Wheel hub and screwless speed sensor, as well as mounting and vehicle containing them

Abstract

The invention relates to a speed sensor (1) designed to be fitted to a wheel hub (2) of a motor vehicle, the sensor (1) being designed to measure the rotational speed of a wheel fixed to the hub (2) equipped with the sensor (1), the sensor (1) comprising a mounting interface (3) designed to interact with a complementary mounting interface (4) provided on the hub (2) to secure the speed sensor (1) to the hub (2) by forming a screwless push-fit assembly. The invention also relates to a wheel hub (2) designed to be fitted to a motor vehicle and to secure a wheel, the wheel hub (2) comprising a complementary mounting interface (4) designed to cooperate with the mounting interface (3) of the speed sensor (1) to form a screwless push-fit assembly and thus form a tight-fitting assembly. (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Wheel hub and speed sensor with screwless mounting, as well as mounting and vehicle incorporating them.

[0001] The technical field relates to speed sensors, wheel hubs designed to receive such a sensor, assemblies comprising such a sensor mounted on such a wheel hub and finally motor vehicles having such assemblies and / or such wheel hubs.

[0002] For automobile manufacturers, controlling the production costs of their vehicles is a constant concern, as is ensuring the quality of their assemblies. Among the major challenges they face is managing the complexity and costs associated with the increasing number of parts in a vehicle.

[0003] A typical example concerns the mounting of wheel speed measuring devices to determine vehicle speed, often installed on conventional wheel hubs. Currently, this operation generally requires the use of a dedicated mounting screw. However, this mounting method has several drawbacks. Indeed, each screw not only represents a unit cost but also requires a specific assembly step on the assembly line, which increases the duration of operations and the complexity of the tooling required.

[0004] Furthermore, the sourcing and logistics management of such screws, combined with storage requirements, increase the burden on the supply chain and complicate inventory management. These constraints impact the entire manufacturing process, affecting both flexibility and overall production costs.

[0005] In this context, it becomes particularly desirable to develop solutions that eliminate the need for these fixing screws, while ensuring a reliable, robust, and easy-to-implement assembly, in order to reduce costs and optimize manufacturing processes.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a solution for mounting a speed sensor on a wheel hub without screws.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a speed sensor designed to be fitted to a wheel hub of a motor vehicle, the sensor being designed to measure the rotational speed of a wheel fixed to the wheel hub equipped with the sensor, the sensor comprising a mounting interface designed to interact with an interface additional fixing provided on the wheel hub to ensure the fixing of the speed sensor on the wheel hub by forming a screwless snap-fit ​​assembly.

[0008] The invention also relates to a wheel hub designed to equip a motor vehicle and to ensure the attachment of a wheel to the vehicle, the wheel hub comprising a complementary attachment interface designed to cooperate with an attachment interface of a speed sensor according to the invention to form a screwless interlocking assembly and thus form a tight-fitting assembly.

[0009] The invention further relates to an assembly comprising a wheel hub according to the invention and a speed sensor according to the invention, the fixing interface cooperating with the complementary fixing interface to form a press-fit assembly, in particular a press fit by elastic deformation.

[0010] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one wheel hub according to the invention or at least one assembly according to the invention.

[0011] Thus, the speed sensor according to the invention and the wheel hub according to the invention make it possible to obtain the assembly according to the invention, which is screwless. Therefore, the disadvantages associated with screws, namely the costs and complexity of assembly, can be avoided. Thanks to the interaction of the sensor's mounting interface with the complementary mounting interface of the wheel hub according to the invention, the assembly is simple, robust, and, above all, screwless. The speed sensor and the wheel hub thus facilitate assembly and reduce production costs for the vehicle according to the invention.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the speed sensor, the mounting interface is designed to form a compression fit.

[0013] Advantageously, the fastening interface comprises at least one part formed of elastically deformable material, preferably formed of rubber.

[0014] According to one possibility of the speed sensor, the mounting interface has an annular collar designed to cooperate with the complementary interface of the wheel hub.

[0015] According to one possibility, the complementary interface includes a groove designed to cooperate with a collar of the sensor mounting interface.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the assembly, the speed sensor mounting interface forms an annular collar inserted into a groove forming the complementary interface of the wheel hub, the collar and the groove being dimensioned to form a tight fit.

[0017] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] represents a partial perspective view of a wheel hub according to the invention and a speed sensor according to the invention;

[0019] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a perspective view of an assembly formed from the speed sensor of [Fig.1] assembled on the wheel hub of the same [Fig.1];

[0020] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0021] A speed sensor 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to equip a wheel hub 2 according to the invention of a motor vehicle. The wheel hub 2 is designed to allow the attachment of a wheel, not illustrated.

[0022] The speed sensor 1 is designed to measure the rotational speed of a wheel fixed to the hub 2 of a wheel equipped with the sensor 1. For this purpose, the speed sensor 1 according to the invention is, for example, designed to detect a variation in magnetic field caused by a magnet attached to a wheel fixed to the hub 2.

[0023] As illustrated in [Fig.1], the speed sensor 1 includes a mounting interface 3 designed to interact with a complementary mounting interface 4 provided on the wheel hub 2 to ensure the attachment of the speed sensor 1 to the wheel hub 2 by forming a screwless snap-fit ​​assembly.

[0024] As illustrated in [Fig. 1], the wheel hub 2 has a rotation axis AR around which the wheel is rotated. The wheel hub 2 also has a plate 5 extending in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis AR. In the example shown in the figures, the plate 5 accommodates the complementary mounting interface 4.

[0025] The complementary hub 2 wheel mounting interface 4 is designed to cooperate with the speed sensor 1 mounting interface 3 to form a screwless snap-fit ​​assembly and thus form a tight-fitting assembly, as illustrated in [Fig.2].

[0026] As illustrated in the figures, the fastening interface 3 is designed to form a compression fit. To this end, the fastening interface 3 comprises at least one portion formed from an elastically deformable material. For example, the elastically deformable material is rubber.

[0027] In the described embodiment, the mounting interface 3 forms an annular collar 6 intended to cooperate with the complementary interface 4 of the wheel hub 2. In the example illustrated in [Fig. 1], the collar 6 extends radially over at least a portion of the circumference of the speed sensor 1. For example, the portion formed from elastically deformable material forms at least a part of the collar 6. Advantageously, the entire collar 6 is made of elastically deformable material.

[0028] In the example illustrated in the figures, the complementary interface 4 has a groove 7 designed to cooperate with the collar 6 of the mounting interface 3 of the speed sensor 1.

[0029] In the embodiment of the wheel hub 2 illustrated in the figures, the hub has a cutout 8 in the plate 5, the shape of which allows at least part of the speed sensor 1 to be inserted into the cutout 8. The cutout 8 is delimited by an edge 9 having the groove 7. The flange 6 and the groove 7 are dimensioned so that sliding the flange 6 in the groove 7 allows the speed sensor 1 to be inserted into the cutout 8 and the assembly to be formed by a tight fit. To ensure the assembly, the groove 7 is shaped, for example, to require forced insertion, possibly by subjecting the flange 6 to elastic deformation in the groove 7. In the example illustrated in the figure, the flange 6 is inserted into the groove 7 by bringing the sensor 1 into contact with it in a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation A of the hub 2.During insertion, the collar 6 is compressed in the groove 7. Thus, once assembled, the speed sensor 1 remains in place on the wheel hub 2.

[0030] An assembly 10 according to the invention is an assembly comprising the speed sensor 1 fixed on the wheel hub 2.

[0031] Thus, the speed sensor 1 according to the invention, with a wheel hub 2 according to the invention, makes it possible to obtain the assembly 10, which is screwless. Therefore, the disadvantages associated with screws, namely the cost and complexity of the assembly, can be avoided. Thanks to the interaction of the mounting interface 3 of the sensor 1 with the complementary mounting interface 4 of the wheel hub 2, the assembly is simple, robust, and, above all, screwless.

[0032] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the speed sensor and / or wheel hub described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Speed ​​sensor (1) designed to be fitted to a motor vehicle wheel hub (2), the sensor (1) being designed to measure the rotational speed of a wheel fixed to the wheel hub (2) fitted with the sensor (1), the sensor (1) comprising a mounting interface (3) designed to interact with a complementary mounting interface (4) provided on the wheel hub (2) to secure the speed sensor (1) to the wheel hub (2) by forming a screwless snap-fit ​​assembly.

2. Speed ​​sensor (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting interface (3) is designed to form a compression fit.

3. Speed ​​sensor (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the mounting interface (3) comprises at least one part formed of elastically deformable material, preferably formed of rubber.

4. Speed ​​sensor (1) according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the mounting interface (3) has an annular collar (6) designed to cooperate with the complementary interface (4) of the wheel hub (2).

5. Wheel hub (2) designed to equip a motor vehicle and to secure a wheel to the vehicle, the wheel hub (2) comprising a complementary fixing interface (4) designed to cooperate with a fixing interface (3) of a speed sensor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to form a screwless push-fit assembly and thus form a tight-fitting assembly.

6. Wheel hub (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that the complementary interface (4) has a groove (7) designed to cooperate with a flange (6) of the fixing interface (3) of the sensor (1).

7. Assembly (10) comprising a wheel hub (2) according to claim 5 or 6 and a speed sensor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the fastening interface (3) cooperating with the complementary fastening interface (4) to form a press-fit assembly, in particular a press fit by elastic deformation.

8. Assembly (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the mounting interface (3) of the speed sensor (1) forms an annular collar (6) inserted into a groove (7) forming the complementary interface (4) of the wheel hub (2), the collar (6) and the groove (7) being dimensioned to form a tight fit.

9. Motor vehicle having at least one wheel hub (2) according to one of claims 5 or 6 or at least one assembly (10) according to claim 7 or 8.

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