CN116658527A - Rust-proof and waterproof steering column bearing for two-wheeled vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A two-wheeled vehicle Steering Column Bearing (SCB) assembly (100) is disclosed that is interposed between a steering column (105) and a steering shaft (110). The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly (100) comprises a first bearing unit (115) located at the top of the steering column (105). The first bearing unit (115) includes an upper seat (130), a lower seat (135), and a double lip seal (140) co-molded to the upper seat (130). The double lip seal (140) includes two lips that are mounted at a predetermined angle to the steering column (105) and bearing cap (120). The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly includes a second bearing unit (125) located at the bottom of the steering column (105).

Description

Rust-proof and waterproof steering column bearing for two-wheeled vehicle

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to bearings, and more particularly to rust and water resistant steering column bearings for two-wheeled vehicles (/ two-wheel vehicles).

Background

Typically, steering column bearings (steering column bearing, SCB) for two-wheeled vehicles include steering axles (/ steering axles) supported by bearings at the top and bottom of the column. In bearings, grease contamination is a common problem. The bearing arrangement must be sealed against contaminants such as dirt (dirt) or moisture. In addition, existing SCBs have rust problems, which result in a rough rotation (/ rough rotation) of the steering wheel. Rust is caused by water entering the bearing during high pressure jet (/ jet) flushing or rain. Existing solutions include providing solid oil-bearing cage solutions that will use solid grease to avoid grease contamination. However, this does not solve the problem of rust on the bearings. Another solution is to replace the rusted bearing part with a new bearing part, which is not cost-effective.

It is desirable to have a seal design (/ seal design) for preventing water from entering the SCB and avoiding rust on the bearings.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description of the disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the disclosure.

The present disclosure discloses a two-wheeled vehicle Steering Column Bearing (SCB) assembly interposed between a steering column and a steering shaft. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly comprises a first bearing unit located at the top of the steering column. The first bearing unit comprises an upper seat (/ bearing seat/housing) (housing) and a lower seat. The first bearing unit includes a co-molded to upper seat double lip seal. The double lip seal includes two lips that are mounted (displaced) at a predetermined angle to the steering column and bearing cap. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly includes a second bearing unit located at the bottom of the steering column.

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the disclosure will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which.

Drawings

The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a two-wheeled vehicle steering column bearing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a double lip seal bearing unit in a two-wheeled vehicle steering column bearing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 1C illustrates an exploded view of a double lip seal bearing unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not necessarily be drawn to scale. Moreover, in terms of the construction of the bearing assembly, it may have been represented by conventional symbols in the drawings, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications of the present disclosure, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as described herein, as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates are considered to be part of the disclosure.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the disclosure.

In this disclosure, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used to distinguish one entity (entity) from another entity without necessarily implying any actual relationship or order between such entities.

The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps, but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, without further constraints, one or more elements or structures or components of the foregoing "comprising … …" do not preclude the presence of other elements, other structures, other components, additional devices, additional elements, additional structures, or additional components. The appearances of the phrases "in an embodiment," "in another embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The components, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

Typically, bearings that are sealed by standards increase the life of the bearing. Steering column bearings are used in vehicles (e.g., quadricycle, tricycle, or two-wheel vehicle). Unlike covered vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles face problems with water entering the steering column bearings due to rain or high pressure jet flushing. This causes the bearing to rust and therefore requires frequent replacement of the bearing. There are several seal designs available for steering column bearings, however none have been designed to protect the bearing from rain or high pressure spray flushing (high pressure jet wash). The following section describes a double-lip seal bearing (double-lip seal) design for a steering column bearing.

Fig. 1A illustrates a two-wheeled vehicle steering column (steering column) bearing assembly 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A two-wheeled vehicle Steering Column Bearing (SCB) assembly 100 is interposed between a steering column 105 and a steering shaft 110. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly 100 includes two bearing units, namely a first bearing unit 115 located at the top of the steering column 105 and a second bearing unit 125 located at the bottom of the steering column 105. The first bearing unit 115 (i.e., the bearing at the top of the steering column) includes two seats (/ bearing seats/housings) (housing), an upper seat (upper housing) 130 and a lower seat (lower housing) 135. The seat is made of a polymer. In one example, the polymer has a PA66-GF30 material, which PA66-GF30 material provides a high hardness that is more or less similar to a metal component. It should be noted that different grades of polymer may be used. The first bearing unit 115 includes a double lip seal (/ double lip seal) 140 co-molded to the upper housing 130. The double lip seal 140, also referred to as a two-lip seal or double-lip seal, includes two lips that are placed at a predetermined angle to the steering column 105 and the bearing cap 120. In one embodiment, the predetermined angle may be 45 degrees. The double lip seal 140 prevents water from entering the bearing, thereby preventing the bearing from rusting. It should be noted that the double lip seal 140 prevents water ingress from both axial and radial directions. The double lip seal 140 may be made of a rubber compound. A cross-sectional view of the double lip seal bearing unit 115 in a two-wheeled vehicle steering column bearing assembly is shown in fig. 1B.

The first bearing unit 115 includes an inner race (inner race) 145 and an outer race (outer race) 150 made of metal. The inner and outer races 145, 150 are clamped (clamped) to the upper and lower seats 130, 135 using an interference fit (interference fitting). As depicted in fig. 1C, a plurality of bearing balls (155) are disposed between the inner race 145 and the outer race 150. The bearing balls 150 are held together in a metal or polymer cage 160. It should be noted that the inner ring 145 and the outer ring 150 provide smooth (smooth) rotation of the bearing balls 155 and also provide high load carrying capacity. The second bearing unit 125 also includes all the components of the first bearing unit 115, such as upper and lower seats, rings, etc., made of a polymer. The second bearing unit 125 need not be provided with a double lip seal, since the double lip seal at the first bearing unit itself prevents water ingress. However, in one embodiment, the second bearing unit 125 may also be provided with a double lip seal. In other embodiments, the second bearing unit 125 may also be provided with other lip seal configurations.

Although the present disclosure has been described using a particular language, no limitation is intended thereby. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various work modifications can be made to the method to implement (/ implement) the inventive concepts as taught herein.

The figures and the preceding description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the elements described may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, some elements may be separated into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of the processes described herein may be altered and is not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all of the acts necessarily need to be performed. Moreover, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of the embodiments is in no way limited by these specific examples. Many variations, such as differences in construction, size, and use of materials, are possible, whether or not explicitly set forth in the description. The scope of the embodiments is at least as broad as given by the appended claims.

Claims (8)

1. A two-wheeled vehicle Steering Column Bearing (SCB) assembly (100) interposed between a steering column (105) and a steering shaft (110), the two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly (100) comprising:

-a first bearing unit (115) located at the top of the steering column (105), wherein the first bearing unit (115) comprises:

an upper base (130);

a lower seat (135); and

a double lip seal (140) co-molded to the upper seat (130), wherein the double lip seal (140) includes two lips that are placed at a predetermined angle to the steering column (105) and bearing cap (120); and

a second bearing unit (125) located at the bottom of the steering column (105).

2. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly of claim 1, wherein the first bearing unit (115) comprises an inner ring (145) and an outer ring (150) made of metal.

3. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly of claim 2, wherein the inner and outer rings are clamped to the upper and lower seats with small ribs using an interference fit.

4. A two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a plurality of bearing balls (155) are arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring.

5. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly of claim 4, wherein the bearing balls are held together in a polymer cage (160), wherein the double lip seal prevents water from entering the bearing, thereby preventing the bearing from rusting.

6. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly of claim 5, wherein the inner race and the outer race provide:

the bearing ball rotates steadily; and

providing high load carrying capacity.

7. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper seat and the lower seat are made of a polymer characterized by high stiffness.

8. The two-wheeled vehicle SCB assembly of claim 1, wherein the second bearing unit includes an upper seat and a lower seat made of a polymer.