ROTOR-HUB-BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract

MOTOR VEHICLE ROTOR-HUB-BEARING ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to an assembly (4) for a motor vehicle (2), comprising: a brake rotor; a hub (8) including a central shaft (A) intended to be coincident with a shaft of a motor vehicle transmission shaft in its normal mounting position; a wheel bearing (10); notable in that the hub is formed with the brake rotor (6), and the wheel bearing includes an inner ring (10.1) formed from the same material as said hub so as to constitute a single, monolithic piece. (Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Figure 2)

Description

Title of the invention: ROTOR-HUB-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 and a hub for motor vehicles. Previous technique

[0002] Each wheel of a motor vehicle is connected to a drive shaft which is fixed at its end to an assembly comprising a central hub and a special cast iron brake rotor.

[0003] The brake rotor, which can be either a drum or a disc brake, is an essential component for stopping the vehicle. It rotates in conjunction with the central hub and enables braking via a set of brake pads and a caliper, which are actuated by pressurized oil. Conventionally, this rotor-hub assembly consists of two separate parts fastened by screws, before being mounted by means of a wheel bearing onto a suspension joint of the motor vehicle. However, such a configuration presents challenges in terms of cost and manufacturing complexity.

[0004] Indeed, sourcing several separately manufactured parts (brake rotor, hub, and wheel bearing) entails additional costs, as does machining holes for the mounting screws, 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 orifice, said bearing comprising an outer ring fixed in the orifice by means of two transverse ends bent at the right of two lateral edges of the hub.

[0006] The published patent document US 2013 / 0342004 Al discloses an assembly of a hub and a bearing of a motor vehicle wheel, said bearing being partially mounted on said hub by means of a cylindrical spacer and a flange forming a shoulder for said spacer.

[0007] However, the solutions proposed in the documents have room for improvement, particularly in further simplifying the assembly in order to overcome the problems mentioned previously, while further strengthening the mechanical link with the transmission shaft of the motor vehicle. Description of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art. More particularly, the invention aims to provide a simple and efficient solution for effectively and economically connecting a drive shaft to a brake rotor.

[0009] For this purpose, the invention relates to an assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: - a brake rotor; - a hub comprising a central axis intended to be confused with an axis of a motor vehicle transmission shaft, in normal mounting position; - a wheel bearing; remarkable in that the hub is formed with the brake rotor, and the wheel bearing includes an inner ring made of the same material as the hub so as to form a single, monobloc piece.

[0010] Advantageously, the disc, the hub and the inner ring of the bearing all form a single monobloc piece.

[0011] Preferably, the brake rotor comprises a vehicle brake disc automobile.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the hub forms a central cylindrical part projecting axially from the brake rotor along the central axis.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the central cylindrical part protrudes at least 20 mm from an internal friction surface of the brake rotor.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the central cylindrical part includes a through hole having a grooved internal face.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the hub is provided with an external face from which the wheel bearing radially protrudes around the central axis.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the inner ring comprises two annular radial projections coming from the material with the outer face and forming two lateral walls of the wheel bearing.

[0017] Preferably, the annular radial projections extend radially from the outer face for at least 1 mm and at most 10 mm. Said two annular radial projections are preferably separated from each other by at least 30 mm and at most 120 mm.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the wheel bearing further comprises an outer ring fixed to the two annular radial projections.

[0019] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one assembly connected to a corresponding transmission shaft, notable in that said at least one assembly is according to the invention.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the transmission shaft comprises a grooved distal portion directly engaged with a grooved inner face of a hole through the hub of the corresponding assembly.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the wheel bearing comprises an outer ring fixed to an inner face of an opening of a suspension joint of said motor vehicle.

[0022] The measures of the invention are advantageous in that the one-piece assembly combining the brake rotor and the hub with the inner ring of the wheel bearing makes it easier to manufacture operations, thus ensuring a significant economic gain.

[0023] Furthermore, the assembly of the hub to the suspension joint is further simplified. Indeed, the outer ring of the wheel bearing is configured to attach to the annular radial projections formed with the assembly prior to simply inserting the hub of said assembly into the corresponding opening of the suspension. This results in considerable time savings on automotive assembly lines.

[0024] Furthermore, the hub, forming a central cylindrical part protruding from the rotor, increases the contact area with the transmission shaft. This improves the mechanical strength of the assembly by ensuring better resistance to the various rolling stresses of the motor vehicle, which also increases the service life of the wheel bearing. Brief description of the drawings

[0025] [Fig. 1] represents a perspective and cross-sectional view of an assembly for a motor vehicle according to the invention, comprising a brake rotor, a hub and a wheel bearing forming a single monobloc piece intended to engage with a suspension joint of said vehicle;

[0026] [Fig.2] illustrates a cross-sectional view along a central axis of an assembly of the whole of [Fig.1] with the suspension joint of the motor vehicle. Detailed description

[0027] [Fig.1] represents a perspective and cross-sectional view of an assembly 4 for a motor vehicle 2 according to the invention, comprising a brake rotor 6, a hub 8 and a wheel bearing 10 forming a single monobloc piece intended to engage with a suspension joint of said vehicle (visible in [Fig.2]).

[0028] The motor vehicle 2 includes a transmission shaft (not shown) comprising a main shaft intended to be coincident with a central shaft A and to pass successively through an opening in the suspension joint and the assembly 4 according to the invention in order to be fixed to the latter.

[0029] The assembly 4 comprises a brake rotor 6 preferably corresponding to a brake disc 6, and alternatively to a brake drum. The rotor 6 is configured to cooperate with two brake pads of a caliper (not shown).

[0030] Advantageously, the assembly 4 further comprises a hub 8 formed with the brake rotor 6 so as to constitute a single, monobloc piece. Said hub 8 is also formed with an inner ring 10.1 of a wheel bearing 10 of the motor vehicle. The assembly 4 is preferably made of cast iron.

[0031] Advantageously, the assembly 4 is compact and rigid, and requires no screws between the hub 8 and the brake rotor 6.

[0032] Preferably, the inner ring 10.1 comprises two annular radial projections 10.3 extending radially from an outer face 8.1 of the hub 8 and formed with the latter to constitute the assembly 4. The term "radially" here designates a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis A.

[0033] The hub 8 preferably forms a central cylindrical part 8 projecting axially from the rotor 6 along the central axis A, and the inner ring 10.1 is intended to receive an outer ring 10.2 to engage with the opening in the suspension, in the normal mounting position on the motor vehicle 2, as illustrated in [Fig.2].

[0034] Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the central axis A of the assembly of set 4 of Fig. 1 with the suspension joint 12 of the motor vehicle 2.

[0035] It can be seen that the hub 8 formed with the inner ring 10.1 of the bearing 10, is connected to the joint 12 by means of the outer ring 10.2 which is fixed both to the two annular radial projections 10.3 and to an inner face 12.2 of the opening 12.1.

[0036] In this configuration, the two annular radial projections 10.3 formed with the external face 8.1 form two lateral walls of the bearing 10, allowing in particular the attachment of the outer ring 10.2, the appropriate sealing elements and the balls (not shown).

[0037] Preferably, the projections 10.3 extend radially from the outer face 8.1 for at least 2 mm and at most 10 mm, and more preferably extend for about 4 mm (±2 mm).

[0038] The monobloc assembly 4 and the outer ring 10.2 are configured to be mounted in the opening 12.1 in a simple axial insertion movement along the axis A, from right to left with reference to [Fig.2].

[0039] For this purpose, the joint 12 includes a first internal shoulder formed by a rib 12.4 extending from the inner face 12.2 of the opening 12.1, and a second shoulder formed at a distal end of said opening 12.1 by means of an annular groove 12.5.

[0040] Advantageously, the rib 12.4 and the annular groove 12.5 form an internal seat for a cylindrical circlip 14 within the joint 12, said circlip 14 being made of flexible material, it preferably includes an annular tongue 14.1 capable of elastically deforming when the hub 8 and the bearing 10 are inserted into the opening 12.1, said tongue 14.1 subsequently allows to form a radial continuity of the second shoulder in order to ensure that the assembly is held in place.

[0041] The central cylindrical portion 8 includes a through hole 8.2 having a grooved inner face 8.3. In this configuration, the transmission shaft (not shown) includes a grooved distal portion which is directly and exclusively engaged with the grooved inner face 8.3 of the assembly 4. Thus, the transmission shaft does not come into contact with the bearing 10.

[0042] Advantageously, the exclusive engagement of the transmission shaft with the grooved inner face 8.3 directly formed in the assembly 4, makes it possible to further strengthen the assembly and thus guarantee better mechanical resistance to stresses, without requiring reinforcement of the outer ring 10.2 of the bearing 10.

[0043] The rotor 6 preferably comprises a central cavity 7 having a bottom 7.1 which is axially recessed relative to an internal friction surface 6.1 of said rotor 6, the latter being disposed transversely towards the interior of the motor vehicle 2, as opposed to an external friction face 6.2 disposed transversely opposite a corresponding wheel of the vehicle 2.

[0044] Preferably, the through hole 8.2 has a diameter D between 10 mm and 50 mm. The central cylindrical part 8 extends perpendicularly from the bottom 7.1 for a length L equal to at least 30 mm along the central axis A, and extends for at most 150 mm from said bottom 7.1.

[0045] The central cylindrical part 8 protrudes at least 20 mm from the inner friction surface 6.1. Thus, the cavity 7 has a recess of at least 10 mm between the bottom 7.1 and the friction face 6.1.

[0046] Advantageously, the transverse extent of the central cylindrical portion 8 from the rotor allows for a considerable increase in the contact area with the transmission shaft. This improves the mechanical strength of the assembly. by ensuring better resistance to the various driving stresses of the motor vehicle.

Claims

Demands

1. Assembly (4) for a motor vehicle (2), comprising: - a brake rotor (6); - a hub (8) comprising a central axis (A) intended to be coincident with an axis of a motor vehicle transmission shaft (2), in normal mounting position; - a wheel bearing (10); characterized in that the hub (8) is formed with the brake rotor (6), and the wheel bearing (10) comprises an inner ring (10.1) formed from the same material as said hub (8) so as to constitute a single monobloc piece.

2. Assembly (4) according to claim 1, wherein the hub (8) forms a central cylindrical part projecting axially from the brake rotor (6) along the central axis (A).

3. Assembly (4) according to claim 2, wherein the central cylindrical part (8) protrudes at least 20 mm from an internal friction surface (6.1) of the brake rotor (6).

4. Assembly (4) according to claim 3, wherein the central cylindrical part (8) comprises a through hole (8.2) provided with a grooved inner face (8.3).

5. Assembly (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hub (8) is provided with an external face (8.1) from which the wheel bearing (10) radially protrudes around the central axis (A).

6. Assembly (4) according to claim 5, wherein the inner ring (10.1) comprises two annular radial projections (10.3) originating from material with the outer face (8.1) and forming two lateral walls of the wheel bearing (10).

7. Assembly (4) according to claim 6, wherein the wheel bearing (10) further comprises an outer ring (10.2) fixed to the two annular radial projections (10.3).

8. Motor vehicle (2) comprising at least one assembly (4) connected to a corresponding transmission shaft, characterized in that said at least one assembly (4) is according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 8, wherein the drive shaft comprises a splined distal portion and directly

10. engaged with a grooved inner face (8.3) of a hole through (8.2) the hub (8) of the corresponding assembly (4). Motor vehicle (2) according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein the wheel bearing (10) comprises an outer ring (10.2) fixed to an inner face (12.2) of an opening (12.2) of a suspension joint (12) of said motor vehicle (2).

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