Flanged Bearing Ring Steel Insert for Wheel Hub

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Lightweight metal flanges used in motor vehicle wheel hubs face high stress concentrations due to lower mechanical strength compared to steel, leading to potential bolt play and axial displacements in threaded connections.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating steel inserts with threaded cavities and anti-rotation surfaces into the lightweight flange to distribute stress and prevent axial and rotational movements during bolt tightening and loosening, ensuring a secure connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If a lightweight metal flange is used to reduce weight, then the overall weight of the wheel is reduced, but the mechanical strength decreases leading to high stress concentration and potential bolt play

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweight of wheelVSAvoidmechanical strength of flange

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The flanged ring combines two different materials: a lightweight metal (aluminum, titanium, or magnesium alloy) for the flange portion and a high toughness material (bearing grade steel) for the insert. This composite construction allows the flange to maintain low weight while the steel insert provides the necessary mechanical strength for secure bolt connections, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and strength requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the entire flange from high-strength steel, the invention applies the high toughness material locally only where needed - in the form of an insert within the bore - while the rest of the flange remains lightweight. This localized application of strong material provides stress concentration relief and prevents bolt play exactly where the bolts engage, without compromising the overall weight reduction goal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If threaded bores are formed directly in the lightweight flange, then the structure is simplified, but stress concentration increases and bolt stability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural complexityVSAvoidbolt connection stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The steel insert acts as an intermediary element between the lightweight flange and the wheel mounting bolts. It provides a high-strength threaded bore interface that prevents stress concentration and bolt play, while the insert itself is secured in the lightweight flange through interference fit or overmolding. This intermediary solution maintains structural simplicity while ensuring reliable, stable bolt connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8992092B2Flanged bearing ring for the hub of a motor vehicle wheel

Publication Date: 2015.03.31 AB SKF SKF PATENT DEPARTMENT

AI summary

A flanged bearing ring has a tubular core of steel and an outer flange of a light metal in which there are formed axial through bores for accommodating bolts for mounting a wheel to the ring; fixed in each bore is a steel insert which forms a threaded inner cylindrical cavity extending between two opposite faces of the flange, and one or two transverse shoulders which are in contact with the material of the flange so as to oppose relative axial movements of the steel insert with respect to the flange.