Vehicular wheel bearing having lightweight wheel hub

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wheel bearing for a vehicle may be provided for rotatably mounting and supporting a wheel of a vehicle to a vehicle body. A wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a wheel hub having a wheel mounting flange; an inner ring mounted on the wheel hub; an outer ring mounted and fixed to a chassis member of a vehicle; and a plurality of rolling elements that support the wheel hub and the inner ring so as to be rotatable relative to the outer ring. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel hub may include an inner hub portion located on the vehicle body side and an outer hub portion located on the wheel side. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion may include a cylindrical portion extending in the axial direction and a flange portion formed extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion, and the outer hub portion may include an axial cross-section cover portion that covers the outer axial cross-section of the flange portion in whole or partially and an outer circumference cover portion that partially covers the outer surface of the flange portion. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner axial end of the outer periphery cover portion may be configured to be located axially outward relative to the inner axial cross-section of the flange portion.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheel bearing for a vehicle that supports a wheel of a vehicle by rotatably mounting it to a vehicle body, and more specifically, to a wheel bearing for a vehicle having a wheel hub manufactured to be lightweight by combining dissimilar materials. Background Technology

[0002] Wheel bearings are devices that support a vehicle's wheels by rotatably mounting them to the vehicle body, and can be classified into drive wheel bearings mounted on the vehicle's drive wheels and driven wheel bearings mounted on the vehicle's driven wheels.

[0003] For example, a wheel bearing may be configured such that a rotating element (e.g., wheel hub and inner ring) on ​​which the vehicle's wheel is mounted is connected to a non-rotating element (e.g., outer ring) fixed to the vehicle body via a rolling element, thereby supporting the vehicle's wheel rotatably relative to the vehicle body.

[0004] However, since these wheel bearings account for a significant portion of the vehicle's drivetrain weight, various studies are being conducted in the automotive industry to reduce their weight.

[0005] In particular, the wheel hub is a component that accounts for a large proportion of the weight of the wheel bearing, so many attempts are being made to reduce the weight of the wheel hub to lighten the wheel bearing.

[0006] For example, in the field of wheel bearings, technologies are being proposed to reduce the weight of the wheel hub by forming a part of the wheel hub with lightweight metal or carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention relates to a wheel bearing for a vehicle equipped with a wheel hub manufactured to be lightweight by combining dissimilar materials, and aims to provide a wheel bearing for a vehicle with an improved structure of the wheel hub to prevent dissimilar materials from being processed together when machining the cross-section of the wheel mounting flange of the wheel hub. means of solving the problem

[0008] A representative configuration of the present invention for achieving the aforementioned purpose is as follows.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wheel bearing for a vehicle may be provided for rotatably mounting and supporting a wheel of a vehicle to a vehicle body. A wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a wheel hub having a wheel mounting flange; an inner ring mounted on the wheel hub; an outer ring mounted and fixed to a chassis member of a vehicle; and a plurality of rolling elements that support the wheel hub and the inner ring so as to be rotatable relative to the outer ring. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel hub may include an inner hub portion located on the vehicle body side and an outer hub portion located on the wheel side. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion may include a cylindrical portion extending in the axial direction and a flange portion formed extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion, and the outer hub portion may include an axial cross-section cover portion that covers the outer axial cross-section of the flange portion in whole or partially and an outer circumference cover portion that partially covers the outer surface of the flange portion. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner axial end of the outer periphery cover portion may be configured to be located axially outward relative to the inner axial cross-section of the flange portion.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner axial cross-section of the flange portion may be configured to be machined in a state where the outer hub portion is integrally formed with the inner hub portion.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer periphery cover portion may be configured so as not to be machined when the inner axial cross-section of the flange portion is machined.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the flange portion may be provided with a stepped portion such that the diameter of the inner axial portion becomes smaller than that of the outer axial portion.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer periphery cover portion may be provided with a locking portion that protrudes radially inward and engages with the stepped portion.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flange portion may include a first flange portion formed by extending radially outward along a virtual extension reference line; and a second flange portion formed by extending radially outward between the first flange portions in the circumferential direction, and the outer surface of the second flange portion may be configured to be located radially inward relative to the outer surface of the first flange portion.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first flange portion may be provided with a fastening hole into which a wheel mounting bolt is inserted.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion may further comprise a connecting portion that is located in the space between the first flange portions in the circumferential direction and connects the first flange portions adjacent in the circumferential direction.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion may be formed of a material that is lighter than the inner hub portion.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion may be formed of a steel material.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion may be formed of aluminum material.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion can be integrally formed with the inner hub portion through a forging process while the inner hub portion is placed within a mold.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion may have a recess recessed in the inner axial direction in the outer axial cross section.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion may have a protrusion that is inserted into and coupled within a recess.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion may further comprise a pilot portion formed by extending outwardly in the axial direction from the axial cross-section cover portion.

[0024] In addition to this, the wheel bearing for a vehicle according to the present invention may further include other additional components to the extent that it does not impair the technical concept of the present invention. Effects of the invention

[0025] A wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured such that a portion of the wheel hub is formed from a lightweight material, thereby enabling a reduction in the weight of the wheel hub and the wheel bearing including it.

[0026] In addition, the wheel bearing according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the outer hub portion does not protrude axially inward compared to the inner axial end of the wheel mounting flange, thereby preventing dissimilar materials from being machined together when machining the inner axial cross-section of the wheel mounting flange. Consequently, problems such as increased machining time, reduced tool life, and deterioration of machined surface quality caused by simultaneous machining of dissimilar materials can be prevented. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates the overall structure of a wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates, in an exemplary manner, the cross-sectional structure of a wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary wheel hub of a wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates, in an exemplary manner, the cross-sectional structure of a wheel hub of a vehicle wheel bearing according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates, in an exemplary manner, an inner hub portion constituting a wheel hub in a wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary outer hub portion constituting a wheel hub in a wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0028] The embodiments described below are illustrative for the purpose of explaining the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below or the specific descriptions thereof.

[0029] All technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the meaning generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, unless otherwise defined. All terms used in this specification are selected for the purpose of further explaining the present invention and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0030] Expressions such as “comprising,” “comprising,” “having,” etc. as used in this specification should be understood as open-ended terms implying the possibility of including other embodiments unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence containing such expressions.

[0031] In this specification, "axial direction" refers to a direction extending along the rotational center axis of the wheel bearing ("axial inner" refers to a direction toward the vehicle body side, and "axial outer" refers to a direction toward the wheel side), "radial direction" refers to a direction perpendicular to this "axial direction" moving away from or toward the rotational center axis, and "circumferential direction" refers to a rotational direction centered on the aforementioned "axial direction."

[0032] Where in this specification a component is described as extending axially or radially, unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence containing such description, it should be understood that this may include not only extension parallel to the axial or radial direction but also extension obliquely to the axial or radial direction.

[0033] Unless otherwise stated, singular expressions in this specification may include the meaning of the plural form, and this applies likewise to singular expressions in the claims.

[0034] Where in this specification it is stated that a component is “located” or “formed” on one side of another component, this should be understood as the component being located or formed in direct contact with one side of the other component, or being located or formed with a new component interposed therein.

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. In the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are indicated by identical reference numerals, and in the description of the embodiments below, the description of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if a description of a specific component is omitted in the description below, this is not intended to imply that such component is not included in the corresponding embodiment.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as an example. The wheel bearing for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed with a structure generally similar to a conventional wheel bearing for a vehicle, and is characterized by the fact that the wheel hub is configured to have a lightweight structure by combining dissimilar materials as described below.

[0037] Specifically, a wheel bearing (100) for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that, as shown in the drawing, a rotating element [e.g., wheel hub (200) and inner ring (500)] is connected to a non-rotating element [e.g., outer ring (600)] through a rolling element (700) to perform the function of rotatably supporting the wheel of a vehicle relative to the vehicle body.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel hub (200) may be formed as a roughly cylindrical structure extending along the axial direction, and a wheel mounting flange (hub flange) may be provided on one outer surface of the wheel hub (200). The wheel mounting flange is formed in a shape extending radially outward from the outer surface of the wheel hub (200) and may be used to mount a wheel of a vehicle to the wheel hub (200) using a hub bolt or the like. Meanwhile, an inner ring (500) may be configured to be mounted on the body-side end of the wheel hub (200), and a raceway surface (inner raceway surface) of a rolling element may be formed on a part of the outer surface of the wheel hub (200) to support the rolling element (700) from the radially inner side.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner ring (500) may be configured to be mounted on one or more outer surfaces of the wheel hub (200), and the outer surface of the inner ring (500) may have a raceway surface (inner raceway surface) formed thereon to support the rolling element (700) from the radial inner side. For example, the inner ring (500) may be configured to be mounted and coupled to a seating portion provided near the vehicle body side end of the wheel hub (200), and may be configured to be fixed on the wheel hub (200) with a predetermined preload applied.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer ring (600) may be configured to have a body-side mounting flange on its outer surface that is used to mount a wheel bearing to the vehicle body, and to have a raceway surface on its inner surface that contacts a rolling element (700). The raceway surface (outer raceway surface) formed on the inner surface of the outer ring (600) may be configured to cooperate with the raceway surface (inner raceway surface) formed on the wheel hub (200) and / or the inner ring (500) to accommodate and support a rolling element (700) between these raceway surfaces.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a rolling element (700) is interposed between a rotating element [e.g., a wheel hub (200) and / or an inner ring (500)] and a non-rotating element [e.g., an outer ring (600)] of a wheel bearing (100), and can perform the function of supporting the rotating element of the wheel bearing (100) so as to be rotatable relative to the non-rotating element.

[0042] However, the aforementioned configurations of the vehicle wheel bearing (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention are not limited to being formed as the structure shown in the drawing, and can be formed by modifying them into various structures applicable to the vehicle wheel bearing.

[0043] For example, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the vehicle wheel bearing (100) is configured such that one track surface for supporting the rolling element (700) is directly formed on the outer circumference of the wheel hub (200), but the vehicle wheel bearing (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be implemented with a modified structure, such as by mounting two inner rings (500) on the wheel hub (200) to support the rolling element (700) through the two inner rings (500).

[0044] Additionally, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, a wheel bearing (100) for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown as a wheel bearing for a driving wheel in which a constant velocity joint is coupled to a wheel hub (200), but the wheel bearing (100) for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may also be formed as a wheel bearing for a driven wheel.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel hub (200) may be configured to include an inner hub portion (300) located on the vehicle body side and an outer hub portion (400) located on the wheel side, and the inner hub portion (300) and the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to be formed of different materials.

[0046] For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion (300) may be configured to be formed of a steel material (e.g., carbon steel) similar to a conventional wheel bearing for a vehicle, and the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to be formed of a material that is lighter than the inner hub portion (300) (e.g., aluminum material, etc.).

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion (300) and the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to be manufactured through a forging process to form a wheel hub (200).

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wheel hub (200) may be configured to first form an inner hub portion (300) using a steel material [e.g., the inner hub portion (300) may be formed through a hot forging process], and then, with the inner hub portion (300) placed in a mold, inject a lightweight material (e.g., aluminum material) into the mold to hot-form an outer hub portion (400) in a high-temperature and high-pressure environment.

[0049] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion (300) may be configured to include a cylindrical portion (310) extending in the axial direction and a flange portion (320) formed extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion (310).

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion (400) may include an axial cross-section cover portion (410) that covers the outer axial cross-section of the flange portion (320) in whole or in part, and an outer circumference cover portion (420) that covers the outer surface of the flange portion (320) in part.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer cover portion (420) of the outer hub portion (400) is configured such that the inner axial end (422) is located axially outward compared to the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320), so that the outer cover portion (420) is not machined when the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320) of the inner hub portion (300) is machined.

[0052] Specifically, the wheel hub (200) of a vehicle wheel bearing (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that an outer hub portion (400) is integrally formed with an inner hub portion (300), and then the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320) is machined to form a mounting surface for a wheel mounting bolt. Since the outer cover portion (420) has a structure in which it does not protrude axially inward compared to the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320), the outer cover portion (420) of the outer hub portion (400) may not be machined when the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320) is machined.

[0053] According to this configuration, when machining the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320), the inner hub portion (300) and the outer hub portion (400), which are formed of different materials, are prevented from being machined together, thereby preventing problems such as reduced machinability and / or reduced machining quality caused by simultaneous machining of different materials.

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the flange portion (320) may be provided with a stepped portion (330) such that the diameter of the inner axial portion becomes smaller than that of the outer axial portion.

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer cover portion (420) of the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to cover the outer surface of the flange portion (320) with a portion of the axial inner portion excluded, and the outer surface of the stepped portion (330) may be configured to be at least partially covered by the outer cover portion (420).

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer cover portion (430) of the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to be provided with a locking portion (430) that protrudes radially inward and engages with the stepped portion (330).

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flange portion (320) of the inner hub portion (300) has a plurality of virtual extension reference lines (L s It may include a first flange portion (320a) formed by extending radially outward along the () and a second flange portion (320b) formed by extending radially outward between the first flange portion (320a) in the circumferential direction. (See FIG. 5)

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first flange portion (320a) may be provided with a fastening hole into which a wheel mounting bolt is inserted, and the second flange portion (320b) may be configured to have a smaller diameter than the first flange portion (320a) for weight reduction [i.e., the outer surface of the second flange portion (320b) is located radially inward compared to the outer surface of the first flange portion (320a)].

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the axial cross-section cover portion (410) of the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to include a first axial cross-section cover portion (410a) that covers the outer axial cross-section of the first flange portion (320a) in whole or partially, and a second axial cross-section cover portion (410b) that covers the outer axial cross-section of the second flange portion (320b) in whole or partially, and the outer circumference cover portion (420) of the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to include a first outer circumference cover portion (420a) that covers the outer surface of the first flange portion (320a) in whole or partially, and a second outer circumference cover portion (420b) that covers the outer surface of the second flange portion (320b) in whole or partially.

[0060] Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the engaging portion (430) of the outer hub portion (400) may be configured to include a first engaging portion (430a) that engages with a stepped portion [first stepped portion (330a)] formed on the outer surface of the first flange portion (320a), and a second stepped portion (430b) that engages with a stepped portion [second stepped portion (330b)] formed on the outer surface of the second flange portion (320b).

[0061] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion (400) may be provided with a connecting portion (440) that is located in the space between the first flange portions (320a) in the circumferential direction and connects the first flange portions (320a) adjacent in the circumferential direction.

[0062] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting portion (440) may be configured to fill the space between the first flange portion (320a) in the circumferential direction from the radially outer side of the second flange portion (320b) to connect adjacent first flange portions (320a).

[0063] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner hub portion (300) may have a recess (340) that is recessed inwardly in the axial direction on the outer axial cross-section, and the outer hub portion (400) may have a protrusion (450) that protrudes in the axial direction so that the protrusion (450) is inserted into the recess (340) and coupled.

[0064] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the recess (340) may be formed in various forms, such as a structure formed continuously along the circumferential direction, a structure provided in multiple units spaced apart along the circumferential direction, or a structure combining these.

[0065] For example, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, a first recess (340a) formed continuously along the entire circumferential direction and a plurality of second recesses (340b) formed extending radially from the first recess (340a) and spaced apart along the circumferential direction are combined to form a recess (340).

[0066] Additionally, the protrusion (450) may be formed in a shape corresponding to the recess (340), and in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the protrusion (450) is configured to have a first protrusion (450a) corresponding to the first recess (340a) and a second protrusion (450b) corresponding to the second recess (340b).

[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer hub portion (400) may further include a pilot portion (460) formed by extending outwardly in the axial direction from the end cover portion (410) at the outer axial end.

[0068] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pilot unit (460) can perform the function of assisting in the assembly of a wheel by centering the wheel of a vehicle with respect to the wheel hub (200) when mounting the wheel of a vehicle on the wheel hub (200).

[0069] Although the present invention has been described above with specific details such as specific components and limited embodiments, the above embodiments are provided only to aid in a more comprehensive understanding of the present invention and the present invention is not limited thereto, and a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs can make various modifications and variations from this description.

[0070] Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, and all things that are equivalent or equivalently modified to the claims set forth below, as well as the claims described below, shall be considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0071] 100: Wheel bearing 200: Wheel hub 300: Inner hub 310: Cylindrical part 320: Flange section 330: Step section 340: Recess 400: Outer hub 410: Shaft section cover 420: Outsourced Cover Section 430: Hinder 440: Connection 450: Protrusion 460: Pilot Division 500: Inner ring 600: Outer ring 700: Electric element

Claims

Claim 1 A vehicle wheel bearing (100) that supports a vehicle wheel by rotatably mounting it to a vehicle body, comprising: a wheel hub (200) having a wheel mounting flange; an inner ring (500) mounted on the wheel hub (200); an outer ring (600) mounted and fixed to a chassis member of the vehicle; and a plurality of rolling elements (700) that support the wheel hub (200) and the inner ring (500) so as to be rotatably relative to the outer ring (600). The wheel hub (200) includes an inner hub portion (300) located on the vehicle body side and an outer hub portion (400) located on the wheel side. The inner hub portion (300) includes a cylindrical portion (310) extending in the axial direction and a flange portion (320) formed extending radially outward from the cylindrical portion (310). The outer hub portion (400) A wheel bearing for a vehicle, comprising an axial cross-section cover portion (410) that covers all or part of the outer axial cross-section of a flange portion (320) and an outer circumference cover portion (420) that partially covers the outer surface of the flange portion (320), wherein the inner axial end (422) of the outer circumference cover portion (420) is configured to be located axially outward relative to the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320), wherein the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320) is configured to be machined while the outer hub portion (400) is integrally formed with the inner hub portion (300), and wherein the outer circumference cover portion (420) is configured not to be machined when the inner axial cross-section (322) of the flange portion (320) is machined, and wherein the inner hub portion (300) and the outer hub portion (400) are formed of different materials. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 A wheel bearing for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the flange portion (320) is provided with a stepped portion (330) such that the diameter of the inner axial portion is smaller than that of the outer axial portion. Claim 5 In paragraph 4, the outer cover portion (420) is provided with a locking portion (430) that protrudes radially inward and engages with the stepped portion (330), for a vehicle wheel bearing. Claim 6 In paragraph 5, the flange portion (320) is a virtual extension reference line (L s A wheel bearing for a vehicle, comprising: a first flange portion (320a) formed by extending radially outward along the first flange portion (320a); and a second flange portion (320b) formed by extending radially outward between the first flange portion (320a) in the circumferential direction, wherein the outer surface of the second flange portion (320b) is configured to be located radially inward relative to the outer surface of the first flange portion (320a). Claim 7 In claim 6, the first flange portion (320a) is provided with a fastening hole into which a wheel mounting bolt is inserted, for a vehicle wheel bearing. Claim 8 A wheel bearing for a vehicle, wherein the outer hub portion (400) is located in the circumferential space between the first flange portions (320a) and further comprises a connecting portion (440) connecting the first flange portions (320a) adjacent in the circumferential direction. Claim 9 A wheel bearing for a vehicle, wherein the outer hub portion (400) is formed of a lighter material than the inner hub portion (300) in the first paragraph. Claim 10 In claim 9, the inner hub portion (300) is formed of steel material, a wheel bearing for a vehicle. Claim 11 In item 10, the outer hub portion (400) is formed of aluminum material, a wheel bearing for a vehicle. Claim 12 In claim 11, the outer hub portion (400) is integrally formed with the inner hub portion (300) through a forging process while the inner hub portion (300) is placed in a mold, thereby forming a wheel bearing for a vehicle. Claim 13 In claim 12, the inner hub portion (300) has a recess (340) that is recessed inwardly in the outer axial cross section, a wheel bearing for a vehicle. Claim 14 In paragraph 13, the outer hub portion (400) has a protrusion (450) that is inserted into and coupled within the recess (340), a wheel bearing for a vehicle. Claim 15 In claim 14, the outer hub portion (400) further comprises a pilot portion (460) formed by extending outwardly in the axial direction from the shaft cross-section cover portion (410), a wheel bearing for a vehicle.

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