Lightweight hub bearing assembly and processes for assembling it
AssigneeAktiebolaget Skf
InventorsWijbe Buising, Stefano Galfre, Alessandro Garrone, Antonio Ruiu, Laura Sguotti, Cornelius Petrus Antonius Vissers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hub bearing assembly includes a hub of light metallic material forming a cylindrical portion, on which an inner tubular ring having a raceway is mounted; on the first inner tubular ring a second inner ring having a second raceway is fastened; formed between the cylindrical portion of the hub and the inner tubular ring is a cylindrical interstice containing a brazing bonding material or a structural adhesive which integrally binds the hub to the first inner tubular ring.
Claims13
A hub bearing assembly, comprising:
- a single-piece hub formed of a first metallic material and including:
- a cylindrical portion extending in an axial direction and having a cylindrical outer surface, and
- a flange extending in a radially outward direction from an axially outer end of the cylindrical portion;
- a bearing unit, comprising:
- an outer ring having two outer raceways for accommodating a first, axially outer row and a second, axially inner row of rolling elements,
- a first tubular inner ring made of a second metallic material and having a first raceway for the first row of rolling elements and an inner, axially extending cylindrical cavity, and
- a second inner ring having a second raceway for the second row of rolling elements, the second inner ring being fixed on the first tubular inner ring;
- a cylindrical interstice between the outer cylindrical surface of the hub and the axial cylindrical cavity of the first tubular inner ring, and
- a bonding material in the interstice and integrally joined to the outer cylindrical surface of the hub and to the axial cylindrical cavity of the first tubular inner ring.
A method of assembling a hub bearing assembly, comprising the steps of:
- a1) providing a single-piece hub formed of a first metallic material, the hub including:
- a cylindrical portion extending in an axial direction and having a cylindrical outer surface, and
- a flange extending in a radially outward direction from an axially outer end of the cylindrical portion;
- a2) providing a bearing unit comprising:
- an outer ring including two outer raceways for accommodating a first axially outer row and a second axially inner row of rolling elements;
- a first tubular inner bearing ring made of a second metallic material and a first raceway for a first row of rolling elements and an inner, axially extending cylindrical cavity;
- and
- a second inner ring having a second raceway for a second row of rolling elements, the second inner ring being fixed on the first tubular inner ring;
- b) arranging said tubular ring around the cylindrical portion of the hub so as to define a cylindrical interstice between the outer cylindrical surface of the hub and the axial cylindrical cavity of the tubular ring;
- c) integrally bonding the hub and the tubular ring by means of a bonding material contained in the interstice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.