Protective cap for wheel support bearing assembly

A protective cap for use in association with a wheel support bearing assembly which includes an outer member having an inner peripheral surface formed with raceways, an inner member having an outer peripheral surface formed with raceways in alignment with the raceways in the outer member, rows of rolling elements operatively interposed between the raceways in the outer member and the raceways in the inner member, sealing units for sealing respective open ends of an annular working space delimited between the inner and outer members, and a magnetic encoder provided in one of the sealing units and having an annular surface exposed bare to a radial face of the wheel support bearing assembly, the magnetic encoder having a plurality of alternating magnetic poles arranged in a direction circumferentially thereof, said protective cap comprising:

• an annular cover-up portion for enclosing the annular surface of the magnetic encoder that is exposed bare to the radial surface of the wheel support bearing assembly, and
• an engagement wall integral with the annular cover-up portion and capable of being removably engaged in the wheel support bearing assembly, whereby the protective cap is removably mounted on the wheel support bearing assembly.