Wheel bearings with sealing devices, including gutters and chicanes.

Abstract

To provide a wheel bearing which combines a satisfactory sealing function and a large pitch circle diameter from the viewpoints of technical performance and monetary cost. A wheel bearing (10) includes a sealing device (66) including at least an outer structure (76) and an inner structure (78) that together define a baffle passage (S) having an inlet (E). The outer structure (76) defines an annular gutter (82) that opens radially outward. An inlet (E) of the baffle passage (S) and a shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) are located on each axial side of the gutter (82). The shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) is located on one side of a reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20) that is perpendicular to the rotation axis (XX) and tangent to an end wall (70) of the outer ring (20) opposite the baffle passage (S) and the gutter (82).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bearing for a wheel, and more particularly to a bearing for a wheel of a motor vehicle, and in particular to a bearing for a drive wheel (however, it is not limited thereto).

Background Art

[0002] In some electric or hybrid drive trains of motor vehicles, the space available for installing the transmission bowl of the drive wheel is limited. Therefore, an assembly has been proposed in which at least a part of the rotation guide of the wheel overlaps the transmission bowl, such as the type described in French Patent Application No. 2000720, which is not yet published at the present time. Such an assembly requires a wheel bearing with a larger diameter than those commonly available on the market. In order to ensure the sealing performance of such a bearing, it is necessary to provide a seal. For this purpose, a cassette seal housed in a space directly located between the inner ring and the outer ring in the radial direction can be naturally considered. However, such a large-diameter seal causes problems that are difficult to solve without increasing the functional cost. Specifically, such a seal causes friction between the seal lip and the seat, and this friction increases as the diameter increases, which has an adverse effect on the resistance torque and the operating temperature. On the other hand, larger-diameter joints require even higher assembly accuracy and stricter manufacturing tolerances. Finally, in order to insert the cassette seal into the wheel bearing, two cylindrical seats facing each other are required on the outer ring and the inner ring.

[0003] German Patent Application Publication No. 102009023041 (Patent Document 1) discloses a wheel bearing including an outer ring and at least one inner ring, wherein these outer ring and inner ring are relatively guided around the rotation axis of the wheel bearing, and further includes a sealing device. The sealing device includes at least an outer structure attached to the outer ring and an inner structure attached to the inner ring, and these outer structure and inner structure jointly have an inlet chicaneA wheel bearing defining a passage is described. The outer structure has a shrink-fit portion that is shrink-fitted to the outer ring, forming an annular gutter that opens radially outward. On each axial side of the gutter, chicane The entrance to the passageway and the shrink-fit portion of the above outer structure are located there, chicane The passage and gutter are located on the same first side with respect to the reference plane of the outer ring, perpendicular to the rotation axis and in contact with the end wall of the outer ring. The shrink-fit portion of the outer structure and the outer ring are located on a second side with respect to the outer ring reference plane, opposite to the first side. The gutter has a side wall that is in contact with the lateral end face of the outer ring, and the depth of the gutter is limited by the presence of the inner structure. The inner structure also supports an encoder that can be read radially through the bottom of the gutter by a sensor placed inside the gutter. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102009023041 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to provide a wheel bearing that improves upon the shortcomings of the prior art and achieves both satisfactory sealing function and a large pitch circle diameter in terms of technical performance and cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wheel bearing comprising at least one outer ring, at least one inner ring, and a sealing device, wherein the outer ring and the inner ring are guided relative to each other about the rotation axis of the wheel bearing, the wheel bearing further comprises a sealing device, the sealing device comprising at least an outer structure attached to the outer ring and an inner structure attached to the inner ring, and the outer structure and the inner structure jointly have an inlet chicane A wheel bearing is proposed, comprising a defined passage, wherein the outer structure has a shrink-fit portion that is shrink-fitted to the outer ring, and the inner structure (78) has a shrink-fit portion that is shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface of the inner ring. The outer structure forms an annular gutter that opens radially outward, and on each axial side of the gutter, chicane The entrance to the passageway and the shrink-fit portion of the outer structure are located there, chicane The passage and the gutter are located on the same first side with respect to the reference plane of the outer ring, perpendicular to the axis of rotation and in contact with the end wall of the outer ring, while the shrink-fit portion of the outer structure and the outer ring are located on a second side of the reference plane of the outer ring, opposite to the first side. The gutter has a bottom and side walls, the side walls located on each axial side of the bottom and further away from the bottom with respect to the axis of rotation.

[0007] By positioning the functional part of the outer structure of the sealing device axially outward from the reference plane, the sealing device is provided with a gutter and chicane It becomes possible to incorporate passages, and together these provide excellent protection to the bearing against sprayed material. The gutter allows for the discharge of liquid, chicane To minimize the exposure of the entrance to the passage. On the opposite side of the gutter from the shrink-fit portion chicane Placing the entrance to the passage is particularly advantageous when the available space between the outer ring and the inner ring is small, for example, when the track of the inner ring is close to the reference plane of the outer ring.

[0008] The inner structure has an annular, flat flange positioned at a short distance opposite one of the side walls of the gutter and projecting radially from the shrink-fit portion of the inner structure toward the outer ring. Such a flange can contain grease within the space defined between the outer ring and the inner ring, and, if necessary, can eliminate (or reduce the contact pressure of) the seal lip, thereby contributing to a reduction in frictional torque. The flange can also be used to support an encoder, in which case the encoder is positioned to be read by a sensor partially housed in the gutter.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a sliding bearing or a rolling bearing comprising at least one inner ring and at least one outer ring, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are rotatable relative to each other about the rotation axis of the bearing.

[0010] The aforementioned inner ring, - At least one circular guide race, - An axial end face facing a reference axis direction parallel to the rotation axis, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis and located at an axial distance from the guide race of the inner ring in the reference direction, and is tangent to the reference plane of the inner ring, - A shrink-fit surface extending axially between the axial end face of the inner ring and the guide race of the inner ring, It is equipped with.

[0011] The outer ring, - At least one annular guide race facing the guide race of the inner ring, - An axial end face facing the reference axis direction, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis and located at an axial distance from the guide race of the outer ring in the reference direction, and is tangent to the reference plane of the outer ring, - A shrink-fit surface extending axially between the axial end face of the outer ring and the guide race of the outer ring, It is equipped with.

[0012] The bearing further comprises a sealing device, the sealing device comprising at least, - An outer structure integrated with the outer ring, comprising at least one shrink-fit portion shrink-fitted into the shrink-fit surface of the outer ring, and at least one functional portion located on one side of the outer structure opposite to the shrink-fit portion with respect to the reference plane of the outer ring, - An inner structure integrated with the inner ring, comprising at least one shrink-fit portion shrink-fitted into the shrink-fit surface of the inner ring, and at least one functional portion located on one side of the inner structure opposite to the shrink-fit portion with respect to the reference plane of the inner ring, It is equipped with.

[0013] According to this second aspect of the present invention, the functional portion of the outer structure, which is integrated with the outer ring, forms a gutter that opens radially outward, and at least a portion of the gutter overlaps axially with at least a portion of the shrink-fit surface of the inner ring. By positioning the gutter at least partially in the space between the inner ring reference plane and the outer ring reference plane, it is possible to prevent the gutter from adversely affecting the axial dimension of the bearing.

[0014] Preferably, the outer structure and the inner structure jointly have an entrance chicane The passage can be defined, preferably the chicane The entrance to the passage and the shrink-fit portion of the outer structure are located on each axial side of the gutter, preferably the chicane The passage and the gutter are located on the same first side with respect to the reference plane of the outer ring, and preferably the shrink-fit portion of the outer structure and the outer ring are located on a second side opposite to the first side with respect to the reference plane of the outer ring.

[0015] Alternatively, and as in the first aspect of the present invention, the inner structure may be disposed opposite to one of the side walls of the gutter at a short distance and have an annular flat flange that projects radially from the shrink-fitting portion of the inner structure toward the outer ring. Such a flange can trap grease within the space defined between the outer ring and the inner ring, and if necessary, eliminate the seal lip (or reduce the contact pressure of the seal lip), thereby contributing to the reduction of frictional torque. Also, the flange can be used to support an encoder, and in this case, the encoder is arranged to be read by a sensor partially housed in the gutter.

[0016] The bearing according to the second aspect of the present invention may be a rolling bearing, and particularly may constitute a wheel bearing. Further, the present invention relates to a wheel support device for a motor vehicle, which includes a bearing according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the inner ring is a rotating ring, preferably a hub ring or a ring fixed to the hub ring, and the outer ring is a fixed ring having a connection portion for attachment to a wheel support, particularly a wheel pivot.

[0017] Of course, various embodiments described later can be assumed. These embodiments are applicable to the wheel bearing according to the first aspect of the present invention, and in some cases, also to the sliding bearing or rolling bearing according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0018] In one embodiment, the chicane passage is defined by the chicane wall of the outer structure and the chicane wall of the inner structure. Preferably, the chicane wall of the outer structure is located axially between the reference plane of the outer ring and the chicane wall of the inner structure.

[0019] In one embodiment, the gutter is axially between the shrink-fitting portion of the outer structure and the chicaneIt is located between the wall. The space enclosed by the gutter and located between the gutter and the axis of rotation is the outer structure chicane It is not occupied by a wall and can accommodate other components of the wheel bearing, such as a part of the inner ring, and in particular the shrink-fit surface of the inner ring into which the shrink-fit portion of the inner structure is shrink-fitted.

[0020] In one embodiment, the outer structure chicane The wall, chicane It forms one or more further gutters located within the passage. Assuming the outer ring is the fixed side, these gutters are chicane The system prevents dirt from entering the passageway, and any dirt that does manage to get in is removed by gravity. chicane Guide them to the entrance of the passageway.

[0021] In one embodiment, the inner structure chicane The wall forms one or more frustoconical walls facing the axis of rotation, and each frustoconical wall converges toward a apex that is further away from the entrance than the reference plane. If the inner ring is a rotating wheel intended to rotate together with the hub ring, such arrangement means chicane By applying centrifugal force to dirt that may enter the passage, chicane It can be guided toward the entrance of the passage. Ideally, for optimal dirt removal, the outer structure chicane The wall gutter is on the inside chicane It is combined with the frustoconical wall.

[0022] In one embodiment, the outer structure chicane The wall forms one or more annular ribs of the outer structure, and the inner structure chicane The wall forms one or more annular ribs of the inner structure, which are positioned in the space between the annular ribs of the outer structure.

[0023] In one embodiment, the inner structure chicaneThe entrance to the wall is cylindrical, or it is a frustoconical shape that converges toward a apex that is further away from the entrance when viewed from the reference plane. In one embodiment, the outer structure chicane The entrance to the wall is cylindrical, or it is a frustoconical shape that converges toward a apex that is further away from the entrance when viewed from the reference plane.

[0024] In one embodiment, the above chicane The entrance to the passage faces the direction of the gutter in the axial direction, and more generally, the direction of the outer ring, and functions as a screen against water splashes.

[0025] Preferably, the bottom of the gutter is such that, with respect to the axis of rotation, chicane It is closer than the aforementioned entrance to the passage. Preferably, chicane The entrance to the passage opens to the radially outer circumference of one of the side walls of the gutter.

[0026] In one embodiment, the outer ring forms at least one raceway, the inner ring forms at least one raceway located opposite to the raceway of the outer ring, the raceway of the inner ring, together with the raceway of the outer ring, defines an inner space of the wheel bearing that opens into a sealed space defined by the outer structure and the inner structure of the sealing device, and the wheel bearing includes at least one row of rolling elements capable of rolling on the raceway of the outer ring and the raceway of the inner ring such that the inner ring and the outer ring can rotate relative to each other about a rotation axis. chicane The entrance to the passage is located further from the rotation axis than the pitch circle formed by the rolling elements of the row.

[0027] In one embodiment, the sealing device further comprises an elastically deformable seal lip. The seal lip is preferably attached to one of the inner structure and the outer structure and slides against a seal seat formed on the other of the inner structure and the outer structure. The seal lip and the seal seat are preferably located within the sealed space.

[0028] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, one or more of the following conditions are satisfied: - The seal seat portion is, with respect to the axis of rotation, chicane It is closer to the aforementioned entrance to the passageway; - The seal seat is located closer to the rotation axis than the pitch circle formed by the rolling elements of the row; - The seal seat is located closer to the bottom of the raceway of the inner ring than the rotation axis; - The seal seat portion is shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface of the inner ring when viewed from the axis of rotation, side It is closer than the shrink-fitted section of the structure.

[0029] As a result, the circumference of the seal seat portion is restricted, thereby suppressing the friction torque between the seal lip and the seal seat portion.

[0030] Preferably, the seal lip is located on the first side with respect to the reference plane of the outer ring.

[0031] In one embodiment, the shrink-fit portion of the outer structure is shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface of the outer ring that faces radially inward, and the shrink-fit surface of the outer ring is at least partially located in the axial direction between the raceway of the outer ring and the reference plane. Alternatively, the shrink-fit surface of the outer ring may face radially outward.

[0032] In one embodiment, the shrink-fit surface of the outer ring is located further from the rotation axis than the pitch circle of the rolling elements in the row, and optionally further from the rotation axis than the bottom of the raceway of the outer ring.

[0033] In one embodiment, the outer structure comprises a rigid frame, for example, made of metal (particularly sheet metal) or plastic, which forms the shrink-fit portion. In this case, the frame may be designed to form the gutter. The frame also comprises the outer structure chicane It may be designed to form a wall.

[0034] In one embodiment, the inner ring has an axial end face oriented in the direction of the reference axis. The axial end face of the inner ring may protrude from the axial end face of the outer ring in the direction of the reference axis. In one embodiment, the gutter is located on each axial side of the reference plane of the inner ring, perpendicular to the axis of rotation and in contact with the axial end face of the inner ring.

[0035] Preferably, it has one or more of the following configurations: - The outer ring has a connection portion for attachment to the suspension strut; - The inner ring either forms a hub ring or has a connecting portion for attachment to a hub ring; - The inner ring has a connection for supporting, securing, or shrink-fitting the transmission bowl; - The shrink-fit portion is cylindrical; - The outer ring is a single object; and / or - The outer ring has an additional raceway that is positioned at a distance from and opposite to the additional raceway formed on the inner ring or the hub ring integrated with the inner ring.

[0036] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This is an axial cross-sectional view of a wheel support assembly equipped with a wheel bearing according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]Figure 1 is a detailed view of some of the components of the wheel bearing. [Figure 3] This is a detailed diagram of some components of a wheel bearing according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a detailed diagram of some components of a wheel bearing according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a detailed diagram of some components of a wheel bearing according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a detailed diagram of some components of a wheel bearing according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a detailed diagram of some components of a wheel bearing according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] For clarity, identical or similar components are identified by the same reference numeral throughout all the figures.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a drive wheel assembly 10 for a motor vehicle, comprising a fixed subassembly 12 intended to be fixed to a suspension member of a motor vehicle (not shown) and defining a rotation axis XX, a rotating subassembly 14 capable of rotating about the rotation axis XX inside the fixed subassembly 12, and guide rolling elements 16, 18 between the rotating subassembly 14 and the fixed subassembly 12.

[0040] The fixed subassembly 12 in this example is composed of a solid, single-piece metal outer ring 20. In this embodiment, the outer ring 20 has two coaxial outer raceways 22, 24 that define the axis of rotation XX, one of which is intended to be located on the outer side of the vehicle, and the other outer raceway 24 is intended to be located on the inner side of the vehicle, i.e., closer to the central plane in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle. The outer ring further has at least one mounting clamp portion 26 that extends radially outward. The mounting clamp portion 26 has a hole 28 formed therein for attaching the mounting clamp portion 26 to a suspension member 30 (a strut pivot in this example) by a mounting element 32.

[0041] The rotating subassembly 14 includes a hub ring 34 that forms an inner ring on the outer side of the vehicle, a second inner ring 36 on the inner side of the vehicle, and a transmission bowl 38.

[0042] The hub wheel 34 is a solid, single-piece metal component having a flange 40 for mounting the rim and brake disc of the drive wheel. The flange 40 has a flat surface 42 that contacts the brake disc or the rim of the wheel, and the flange 40 is provided with mounting holes 44 into which the mounting elements of the rim and / or brake disc can be inserted. The hub wheel 34 has a first inner raceway 46 opposite to a first outer raceway 22.

[0043] The transmission bowl 38 is a solid, single-piece metal component having a solid protruding end 50 and a flared central portion 52 defining a cavity 54, and functions as a constant velocity joint. The protruding portion 50 of the transmission bowl 38 is splined and fitted into the splined tubular cavity 56 of the hub wheel 34 by clearance fit, interlock fit, or compression fit to form a splined contact connection. Furthermore, Figure 1 shows, for example, a nut 58 that is screwed onto the threaded end of the protruding portion 50 and pressed against the shoulder of the hub wheel 34 as a means for attaching the transmission bowl 38 to the hub wheel 34. The inner bearing ring 36 on the vehicle side is shrink-fitted to the cylindrical shrink-fit surface 60 of the hub wheel 34 and is sandwiched axially between the hub wheel 34 and the transmission bowl 38.

[0044] The inner ring 36 of the rolling bearing has an inner raceway 62 formed on the inner side of the vehicle, opposite to the outer raceway 24. The rolling elements 16 and 18 consist of a first row of rolling elements 16 that roll on the outer raceway 22 and inner raceway 46 on the outer side of the vehicle, and a second row of rolling elements 18 that roll on the outer raceway 24 and inner raceway 62 on the inner side of the vehicle.

[0045] These two rows of rolling elements 16, 18 and the tracks 22, 24, 46, 62 are protected by two sealing devices: a sealing device 64 located on the outer side of the vehicle between the outer ring 20 and the hub ring 34, and a sealing device 66 located on the inner side of the vehicle between the outer ring 20 and the inner bearing ring 36.

[0046] The components of the wheel bearing 10 described above are general and can take on various different forms. Specifically, the inner raceway 46 may be formed on a bearing ring attached to the hub ring 34. The inner ring 36 on the inner side of the vehicle may be fixed to the hub ring 34 by a snap ring and, if necessary, may be kept away from contact with the transmission bowl 38. The transmission bowl 38 may be attached to the hub ring 34 by any means. The bearing may also have a single row of rolling elements 16, which may be balls or rollers.

[0047] Next, we consider the sealing device 66 located on the inner side of the vehicle, as detailed in Figure 2. The sealing device 66 seals the space between the bearing outer ring 20 and the bearing inner ring 36, and more specifically, protects the space V located between the raceway 24 of the outer ring 20 and the raceway 62 of the inner ring 36. In this region, the bearing outer ring 20 has a shrink-fit surface 68 which is cylindrical in this example and faces the rotation axis XX, and an end wall 70 which is perpendicular to the rotation axis XX and tangent to the end face 70, allowing a reference plane PE of the bearing outer ring 20 to be defined. The shrink-fit surface 68 extends axially and circumferentially in the region of the outer ring 20 located between the raceway 24 and the end face 70 on the inner side of the vehicle. The shrink-fit surface 68 of the outer ring is located further from the rotation axis XX than the pitch circle C of the rows of rolling elements 18, and in this embodiment, further from the rotation axis XX than the raceway bottom FE of the raceway 24 of the outer ring 20.

[0048] The inner ring 36 of the bearing also has a shrink-fit surface 72 facing radially outward, which is cylindrical in this example, and an end wall 74 that is perpendicular to the rotation axis XX and in contact with the end face 74, defining the reference plane PI of the inner ring 36. The shrink-fit surface 72 extends in the axial and circumferential directions in the region of the inner ring located between the raceway 62 on the inner side of the vehicle and the end face 74. The end face 74 of the inner ring and the end face 70 of the outer ring of the bearing face are oriented in a common direction D (hereinafter referred to as the reference axis direction) parallel to the reference axis XX. In this embodiment, the reference plane PI of the inner ring 36 is located at a distance from the reference plane PE of the outer ring 20 of the bearing, and is shifted in the reference axis direction D. As a result, the inner ring 36 protrudes further in the reference axis direction D than the outer ring 20 of the bearing, passing over the reference plane PE of the outer ring 20. More specifically, at least a portion of the shrink-fit surface 72 of the inner ring 36 of the bearing is positioned on one side with respect to the reference plane PE of the outer ring 20 of the bearing, facing the shrink-fit surface 68 of the outer ring 20.

[0049] The sealing device 66 includes an outer structure 76 integrated with the outer ring 20, and an inner structure 78 integrated with the inner ring 36.

[0050] The outer structure 76 includes a shrink-fit portion 80 that is shrink-fitted onto the shrink-fit surface 68 of the outer ring 20, and a gutter 82 that opens radially outward. chicane It has a wall 84 and a functional part that constitutes two seal lips 86 in this embodiment. The gutter 82 has a bottom 822 and side walls 824, the side walls 824 being located on both sides of the bottom in the axial direction and further away from the bottom with respect to the axis of rotation. In this embodiment, the outer structure 76 has a rigid frame 762 made of, for example, sheet metal or plastic, and an overmolded part 764. The frame 762 forms the shrink-fit portion 80 and the gutter 82, while the overmolded part 764 chicane It forms a wall 84 and a sealing lip 86.

[0051] The inner structure 78 includes a shrink-fit portion 88 that is shrink-fitted onto the shrink-fit support surface 72 of the inner ring 36, and a seal seat portion 90 and chicane It has functional parts that constitute the wall 92. chicaneWall 92 is located between the inner structure 78 and the outer structure 76. chicane Outer structure 76 to define passage S chicane It is positioned opposite the wall 84. The seal lip 86 is elastically deformable and contacts the seal seat portion 90, which is cylindrical in this embodiment. The inner structure 78 and outer structure 76 of the sealing device together define an annular housing portion L for the seal seat portion 90 and the seal lip 86. The annular housing portion L contains, chicane The passage S is open, and the internal space V defined by the raceway 24 of the outer ring 20 of the bearing and the raceway 62 of the inner ring 36 of the bearing is also in communication with it.

[0052] The shrink-fit portion 88 and the functional portion of the inner structure 78 are positioned on each side of the reference plane PI of the inner ring 36. This makes it possible to position the seal seat portion 90 closer to the rotation axis XX than the shrink-fit portion 88. This arrangement minimizes the diameter of the seal seat portion 90, thereby minimizing the friction torque between the seal lip 86 and the seal seat portion 90, and reducing the heat generated by this friction.

[0053] chicane The passageway S is of the outer structure 76 chicane The entrance of wall 84 and the inner structure 78 chicane It has an entrance E defined by the entrance portion of the wall 92. On each axial side of the gutter 82, chicane The entrance E of the passageway S and the shrink-fit portion 80 of the outer structure 76 are located at this point. chicane The passage S and the gutter 82 are located on the same side with respect to the reference plane PE of the outer ring 20, and on the opposite side with respect to the reference plane PE from the side where the shrink-fit portion 80 of the outer structure 76 is located. chicane The aforementioned entrance to the passage is located further away from the rotation axis XX than the seal seat portion 90.

[0054] Outer structure 76 chicane Wall 84 is of the inner structure 78 chicane It is formed by annular ribs 94 that project axially toward the wall 92. Similarly, the inner structure 78 chicaneThe wall 92 is formed by one or more annular ribs 96, and the one or more annular ribs 96 are part of the outer structure 76 chicane It protrudes axially toward the wall 84 and is positioned in the space between the annular ribs 94 of the outer structure 76. The annular ribs 94 of the outer structure 76 are chicane It forms one or more further gutters 98 located inside passage S. chicane The wall 92 has a frustoconical surface 922 facing the axis of rotation and a frustoconical wall 924 facing radially outward at the location of the annular rib 96 of the inner structure 78.

[0055] chicane The entrance E of passage S is annular and faces the bearing outer ring 20 in an axial direction opposite to the reference axis direction D. The entrance E is located further from the bottom 822 of the gutter 82 as viewed from the rotation axis XX. In this example, preferably, the entrance E is located further from the rotation axis XX than the pitch circle C formed by the rows of rolling elements 18.

[0056] Preferably, the inner structure 78 chicane The inlet portion of the wall 92 is frustoconical in shape, as shown in the figure, converging toward the apex which is further away from the inlet E when viewed from the reference plane PE of the outer ring. Similarly, preferably, the outer structure 76 chicane The inlet portion of the wall 84 is shaped like a frustoconical pyramid, as shown in the figure, such that it converges toward the apex which is further away from the inlet E when viewed from the reference plane PE of the outer ring.

[0057] In this embodiment, it can be seen that the gutter 82 overlaps at least partially in the axial direction with the shrink-fit surface 72 of the bearing inner ring 36 and the shrink-fit portion 88 of the inner structure 78. chicane Since the wall 84 is entirely located on one side of the reference plane PI of the bearing inner ring 36 and entirely located on one side of the gutter 82, the gutter 82 is located in the axial direction between the shrink-fit portion 80 of the outer structure 76 and the outer structure 76 chicane It is located between walls 84.

[0058] Although the configuration is arbitrary, the functional portion of the inner structure 78 may further constitute a seat 99 or support for a static seal 102 that directly or indirectly cooperates with the flared central portion 52 of the transmission bowl 38, and / or a connection for attaching the protective sleeve 104 of the transmission bowl 38.

[0059] The inner structure 78 of the sealing device 66 has a frame 782, which is preferably made of metal. The frame 782 forms a shrink-fit portion 72, which may also form a seal seat portion 90. Alternatively, the seal seat portion 90 may be formed on an annular component attached to the frame 782, which may be made of a metallic or non-metallic material. Preferably, the inner structure 78 further has a second component 784 attached to the connecting portion 785 of the frame 782 by any suitable means, in particular, adhesive, overmolding or mechanical fastening, e.g., shrink-fit, fastening element, etc., or elastic fastening as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In this example, the connecting portion 785 of the frame 782 protrudes axially from the seal seat portion 90 in the reference direction D. The second component 784 may be made of plastic. The second component 784 functions as a deflector, and the inner structure chicane The third component 786 forms a wall 92 and, in some cases, a seat 99 or support for the static seal 102, or the static seal 102 itself. In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, the third component 786, together with the second component 784, forms an additional gutter 106 near the seal seat 90.

[0060] As one modified example not shown, the component constituting the deflector may also have a seal seat portion formed therein.

[0061] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner structure 78 further supports a preferably annular encoder 108 positioned opposite the side wall 824 or bottom 822 of the gutter 82. Specifically, the encoder 108 may be a multipole magnetic encoder or a tone wheel. A sensor 110 that locally penetrates into the gutter 82 may remotely read the data encoded by the encoder 108, particularly position data, through the wall 824 of the gutter 82. The reading may be radial if the encoder 108 is installed in a shrink-fit portion 88 of the inner structure 78 and the shrink-fit is controlled so as not to deform the encoder 108 uncontrolled. Alternatively, and preferably, the reading may be axial, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In this case, the encoder 108 is supported by an annular flat flange 112 projecting radially from the shrink-fit portion 88 toward the bearing outer ring 20. Furthermore, even in the absence of the encoder 108, the annular flat flange 112, positioned at a short distance from the side wall 824 and facing the side wall 824, can contain the grease within the space V, and if necessary, one of the seal lips 86 can be eliminated, which can be advantageous in that it contributes to reducing friction torque.

[0062] Figure 3 shows a modified example of the sealing device 66, where an encoder is not used in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0063] Figure 4 shows a further modification in which the seal shape differs from that of the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2. In this modification, there is only one seal lip 86.

[0064] Figure 5 shows another variation in which the frame 762 of the outer structure 76 of the sealing device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2 is composed of two parts 7621 and 7622 fastened to each other by any suitable means (in this example, shrink-fit and mechanical interlocking).

[0065] Figure 6 shows another modified example in which a seal lip and seat are not provided. In this modified example, the inner structure 78 of the sealing device 66 is shrink-fitted to a cylindrical bearing surface 72 formed on the extension 362 of the outer ring 36.

[0066] Figure 7 shows another modification, in which, in the example of Figure 6, the outer structure 76 of the sealing device 66 is shrink-fitted to the radially outward-facing (preferably cylindrical) surface 168 of the outer ring.

[0067] As an example of a modified form not shown, the seal seat portion may have an annular flat surface parallel to the reference plane of the inner ring, in which case the outer structure of the sealing device will have a seal lip that is in axial contact with the flat surface.

[0068] As an example of a modified configuration not shown, the shrink-fit surface 68 of the outer ring is located further away from the rotation axis XX than the pitch circle C of the rows of rolling elements 18, and closer to the rotation axis XX than the bottom FE of the raceway 24 of the outer ring 20.

[0069] The illustrations and the examples described above are for illustrative purposes only. It should be noted that other embodiments can be provided by combining the various embodiments shown in the illustrations.

[0070] All configurations taught to those skilled in the art from the contents, drawings, and attached claims of this disclosure are described in detail in relation to other specified configurations, but we would like to emphasize that they may be combined with other configurations or sets of configurations disclosed herein, either individually or in any combination, as long as they are not explicitly excluded or are technically impossible or unreasonable. Furthermore, this disclosure includes the following details regarding the manner of implementation. [Aspect 1] At least one outer ring (20) and At least one inner ring (36), Sealing device (66), A wheel bearing (10) comprising the outer ring (20) and the inner ring (36) being guided relative to each other about the rotation axis (XX) of the wheel bearing (10), the sealing device comprising at least an outer structure (76) attached to the outer ring (20) and an inner structure (78) attached to the inner ring (36), the outer structure (76) and the inner structure (78) jointly having an inlet (E) chicane A passage (S) is defined, the outer structure (76) has a shrink-fit portion (80) that is shrink-fitted to the outer ring (20), the inner structure (78) has a shrink-fit portion (88) that is shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface (72) of the inner ring (36), the outer structure (76) forms an annular gutter (82) that opens radially outward, and on each axial side of the gutter (82), chicane The entrance (E) of the passage (S) and the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) are located there, chicane In a wheel bearing (10), the passage (S) and the gutter (82) are located on the same first side with respect to the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20), perpendicular to the rotation axis (XX) and in contact with the end wall (70) of the outer ring (20), the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) and the outer ring (20) are located on the second side of the outer ring (20) opposite to the first side with respect to the reference plane (PE), the gutter (82) has a bottom (822) and side walls (824), the side walls (824) are located on both axial sides of the bottom (822) and are further from the bottom (822) with respect to the rotation axis (XX), A wheel bearing (10) characterized in that the inner structure (78) is positioned opposite one of the side walls (822) of the gutter (82) at a short distance and has an annular flat flange (112) that protrudes radially from the shrink-fit portion (88) of the inner structure (78) toward the outer ring (20). [Aspect 2] In the wheel bearing (10) described in Embodiment 1, chicane The passage (S) is of the outer structure (76) chicane The wall (84) and the inner structure (78) chicaneIt is defined by a wall (92) and satisfies one or more of the following conditions: - The outer structure (76) chicane The wall (84) is in the axial direction between the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20) and the inner structure (78) chicane Located between the wall (92); - The gutter (82) is in the axial direction between the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) and the inner structure (76) chicane Located between the wall (84); - The outer structure (76) chicane The wall (84) is the aforementioned chicane It forms one or more further gutters (98) located within the passage (S); - The inner structure (78) chicane The wall (92) forms one or more frustoconical walls (922) facing the axis of rotation, each frustoconical wall converging toward a apex that is further away from the entrance (E) as seen from the reference plane (PE); - The outer structure (76) chicane The wall (84) forms one or more annular ribs (94) of the outer structure (76), and the inner structure (78) chicane The wall (92) forms one or more annular ribs (96) of the inner structure (78), which are positioned in the space between the annular ribs (94) of the outer structure (76); - The inner structure (78) chicane The entrance portion of the wall (92) is a frustoconical shape such that it converges toward the apex of the outer ring (20) which is further away from the entrance (E) when viewed from the reference plane (PE). A wheel bearing (10) characterized by the following. [Aspect 3] A wheel bearing (10) according to embodiment 1 or 2, characterized in that the inlet (E) is oriented in the direction of the gutter (82) in the axial direction. [Aspect 4] A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, characterized in that the bottom portion (822) of the gutter (82) is closer to the inlet (E) with respect to the rotation axis (XX), and the inlet (E) preferably opens to the radially outer circumference of one of the side walls (824) of the gutter (82). [Aspect 5] In the wheel bearing (10) according to any one embodiment of embodiments 1 to 4, the outer ring (20) forms at least one raceway (24), the inner ring (36) forms at least one raceway (62) located on the opposite side of the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20), and the raceway (62) of the inner ring (36) jointly with the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20) and the outer structure (76) of the sealing device (66) The inner space (V) of the wheel bearing (10) is defined, opening into a sealed space (L) defined by the inner structure (78) of the wheel bearing, and the wheel bearing includes at least one row of rolling elements (18) that are capable of rolling on the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20) and the raceway (62) of the inner ring (36) such that the inner ring (36) and the outer ring (20) can rotate relative to each other about the rotation axis (XX), chicane A wheel bearing (10) characterized in that the entrance (E) of the passage (S) is located further away from the rotation axis (XX) than the pitch circle (C) formed by the row of rolling elements (18). [Aspect 6] A wheel bearing (10) according to embodiment 5, wherein the sealing device (66) further comprises at least one elastically deformable seal lip (86), the seal lip (86) being attached to one of the inner structure (78) and the outer structure (76) and sliding in contact with a seal seat portion (90) formed on the other of the inner structure (78) and the outer structure (76), and the seal lip (86) and the seal seat portion (90) being located within the sealed space (L). [Aspect 7] In the wheel bearing (10) described in Embodiment 6, several of the following conditions are satisfied: - The seal seat portion (90) is, when viewed from the rotation axis (XX) chicane It is closer to the entrance (E) of the passage (S); - The seal seat portion (90) is closer to the pitch circle (C) formed by the row of rolling elements (18) with respect to the rotation axis (XX); - The seal seat portion (90) is closer to the bottom of the raceway (FE) of the raceway (62) of the inner ring (36) than the rotation axis (XX); - The seal seat portion (90) is located inside the rotation axis (XX) side It is closer to the shrink-fit portion (88) of the structure (78); The seal lip (86) is located on the first side with respect to the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20). A wheel bearing (10) characterized by the following. [Aspect 8] A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of embodiments 5 to 7, characterized in that the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) is shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface (68) of the outer ring (20), which is located axially between the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20) and the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20), facing radially with respect to the rotation axis (XX). [Aspect 9] A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, characterized in that the outer structure (76) comprises a frame (762) that constitutes a shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76). [Aspect 10] A wheel bearing (10) according to embodiment 9, characterized in that the frame (762) forms the gutter (82). [Aspect 11] A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, characterized in that the inner ring (36) has an axial end face (74) facing the reference axis direction (D), and the axial end face (74) of the inner ring (36) protrudes in the reference axis direction (D) relative to the axial end face (70) of the outer ring (20). [Aspect 12] A wheel bearing (10) according to embodiment 11, characterized in that the gutter (82) is located on each axial side of the reference plane (PI) of the inner ring (36), perpendicular to the rotation axis (XX) and in contact with the axial end face (74) of the inner ring (36). [Aspect 13] In the wheel bearing (10) described in any one of embodiments 1 to 12, several of the following conditions are satisfied: - The outer ring (20) of the bearing has a connecting portion (28) for attachment to the suspension strut; - The inner ring (36) of the bearing either forms a hub ring or has a connecting portion (60) for attaching to a hub ring (34); - The inner ring (36) has a connection for supporting or shrink-fitting the transmission bowl (38); - The shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) is cylindrical; - The outer ring (20) is a single object. A wheel bearing (10) characterized by the following.

Claims

1. At least one outer ring (20) and At least one inner ring (36) and A sealing device (66), A wheel bearing (10) comprising the outer ring (20) and the inner ring (36) being guided relative to each other about the rotation axis (XX) of the wheel bearing (10), the sealing device comprising at least an outer structure (76) attached to the outer ring (20) and an inner structure (78) attached to the inner ring (36), the outer structure (76) and the inner structure (78) jointly defining a chicane passage (S) having an entrance (E), the outer structure (76) having a shrink-fit portion (80) shrink-fitted to the outer ring (20), the inner structure (78) having a shrink-fit portion (88) shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface (72) of the inner ring (36), the outer structure (76) forming an annular gutter (82) opening radially outward, and the axial direction of the gutter (82) In a wheel bearing (10), the entrance (E) of the chicane passage (S) and the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) are located on each side, the chicane passage (S) and the gutter (82) are located on the same first side with respect to the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20), which is perpendicular to the rotation axis (XX) and in contact with the end wall (70) of the outer ring (20), the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) and the outer ring (20) are located on the second side of the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20), which is opposite to the first side, the gutter (82) has a bottom (822) and side walls (824), the side walls (824) are located on both sides of the axial direction of the bottom (822) and are further from the bottom (822) as seen from the rotation axis (XX), A wheel bearing (10) characterized in that the inner structure (78) is positioned opposite one of the side walls (822) of the gutter (82) at a short distance and has an annular flat flange (112) that protrudes radially from the shrink-fit portion (88) of the inner structure (78) toward the outer ring (20).

2. In the wheel bearing (10) according to claim 1, the chicane passage (S) is defined by the chicane wall (84) of the outer structure (76) and the chicane wall (92) of the inner structure (78), and satisfies one or more of the following conditions: - The chicane wall (84) of the outer structure (76) is located in the axial direction between the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20) and the chicane wall (92) of the inner structure (78); - The gutter (82) is located in the axial direction between the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) and the chicane wall (84) of the inner structure (76); - The chicane wall (84) of the outer structure (76) forms one or more further gutters (98) located within the chicane passage (S); - The chicane wall (92) of the inner structure (78) forms one or more frustoconical walls (922) facing the axis of rotation, and each frustoconical wall converges toward a apex that is further away from the entrance (E) as seen from the reference plane (PE); - The chicane wall (84) of the outer structure (76) forms one or more annular ribs (94) of the outer structure (76), and the chicane wall (92) of the inner structure (78) forms one or more annular ribs (96) of the inner structure (78) located in the space between the annular ribs (94) of the outer structure (76); - The entrance portion of the chicane wall (92) of the inner structure (78) is a frustoconical shape such that it converges toward the apex which is further away from the entrance (E) when viewed from the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20). A wheel bearing (10) characterized by the following features.

3. A wheel bearing (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inlet (E) is oriented in the direction of the gutter (82) in the axial direction.

4. A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bottom portion (822) of the gutter (82) is closer to the inlet (E) with respect to the rotation axis (XX), and the inlet (E) opens on the radially outer circumference of one of the side walls (824) of the gutter (82).

5. A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer ring (20) forms at least one raceway (24), the inner ring (36) forms at least one raceway (62) located on the opposite side of the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20), and the raceway (62) of the inner ring (36) together with the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20) opens into a sealed space (L) defined by the outer structure (76) and the inner structure (78) of the sealing device (66), the wheel bearing ( A wheel bearing (10) comprising defining an inner space (V) of 10), wherein the wheel bearing includes at least one row of rolling elements (18) capable of rolling on the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20) and the raceway (62) of the inner ring (36) such that the inner ring (36) and the outer ring (20) can rotate relative to each other about the rotation axis (XX), and the entrance (E) of the chicane passage (S) is located further away from the rotation axis (XX) than the pitch circle (C) formed by the row of rolling elements (18).

6. The wheel bearing (10) according to claim 5, wherein the sealing device (66) further comprises at least one elastically deformable seal lip (86), the seal lip (86) being attached to one of the inner structure (78) and the outer structure (76) and sliding in contact with a seal seat portion (90) formed on the other of the inner structure (78) and the outer structure (76), and the seal lip (86) and the seal seat portion (90) being located within the sealed space (L).

7. The wheel bearing (10) according to claim 6 satisfies several of the following conditions: - The seal seat portion (90) is closer to the entrance (E) of the chicane passage (S) than to the rotation axis (XX); - The seal seat portion (90) is closer to the pitch circle (C) formed by the row of rolling elements (18) with respect to the rotation axis (XX); - The seal seat portion (90) is closer to the bottom of the raceway (FE) of the raceway (62) of the inner ring (36) when viewed from the rotation axis (XX); - The seal seat portion (90) is closer to the inner structure (78) than the shrink-fit portion (88) when viewed from the rotation axis (XX); The seal lip (86) is located on the first side with respect to the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20). A wheel bearing (10) characterized by the following features.

8. A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) is shrink-fitted to the shrink-fit surface (68) of the outer ring (20), which is axially positioned between the raceway (24) of the outer ring (20) and the reference plane (PE) of the outer ring (20), facing radially with respect to the rotation axis (XX).

9. A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the outer structure (76) comprises a frame (762) that constitutes a shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76).

10. A wheel bearing (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the frame (762) forms the gutter (82).

11. A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the inner ring (36) has an axial end face (74) facing the reference axis direction (D), and the axial end face (74) of the inner ring (36) protrudes from the axial end face (70) of the outer ring (20) in the reference axis direction (D).

12. The wheel bearing (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that the gutter (82) is located on each axial side of the reference plane (PI) of the inner ring (36), perpendicular to the rotation axis (XX) and in contact with the axial end face (74) of the inner ring (36).

13. A wheel bearing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein more than the following conditions are satisfied: - The outer ring (20) of the bearing has a connecting portion (28) for attachment to the suspension strut; - The inner ring (36) of the bearing either forms a hub ring or has a connecting portion (60) for attaching to a hub ring (34); - The inner ring (36) has a connection for supporting or shrink-fitting the transmission bowl (38); - The shrink-fit portion (80) of the outer structure (76) is cylindrical; - The outer ring (20) is a single object, A wheel bearing (10) characterized by the following features.

Images