wheel hub (12); A sealing assembly (20), wherein the sealing assembly (20) is sealed in the annular cavity (17), and the sealing assembly (20) comprises an annular spacer (21), and oil and gas seals (22) for sealingly connecting the steering knuckle (11) and the wheel hub (12) are respectively provided on both sides of the annular spacer (21), and a third air passage (23) for connecting the first air passage (15) and the second air passage (16) is opened on the annular spacer (21).

2. The inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: An annular end cover (26) for axially positioning the sealing assembly (20) in the annular cavity (17) is detachably connected to the end surface of the wheel hub (12) close to one end of the wheel hub inner bearing (13); the annular end cover (26) surrounds the outer circumference of the steering knuckle (11) and rotates synchronously with the wheel hub (12).

3. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the sealing component (20) is greater than the outer diameter of the wheel hub inner bearing (13); the sealing component (20) surrounds the outer periphery of the wheel hub inner bearing (13) in the annular cavity (17); and the sealing component (20) at the outer periphery of the wheel hub inner bearing (13) at least partially overlaps with the wheel hub inner bearing (13) in the radial direction.

4. The inflation and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The steering knuckle (11) comprises a steering knuckle shaft seat (11a) and a steering knuckle shaft head (11b) which are fixedly connected to each other, the wheel hub (12) is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle shaft head (11b), and an annular groove (12a) with an opening facing the steering knuckle shaft seat (11a) is formed at one end of the wheel hub (12) close to the wheel hub inner bearing (13); An annular flange (11c) is provided on one end of the steering knuckle shaft seat (11a) close to the wheel hub (12), one end of which extends into the annular groove (12a); an annular cavity (17) for accommodating the sealing assembly (20) is formed between the annular flange (11c) and the annular groove (12a).

5. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The sealing assembly (20) further comprises a shaft sleeve (24) sleeved on the annular flange (11c), wherein the shaft sleeve (24) is provided with a first ventilation hole (28) communicating with the first ventilation channel (15) and the third ventilation channel (23); The annular spacer (21) and the oil-gas seal (22) are coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve (24), and the inner ring of the oil-gas seal (22) is rotatably sealed with the shaft sleeve (24).

6. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: A sealing ring (25) is provided between the inner wall of the shaft sleeve (24) and the annular flange (11c); an inner flange is provided at one end of the shaft sleeve (24) away from the steering knuckle shaft seat (11a); the shaft sleeve (24) is fixedly connected to the end of the annular flange (11c) via the inner flange by means of a countersunk screw (27).

7. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: An annular ventilation groove is provided on the inner wall of the annular spacer (21), and a second ventilation hole connected to the annular ventilation groove is provided on the outer wall of the annular spacer (21). The annular spacer (21) is connected to the first ventilation channel (15) through the annular ventilation groove, and the annular spacer (21) is connected to the second ventilation channel (16) through the second ventilation hole.

8. An inflator and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The oil-gas seal (22) comprises a skeleton (22a), and the skeleton (22a) is connected with an air seal (22b) and an oil seal (22c) which are arranged at intervals, the air seal (22b) is close to the annular spacer (21), and the oil seal (22c) is far away from the annular spacer (21), and the air seal (22b) and the oil seal (22c) comprise a rubber sealing ring and a polytetrafluoroethylene material coating coated on the surface of the rubber sealing ring.

9. An inflator and deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, characterized in that: include: A wheel end assembly (10), the wheel end assembly (10) comprising a steering knuckle (11) and a wheel hub (12) rotatably connected via a wheel hub outer bearing (14) and a wheel hub inner bearing (13), the steering knuckle (11) being provided with a first air passage (15), the wheel hub (12) being provided with a second air passage (16), the steering knuckle (11), the wheel hub (12), the wheel hub outer bearing (14) and the wheel hub inner bearing (13) jointly forming an annular cavity (17), and an annular end cover (26) for axially positioning the wheel hub inner bearing (13) being detachably connected to an end surface of the wheel hub (12) close to one end of the wheel hub inner bearing (13); A sealing assembly (20), wherein the sealing assembly (20) is sealed in the annular cavity (17), and the sealing assembly (20) comprises an annular spacer (21), and oil and gas seals (22) for sealingly connecting the steering knuckle (11) and the wheel hub (12) are respectively provided on both sides of the annular spacer (21), and a third air passage (23) for connecting the first air passage (15) and the second air passage (16) is opened on the annular spacer (21).

10. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The inner hole of the wheel hub (12) is provided with a shoulder (18) for axially limiting one of the oil and gas seals (22), and the inner wall of the wheel hub (12) is provided with a retaining ring groove for axially limiting the other oil and gas seal (22), and a hole elastic retaining ring (19) is clamped in the retaining ring groove.

11. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The sealing assembly (20) further comprises a shaft sleeve (24) sleeved on the steering knuckle shaft head (11b) of the steering knuckle (11), wherein the shaft sleeve (24) is provided with a first air vent (28) communicating with the first air vent (15) and the third air vent (23); The annular spacer (21) and the oil-gas seal (22) are coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve (24), and the inner ring of the oil-gas seal (22) is rotatably sealed with the shaft sleeve (24).

12. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure according to claim 11, characterized in that: A sealing ring (25) is provided between the inner wall of the shaft sleeve (24) and the steering knuckle shaft head (11b) of the steering knuckle (11), and a mounting hole is provided on the side wall of the shaft sleeve (24). The shaft sleeve (24) is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle shaft head (11b) of the steering knuckle (11) through the mounting hole by means of a countersunk screw (27).

13. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: A rim and a tire connected to an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly of a built-in rotary seal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 12; and A central tire inflation and deflation system, the central tire inflation and deflation system comprising a control valve assembly, a wheel side pipeline connected to tires of each wheel position, the wheel side pipeline being connected to a first air passage (15) of the inflation and deflation wheel end assembly; The second air passage (16) of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly is connected to a wheel side valve through a wheel side pipeline, and the wheel side valve is connected to the air valve of the tire.

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