Wheel end assembly of axle and axle

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wheel end assembly of an axle and the axle. The wheel end assembly of the axle comprises an axle tube, a hub located outside the axle tube, an inner bearing, an outer bearing, a hub cover and an inflation connector. The hub cover is fixedly connected to the outer side end of the hub; the inflation connector is fixed to the outer side of the hub cover and provided with a first air guide pipe extending into the inner side of the hub cover, a second air guide pipe extends out of the end of the shaft pipe, the first air guide pipe and the second air guide pipe are in pivot fit, a fit clearance is formed between the first air guide pipe and the second air guide pipe, and the two ends of the fit clearance are each provided with a sealing ring. The sealing ring comprises a connecting part and a sealing lip piece, and the sealing lip piece comprises a first edge and a second edge which are connected with the connecting part; the connecting part is attached to the inner wall face of the second air guide pipe, and the sealing lip piece gradually inclines towards the first air guide pipe from the first edge to the second edge. According to the axle wheel end assembly, by means of the inflation system, inflation of vehicle tires can be achieved, pressure relief of the hub cavity can be achieved, and the structure of the axle wheel end assembly is simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vehicle technology, specifically to a wheel end assembly of a vehicle axle and a vehicle axle. Background Technology

[0002] The axle is a crucial component of the commercial vehicle chassis, typically comprising axle tubes, wheel hubs, and tire rims mounted on them. During vehicle operation, tire pressure can be unstable; therefore, existing axles often feature automatic inflation systems at the wheel ends to inflate tires when pressure is low, ensuring safe driving. While these systems meet the need for automatic tire inflation, the relative rotation between the wheel hub and axle tube necessitates a complex system. This system includes a fixed tube connected to the axle tube and a movable tube connected to the hubcap, with the movable tube passing through the fixed tube, allowing the movable tube to... To ensure rotation relative to the fixed tube while maintaining a sealed fit between them, a sealing ring needs to be installed between the fixed and movable tubes. However, during vehicle operation, the high-speed rotation of the wheel hub bearing causes the temperature of the chamber formed between the wheel hub and the axle tube to rise, increasing the pressure inside the chamber. If the pressure cannot be released in time, the excessive pressure will cause the lubricating oil inside the wheel hub bearing to leak out. The wheel hub bearing, which cannot be adequately lubricated, will wear faster and may even pose a safety hazard. Since the inflation system occupies the center position of the axle tube, the inner cavity of the wheel hub cannot be depressurized through the axle tube. Depressurization through other paths will result in a more complex structure for the wheel end assembly and will be detrimental to axle maintenance. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to propose a wheel end assembly for a vehicle axle, which enables the vehicle axle to have the functions of automatic inflation and automatic adjustment of the pressure inside the wheel hub cavity, simplifying the wheel end structure of the vehicle axle and facilitating the maintenance of the vehicle axle.

[0004] The second objective of this utility model is to provide a vehicle axle.

[0005] To achieve the first objective mentioned above, this utility model adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] The wheel end assembly of the axle includes an axle tube, a hub located outside the axle tube, an inner bearing, an outer bearing, a hub cap, and an inflation connector;

[0007] The inner bearing and outer bearing are located at the inner and outer ends of the hub, respectively. The end of the axle tube passes through the inner and outer bearings to pivotally engage with the hub. The hub cover is placed outside the end of the axle tube and fixedly connected to the outer end of the hub. The inflation connector is fixed to the outside of the hub cover. A first air guide tube is provided on the inflation connector, extending into the inner side of the hub cover. A second air guide tube extends from the end of the axle tube. The first air guide tube passes through the interior of the second air guide tube and pivotally engages with the second air guide tube. A fitting gap is formed between the first air guide tube and the second air guide tube. A sealing ring is provided at both ends of the fitting gap. The sealing ring includes a connecting part and a sealing lip. The sealing lip includes a first side that connects with the connecting part and a second side that is opposite to the first side.

[0008] The connecting part abuts against the inner wall of the second air guide tube, and the sealing lip gradually tilts towards the first air guide tube from the first side to the second side, so that the second side of the sealing lip is pressed against the outer wall of the first air guide tube, and the first side and the outer wall of the first air guide tube are in clearance fit.

[0009] Alternatively, the connecting part is attached to the outer wall of the first air guide tube, and the sealing lip gradually tilts towards the second air guide tube from the first side to the second side, so that the second side of the sealing lip is pressed against the inner wall of the second air guide tube, and the first side is in clearance fit with the inner wall of the second air guide tube.

[0010] The connecting part abuts against the inner wall of the second air guide tube. A boss is provided on the inner wall of the second air guide tube between the two sealing rings. The connecting parts of the two sealing rings abut against the two end faces of the boss respectively.

[0011] The sealing ring connection includes a fitting portion extending axially along the second air guide tube, a radial section extending inward from the outer edge of the fitting portion, and the first edge of the sealing lip is connected to the inner edge of the radial section.

[0012] A wear-resistant bushing is fitted between the inner edge of the boss and the outer wall of the first air duct.

[0013] The inflation connector is inserted into the hubcap so that the inner end of the inflation connector extends into the inner side of the hubcap. The outer end of the first air guide tube is inserted into the inner end of the inflation connector, and the outer end of the first air guide tube is connected to the inflation connector so that the first air guide tube can rotate with the inflation connector.

[0014] The inflation connector and the first air guide tube are connected together by a fixing pin that passes through them radially. Two sealing rings are clamped between the outer wall of the first air guide tube and the inner wall of the inflation connector, and the two sealing rings are located on both sides of the fixing pin.

[0015] A nut is screwed onto the part of the inflation connector located inside the hubcap. The nut engages with the inflation connector to clamp the hubcap, thus securing the inflation connector to the hubcap.

[0016] Sealing gaskets are provided between the air inflator and the outer surface of the hub cap, and between the nut and the inner surface of the hub cap.

[0017] A connecting plate is welded and fixed inside the shaft tube to seal the end of the shaft tube cavity. A second air guide tube passes through the middle of the connecting plate and is welded together with the connecting plate.

[0018] To achieve the second objective mentioned above, this utility model adopts the following technical solution:

[0019] Axle, including the wheel end assembly of the aforementioned axle.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0021] In this invention, the first and second air guide pipes are rotatably fitted together and their gap is sealed by two sealing rings. This allows the vehicle's tires to be inflated through the gas channel formed by the first and second air guide pipes. At the same time, when the pressure inside the wheel hub increases, the air can be vented through the gap between the first and second air guide pipes. Thus, the inflation system can both inflate the vehicle's tires and depressurize the wheel hub, simplifying the structure of the axle wheel end assembly and making its maintenance simple and convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view at point B;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the middle sealing ring;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0028] like Figure 1 , 2As shown, this utility model discloses a wheel end assembly for a vehicle axle, which includes an axle tube 10, a wheel hub 20, a wheel hub cover 30, and an inflation connector 40. The wheel hub 20 is located at the end of the axle tube 10. An inner bearing 21 is provided at the inner end of the wheel hub 20, and an outer bearing 22 is provided at the outer end. The axle head portion of the axle tube 10 passes through the inner bearing 21 and the outer bearing 22, thereby using the inner bearing 21 and the outer bearing 22 to pivotally connect the wheel hub 20 to the axle tube 10. The inner bearing 21, the outer bearing 22, the wheel hub 20, and the axle tube 10 together form a wheel hub cavity 23. The wheel hub cover 30 is placed on the outer side of the end of the axle tube 10, and the wheel hub cover 30 is fixedly connected to the outer end of the wheel hub 20. Specifically, the wheel hub cover 30 can be screwed and fixed to the outer end of the wheel hub 20 by means of threaded engagement. An inflation connector 40 is fixedly connected to the outside of the hub cap 30. A first air guide pipe 50 extends into the inside of the hub cap 30. A second air guide pipe 60 extends from the end of the shaft tube 10. The first air guide pipe 50 extends inward and passes through the inside of the second air guide pipe 60, and the first air guide pipe 50 and the second air guide pipe 60 are pivotally engaged, forming a fitting gap. Sealing rings 62 and 63 are respectively provided at both ends of this fitting gap. Sealing rings 62 and 63 have the same structure; here, sealing ring 63 is taken as an example. 63 includes a connecting portion 631 and a sealing lip 632. The sealing lip 632 includes a first side 6321 and a second side 6322 opposite to the first side 6321. The first side 6321 is connected to the connecting portion 631. The connecting portion 631 abuts against the inner wall surface of the second air guide tube 60. The sealing lip 632 gradually tilts towards the first air guide tube 50 from the first side 6321 toward the second side 6322, so that the second side 6322 of the sealing lip 632 is pressed against the outer wall surface of the first air guide tube 50, and the first side 6321 and the outer wall surface of the first air guide tube 50 are in clearance fit.

[0029] When the vehicle experiences low tire pressure, gas is guided into the inflation connector 40 through the air channel formed by the second air pipe 60 and the first air pipe 50. The inflation connector 40 is then used to inflate the vehicle's tires. Since the first air pipe 50 rotates relative to the second air pipe 60 with the wheel hub 20, it ensures that air can be added to the tires while the vehicle is in motion. During vehicle operation, if the pressure inside the wheel hub cavity 23 becomes too high, the gas inside the wheel hub cavity 23 will flow into the inner side of the wheel hub cover 30 through the bearing clearance of the outer bearing 22. Because the sealing lips 632 of the sealing rings 62 and 63 are designed with an inclined structure, the gas will push up the sealing lips 632, and then flow along the first air pipe 50 and the second air pipe 60... The gap between the air ducts 60 is drained, thus depressurizing the wheel hub cavity 23. Since the sealing lip 632 is set with an inclined structure, when the gas flows from the inside to the outside in the gap between the first air duct 50 and the second air duct 60, the sealing lip 632 is pressed against the outer wall of the first air duct 50 by the gas. This prevents gas leakage when inflating the tire. In other words, the sealing lip 632 on the sealing rings 62 and 63 forms a one-way valve structure in the gap between the first air duct 50 and the second air duct 60, allowing gas to flow through the gap between them only in the direction from the outside to the inside. This enables the wheel end assembly to achieve both automatic inflation and automatic adjustment of the pressure in the wheel hub cavity.

[0030] A boss 61 is provided on the inner wall of the second air guide tube 60, located between the sealing rings 62 and 63. The connecting portion of the sealing ring 62 abuts against the front end face of the boss 61, and the connecting portion 631 of the sealing ring 63 abuts against the rear end face of the boss 61. The boss 61 is used to position the sealing rings 62 and 63. The connecting portion 631 of the sealing ring 63 includes a fitting portion 6311 extending circumferentially along the second air guide tube 60, and a radial segment 6312 extending inward from the outer edge of the fitting portion 6311. The first edge 6321 of the sealing lip 632 connects to the inner edge of the radial segment 6312. The structure of the sealing ring 62 is the same as that of the sealing ring 63, and will not be described in detail here.

[0031] A wear-resistant bushing 64 is embedded between the inner edge of the boss 61 and the outer wall of the first air guide tube 50. The wear-resistant bushing 64 is made of a material with high wear resistance and is located between the first air guide tube 50 and the second air guide tube 60 to reduce the wear of the first air guide tube 50 and the second air guide tube 60.

[0032] The inflation connector 40 is inserted into the hubcap 30, with its inner end passing through the hubcap 30 and extending into its inner side. The outer end of the first air guide tube 50 is inserted into the inner end of the inflation connector 40, connecting the outer end of the first air guide tube 50 to the inflation connector 40. This allows the first air guide tube 50 to rotate with the inflation connector 40, meaning that the first air guide tube 50, the inflation connector 40, the hubcap 30, and the hub 20 rotate synchronously relative to the axle tube 10. The inner end of the inflation connector 40 and the first air guide tube 50 can be connected by a fixing pin 41 that passes radially through them. During assembly, the outer end of the first air guide tube 50 is inserted into the inflation connector 40, aligning with the pre-drilled holes on the inflation connector 40 and the first air guide tube 50. Two sealing rings 42 are clamped between the outer wall of the first air guide tube 50 and the inner wall of the inflation connector 40. The two sealing rings 42 are located on both sides of the fixing pin 41 to prevent air leakage at the gap between the fixing pin 41 and the first air guide tube 50 and the inflation connector 40.

[0033] A nut 43 is screwed onto the portion of the inflation connector 40 located inside the hub cap 30. The nut 43 cooperates with the inflation connector 40 to clamp the hub cap 30, thus fixing the inflation connector 40 onto the hub cap 30. During assembly, the inflation connector 40 can be inserted into the hub cap 30 from the outside. After connecting the inflation connector 40 to the first air guide pipe 50 via the fixing pin 41, the nut 43 is screwed onto the outside of the inner end of the inflation connector 40 and tightened. The step of the inflation connector 40 on the outside of the hub 30 and the nut 43 clamp the hub 30. To prevent air leakage at the connection between the inflation connector 40 and the hub 30, a sealing washer 32 is clamped between the inflation connector 40 and the outer surface of the hub 30, and a sealing washer 31 is clamped between the nut 43 and the inner surface of the hub cap 30.

[0034] A connecting plate 11 is welded and fixed inside the shaft tube 10. The connecting plate 11 is used to seal the end of the shaft tube 10, so that a sealed cavity is formed inside the shaft tube 10. The second air guide pipe 60 passes through the middle of the connecting plate 11 and is welded and fixed together with the connecting plate 11, so that the second air guide pipe 60 is coaxial with the shaft tube 10, and then the second air guide pipe 60 and the first air guide pipe 50, which rotates synchronously with the hub 20, are coaxial.

[0035] See Figure 5 As shown, in another embodiment, a sealing ring 72 and a sealing ring 73 are provided between the second air guide tube 60 and the first air guide tube 50. The sealing ring 72 and the sealing ring 73 have the same structure. Taking the sealing ring 73 as an example, the sealing ring 73 includes a connecting part 731 and a sealing lip 732. The connecting part 731 is attached to the outer wall surface of the first air guide tube 50, and the sealing lip 732 is pressed against the inner wall surface of the second air guide tube 60. The sealing lip 732 is set to gradually tilt towards the second air guide tube 60 from the outside to the inside.

[0036] The axle of this utility model includes the wheel end assembly of the axle described above. The other structures of the axle are the same as those in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wheel end assembly of an axle, characterized in that, Includes axle tube, hub located outside the axle tube, inner bearing, outer bearing, hub cap, and inflation connector; The inner bearing and outer bearing are located at the inner and outer ends of the hub, respectively. The end of the axle tube passes through the inner and outer bearings to pivotally engage with the hub. The hub cover is placed outside the end of the axle tube and fixedly connected to the outer end of the hub. The inflation connector is fixed to the outside of the hub cover. A first air guide tube is provided on the inflation connector, extending into the inner side of the hub cover. A second air guide tube extends from the end of the axle tube. The first air guide tube passes through the interior of the second air guide tube and pivotally engages with the second air guide tube. A fitting gap is formed between the first air guide tube and the second air guide tube. A sealing ring is provided at both ends of the fitting gap. The sealing ring includes a connecting part and a sealing lip. The sealing lip includes a first side that connects with the connecting part and a second side that is opposite to the first side. The connecting part abuts against the inner wall of the second air guide tube, and the sealing lip gradually tilts towards the first air guide tube from the first side to the second side, so that the second side of the sealing lip is pressed against the outer wall of the first air guide tube, and the first side and the outer wall of the first air guide tube are in clearance fit. Alternatively, the connecting part is attached to the outer wall of the first air guide tube, and the sealing lip gradually tilts towards the second air guide tube from the first side to the second side, so that the second side of the sealing lip is pressed against the inner wall of the second air guide tube, and the first side is in clearance fit with the inner wall of the second air guide tube.

2. The wheel end assembly of the axle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part abuts against the inner wall of the second air guide tube. A boss is provided on the inner wall of the second air guide tube between the two sealing rings. The connecting parts of the two sealing rings abut against the two end faces of the boss respectively.

3. The wheel end assembly of the axle as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing ring connection includes a fitting portion extending axially along the second air guide tube, a radial section extending inward from the outer edge of the fitting portion, and the first edge of the sealing lip is connected to the inner edge of the radial section.

4. The wheel end assembly of the axle as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A wear-resistant bushing is fitted between the inner edge of the boss and the outer wall of the first air duct.

5. The wheel end assembly of the axle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inflation connector is inserted into the hubcap so that the inner end of the inflation connector extends into the inner side of the hubcap. The outer end of the first air guide tube is inserted into the inner end of the inflation connector, and the outer end of the first air guide tube is connected to the inflation connector so that the first air guide tube can rotate with the inflation connector.

6. The wheel end assembly of the axle as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The inflation connector and the first air guide tube are connected together by a fixing pin that passes through them radially. Two sealing rings are clamped between the outer wall of the first air guide tube and the inner wall of the inflation connector, and the two sealing rings are located on both sides of the fixing pin.

7. The wheel end assembly of the axle as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A nut is screwed onto the part of the inflation connector located inside the hubcap. The nut engages with the inflation connector to clamp the hubcap, thus securing the inflation connector to the hubcap.

8. The wheel end assembly of the axle as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, Sealing gaskets are provided between the air inflator and the outer surface of the hub cap, and between the nut and the inner surface of the hub cap.

9. The wheel end assembly of the axle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, A connecting plate is welded and fixed inside the shaft tube to seal the end of the shaft tube cavity. A second air guide tube passes through the middle of the connecting plate and is welded together with the connecting plate.

10. An axle, characterized in that, Includes the wheel end assembly of the axle as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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