Shield plate for bearing

A plastic bearing shield plate for a bearing having inner and outer rings disposed about a bearing axis, the outer ring having an annular mounting groove in an inner surface facing the bearing axis, said plastic shield plate comprising:

• an annular disk-like plate having a central opening for receiving the inner ring of a bearing as the shield plate is mounted between the inner and outer rings,
• an annular generally V-shaped groove in a surface of said plate facing outwardly of said bearing in the axial direction,
• said generally V-shaped groove being bounded on an outer circumferential side by a first portion of said plate comprising the outer periphery of the plate and having a shape that is nearly triangular in cross-section,
• said generally V-shaped groove being bounded on an inner circumferential side by a second portion of said plate, said second portion having a flat planar surface engaging a surface of said mounting groove,
• said second portion having a sloping peripheral surface which extends from the surface engaging the mounting groove to said first portion,
• said shield plate having a radius of from 1.2 to 15 mm, said second portion having a thickness of from 0.2 to 0.6 mm in the direction of said axis, and,
• said first portion having a maximum thickness, in the direction of said radius, which is 1/12 th to 1/6 th the thickness of said second portion, and a height in the axial direction which is 1/2 to 1/5 the thickness of said second portion whereby said generally V-shaped groove has a depth which is 1/2 to 1/5 the thickness of said second portion.