JP2004076751A - Rolling bearing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively prevent infiltration of muddy water into an inside space by preventing reduction in internal pressure of the inside space of a rolling bearing caused by a temperature change. <P>SOLUTION: This rolling bearing device has the rolling bearing 2, a sensor cover 32 for closing an end part of the rolling bearing and a wheel speed sensor 30. A ventilation pipe 50 is arranged in a ventilation cover 34 of the sensor cover via the wheel speed sensor. The inside space of the rolling bearing is ventilated with an external part via this ventilation pipe to prevent reduction in the internal pressure of the inside space. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rolling bearing device suitable for supporting a shaft of an axle of a vehicle such as an automobile or other mechanical devices.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of rolling bearing device includes an inner ring member, an outer ring member concentric with the inner ring member, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the inner ring member and the inner ring member, and an inner space between the inner ring member and the outer ring member in one of the axial directions. A seal member for sealing from the side, and a cover member that is attached to the inner periphery of the opening at the other end in the axial direction of the outer ring member in a fitted state and closes the internal space from the other side in the axial direction. is there.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above structure, the internal space is sealed by the seal member and the cover member. Therefore, there is a possibility that the internal pressure of the internal space may decrease due to the temperature fluctuation of the internal space due to the rotation of the inner race member, the rolling of the rolling elements, and the like due to the operation of the rolling bearing device. The internal space whose internal pressure has been reduced in this way is placed in a more negative pressure state than the outside atmosphere side.
[0004]
By the way, when the above-mentioned rolling bearing device is used in a place where muddy water or the like is likely to exist around, for example, a bearing device for supporting a wheel of an automobile, the internal pressure of the internal space is more negative than the atmosphere side where muddy water or the like exists. If the vehicle is running in the state of the pressure, the suction phenomenon of muddy water and the like is likely to occur from the fitting gap between the seal member and the inner circumference of the opening of the outer ring member and the cover member. Also, when used not for supporting wheels but for supporting a rotating shaft of another mechanical device, and not used for muddy water or the like, even when used in an environment where other foreign substances are present, similarly, such foreign substances may be used. The suction phenomenon easily occurs.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The rolling bearing device according to the present invention is a rolling bearing device including: a rolling bearing; and a cover member attached to an end of the rolling bearing and covering the internal space of the rolling bearing so as to close the inner space. A ventilating member for ventilating the internal space to the outside is provided.
[0006]
In the internal space of the rolling bearing, for example, there is an opposing space between the inner ring member and the outer ring member.However, the present invention is not limited to such an inner space, and other components of the rolling bearing can be fitted or mounted. It may include a small gap, or may be an internal space covered by a cover member so as to be closed. The ventilation member includes a ventilation tube, but is not limited to such a tubular structure.
[0007]
According to the present invention, since the internal space of the rolling bearing is always ventilated to the outside by the ventilation member, for example, even if there is a temperature fluctuation, the internal pressure of the internal space is lower than the external atmospheric side, that is, the internal pressure becomes negative pressure. Is gone. Therefore, even when the rolling bearing device is used, for example, for supporting a wheel in which muddy water or the like is likely to be present in the surroundings, a phenomenon in which muddy water or the like is generated due to a decrease in the internal pressure of the internal space when the vehicle is running may occur. And the reliability of the device can be ensured. In addition, for the explanation of the effect of the present invention, the negative pressure of the internal pressure of the internal space has been described with respect to the atmosphere, but the negative pressure is not limited to comparison with the atmosphere, and the internal space and the external And varies depending on the use environment of the rolling bearing device.
[0008]
In the present invention, preferably, a rotation detection sensor having a wiring member therein is attached to the cover member, and the ventilation member is provided between the wiring members inside the rotation detection sensor so as to ventilate the internal space to the outside. It is good also as a tubular structure through. Preferably, the tubular structure may be constituted by a passage tube bundled with the wiring member and led out of the internal space. As the above-mentioned tubular structure, there is a ventilation pipe. For example, when the sensor element inside the rotation detecting sensor is resin-molded, a ventilation member including a structure in which only a ventilation hole is formed through the resin mold or a resin molding is included. Can be included.
[0009]
In such a case, when the rotation detection sensor is mounted on a rolling bearing, and this rolling bearing device is used for a vehicle, if the ventilation pipe has a tubular structure, particularly a ventilation pipe structure, it affects accurate detection of the rotation state such as wheel speed. It is preferable to have a structure that can be easily installed at a position where muddy water or the like that penetrates into the inside is not detrimental.In addition, since it can be integrated with the sensor, the operation cost for attaching the ventilation member to the cover member is extra. It is more preferable to avoid the need.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 to 4 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rolling bearing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pulsar ring of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the active wheel speed sensor unit removed from the double-row rolling bearing of FIG. 1.
[0011]
In these figures, 1 indicates the entire rolling bearing device. 2 is a double row rolling bearing, 3 is an active wheel speed sensor unit (active ABS sensor).
[0012]
The double-row rolling bearing 2 includes, as an example of a rolling bearing, an outer ring member 4, an inner ring member 7 made of a combination of a hub wheel 5 and an inner ring 6 and arranged concentrically with the outer ring member 4, and the two members 4, 7. Two rows of balls 8 and 9 in the axial direction as rolling members interposed therebetween, cages 10 and 10 in two axial directions, a sealing member 11 on the vehicle outer side, and a pulsar ring attached to the inner ring 6. 12 is provided.
[0013]
The outer ring member 4 is fixed to a vehicle body (not shown) via a radially outward flange 13 formed on an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring member 4, and outer ring raceway surfaces of balls 8 and 9 in each row are formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof. Have been. The hub wheel 5 has a radially outwardly directed flange 14 on the vehicle outer side outer peripheral surface as one inner ring, and the inner ring 6 as the other inner ring is fitted into an annular concave portion 15 on the vehicle inner side (right side in FIG. 1) outer peripheral surface. Have been. The brake disc 16 and the tire wheel 17 are mounted on the flange 14 of the hub wheel 5 in an overlapping manner, and the inner raceway surfaces of the row balls 8 and 9 are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the hub wheel 5 and the inner race 6, respectively.
[0014]
A nut 18 is fastened to a threaded hole formed at the inner shaft end of the hub wheel 5 on the vehicle inner side, whereby a predetermined preload is applied to the balls 8 and 9 in each row, and the hub wheel 5 and the inner ring 6 rotate integrally around the axis. In this case, instead of the nut 18, the vehicle inner side shaft end of the hub wheel 5 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the front end of the cylindrical portion is bent radially outward and caulked to the shaft end surface of the inner ring 6, thereby obtaining A preload may be applied.
[0015]
The seal member 11 seals the internal space between the outer race member 4 and the inner race member 7 from the vehicle outer side. The pulsar ring 12 is for generating a magnetic signal corresponding to the rotation of the inner ring 6, and is an annular body made of a rubber material mixed with magnetic powder, and provided with S magnetic poles 12a and N magnetic poles 12b alternately in the circumferential direction. Have been. The pulsar ring 12 is attached to the inner ring 6 via an attachment 19 which is an annular body having an L-shaped cross section.
[0016]
The wheel speed sensor unit 3 constitutes a rotation detecting device in combination with the pulsar ring 12, and has a structure in which a wheel speed sensor 30 and an electric cable 31 are integrated. In this case, the sensor cover 32 may be integrated. When the sensor cover 32 is not integrated, first, the sensor cover 32 is fitted to the outer race member 4, and the wheel speed sensor unit 3 is fitted to the fitted sensor cover 32. When the sensor cover 32 is integrated, it is preferable that the attachment work of the sensor unit 3 to the outer ring member 4 is completed by fitting the sensor cover 32 to the outer ring member 4.
[0017]
The wheel speed sensor 30 detects a signal generated from the pulsar ring 12 provided by being fitted to the inner ring 6 of the double-row rolling bearing 2 as an example of a rotation detection sensor. It includes a signal processing circuit 35 that receives power supply and performs signal processing, and a magnetic detection element 37 such as a magnetoresistive element or a Hall IC as an active type, which are mounted on a single substrate 38 and It is structured to be covered with a mold resin 39. As the resin 39, 66 nylon is preferably selected.
[0018]
In such a wheel speed sensor 30, the magnetic detection element 37 faces the pulsar ring 12 in the axial direction, but may face the pulsar ring 12 in the radial direction.
[0019]
One end of the electric cable 31 is also molded when the substrate 38 is molded with the resin 39 while one end of the electric cable 31 is connected to the signal processing circuit 35 of the wheel speed sensor 30. The electric cable 31 is connected at one end to the wheel speed sensor 30 to supply power and transmit signals thereto, and for this purpose, a power supply wiring 40 and a signal transmission wiring 41 are internally provided. And the outside is covered with an insulating cover 42.
[0020]
The sensor cover 32 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring member 4 of the double row rolling bearing 2 at the end on the vehicle inner side. With this attachment, the internal space of the double row rolling bearing 4 is closed from the vehicle inner side. The sensor cover 32 has an opening 33 for attaching the wheel speed sensor 30 (an opening for attaching a wheel speed sensor) and an opening (an opening for ventilation) 34 for facing one end of a ventilation pipe 50 described later. The sensor cover 32 may be formed by pressing a metal plate or by molding a resin.
[0021]
In the above configuration, in the present embodiment, a ventilation pipe 50 is provided inside the wheel speed sensor 30 and the electric cable 31 for the wheel speed sensor unit 3, and the pipe inlet 50 a of the ventilation pipe 50 is placed on the atmosphere side. Further, it is characterized in that the pipe outlet 50b of the ventilation pipe 50 faces the ventilation opening 34 provided in the sensor cover 32. Then, when the sensor cover 32 is attached to the double row rolling bearing 2 and the internal space of the double row rolling bearing 2 is closed, the internal space is ventilated to the outside through the ventilation pipe 50 as a tubular ventilation member.
[0022]
The material of the ventilation tube 50 is not particularly limited as long as the material can basically secure a ventilation function. For example, a flexible material such as elastic rubber or elastic resin is preferable.
[0023]
The cross-sectional shape of the ventilation tube 50 may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, and a rectangle as long as the ventilation function can be ensured. Further, the number of the ventilation pipes 50 is one in the embodiment, but it goes without saying that a plurality of ventilation pipes may be provided.
[0024]
In such a wheel speed sensor unit 3, the other end of the electric cable 31 is connected to the engine control unit 60 in use. The engine control unit 60 supplies power to the wheel speed sensor 30 via the wires 40 and 41 inside the electric cable 31, and based on a signal input from the wheel speed sensor 30 via the wires 40 and 41. To detect the wheel speed, and perform necessary operation control corresponding to the detected wheel speed.
[0025]
In the use state of the wheel speed sensor unit 3, one end of the ventilation pipe 50 faces the internal space of the double-row rolling bearing 2 from the opening 34 of the sensor cover 32 as described above, while the other end thereof faces. It is located in a position where there is no risk of intrusion of muddy water from the vehicle and in the atmospheric pressure space. For example, an installation environment partitioning member 90 is provided for partitioning the side 70 on which the rolling bearing device 1 is disposed and the side 80 on which the pipe inlet 50a side of the ventilation pipe 50 is disposed, and a position above which the muddy water does not enter. And As such an installation environment, for example, a board wall of a dashboard of a vehicle may be used as the partition member 90. However, the engine control unit 60 is provided below the dashboard, and only the ventilation pipe 50 is exposed through the opening of the dashboard. As described above, the installation environment of the ventilation pipe 50 may be any position where muddy water or the like does not enter. However, even if muddy water or the like exists, depending on the arrangement state of the ventilation pipe 50, the muddy water may be inserted through the other end side opening of the ventilation pipe 50. If they cannot penetrate, there is no or little need to stick to the arrangement.
[0026]
According to such a structure, the internal pressure P0 of the internal space of the double-row rolling bearing 2 is always maintained at the atmospheric pressure P1 through the ventilation pipe 50, and the rolling bearing device 1 is rotated with the rotation of the wheels by running of the vehicle. Operates, and when the temperature of the rolling bearing device 1 fluctuates and the internal pressure P0 tries to decrease, air is supplied from the other end of the ventilation pipe 50 as indicated by an arrow A0. As a result, air is supplied from one end side facing the inside of the sensor cover 32 as indicated by an arrow A1, so that the internal pressure P0 of the internal space is always maintained at the same pressure as the atmospheric pressure P1 even if the temperature fluctuates. And not be lowered. Therefore, the inner space of the double row rolling bearing 1 does not need to have a negative pressure as compared with the atmosphere side where muddy water or the like exists, and the broken space is formed by the fitting gap between the seal member 11 or the sensor cover 32 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 4. As shown by the arrow A2, muddy water and the like can be prevented from entering the internal space.
[0027]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible.
[0028]
(1) As shown in FIG. 5, the ventilation pipe 50 may be attached to the opening 100 provided in the sensor cover 32 to thereby allow the internal space to vent to the outside.
[0029]
(2) The ventilation pipe 50 may be attached to the ventilation opening 34 of the sensor cover 32 as a separate member from the wheel speed sensor unit 3.
[0030]
(3) A configuration in which the ventilation pipe 50 is exposed from the wheel speed sensor mounting opening 33 of the sensor cover 32 to the internal space of the double row rolling bearing 2 may be used. In this case, the ventilation opening 34 of the sensor cover 32 does not necessarily need to be provided.
[0031]
(4) The sensor having the ventilation pipe therein may be a sensor that detects a running or stopped state of the vehicle or other states of the vehicle.
[0032]
(5) When the rolling bearing device is provided in a machine other than the vehicle, the sensor that includes the ventilation pipe may be a sensor that detects the state of the machine.
[0033]
(6) The sensor constituting the rotation detecting device may be a passive sensor such as a combination of a coil and a magnet.
[0034]
(7) The rolling bearing device 1 may be provided on either the driven wheel or the drive wheel side of the vehicle.
[0035]
(8) In the rolling bearing device 1, the outer ring member 4 and the inner ring member 7 need only rotate relative to each other. Therefore, the outer ring member 4 may rotate and the inner ring member 7 may be fixed. In this case, the electric cable may be omitted as the wheel speed sensor unit, the power supply and the signal may be transmitted and received wirelessly from the sensor, and the ventilation pipe 50 may be simply attached to the opening of the wheel speed sensor unit and the sensor cover.
[0036]
(9) The ventilation pipe 50 is continuously provided inside each of the electric cable 31 and the wheel speed sensor 30 as a long pipe shape. However, in the wheel speed sensor 30, a ventilation hole is provided in the resin mold instead of being tubular. In addition, ventilation can be performed only by forming the ventilation hole to communicate with the ventilation pipe in the electric cable 31 and the ventilation opening 34 of the sensor cover 32.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, in the case of the present invention, since the internal space of the rolling bearing is ventilated to the outside by the ventilation member, even if there is a temperature fluctuation, the internal pressure of the internal space is reduced to the external pressure where muddy water exists. It does not drop below the pressure. As a result, according to the present invention, even if the rolling bearing undergoes temperature fluctuations due to its use, the phenomenon of suction of muddy water or the like from around the rolling bearing does not occur, and the reliability of the device is greatly improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rolling bearing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pulsar ring of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the active wheel speed sensor unit removed from the double row rolling bearing of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a rolling bearing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rolling bearing device 2 Double row rolling bearing 3 Active type wheel speed sensor unit 4 Outer ring member 7 Inner ring member 11 Seal member 12 Pulser ring 30 Wheel speed sensor 31 Electric cable 34 Ventilation opening 35 Signal processing circuit 36 Permanent magnet 37 Magnetic detection element 38 Resin molds 40, 41 Wiring 50 Vent pipe

Claims (4)

In a rolling bearing device including a rolling bearing and a cover member attached to an end of the rolling bearing and covering the internal space of the rolling bearing so as to close the internal space, ventilation that vents the internal space to the outside with respect to the cover member. A rolling bearing device comprising a member. The rolling bearing device according to claim 1,
Attached to the cover member is a rotation detection sensor having a wiring member inside, and the ventilation member has a tubular structure that passes between the wiring members inside the rotation detection sensor so as to ventilate the internal space to the outside. A rolling bearing device, characterized in that: The rolling bearing device according to claim 2,
The rolling bearing device, wherein the tubular structure is constituted by a passage pipe bundled with the wiring member and led out of the internal space. A structure in which a sensor constituting a rotation detecting device in combination with a pulsar ring provided inside a rolling bearing and an electric cable connected to the sensor and containing a wiring material for power supply and signal transmission are integrated. And a ventilation pipe for ventilation between the inside and the outside of the rolling bearing together with the wiring member is provided inside the electric cable.

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