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

Abstract

The utility model 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 sealing structure and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Wheel-end assemblies with tire inflation and deflation ports are currently available for trucks and other vehicles. These deliver supplemental air to the vehicle's wheel ends, automatically inflating and deflation the wheels and achieving dynamic, automatic adjustment of tire pressure, thus enabling automatic inflation and deflation.

[0003] In the related technology, the currently widely used method is to install oil seals and air seals 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 on commercial vehicles. Some existing oil and gas seals have some shortcomings in terms of cost, service life and sealing performance, resulting in a poor user experience with 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 rotary sealing structure to solve the problem in the related art that the oil and gas seal is arranged in the middle position of the wheel hub bearing, requiring an additional dust ring to block mud and sand, resulting in increased costs.

[0006] In a first aspect, 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 an end of the wheel hub proximate to the wheel hub inner bearing and the steering knuckle, a first air duct being defined on the steering knuckle, and a second air duct being defined 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 duct connecting the first air duct and the second air duct is opened on the annular spacer.

[0009] In some embodiments, an annular end cover is detachably connected to the end face of the wheel hub near one end of the inner bearing of the wheel hub, which axially positions the sealing assembly in the annular cavity. 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 periphery 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 periphery of the wheel hub inner bearing.

[0011] In some embodiments, the steering knuckle includes a steering knuckle shaft seat and a steering knuckle shaft head fixedly connected to each other, the wheel hub is rotatably connected to the steering knuckle shaft head, and the wheel hub is provided with an annular groove with an opening facing the steering knuckle shaft seat at one end thereof close to the wheel hub inner bearing;

[0012] An annular flange is provided on one end of the steering knuckle shaft seat close to the wheel hub, one end of which extends into the annular groove. 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, wherein 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 and gas seal are both coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve, and the inner ring of the oil and 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 a countersunk screw.

[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 ventilation channel through the annular ventilation groove, and the annular spacer is connected to the second ventilation channel through the second ventilation hole.

[0017] In some embodiments: the oil and gas seal includes a skeleton, to which an air seal and an oil seal are connected 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 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 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 being provided with a first air duct, the wheel hub being provided with a second air duct, the steering knuckle, the wheel hub, the wheel hub outer bearing, and the wheel hub inner bearing jointly forming an annular cavity, an annular end cap for axially positioning the wheel hub inner bearing being detachably connected to an end surface of the wheel hub adjacent 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 duct connecting the first air duct and the second air duct 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 the other 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, wherein 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 and gas seal are both coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve, and the inner ring of the oil and 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 the embodiments of the present application provides a vehicle, including:

[0026] A 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, comprising a control valve assembly, a wheel-side pipeline connected to each wheel tire, and the wheel-side pipeline being connected to the 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 valve stem 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 air-inflating and air-deflation wheel-end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotating sealing structure. Since the air-inflating and air-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 a wheel hub outer bearing and a wheel hub inner bearing, an annular cavity is formed between the end of the wheel hub close to the wheel hub inner bearing and the steering knuckle, a first air duct is provided on the steering knuckle, and a second air duct is provided on the wheel hub; a sealing assembly, which is sealed 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 duct connecting the first air duct and the second air duct 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 solves the problem of insufficient space between the bearings and the inability to arrange the sealing component. Second, the sealing component is arranged at the end of the wheel hub close to the inner bearing of the wheel hub. While being able to configure the sealing component, the dust ring on the outside of the original inner bearing of the wheel hub is eliminated. The dust ring on the outside of the original inner bearing of the wheel hub is replaced by a sealing component. The sealing component is dustproof and waterproof, and can also act as a rotating oil and gas seal for tire inflation and deflation, 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 following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. 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 any creative work.

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

[0034] Figure 2 A structural cross-sectional view of a sealing component of an inflation / 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 inflation / 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 inflator and 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. Inner bearing of wheel hub; 14. Outer bearing of wheel hub; 15. First air duct; 16. Second air duct; 17. Annular cavity; 18. Shoulder; 19. Circlip 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 duct; 24. Shaft sleeve; 25. Sealing ring; 26. Annular end cover; 27. Countersunk screw; 28. First air vent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0045] The embodiments of the present application provide an inflation and deflation wheel end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotary sealing structure, which can solve the problem in related technologies that the oil and gas seal is arranged in the middle position 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 / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly comprising:

[0047] The wheel end assembly 10 includes a steering knuckle 11 and a wheel hub 12 that 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 axle is greater than the distance between the wheel hub inner bearing 13 and the axle. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The outer wheel hub bearing 14 is not shown. An annular cavity 17 is formed between the steering knuckle 11 and the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner wheel hub bearing 13. A first air duct 15 is defined in the steering knuckle 11, and a second air duct 16 is defined in the wheel hub 12. The first air duct 15 is connected to an air tank or an air pump via an inflation pipe, while the second air duct 16 is connected to the wheel-side valve of the tire via wheel-end piping.

[0048] The sealing assembly 20 is located within the annular cavity 17 and includes an annular spacer 21. Oil and gas seals 22 are located on either side of the annular spacer 21, sealingly connecting the steering knuckle 11 and the wheel hub 12. A closed air chamber is formed between the oil and gas seals 22 on either side of the annular spacer 21, achieving a good static seal. A third air passage 23 is defined in the annular spacer 21, connecting the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16. The outer rings of the annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seals 22 are in interference-sealed contact with the inner bore of the wheel hub 12, while the inner ring of the oil and gas seals 22 is in rotationally sealed contact with the knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle 11.

[0049] The inflation / deflation wheel-end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure in the present embodiment forms an annular cavity 17 for accommodating a seal assembly 20 between the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner hub bearing 13 and the steering knuckle 11. Seal assembly 20 is sealably positioned within annular cavity 17. First, positioning seal assembly 20 at the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner hub bearing 13 avoids significant modifications to the outer hub bearing 14 and the inner hub bearing 13, effectively resolving the issue of insufficient space between the bearings for accommodating seal assembly 20.

[0050] Second, a seal assembly 20 is positioned at the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner hub bearing 13. This eliminates the need for a dust ring on the outer side of the original inner hub bearing. Replacing the dust ring with the seal assembly 20 provides both dust and water protection, preventing external dust or water from entering the inner bore of the wheel hub 12 and contaminating the grease. It also seals the grease within the inner bore of the wheel hub 12, ensuring reliable lubrication of the outer and inner hub bearings 14 and 13.

[0051] The seal assembly 20 also serves as a rotating oil-gas seal for tire inflation and deflation, reducing operating costs and adding the functionality of a rotating air chamber. When tire pressure needs to be controlled, the seal assembly 20 connects the tire to the air pump via the wheel-end piping. The pump inflates the tire through the seal assembly 20 and deflates the tire through the seal assembly 20 and wheel-side valve, ensuring the tire operates at the appropriate pressure.

[0052] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure. An annular end cap 26 is detachably connected to the end face of the wheel hub 12 near the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub, which axially positions the sealing assembly 20 within the annular cavity 17. The annular end cap 26 surrounds the outer circumference of the steering knuckle 11 and rotates synchronously with the wheel hub 12. The annular end cap 26 has a plurality of mounting holes circumferentially defined, and the end face of the wheel hub 12 near the inner bearing 13 of the wheel hub has a plurality of threaded holes circumferentially defined.

[0053] The annular end cap 26 of the embodiment of the present application is detachably connected to the wheel hub 12 via hexagon socket head screws or countersunk screws 27. The end of the annular end cap 26 proximal to the wheel hub 12 contacts one of the oil and gas seals 22, while the other oil and gas seal 22 contacts the inner end surface of the wheel hub 12. When the annular end cap 26 is pressed against one of the oil and gas seals 22, the two oil and gas seals 22 and the annular spacer 21 are axially positioned within the annular cavity 17, thereby reliably connecting the third air passage 23 to the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16.

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

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the inner diameter of the seal assembly 20 is larger than the outer diameter of the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and the seal assembly 20 surrounds the outer circumference of the wheel hub inner bearing 13 within the annular cavity 17, maximizing the radial overlap between the seal assembly 20 and the outer circumference of the wheel hub inner bearing 13. Preferably, the seal assembly 20 and the outer circumference of the wheel hub inner bearing 13 completely overlap in the radial direction. This minimizes the axial space occupied by the seal assembly 20 and the wheel hub inner bearing 13 on the steering knuckle 11, allowing the wheel hub outer bearing 14, the wheel hub inner bearing 13, and the seal assembly 20 to 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 to arrange 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, an embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure. The steering knuckle 11 of the inflation / deflation 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. The end of the wheel hub 12 near the wheel hub inner bearing 13 is provided with an annular groove 12a with an opening facing the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a. The end of the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a near the wheel hub 12 is provided with an annular flange 11c with one end extending into the annular groove 12a. The annular flange 11c and the annular groove 12a together form an annular cavity 17 for accommodating the sealing assembly 20.

[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 achieves that the sealing assembly 20 is positioned at least partially radially overlapped with the outer periphery of the wheel hub inner bearing 13. An annular groove 12a is formed at the end of the wheel hub 12 near the wheel hub inner bearing 13, with its opening facing the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a. An annular flange 11c is formed at the end of the steering knuckle shaft seat 11a near the wheel hub 12, with one end extending into the annular groove 12a. The sealing assembly 20 can then 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 inflator and deflation impeller assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure. The seal assembly 20 of the inflator and deflation impeller assembly further includes a shaft sleeve 24 sleeved on the annular flange 11c. The shaft sleeve 24 is provided with a first vent hole 28 connecting the first vent passage 15 and the third vent passage 23. 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 in rotational sealing connection with 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. An inward flange is provided on the 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 inward flange via a countersunk screw 27. In this embodiment of the present application, the shaft sleeve 24 is sleeved onto the annular flange 11c. 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 steering knuckle shaft head 11b from wear by the oil-gas seal 22. When the shaft sleeve 24 is worn, the countersunk screw 27 is removed and a new shaft sleeve 24 can be replaced.

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

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, an annular vent groove is formed on the inner wall of the annular spacer 21, and a second vent hole is formed on the outer wall of the annular spacer 21, which is connected to the annular vent groove. When the annular spacer 21 rotates synchronously with the wheel hub 12, the annular spacer 21 is always 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 present embodiment provides an inflator and deflation impeller assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure. The oil and gas seal 22 of the inflator and deflation impeller assembly comprises a skeleton 22a, to which are attached an air seal 22b and an oil seal 22c spaced apart. The air seal 22b is positioned adjacent to the annular spacer 21, while the oil seal 22c is positioned further away from the annular spacer 21. Both the air seal 22b and the oil seal 22c comprise a rubber sealing ring and a polytetrafluoroethylene coating covering the surface of the rubber sealing ring, ensuring both wear resistance and ease of installation.

[0064] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure, the inflation / 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 via a wheel hub outer bearing 14 and a wheel hub inner bearing 13. A first air duct 15 is defined in the steering knuckle 11, and a second air duct 16 is defined in the wheel hub 12. The steering knuckle 11, wheel hub 12, wheel hub outer bearing 14, and wheel hub inner bearing 13 collectively form an annular cavity 17. An annular end cap 26 is detachably attached to the end face of the wheel hub 12 near the wheel hub inner bearing 13, which axially positions the wheel hub inner bearing 13. The first air duct 15 is connected to an air tank or air pump via an inflation pipe, while the second air duct 16 is connected to the tire's wheel-side valve via wheel-end piping.

[0066] The sealing assembly 20 is located within the annular cavity 17 and includes an annular spacer 21. Oil and gas seals 22 are located on either side of the annular spacer 21, sealingly connecting the steering knuckle 11 and the wheel hub 12. A closed air chamber is formed between the oil and gas seals 22 on either side of the annular spacer 21, achieving a good static seal. A third air passage 23 is defined in the annular spacer 21, connecting the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 16. The outer rings of the annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seals 22 are in interference-sealed contact with the inner bore of the wheel hub 12, while the inner ring of the oil and gas seals 22 is in rotationally sealed contact with the knuckle shaft head of the steering knuckle 11.

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

[0068] In some alternative embodiments: See Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides an inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure. The inner bore of the hub 12 of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly is provided with a shoulder 18 for axially limiting one oil / gas seal 22. The inner wall of the hub 12 is provided with a retaining ring groove for axially limiting the other oil / gas seal 22. A hole-mounted elastic retaining ring 19 is secured within the retaining ring groove. The shoulder 18 and hole-mounted elastic retaining ring 19 axially limit the oil / gas seal 22 and annular spacer 21 within 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 / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure. The sealing component 20 of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly also includes a shaft sleeve 24 that is sleeved on the steering knuckle shaft head 11b of the steering knuckle 11. The shaft sleeve 24 is provided with a first air vent 28 that connects the first air duct 15 and the third air duct 23. An annular spacer 21 and an oil-gas seal 22 are coaxially sleeved on the shaft sleeve 24, and the inner ring of the oil-gas seal 22 is rotatably and sealingly connected to the shaft sleeve 24.

[0070] 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. 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 a countersunk screw 27. In the embodiment of the present application, the shaft sleeve 24 is sleeved on the steering knuckle shaft head 11b of the steering knuckle 11. The annular spacer 21 and the oil and gas seal 22 are both 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 is removed and a new shaft sleeve 24 can be replaced.

[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 being connected to the first air duct 15 of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly; the second air duct 16 of the inflation / deflation wheel end assembly being connected to a wheel side valve through the wheel side pipeline, the wheel side valve being connected 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 sequentially 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 to play the role of inflation. When deflation, the gas in the tire is sequentially delivered to the control valve assembly 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 inside of the tire to achieve the purpose of pressure measurement.

[0073] The primary function of the wheel-end inflation / deflation assembly is to provide a rotating air chamber. The control valve assembly and wheel-side piping are stationary relative to the vehicle as a whole, but the wheel-side valve is mounted on the tire and rotates with the tire. Therefore, the wheel-end inflation / deflation assembly transfers gas, delivered by the control valve assembly and wheel-side piping, to the wheel-side valve and valve stem air pipe to inflate the system. Alternatively, gas from the tire is transferred to the valve stem air pipe, wheel-side valve, and then through the wheel-end inflation / deflation assembly to the wheel-side piping and control valve assembly to deflate the system.

[0074] How it works

[0075] An embodiment of the present application provides an air-inflating and deflating wheel-end assembly and a vehicle with a built-in rotating sealing structure. Since the air-inflating and deflating wheel-end assembly with a built-in rotating sealing structure of the present application is provided with a wheel-end assembly 10, the wheel-end assembly 10 includes a steering knuckle 11 and a wheel hub 12 rotatably connected by a wheel hub outer bearing 14 and a wheel hub inner bearing 13, 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 duct 15 is provided on the steering knuckle 11, and a second air duct 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 duct 23 connecting the first air duct 15 and the second air duct 16 is provided on the annular spacer 21.

[0076] Therefore, the inflation / deflation wheel-end assembly of the present invention's built-in rotary seal structure forms an annular cavity 17 for accommodating a seal assembly 20 between the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner hub bearing 13 and the steering knuckle 11. Seal assembly 20 is sealably positioned within annular cavity 17. First, positioning seal assembly 20 at the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner hub bearing 13 avoids significant modifications to the outer hub bearing 14 and the inner hub bearing 13, effectively resolving the issue of insufficient space between the bearings for accommodating seal assembly 20.

[0077] Second, the seal assembly 20 is positioned at the end of the wheel hub 12 near the inner hub bearing 13. This eliminates the need for a dust seal on the outer side of the original inner hub bearing. Replacing the dust seal with the seal assembly 20 not only protects against dust and water, but also serves as a rotating oil and gas seal for tire inflation and deflation, reducing operating costs while adding the functionality of a rotating air chamber.

[0078] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower" and the like 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 this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply 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 this 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 an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this 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 used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any 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 comprising 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, an element defined by the sentence "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element.

[0080] The foregoing is merely a list of specific embodiments of the present application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features of the present application.

Claims

1. A pneumatic 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 an end of the wheel hub (12) close to the wheel hub inner bearing (13) and the steering knuckle (11), a first air duct (15) being provided on the steering knuckle (11), and a second air duct (16) being provided on the wheel hub (12); A sealing assembly (20) is provided, wherein the sealing assembly (20) 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 duct (23) is provided on the annular spacer (21) for connecting the first air duct (15) and the second air duct (16).

2. The inflator and deflation wheel assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure according to 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) near one end of the wheel hub inner bearing (13). The annular end cover (26) surrounds the outer periphery 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 according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the sealing assembly (20) is larger than the outer diameter of the wheel hub inner bearing (13); the sealing assembly (20) surrounds the outer periphery of the wheel hub inner bearing (13) in the annular cavity (17); and the sealing assembly (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 / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The steering knuckle (11) comprises a steering knuckle shaft seat (11a) and a steering A knuckle shaft head (11b), the wheel hub (12) being rotatably connected to the knuckle shaft head (11b), and an annular groove (12a) opening toward the 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 according to 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 vent hole (28) communicating with the first vent passage (15) and the third vent passage (23); 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 with the shaft sleeve (24).

6. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure according to 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); and 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 according to 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. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The oil-gas seal (22) comprises a skeleton (22a), and an air seal (22b) and an oil seal (22c) are connected to the skeleton (22a) 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). 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 air-inflating 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 duct (15), the wheel hub (12) being provided with a second air duct (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 face of the wheel hub (12) adjacent to one end of the wheel hub inner bearing (13); A sealing assembly (20) is provided, wherein the sealing assembly (20) 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 duct (23) is provided on the annular spacer (21) for connecting the first air duct (15) and the second air duct (16).

10. The inflation / deflation wheel end assembly with a built-in rotary seal structure according to 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 according to 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 vent hole (28) communicating with the first vent passage (15) and the third vent passage (23); 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 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); a mounting hole is provided on the side wall of the shaft sleeve (24); and the shaft sleeve (24) is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle shaft head (11b) of the steering knuckle (11) through the mounting hole by 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, comprising a control valve assembly, a wheel side pipeline connected to each wheel tire, and 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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