ROTOR-BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract

ROTOR-BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES The present invention relates to an assembly (4) for a motor vehicle (2), comprising: - a brake rotor (6); - a wheel bearing (10); remarkable in that the wheel bearing comprises an outer ring (10.2) formed from the same material as the brake rotor so as to constitute a single, monolithic piece. (Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: ROTOR-BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, more particularly to the field of assemblies comprising a brake rotor for motor vehicles. Previous technique

[0002] Conventionally, the non-drive wheels of a motor vehicle comprise a wheel spindle extending cantilevered from a hub carrier attached to the suspension of said vehicle. In this configuration, the wheel spindle is connected to a brake rotor by means of a suitable bearing, allowing the rotation of said rotor.

[0003] The brake rotor, which can be either a brake disc or a drum, is an essential component for stopping the vehicle. It rotates in conjunction with the vehicle's wheel via a bearing and enables braking through a set of friction linings actuated by pressurized oil. Generally, this rotor-bearing assembly consists of two separate parts, in which the bearing is fixed within the brake rotor by means of a shoulder and an internal retaining ring. However, such a configuration presents challenges in terms of cost and manufacturing complexity.

[0004] Indeed, supplying two separately manufactured parts (brake rotor and wheel bearing) entails additional costs, as does machining the annular grooves and shoulders for the bearing arrangement, which complicates their manufacture and assembly. This complexity can lead to considerable downtime on automotive assembly lines, impacting productivity and overall production costs.

[0005] The published patent document EP 1 302 690 A2 discloses an assembly of a rotor and a hub for a motor vehicle wheel, comprising a bearing inserted in a corresponding hole, said bearing comprising an outer ring fixed to the opening by means of two transverse ends bent at the right of two lateral edges of the hub.

[0006] However, the solution proposed by the document has room for improvement, in particular to further simplify the assembly in order to overcome the problems mentioned above. Description of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art. More specifically, the invention aims to provide a simple and efficient solution for effectively and economically connecting a wheel spindle to a brake rotor of a motor vehicle.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to an assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: - a brake rotor; - a wheel bearing; remarkable in that the wheel bearing includes an outer ring made of the same material as the brake rotor so as to form a single, monobloc piece.

[0009] Preferably, the brake rotor includes a brake drum for a motor vehicle.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the brake rotor includes an opening having a central axis intended to coincide with an axis of a wheel spindle of a motor vehicle, said opening being provided with an internal face from which the wheel bearing radially protrudes around the central axis.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the outer ring comprises two annular radial projections coming from the material with the inner face and forming two lateral walls of the wheel bearing.

[0012] Preferably, the outer ring comprises an outer cylindrical surface formed by a portion of the inner face of the opening.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the wheel bearing further comprises an inner ring fixed to the two annular radial projections.

[0014] Advantageously, the inner ring is intended to engage with a wheel spindle of a motor vehicle.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the inner face is substantially smooth over a total transverse extent of the opening along the central axis, with the exception of the two annular radial projections.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the inner face is devoid of a groove and shoulder, with the exception of the two annular radial projections.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the annular radial projections extend radially from the inner face over at least 1 mm and over at most 10 mm.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the two annular radial projections are separated from each other by at least 30 mm and at most 120 mm.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the wheel bearing is entirely disposed within the opening, said wheel bearing occupying at most 70% of a total transverse extent of said opening along the central axis.

[0020] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle remarkable in that it comprises at least one assembly according to the invention.

[0021] The measures of the invention are advantageous in that the assembly combining the brake rotor and the wheel bearing allows for cost savings compared to conventional methods of mounting bearings on drums. Machining operations necessary to create a shoulder and an annular groove, for example, are no longer required.

[0022] Furthermore, the assembly of the rotor to the wheel hub is simplified. Indeed, the inner ring of the wheel bearing is configured to be fixed to the annular radial projections prior to the mounting of the spindle. Thus, the spindle can be directly fixed to the inner ring by a simple transverse insertion of the assembly according to the invention onto the wheel spindle. Brief description of the drawings

[0023] [Fig. 1] represents a perspective and cross-sectional view along a central axis of an assembly comprising a brake rotor and a wheel bearing assembled to a wheel spindle of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0024] [Fig.2] illustrates a cross-sectional view along the central axis of the assembly according to the invention. Detailed description

[0025] Fig. 1 represents a perspective and cross-sectional view along a central axis A of an assembly 4 comprising a brake rotor 6 and a wheel bearing 10 assembled to a wheel spindle 12 of a motor vehicle 2 according to the invention.

[0026] The rolling elements of the bearing 10 have been hidden to simplify the figure. The brake rotor 6 preferably corresponds to a drum.

[0027] The wheel spindle 12 extends along a central axis A of rotation of the assembly 4, and cantilevered from a spindle carrier 11 fixed to a suspension (not shown) of the motor vehicle 2. The wheel spindle 12 is fixed at its distal end to a lower ring 10.1 of the bearing 10 by means of a nut 13. In this configuration, the wheel spindle 12 allows the rotation of the assembly 4 with a rim 3 fixed by bolts 5 to the latter.

[0028] Preferably, the wheels of the motor vehicle 2 comprising the assembly 4 according to the invention correspond to non-driving wheels, they are more preferably arranged at the level of a rear axle of the motor vehicle 2.

[0029] Advantageously, the bearing 10 comprises an outer ring 10.2 formed from the same material as the brake rotor 6, so as to constitute a single, monolithic piece. Preferably, the outer ring 10.2 comprises two annular radial projections 10.3 formed with the brake rotor 6 to constitute the assembly 4.

[0030] The brake rotor 6 includes an opening 8 extending transversely along the central axis A, and provided with an inner face 8.1 from which the two pro annular radial projections 10.3 protrude radially, the term "radially" here designates a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis A.

[0031] In this configuration, the two annular radial projections 10.3 formed with the inner face 8.1 form two lateral walls of the bearing 10, and which allow in particular the fixing of the inner ring 10.1 and the appropriate sealing elements.

[0032] Preferably, the annular radial projections 10.3 extend radially from the inner face 8.1 for at least 2 mm and at most 10 mm, and more preferably extend for about 4 mm (±2 mm).

[0033] The outer ring 10.2 includes an outer cylindrical surface 8.2 formed by a portion of the inner face 8.1 of the opening 8.

[0034] It can be seen in [Fig. 1] that, with the exception of the two annular radial projections 10.3, the inner face 8.1 is devoid of a groove and shoulder. Advantageously, since the outer ring 10.2 is formed with the brake rotor 6, the bearing 10 does not require mounting in the opening 8 by conventional means, i.e., a shoulder and an annular groove for the arrangement of an inner retaining ring to form a transverse barrier.

[0035] Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the central axis A of the assembly 4 according to the invention.

[0036] Preferably, with the exception of the two radial annular projections 10.3, the inner face 8.1 is substantially smooth over a total transverse extent L of the opening 8 along the central axis A. The two radial annular projections 10.3 are preferably separated from each other by a distance M equal to at least 30 mm and at most 120 mm.

[0037] It can be seen that the bearing 10 is entirely disposed within the opening 8. Preferably, the bearing 10 occupies at least 30% of the total transverse extent L of the opening 8, and occupies at most 70% of said extent L.

[0038] Advantageously, assembly 4 of the present invention allows for cost savings compared to conventional solutions for mounting drum bearings. Indeed, machining operations to create, for example, a shoulder and an annular groove for mounting the bearing are no longer necessary.

[0039] Furthermore, the assembly of the rotor 6 to the wheel spindle is simplified. Indeed, since the inner ring 10.1 is configured to be fixed to the annular radial projections 10.3 prior to the assembly of the spindle, the latter can then be fixed directly to the inner ring 10.1 by a simple transverse insertion of the assembly 4 onto the wheel spindle.

Claims

Demands

1. Assembly (4) for motor vehicle (2), comprising: - a brake rotor (6); - a wheel bearing (10); characterized in that the wheel bearing (10) comprises an outer ring (10.2) formed from the material of the brake rotor (6) so as to constitute a single monobloc piece.

2. Assembly (4) according to claim 1, wherein the brake rotor (6) includes an opening (8) having a central axis (A) intended to coincide with an axis of a wheel spindle (12) of a motor vehicle (2), said opening (8) being provided with an inner face (8.1) from which the wheel bearing (10) radially protrudes around the central axis (A).

3. Assembly (4) according to claim 2, wherein the outer ring (10.2) comprises two annular radial projections (10.3) originating from material with the inner face (8.1) and forming two lateral walls of the wheel bearing (10).

4. Assembly (4) according to claim 3, wherein the wheel bearing (10) further comprises an inner ring (10.1) fixed to the two annular radial projections (10.3).

5. Assembly (4) according to any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein the inner face (8.1) is substantially smooth over a total transverse extent (L) of the opening (8) along the central axis (A), with the exception of the two annular radial projections (10.3).

6. Assembly (4) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the inner face (8.1) is devoid of groove and shoulder, except for the two annular radial projections (10.3).

7. Assembly (4) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the annular radial projections (10.3) extend radially from the inner face (8.1) for at least 1 mm and at most 10 mm.

8. Assembly (4) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the two annular radial projections (10.3) are separated from each other by at least 30 mm and at most 120 mm.

9. Assembly (4) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the wheel bearing (10) is entirely disposed within the opening (8), said wheel bearing (10) occupying at most 70% of an area

10. total transverse (L) of said opening (8) along the central axis (A). Motor vehicle (2) characterized in that it comprises at least one assembly (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images