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US 12,005,734 B2Granted
Wheel hub assembly
AssigneeConsolidated Metco, Inc.
InventorsConnor Regan, Samant Khanna
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a wheel hub assembly is provided that includes a hub body having an outboard end portion and an inboard end portion, a bearing assembly, and a seal. The seal includes a seal case and a sleeve. The hub body and seal case are rotatable relative to the sleeve. The wheel hub assembly further includes a stop of the bearing assembly configured to resist movement of the sleeve toward the outboard end portion of the hub body as the hub body, bearing assembly, and sleeve are advanced together in an inboard direction along a vehicle spindle. The stop permits the bearing assembly to transfer a force applied in an inboard axial direction against the bearing assembly, such as by tightening of a spindle nut, to the sleeve and urge the sleeve along a vehicle spindle.
Claims36
A wheel hub assembly comprising:
- a hub body having an outboard end portion and an inboard end portion;
- a bearing assembly and a seal mounted to the hub body, the seal inboard of the bearing assembly;
- wherein the bearing assembly includes an outer ring mounted to the hub body, an inner ring, and a plurality of bearings that permit the outer ring to rotate relative to the inner ring;
- wherein the inner ring includes a flange portion, a recess, and an offset portion inboard of the flange portion;
- the seal including a seal case and a sleeve, the hub body and seal case being rotatable relative to the sleeve;
- the sleeve having a central opening to receive a vehicle spindle and configured to form an interference fit with a seal journal of the vehicle spindle;
- the sleeve having a contact portion for extending into the recess and contacting the flange portion of the inner ring;
- a stop of the bearing assembly comprising the flange portion of the inner ring, the stop configured to resist movement of the contact portion of the sleeve in the recess of the inner ring toward the outboard end portion of the hub body as the hub body, bearing assembly, and seal are advanced together in an inboard direction along the vehicle spindle;
- and
- the offset portion of the inner ring having an outer diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the seal journal of the vehicle spindle.
7 more elements
An apparatus for a wheel hub assembly, the apparatus comprising:
- a cassette seal including:
- a seal case;
- a sleeve having a central opening sized to form an interference fit with a vehicle spindle;
- the sleeve having a contact portion;
- and
- the seal case rotatable relative to the sleeve about a central axis;
- and
- a bearing assembly having an inboard side and an outboard side, the bearing assembly comprising:
- an inner ring comprising a flange portion, a recess adjacent the flange portion to receive the contact portion of the sleeve, and an offset portion inboard of the flange portion;
- an outer ring;
- a plurality of bearings configured to permit the outer ring to rotate about the inner ring;
- the flange portion of the inner ring configured to inhibit outboard axial movement of the contact portion of the sleeve received in the recess beyond a predetermined axial position as the bearing assembly and cassette seal are advanced in an inboard axial direction along the vehicle spindle;
- and
- the offset portion of the inner ring configured to be spaced radially inward from the contact portion of the sleeve upon the sleeve forming the interference fit with the vehicle spindle.
11 more elements
A wheel hub assembly comprising:
- a hub body rotatable around a central axis;
- a bearing assembly;
- a seal including a seal case and a sleeve,
- the seal case mounted to the hub body;
- the sleeve permitting the seal case to rotate relative to the sleeve, the sleeve comprising a metallic body and a polymeric sealing member joined to the metallic body;
- a radially inner portion of the metallic body of the sleeve including a central opening to receive a vehicle spindle and configured to form an interference fit therewith;
- a radially inner surface of the radially inner portion of the metallic body of the sleeve configured to directly contact the vehicle spindle and transfer heat thereto;
- a radially inner surface of the polymeric sealing member configured to directly contact the vehicle spindle inboard of the radially inner surface of the radially inner portion of the metallic body;
- a radially outer surface of the radially inner portion of the metallic body having at least a portion thereof aligned in a radial direction with the radially inner surface of the metallic body;
- and
- a sealing portion of the seal case configured to engage the radially outer surface of the radially inner portion of the metallic body outboard of the radially inner surface of the polymeric sealing member.
8 more elements
A method of installing a preassembled wheel hub assembly on a vehicle spindle of a vehicle, the preassembled wheel hub assembly including a wheel hub body, a bearing assembly, and a seal, the seal comprising a sleeve for mounting on the vehicle spindle and a seal case rotatable about the sleeve, the method comprising:
- aligning openings of the bearing assembly and the sleeve of the preassembled wheel assembly with the vehicle spindle;
- advancing the preassembled wheel hub assembly in an axial, inboard direction along the vehicle spindle to engage a radially inner surface of the sleeve with a radially outer surface of the vehicle spindle and abut a flange portion of an inner ring of the bearing assembly with a contact portion of the sleeve in a recess of the inner ring adjacent the flange portion;
- and
- urging the sleeve along the vehicle spindle while the radially inner surface of the sleeve is engaged with the radially outer surface of the vehicle spindle via contact between the flange portion of the inner ring of the bearing assembly and the contact portion of the sleeve in the recess of the inner ring with continued advancing of the wheel hub body and bearing assembly in the axial, inboard direction along the vehicle spindle.
1 more element
A cassette seal for a wheel hub, the cassette seal comprising:
- a sleeve comprising:
- a sleeve body comprising:
- a radially inner sleeve body portion having an opening sized to form an interference fit with a vehicle spindle;
- a radially outer sleeve body portion radially outward of the radially inner sleeve body portion;
- a sleeve sealing member joined to the sleeve body, the sleeve sealing member comprising:
- a radially inner sleeve sealing portion configured to directly contact the vehicle spindle with the radially inner sleeve body portion in the interference fit with the vehicle spindle;
- and
- a seal case comprising:
- a seal case body comprising:
- a radially outer seal case body portion configured to engage a radially inner surface of a wheel hub;
- a radially inner seal case body portion;
- and
- an intermediate seal case body portion connecting the radially outer seal case body portion and the radially inner seal case body portion, the intermediate seal case body portion proximate the radially outer sleeve body portion;
- the intermediate seal case body portion comprising an inclined portion and bends connecting the inclined portion to the radially outer seal case body portion and the radially inner seal case body portion;
- and
- a seal case sealing member comprising:
- a radially outer seal case sealing portion configured to directly contact the radially inner surface of the wheel hub with the radially outer seal case body portion engaged with the radially inner surface of the wheel hub;
- and
- a sealing portion configured to engage the radially inner sleeve body portion of the sleeve body.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.