Sealing device and inner wheel motor assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a sealing device and an inner wheel motor assembly, and the sealing device comprises a rigid annular part (31), an annular elastic sealing body (32) and an oil retainer (33). Wherein the rigid annular part (31) and the oil retainer (33) are oppositely arranged in the radial direction, the rigid annular part (31) is located on the radial outer side of the oil retainer (33), and the elastic sealing body (32) is arranged on the rigid annular part (31) and extends towards the radial inner side; the elastic sealing body (32) comprises a base part (321), a first sealing lip (322) and a second sealing lip (323); wherein the base (321) is provided on the rigid ring (31); the first sealing lip (322) extends from the base part (321) to the oil retainer (33) and is in contact with the oil retainer (33); the second seal lip (323) extends radially inward from the base (321) and exceeds the slinger (33). By the adoption of the sealing device, multifunctional sealing can be conducted on three or more areas, space and cost are saved for an inner wheel motor assembly, the sealing performance is higher, and the service life can be prolonged.

Description

Sealing device and in-wheel motor assembly Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sealing, and in particular to a sealing device for dynamic sealing and an in-wheel motor assembly. Background Art

[0002] In the field of automotive sealing technology, the in-wheel motor assembly used in electric vehicles consists of three systems: a speed reducer, a motor, and a brake system, with a wheel bearing interposed between the shaft and the speed reducer. To save space, the in-wheel motor assembly integrates all three systems into each wheel.

[0003] The wheel bearings contain seals to seal the grease inside. The brake system, however, is external and exposed to dust, mud, and water. If splashed dust, mud, or water enters the reducer system or wheel bearings, it could contaminate the grease and transmission reducer oil. Therefore, sealing is also required for both the reducer and brake systems. However, space is very limited in the in-wheel motor assembly, which integrates multiple systems. Therefore, a multifunctional sealing device with excellent sealing performance and space-saving design is required.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a sealing device and an inner wheel motor assembly.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sealing device comprising: a rigid annular member, an annular elastic sealing body and an oil deflector ring. The rigid annular member and the oil deflector ring are arranged opposite each other in the radial direction, and the rigid annular member is located radially outside the oil deflector ring. The elastic sealing body is arranged on the rigid annular member and extends radially inward. The elastic sealing body comprises a base, a first sealing lip and a second sealing lip; the base is arranged on the rigid annular member; the first sealing lip extends from the base toward the oil deflector ring and contacts the oil deflector ring; the second sealing lip extends from the base toward the radial inside and exceeds the oil deflector ring.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rigid annular member includes a first axially extending portion extending in the axial direction and a first radially extending portion extending radially inward from one end of the first axially extending portion; the oil slinger ring includes a second axially extending portion extending in the axial direction and a second radially extending portion extending radially outward from one end of the second axially extending portion away from the first radially extending portion. The first sealing lip extends toward and contacts the second axially extending portion; the first sealing lip further includes a sub-sealing lip extending toward and contacting the second radially extending portion.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing device further includes an annular spring, which is disposed radially outside the first sealing lip and presses the first sealing lip radially inward.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic sealing body further includes a dustproof sealing lip, which extends from the base toward the radial inside and exceeds the oil deflector ring.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of dustproof sealing lips are provided.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a sealing paint layer is coated on the surface of the oil deflector ring on the side facing away from the elastic sealing body.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the end portion of the first sealing lip in contact with the oil thrower ring is provided with a wear-resistant coating.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic sealing body is made of rubber material.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the base, the first sealing lip and the second sealing lip are an integrally formed structure.

[0015] The present invention also provides an inner-wheel motor assembly, comprising: a shaft, an outer ring, a wheel bearing, a reducer system, a motor system, a brake system, and the sealing device described above. The outer ring and the wheel bearing are sleeved radially outwardly of the shaft, and the reducer system, motor system, and brake system are disposed on the outer ring. The sealing device is disposed between the shaft, the outer ring, and the wheel bearing; wherein the rigid annular member is fixed radially inwardly of the outer ring, the oil retaining ring is fixed to the wheel bearing, and the second sealing lip of the elastic sealing body extends radially inwardly and contacts the radially outer surface of the shaft, so that the sealing device forms a seal between the wheel bearing, the reducer system, and the brake system.

[0016] According to the sealing device and inner wheel motor assembly provided by the embodiment of the present invention, by providing a first sealing lip that contacts and seals with the oil retaining ring and a second sealing lip that contacts and seals with the shaft on the elastic sealing body, it is possible to achieve multifunctional sealing of three or more areas. In addition, the first sealing lip further includes a sub-sealing lip that contacts and seals with the first radial extension portion, which can further seal and block impurities such as oil or metal chips from the reducer system; a spring is provided on the radial outer side of the first sealing lip, so that the first sealing lip can further press toward the first radial extension portion and / or the first axial extension portion, thereby further improving the sealing effect. In addition, the elastic sealing body is also provided with a plurality of dustproof sealing lips that contact and seal with the shaft, which can perform multiple sealing and blocking of external impurities such as dust and muddy water from the brake system. The sealing device of the present invention is an integrated design that can achieve multi-zone sealing, which saves space and cost for the inner wheel motor assembly, has stronger sealing performance, and can increase service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0018] FIG1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG2 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a sealing device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0020] FIG3 shows a partial schematic diagram of an in-wheel motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sealing device is provided. The sealing device is used to seal between various rotating components requiring sealing, such as between the outer and inner rings of a bearing. In particular, it can be installed in equipment systems requiring multifunctional sealing across multiple areas, such as in-wheel motor assemblies. The sealing device can seal lubricating oil, for example, inside while keeping contaminants such as mud and water out.

[0023] Figure 1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1 , the sealing device 3 is annular and is installed in the annular space enclosed by two rotating components and the bearing between them. In some embodiments, the two rotating components are a shaft 1 and an outer ring 2. The shaft 1, outer ring 2, and bearing are substantially arranged around a common rotation axis and can rotate relative to each other about the rotation axis. The outer ring 2 and bearing are mounted radially outward of the shaft 1.

[0024] Specifically, the sealing device 3 includes a rigid annular member 31, an annular elastic sealing body 32, and an oil slinger ring 33. The rigid annular member 31 is fixedly mounted on the outer ring 2, and is radially opposed to the oil slinger ring 33. The rigid annular member 31 is located radially outward of the oil slinger ring 33. The elastic sealing body 32 is mounted on the rigid annular member 31 and extends radially inward.

[0025] Furthermore, the elastic sealing body 32 includes a base 321, a first sealing lip 322, and a second sealing lip 323. The elastic sealing body 32 is made of an elastic material, such as a rubber material. The base 321, the first sealing lip 322, and the second sealing lip 323 can be an integrally molded structure. The base 321 is disposed on the rigid annular member 31; the first sealing lip 322 extends from the base 321 toward the oil deflector 33 and contacts and seals with the oil deflector 33; the second sealing lip 323 extends from the base 321 toward the radial inside and exceeds the oil deflector 33, and contacts and seals with the shaft 1.

[0026] The sealing device 3, the shaft 1, and the outer ring 2, separate three spatial regions: a first region S1 formed between the outer side of the oil slinger ring 33 of the sealing device 3 and the shaft 1; a second region S2 formed between one side of the sealing device 3 and the outer ring 2; and a third region S3 formed between the other side of the sealing device 3 and the shaft 1 and the outer ring 2. The first region S1 can accommodate, for example, a bearing, where lubricating oil from the bearing can be sealed by a first sealing lip 322 in contact with the oil slinger ring 33 and a second sealing lip 323 in contact with the shaft 1. The second region S2 can accommodate, for example, a reducer system, where oil from the reducer system can be sealed by the first sealing lip 322 in contact with the oil slinger ring 33. The third region S3 can accommodate, for example, a brake system, where dust or muddy water from outside the brake system can be blocked by the second sealing lip 323 in contact with the shaft 1. This sealing device 3 achieves multifunctional sealing across these three regions.

[0027] The rigid annular member 31 can be made of metal or other plastic material with sufficient rigidity to meet rigidity requirements and provide structural support for the elastic seal 32. The rigid annular member 31 can be conveniently formed into various desired shapes through injection molding. The rigid annular member 31 can be rigidly connected to the outer ring 2 through, for example, an interference fit.

[0028] In some optional embodiments, the rigid annular member 31 has a first axial extension portion 311 extending in the axial direction and a first radial extension portion 312 extending from one end of the first axial extension portion 311 toward the radial inside, and the oil retaining ring 33 has a second axial extension portion 331 extending in the axial direction and a second radial extension portion 332 extending from one end of the second axial extension portion 331 away from the first radial extension portion 312 toward the radial outside.

[0029] As shown in FIG1 , the first axially extending portion 311 and the second axially extending portion 331 are radially opposed to each other, and the first radially extending portion 312 and the second radially extending portion 332 are axially opposed to each other. Thus, the rigid annular member 31 and the oil slinger ring 33 generally enclose an annular interior space. The first sealing lip 322 is located within the interior space, while the second sealing lip 323 is located outside the interior space and contacts the shaft 1 further inward.

[0030] FIG2 further illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a sealing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG2 , the first sealing lip 322 extends toward and contacts the second axially extending portion 331. The first sealing lip 322 also includes a sub-sealing lip 3221 that extends toward and contacts the second radially extending portion 332.

[0031] Optionally, the sub-sealing lip 3221 can extend from any portion of the first sealing lip 322 and contact the second radially extending portion 332. Preferably, as shown in FIG2 , the sub-sealing lip 3221 can extend from the end of the first sealing lip 322 that contacts the second axially extending portion 331 toward the second radially extending portion 332 and contact the second radially extending portion 332, so as to facilitate providing a spring for the first sealing lip 322.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sealing device 3 further includes an annular spring 34, which is disposed radially outward from the first sealing lip 322 and presses the first sealing lip 322 radially inward. As shown in Figure 2, in particular, the spring 34 is located at the turning point where the main body of the first sealing lip 322 turns toward the sub-sealing lip 3221. This allows the spring 34 to simultaneously compress the portion of the first sealing lip 322 in contact with the second axially extending portion 331 and the portion of the sub-sealing lip 3221 in contact with the second radially extending portion 332, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0033] In some optional embodiments, the elastic sealing body 32 further includes a dustproof sealing lip 324. The dustproof sealing lip 324 extends from the base 321 toward the radial inside and exceeds the oil retaining ring 33. The dustproof sealing lip 324 is in sealing contact with the shaft 1. The dustproof sealing lip 324 can further block and seal dust or muddy water from the third area S3, preventing impurities from entering the first area S1 and the second area S2 from the third area S3. In order to further improve the sealing effect of the sealing device 3, a plurality of dustproof sealing lips 324 can be provided. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, three dustproof sealing lips 324 are provided, which can block impurities from the third area S3 in multiple ways.

[0034] In some optional embodiments, the oil slinger 33 is connected to a bearing. To prevent impurities such as oil from the second region S2 from entering the first region S1, i.e., the bearing, through the gap between the oil slinger 33 and the bearing, or to prevent impurities such as lubricating oil from the first region S1 from entering the first region S1, e.g., the reducer system, through the gap between the oil slinger 33 and the bearing, a seal is required between the bearing and the oil slinger 33. The surface of the oil slinger 33 that contacts the bearing, i.e., the surface of the oil slinger 33 facing away from the elastic seal 32, is coated with a sealing lacquer layer 333.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 2 , the end of the first sealing lip 322 that contacts the oil slinger 33 is provided with a wear-resistant coating 3222. The wear-resistant coating 3222 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE has excellent wear resistance and can reduce the friction coefficient and friction torque on the surface of the first sealing lip 322, thereby improving the sealing performance of the sealing device.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an inner-wheel motor assembly is also provided. Figure 3 shows a partial schematic diagram of an inner-wheel motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the inner-wheel motor assembly includes a shaft 1, an outer ring 2, a wheel bearing 4, a reducer system 5, a motor system 6, a brake system 7, and a sealing device 3 described in any of the above embodiments. The outer ring 2 and the wheel bearing 4 are sleeved radially outward of the shaft 1, and the reducer system 5, the motor system 6, and the brake system 7 are disposed on the outer ring 2.

[0037] The sealing device 3 is disposed in the annular space between the shaft 1, the outer ring 2, and the wheel bearing 4. The rigid annular member 31 is fixed to the radially inner side of the outer ring 2, the oil slinger ring 33 is fixed to the wheel bearing 4, and the second sealing lip 323 of the elastic sealing body 32 extends radially inward and contacts the radially outer surface of the shaft 1. Thus, the wheel bearing 4 is located in the first region S1, the speed reducer system 5 is located in the second region S2, and the brake system 7 is located in the third region S3. Consequently, the sealing device 3 forms a seal between the wheel bearing 4, the speed reducer system 5, and the brake system 7.

[0038] It should be noted that this invention aims to improve the structure of a sealing device. Therefore, the technical solution of this invention is applicable to various devices or systems requiring sealing, not limited to the in-wheel motor assembly shown in the embodiment. The number, shape, and arrangement of the first sealing lip, second sealing lip, and dustproof sealing lip are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, this invention is also applicable to other non-annular dynamic sealing devices.

[0039] While the foregoing descriptions illustrate possible embodiments, it should be understood that numerous variations exist through combinations of all known and other technical features and implementations readily conceivable to a skilled artisan. Furthermore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments serve merely as examples and in no way limit the scope, application, or configuration of the present invention. The foregoing descriptions are intended primarily to provide a skilled artisan with technical guidance for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment. Various modifications, particularly regarding the functionality and structure of the components described, may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0040] Reference Signs

[0041] 1. Axis;

[0042] 2. Outer ring;

[0043] 3. Sealing device; 31. First radial extension; 311. First axial extension; 312. First radial extension; 32. Elastic sealing body; 321. Base; 322. First sealing lip; 3221. Sub-sealing lip; 3222. Wear-resistant coating; 323. Second sealing lip; 324. Dustproof sealing lip; 33.; 331. Second axial extension; 332. Second radial extension; 333. Oil deflector; 34. Spring;

[0044] 4. Wheel bearings;

[0045] 5. Reducer system;

[0046] 6. Motor system;

[0047] 7. Braking system;

[0048] S1. First area; S2. Second area; S3. Third area.

Claims

1. A sealing device comprising a rigid annular member (31), an annular elastic sealing body (32) and an oil retaining ring (33); wherein: The rigid annular component (31) and the oil slinger ring (33) are arranged opposite to each other in the radial direction, and the rigid annular component (31) is located radially outside the oil slinger ring (33); the elastic sealing body (32) is arranged on the rigid annular component (31) and extends radially inward; It is characterized by The elastic sealing body (32) includes a base (321), a first sealing lip (322) and a second sealing lip (323); wherein the base (321) is arranged on the rigid annular member (31); the first sealing lip (322) extends from the base (321) toward the oil deflector ring (33) and contacts the oil deflector ring (33); the second sealing lip (323) extends from the base (321) toward the radial inside and exceeds the oil deflector ring (33).

2. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The rigid annular member (31) has a first axial extension portion (311) extending in the axial direction and a first radial extension portion (312) extending from one end of the first axial extension portion (311) toward the radial inside; the oil slinger ring (33) has a second axial extension portion (331) extending in the axial direction and a second radial extension portion (332) extending from one end of the second axial extension portion (331) away from the first radial extension portion (312) toward the radial outside; The first sealing lip (322) extends toward the second axial extension portion (331) and contacts the second axial extension portion (331); the first sealing lip (322) also includes a sub-sealing lip (3221), which extends toward the second radial extension portion (332) and contacts the second radial extension portion (332).

3. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The sealing device (3) further comprises an annular spring (34), which is arranged radially outside the first sealing lip (322) and presses the first sealing lip (322) radially inward.

4. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The elastic sealing body (32) further comprises a dustproof sealing lip (324), wherein the dustproof sealing lip (324) extends from the base (321) toward the radial inner side and exceeds the oil deflector ring (33).

5. The sealing device according to claim 4, characterized in that A plurality of dustproof sealing lips (324) are provided.

6. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The surface of the oil deflector ring (33) facing away from the elastic sealing body (32) is coated with a sealing paint layer (333).

7. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The end portion of the first sealing lip (322) in contact with the oil deflector ring (33) is provided with a wear-resistant coating (3222).

8. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The elastic sealing body (32) is made of rubber material.

9. The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The base (321), the first sealing lip (322) and the second sealing lip (323) are an integrally formed structure.

10. An inner wheel motor assembly, comprising a shaft (1), an outer ring (2), a wheel bearing (4), a reducer system (5), a motor system (6), a brake system (7), and a sealing device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 9; in, The outer ring (2) and the wheel bearing (4) are sleeved on the radial outer side of the shaft (1); the reducer system (5), the motor system (6) and the brake system (7) are arranged on the outer ring (2); The sealing device (3) is arranged between the shaft (1), the outer ring (2) and the wheel bearing (4); wherein the rigid annular member (31) is fixed to the radial inner side of the outer ring (2), the oil retaining ring (33) is fixed to the wheel bearing (4), and the second sealing lip (323) of the elastic sealing body (32) extends toward the radial inner side and contacts the radial outer surface of the shaft (1), so that the sealing device (3) forms a seal between the wheel bearing (4), the reducer system (5) and the brake system (7).

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