Wheel Support Bearing Inner Race Crimping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing wheel support bearing assembly for vehicle drive wheels experiences issues such as increased frictional wear and abnormal noises due to large plastically deformed portions, which lead to detachment and reduced lifetime, and poses challenges in manufacturing due to interference during crimping processes.
Innovation Solution
A wheel support bearing assembly with an inner race segment featuring a small-depth annular stepped area and a plastically deformed portion that engages with an inclined surface, minimizing the stepped area size while ensuring bearing strength, and using a tapered crimping punch to facilitate crimping without interference, with optional lubrication to enhance the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a large plastically deformed portion is used to prevent inner race segment detachment, then the bearing strength is improved, but the contact pressure increases leading to frictional wear and abnormal noises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a stepped area with different depths at different locations. The first stepped area has a greater depth than the second stepped area, allowing the plastically deformed portion to be contained in a controlled manner. This localized variation in stepped area depth prevents excessive contact pressure in critical regions while maintaining bearing strength where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the stepped area into multiple regions with different depths (first stepped area with greater depth, second stepped area with lesser depth). This segmentation allows different functional zones: one for containing the plastically deformed portion and another for maintaining proper contact pressure distribution, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength and wear prevention.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a large stepped area is used to contain the plastically deformed portion, then the detachment prevention is improved, but the surface area of the inboard end face decreases leading to increased contact pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The stepped area is designed with local quality variations where the first stepped area has a greater depth for containing the plastically deformed portion, while the second stepped area has a lesser depth to preserve surface area. This localized differentiation allows detachment prevention without excessive contact pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the area conflict by utilizing the depth dimension of the stepped area. Instead of increasing the radial or axial dimensions that would reduce surface area, the solution contains the plastically deformed portion through controlled depth variation in the stepped area, preserving the inboard end face surface area while preventing detachment.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the axial length of the inner race segment is increased to accommodate a larger stepped area, then the detachment prevention is improved, but the device complexity and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent avoids increasing axial length by utilizing the radial depth dimension of the stepped area. The plastically deformed portion is contained through controlled radial depth variation rather than axial extension, thereby preventing detachment without increasing device complexity or space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastically deformed portion is nested within the stepped area structure, which is itself nested within the inner race segment geometry. This nested arrangement allows efficient space utilization where the deformed portion is contained within the existing structural envelope without requiring additional axial length.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents inner race segment detachment during assembly, reduces frictional wear and noise, and simplifies the crimping process, thereby enhancing the bearing's lifetime and manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a plastically deformed portion 9b, which is obtained by crimping the hub axle 9, is provided in the hub axle 9
Implementation Method 2
a lubricant is applied to one or both of an inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion of the hub axle and the free end portion outer periphery of the crimping punch
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a wheel support bearing assembly having a plastically deformed portion engageable with an inclined surface portion of an annular stepped area in the inner race segment. The method includes that the plastically deformed portion, which is of a cylindrical configuration before it is deformed, is formed by pressing a crimping punch, of which front end portion outer peripheral surface is a tapered shape, axially into an inner peripheral surface of the inboard end portion of the hub axle to allow the cylindrical plastically deformed portion to be crimped in the diameter expanded condition.