Lightweight hub unit with integrated bearing rings and processes for its manufacture
AssigneeAktiebolaget Skf
InventorsDavide Antonio Olivieri, Jan Arie Pieter van Riet, Laura Sguotti
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Abstract
A hub unit includes a hub of light material forming a cylindrical portion, a flange and a radial recess having a surface facing the flange, and two bearing rings axially aligned around the cylindrical portion of the hub; a sleeve locking device is radially interposed between the cylindrical portion of the hub and the bearing rings, and comprises a retaining portion engaged in the radial recess of the hub, a terminal edge which preloads the bearing rings, and one or two cuts extending in an axial direction.
Claims21
A hub unit with integrated bearing rings, the unit comprising:
- a hub, made of a first material and forming, in a single piece:
- a cylindrical portion extending in an axial direction,
- a flange extending in a radially outwardly direction from an axially outer end of the cylindrical portion, and
- at least one radial recess having a surface facing the flange;
- a first and a second bearing ring, made of a second material different from the first material, the bearing rings being mounted axially aligned around the cylindrical portion, wherein the second bearing ring is axially inner with respect to the first bearing ring and provides an end face facing an axially inner direction;
- a sleeve locking device, radially interposed between the cylindrical portion of the hub and said bearing rings, the sleeve locking device providing:
- at least one retaining portion projecting in a radially inward direction and engaged in the radial recess of the hub,
- an axially inner end edge, plastically deformed in a radially outer direction against the end face of the second bearing ring, and
- at least one cut extending axially along the locking sleeve device.
A method of manufacturing a hub with integrated bearing rings, the method comprising the steps of:
- a1) providing a hub, made of a first material, which forms, as a single piece:
- a cylindrical portion extending in an axial direction,
- a flange extending in a radially outward direction from the axially outer end of the cylindrical portion, and
- at least one radial recess having a surface facing the flange;
- a2) providing a sleeve locking device comprising:
- an outer cylindrical surface,
- at least one retaining portion projecting in a radially inward direction, and at least a first cut which extends axially along the sleeve locking device;
- b) fitting the sleeve locking device around the cylindrical portion of the hub, causing the retaining portion to engage in the radial recess of the hub,
- c) fitting a first and a second bearing ring, made of a second material different from the first material, axially aligned around the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve locking device, so that the second ring is axially inner of the first ring and provides an end face facing an axially inner direction;
- d) plastically deforming an inner end of the sleeve locking device in a radially outer direction against the end face of the second bearing ring, so as to form a plastically deformed edge which axially locks and preloads the first and second bearing rings towards the flange of the hub.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.