JP4905367B2 - Bearing sealing device and wheel supporting bearing unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in a sealing structure for keeping the inside of various bearings (for example, a bearing device such as a hub unit bearing (wheel support bearing unit) for supporting automobile wheels) in a sealed state, in particular. Further, the present invention relates to an improvement in the structure for preventing misalignment of the sealing device provided in the wheel support bearing unit.

  Conventionally, the bearing device has been provided with various sealing devices in order to shield the inside of the bearing from the outside and keep it in a sealed state (airtight state and liquid tight state), and by providing the sealing device, Prevents foreign matter (e.g., muddy water, dust, etc.) from entering the bearing device from the outside, and prevents lubricant (e.g., grease, lubricating oil, etc.) enclosed inside from leaking to the outside. It is preventing.

  Such a sealing device can be roughly classified into a contact type and a non-contact type. For example, as the contact type, an annular core formed by pressing a steel plate or the like so that the cross section is L-shaped. There is a seal that has a structure in which various elastic materials (for example, resin materials such as rubber and plastic) are connected to a part of gold, and as a non-contact type, it is pressed from a metal plate (steel plate) such as a stainless steel plate or an iron plate. There is a shield molded by processing. Furthermore, a contact-type sealing device (so-called pack seal) having a package structure obtained by combining the contact-type seal and the non-contact-type shield (so-called slinger) so that the cross-sectional shape is substantially box-shaped (rectangular) is also known. (FIGS. 5B and 5C).

In general, the contact type has higher sealing performance than the non-contact type, and depending on the level of hermeticity (air tightness and liquid tightness) required according to the use conditions and purpose of the bearing device, these Different sealing devices are used.
As an example, the pack seal not only has the feature that its cross-sectional area is small and it is not necessary to secure a large installation space, but also has an excellent feature that its sealing performance is very high, so it has a strict sealing performance ( For example, a bearing device that requires a high level of muddy water intrusion prevention effect, for example, a sealing device for a hub unit bearing (hereinafter referred to as a bearing unit) A for supporting a vehicle wheel as shown in FIG. As widely used.

  5 (b) and 5 (c) show an example of the configuration of such a pack seal. The pack seal 2 includes a slinger 22 and a cored bar (hereinafter referred to as a core metal) arranged opposite to each other with a predetermined interval. 24) and a seal 26 interposed therebetween. In this case, the slinger 22 and the seal core 24 are both formed in an annular shape having a substantially L-shaped cross section, and the seal 26 is connected to one of the slinger 22 or the seal core 24, A plurality of lip portions 26l that are in sliding contact with the other are provided.

  When the pack seal 2 having such a configuration is assembled to the bearing unit A as shown in FIG. 5A, the slinger 22 is fixed to the rotating wheel 10 (specifically, the inner ring component 16) ( Specifically, the seal cored bar 24 is fixed (specifically fitted) to the stationary ring 12 and is always rotated while being rotated together with the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16). It remains stationary. At this time, the seal 26 partially rotates together with the slinger 22 in the configuration shown in FIG. 5B, whereas the lip 26l slides on the rotating slinger 22 in the configuration shown in FIG. 5C. Still in contact.

  By the way, the slinger 22 and the seal core 24 of the pack seal 2 are usually formed by pressing a thin steel plate or the like in consideration of ease of processing and cost. For this reason, for example, the inner diameter surface of the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 which is a fitting surface with the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) of the bearing unit A (the lower surface in FIGS. 5B and 5C). In addition, the tolerance width of the outer diameter surface (the upper surface in the figure) of the cylindrical portion 24a of the seal core 24, which is a fitting surface with the stationary ring 12, is about 0.1 mm. When the dimensional tolerance of 10 (inner ring structure 16) and stationary ring 12, or the dimensional tolerance of the rotating shaft and the housing (both not shown) are overlapped, the tolerance width is further increased. As a result, due to the substantial tolerance width, the fitting margin of the slinger 22 (inner diameter surface of the cylindrical portion 22a) when mating with the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16) and the mating with the stationary ring 12 are performed. In some cases, the fitting allowance of the seal metal core 24 (the outer diameter surface of the cylindrical portion 24a) varies greatly.

  For example, when the fitting margin of the slinger 22 is excessive, when the slinger 22 is fitted to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16), the thin disc portion 22b (FIG. e)) may be deformed by being inclined in a tapered shape in either the direction approaching the seal 26 or the opposite direction. FIGS. 5D and 5E show, as an example, the state of the pack seal 2 when the pack seal 2 shown in FIG. 5C is assembled (fitted) to the bearing unit A. (D) is the state before fitting, (e) is the state after fitting (the slinger 22 shown by the solid line is deformed by tilting the disk portion 22b toward the seal 26, and the dotted line is A state in which the disk portion 22b is inclined and deformed in the opposite direction is shown.

  When the slinger 22 is deformed in this manner, the sliding contact state between the slinger 22 and the lip 261 of the seal 26 (so-called squeeze margin of the lip 261 (hereinafter simply referred to as squeeze margin)) changes. Specifically, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 (e), when the slinger 22 is deformed by tilting the disk portion 22b in a direction approaching the seal 26, the interference margin increases. When the slinger 22 is deformed by inclining the disk portion 22b in the opposite direction as shown by the dotted line in the figure, the interference is reduced. In this case, when the interference is increased, the slinger 22 and the seal 26 (lip 26l) are excessively slidably contacted to generate heat due to friction, which may cause early deterioration of the slinger 22 and the seal 26. If the crimping margin is reduced, the sliding contact pressure between the slinger 22 and the seal 26 is insufficient, and the sealing performance (for example, the muddy water intrusion preventing effect) of the pack seal 2 may be reduced.

  In addition, even when the fitting allowance of the seal core 24 is excessive, the direction in which the thin disk portion 24b continuing to the cylindrical portion 24a approaches the seal 26 when fitting to the stationary ring 12 or vice versa. If it is deformed with a taper in any direction, the sliding contact state between the lip 261 of the seal 26 connected to the seal core 24 and the slinger 22 (same interference as described above) changes. As a result, similar to the case of the slinger 22 described above, the pack seal 2 is prematurely deteriorated and the sealing performance is deteriorated.

  Therefore, when the pack seal 2 is manufactured, first, the maximum fitting allowance of the slinger 22 and the seal metal core 24 is set from the limit of the interference allowance (maximum value of the interference allowance) of the lip 26l of the seal 26, and then the maximum fitting. In many cases, the minimum fitting allowance is set by subtracting the dimensional tolerance at the time of machining from the allowance. For this reason, when the fitting allowance of the slinger 22 and the seal core 24 is processed in the vicinity of the minimum value, when the slinger 22 and the seal core 24 are assembled (fitted) to the bearing unit A, careless force ( When a pressing force is applied, they may move more than necessary, or they may be deformed depending on the magnitude of the pressing force.

  Further, the slinger 22 and the seal metal core 24 whose fitting allowance is processed in the vicinity of the minimum value are assembled into the bearing unit A (after fitting), for example, by rolling of the rolling elements (balls) 18, the rotating wheel 10. There is also a possibility of causing a positional shift due to creep, such as when the (inner ring structure 16) or the stationary ring 12 is bent instantaneously.

  When the slinger 22 or the seal core 24 is displaced as described above, the interference of the lip 261 of the seal 26 is fluctuated, resulting in early deterioration of the pack seal 2 and a decrease in sealing performance (for example, muddy water intrusion prevention effect). I will invite you.

  Therefore, in order to avoid such an inconvenience, the sealing performance of the sealing device 2 composed of the slinger 22 and the seal 26 is improved, and the sealing device 2 is directed to the inner direction of the bearing unit A (leftward in FIG. 5A). It is necessary to take measures to prevent displacement (movement). For example, when assembling (fitting) the slinger 22 to the bearing unit A, as one of the measures for preventing them from being displaced (moved) toward the inside of the unit, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) There is a measure of forming a stepped portion that is continuous in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface, and abutting (contacting) the tip portion 22t of the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 to the stepped portion.

For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 6, a predetermined stepped portion 10 s is formed on the outer peripheral surface 10 a of the rotating wheel 10, and a seal 26 connected to a slinger 22 is fitted into the stepped portion 10 s. A structure that prevents the sealing device 2 including the slinger 22 and the seal 26 from being displaced (moved) in the inner direction of the bearing (the left direction in the figure) is disclosed as an example.
Registered Utility Model No. 2529956

  However, in such a structural example, the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 is covered with a seal 26 made of an elastic material or the like, and this structure has a distal end portion 22t of the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 which is a problem to be solved by the present invention. This structure is different from the structure that abuts against (abuts against) the step portion formed on the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) smoothly and reliably.

  Further, in the measure of abutting (contacting) the tip end portion 22t of the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 with the stepped portion described above, the axial length of the slinger 22 (extension length of the cylindrical portion 22a (FIG. 5)). (b) to (e)) in the left-right direction), the axial dimension of the stepped portion of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16), and the slinger 22 when being pushed (press-fitted) into the unit for assembly. Variation occurs in push-in amount and push-in force. Alternatively, when the reference surface (press-fit reference surface) for assembling the slinger 22 is not the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16), the position of the press-fit reference surface also varies.

  Therefore, in order to abut the end portion 22t of the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 against the stepped portion (contact), it is necessary to push (press-fit) the slinger 22 toward the inside of the unit while assuming these variations. is there. For this reason, such press-fitting work is not easy, and there is a demand for a proposal of a method for smoothly and reliably abutting (contacting) the tip portion 22t of the cylindrical portion 22a of the slinger 22 with the stepped portion. No such strategy is known.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and the object thereof is to enable easy assembly to a bearing and to prevent misalignment after assembly for a long period of time. An object of the present invention is to provide a bearing sealing device with excellent durability capable of maintaining a constant sealing performance, and a wheel support bearing unit which is improved in sealing performance by assembling the bearing sealing device.

In order to achieve such an object, a bearing sealing device according to the present invention includes at least a pair of bearing rings opposed to each other so as to be relatively rotatable, and a plurality of rolling rings incorporated so as to be able to roll between the bearing rings. The inside of the bearing device provided with the moving body is kept airtight and liquid-tight, and extends in a predetermined direction from the proximal end to the distal end, and is continuous with the proximal end of the stationary portion, and the stationary portion Is formed of a disc portion extending at a predetermined angle, and includes at least an annular slinger fixed to any of the race rings.
In the raceway ring to which the slinger is fixed, a step portion for fixing the slinger is provided over the entire circumference of the peripheral portion, and the step portion has a diameter difference with respect to the step surface. The slinger has a structure in which one portion is continuous along the circumferential direction, and the slinger has a thin portion in which the thickness of the tip of the fixing portion is thinner than the other portion of the fixing portion. And the thin-walled portion is positioned and fixed to the raceway ring by deforming in contact with the step surface of the step portion provided in the raceway ring.

In this case, the slinger is positioned and fixed to the raceway with reference to the axial end surface of the raceway provided with the stepped portion.
In that case, the encoder used as a to-be-detected body of the sensor which detects the rotation state of the said slinger can be attached to the disc part of the said slinger.
Further, with respect to the bearing ring provided with the stepped portion, the entire circumferential surface thereof extends from the stepped surface of the stepped portion to the peripheral portion corresponding to the axial width dimension of the thinned portion of the slinger. A recessed groove may be formed, and the slinger may be positioned and fixed to the bearing ring in a state where the axial position of the thin portion is matched with the position of the groove of the bearing ring.

  Here, the bearing sealing device may be a slinger unit configuration having the above-described structure, but the slinger, a cylindrical cored bar fixing portion extending in a predetermined direction from the proximal end to the distal end, and An annular cored bar made of a cored bar plate that is continuous with the base end of the cored bar fixing part and extends at a predetermined angle with respect to the cored bar fixing part, and between the slinger and the cored bar. It is also possible to have a structure that includes a seal that is interposed and connected to one of the slinger and the metal core and that is slidably in contact with the other, and that combines the slinger, the metal core, and the seal so that the contour shape of the cross section is a substantially rectangular shape. .

  The bearing sealing device as described above, for example, has a stationary wheel fixed to a vehicle body component and a rotating wheel to which the wheel component is fixed and rotates together with the wheel component so as to be relatively rotatable. And a plurality of rolling elements that are formed on the stationary ring and the rotating ring, respectively, and are rollably incorporated between the raceways facing each other. It can be applied as a sealing device for keeping liquid-tight.

  According to the bearing sealing device of the present invention, the assembly to the bearing can be easily performed, and the positional deviation after the assembly can be reliably prevented. As a result, it is possible to provide a bearing sealing device with excellent durability capable of maintaining a constant sealing performance over a long period of time. Further, by assembling such a bearing sealing device, it is possible to improve the sealing performance of the wheel supporting bearing unit.

  Hereinafter, a bearing sealing device (hereinafter also simply referred to as a sealing device) and a wheel support bearing unit (hereinafter also simply referred to as a bearing unit) according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The bearing sealing device according to the present invention can be applied as a sealing device for keeping (sealing) the interior of various bearing devices airtight and liquid-tight. Here, FIG. As an example, assume that such a sealing device is used to seal the inside of a hub unit bearing (bearing unit A) for supporting the wheels of an automobile as shown in FIG. In this case, the case where the said sealing device is arrange | positioned to the vehicle body inner side (right side of Fig.5 (a)) of a motor vehicle is assumed as an example. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the vehicle body inner side (the right side in FIG. 5A) on which the sealing device is disposed is called the inboard side, and the opposite side, that is, the outside of the vehicle body. The side (wheel side (left side in the figure)) is called the outboard side.

  FIG. 5 (a) shows the driving wheels of an automobile (rear wheels of a front engine rear wheel drive (FR) car and rear engine rear wheel drive (RR) car, front engine front wheel drive (FF) car). The configuration of a hub unit bearing that supports front wheels and all wheels of a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle is shown as an example, but the bearing unit is a driven wheel of an automobile (a front wheel of an FR car and an RR car, an FF car) You may comprise as a hub unit bearing which supports a rear wheel.

  The type (type) of the bearing unit is not particularly limited. For example, the presence / absence and number of flanges 14f of the rotating wheel 10 (hub 14), the presence / absence and number of flanges 12f of the stationary ring 12, or the presence / absence of the inner ring component 16 The type of rolling element 18 (balls and various rollers) may be arbitrarily set according to the usage conditions and purpose of the bearing unit. Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 5 (a), the outer member (outer raceway) is the stationary ring 12, and the inner member (inner raceway) is the rotary wheel 10 (hub 14 and inner ring component 16). However, on the contrary, a bearing unit having a configuration in which the outer member (outer race ring) is a rotating ring and the inner member (inner race ring) is a stationary ring may be used.

The inner ring constituting body 16 is formed with a raceway surface 10i that faces the raceway surface 12o on the inboard side of the stationary wheel 12, and is fitted on the inboard side of the hub 14 to constitute the rotating wheel 10 together with the hub 14. It refers to a member.
In any of the bearing units described above, the rotating wheel 10 has a wheel component member (for example, a disc wheel (not shown)) fixed and rotating together with the wheel component member, whereas the stationary wheel 12 The vehicle body component (for example, a knuckle (not shown) of the suspension device) is fixed and kept stationary.

  FIGS. 1A to 1G show a bearing sealing device 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sealing device 6 includes a bearing unit A as shown in FIG. In other words, a bearing unit for wheel support (hub) provided with bearing rings 10 and 12, which are arranged so as to be relatively rotatable, and a plurality of rolling elements (balls) 18 incorporated so as to be able to roll between the bearing rings 10 and 12. The inside of the unit bearing is shielded from the outside, and the inside is kept sealed (airtight and liquid tight). Specifically, as the races 10 and 12, a stationary wheel 12 fixed to a vehicle body component (for example, a knuckle (not illustrated) of a suspension device) and a wheel component (for example, a disc wheel (not illustrated)) are provided. The rotating wheels 10 that are fixed and rotate together with the wheel constituent members are opposed to each other so as to be relatively rotatable, and are formed on the stationary wheel 12 and the rotating wheel 10, respectively, and between the track surfaces 10 i and 12 i that face each other, and the track. A plurality of rolling elements (balls) 18 are incorporated between the surfaces 10o and 12o so as to be able to roll, thereby forming a bearing unit A.

  In this case, the stationary wheel 12 is integrally formed with a fixing flange 12f that protrudes outward (in the diameter expansion direction) from the outer peripheral surface 12a, and a fixing bolt is inserted into the fixing hole 12h that passes through the fixing flange 12f. By inserting (not shown) and fastening it to the vehicle body side, the stationary wheel 12 can be fixed to a knuckle of a suspension device (suspension) not shown.

  On the other hand, the rotating wheel 10 is provided with a hub 14 having a substantially cylindrical shape, and the hub 14 is fixed to a disk wheel (not shown) of a wheel via a brake rotor (not shown) of a brake. It is configured to rotate with the disc wheel. Note that a hub flange 14f for fixing (externally fitting) the brake rotor and the disc wheel to the outboard side of the hub 14 projects continuously along the circumferential direction.

  The hub flange 14f extends outward (in the direction of diameter expansion of the hub 14) beyond the stationary ring 2, and a plurality of through holes (bolt holes) are provided in the vicinity of the extended edge along the circumferential direction. 14h is provided. A brake rotor and a disc wheel (not shown) are each provided with a plurality of through holes (as an example, the same number as the bolt holes 14h) that can communicate with the bolt holes 14h. Then, the brake rotor and the disc wheel can be positioned and fixed with respect to the hub flange 14f by inserting the hub bolt 14b from the bolt hole 14h into the through hole and fastening (tightening) with a hub nut (not shown). it can.

The hub 14 is configured such that a substantially cylindrical inner ring component 16 is externally fitted on the inboard side. For example, a plurality of rolling elements (balls) are provided between the stationary ring 12 and the hub 14. After the inner ring structure 16 is applied to the step 14s formed on the hub 14 with the inner ring 18 assembled, the inboard side end (the right end in FIG. 5A) of the hub 14 is crimped. The inner ring component 16 can be fixed to the inboard side of the hub 14, and a predetermined preload can be applied to the bearing unit A (more specifically, the rolling elements (balls) 18).
Instead of the above-described caulking and fixing, for example, after the inner ring component 16 is externally fitted to the stepped portion 14s formed on the hub 14, it is tightened by a fastening member such as a nut from the inboard side. The inner ring component 16 may be fixed to the inboard side of the hub 14 in some cases.

Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 5A, the rolling elements (balls) 18 are held between the raceway surfaces 10i and 12i in a state of being rotatably held one by one in pockets formed in the annular cage 17. It is incorporated between the raceway surfaces 10o and 12o and rolls between them at a predetermined interval (for example, an equal interval).
Thereby, each rolling element (ball) 18 can smoothly roll between the raceway surfaces 10i and 12i and between the raceway surfaces 10o and 12o without the rolling surfaces coming into contact with each other. It is possible to prevent an increase in rotational resistance or seizure caused by friction between the rolling elements (balls) 18 that come into contact with each other. At that time, it is preferable to enclose a lubricant (as an example, grease) inside the bearing unit A in order to more effectively prevent such an increase in rotational resistance and seizure.

  In addition, what is necessary is just to apply arbitrary types as a holder | retainer according to the kind of rolling element. For example, when the rolling element is a ball 18, an inclined type (FIG. 5 (a)) or a corrugated type can be applied, and the rolling element can be various types of rollers (such as a tapered roller, a cylindrical roller, and a spherical roller). In this case, types such as a punching die, a comb die and a cage die can be applied.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1G, the sealing device 6 has a cylindrical shape that extends in a predetermined direction from the base end ab to the tip at (from the right end to the left end in each figure). Consisting of a fixed portion 62a and a base end ab of the fixed portion 62a and a disk portion 62b extending at a predetermined angle with respect to the fixed portion 62a, the rotating wheel 10 (specifically, the inner ring configuration) It comprises at least an annular slinger 62 fixed to the body 16).

  In this case, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) is provided with a step portion 16g for fixing the slinger 62 at the peripheral portion, and the step portion 16g has a diameter difference with respect to the step surface 16h. One part has the structure which continues along the circumferential direction. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1 (b), the other part of the outer peripheral portion of the outer peripheral portion of the outer peripheral portion (groove shoulder portion of the raceway surface 10i) of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituent body 16) extends over the entire circumference ( The step portion 16g is formed by making the end portion a small diameter portion and the other portion a large diameter portion, and the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion are continuous by a step surface 16h. .

  In addition, the size (width of the small-diameter portion (distance in the left-right direction in FIG. 1B), depth (diameter difference between the small-diameter portion and the large-diameter portion (the vertical distance in the drawing))) and shape Since it may be arbitrarily set according to the size and shape of a slinger 62 (specifically, the fixing portion 62a), which will be described later, fixed to the step portion 16g, it is not particularly limited here.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 1A, the sealing device 6 (slinger 62) is a cylinder in which a fixing portion 62a extends in a predetermined direction (left-right direction in the figure) with a predetermined length (distance in the same direction in the figure). The disk portion 62b has a predetermined length (vertical distance in the figure) at a substantially right angle to the fixed portion 62a and continuously expands to the base end ab of the fixed portion 62a. It is formed in an annular flat plate shape (ring plate shape) extending in the radial direction (upward in the figure). That is, in this case, the slinger 62 is configured such that the longitudinal cross-sectional shape is substantially L-shaped.

  Further, in this case, the slinger 62 is provided with a fitting allowance for fitting to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16) with respect to the inner diameter dimension (specifically, the inner diameter dimension of the fixed portion 62a). Has been. That is, in the slinger 62, the inner diameter dimension of the fixing portion 62a is set so that the outer diameter dimension of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituent body 16) (specifically, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituent body 16) fits with the fixing portion 62a). It is configured to be smaller than the contact surface (the diameter of the peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion shown in FIG. 1B, hereinafter referred to as the fitting surface 16b) by a size corresponding to the fitting allowance. . At this time, the fitting allowance to be set in the fixing portion 62a of the slinger 62 may be arbitrarily set according to the size of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16).

  In addition, the size (extension length and thickness (distance in the vertical direction in FIG. 1A)) of the fixing portion 62a and the size (extension length and thickness) of the disc portion 62b. (Dimensions such as the distance in the left-right direction in the figure and the diameter) can be rotated together with the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16) of the bearing unit A, for example. Since it may be arbitrarily set according to the size, shape, etc., there is no particular limitation here. Further, the angle of inclination of the disc portion 62b with respect to the fixed portion 62a is not particularly limited, and may be arbitrarily set according to the use conditions of the sealing device 6 (slinger 62).

  Further, the material and forming method of the slinger 62 are not particularly limited. For example, the slinger 62 is made of a predetermined metal plate (steel plate), and the slinger 62 is formed by pressing the metal plate (steel plate). That's fine. For example, when the slinger 62 is made of stainless steel, when the sealing device 6 has a package structure (pack seal) described later, the sliding surface of the seal 26 with the lip 26l (FIGS. 5B to 5E) is used. Rusting is prevented from occurring on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed portion 62a (the upper surface in FIG. 1A), and it is possible to effectively prevent the lip 26l from being damaged when sliding with the outer peripheral surface. .

The slinger 62 includes a thin portion 62s in which the thickness of the distal end at of the fixing portion 62a (the thickness in the vertical direction in FIG. 1A) is thinner than the other portions of the fixing portion 62a. The thin-walled portion 62 s is positioned and fixed to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16) by being deformed in contact with the step surface 16 h of the stepped portion 16 g provided on the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16). Is done.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1 (a), the inner diameter of the tip at the fixed portion 62a is larger than the inner diameter of the portion other than the tip at (other portion) of the fixed portion 62a. 62 s of thin parts are formed so that it may be set smaller than the outer diameter size of another part. That is, the thin-walled portion 62s narrows the distal end at of the fixed portion 62a by a predetermined amount from the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side, respectively, to reduce the thickness of the distal end at (the vertical distance in FIG. 1A). It has a structure.

  Thus, by providing the thin part 62s at the tip at of the slinger 62 (fixing part 62a), the rigidity of the thin part 62s of the fixing part 62a and the rigidity of other parts are changed. Specifically, the thin part The rigidity of 62s can be made smaller than the rigidity of the other part. Therefore, when the slinger 62 is fitted into the stepped portion 16g of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16), the thin portion 62s of the fixed portion 62a is used as the stepped portion 16g of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16), specifically. Can be brought into contact with the stepped surface 16h and deformed.

  That is, a reaction force against the pressing force (pressing force) applied from the slinger 62 to the stepped surface 16h at the time of fitting can be absorbed and absorbed by the deformation of the thin-walled portion 62, whereby the rotating wheel 10 (the inner ring component 16). ), The slinger 62 can be easily assembled to the bearing unit without deforming the slinger 62 itself (in particular, the cylindrical portion 62b). Further, since the assembled slinger 62 is in a state in which the tip at of the fixing portion 62a is in contact with the step surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16), the positional deviation of the slinger 62 after the fixing is ensured. Can be prevented. As a result, the sealing performance (air tightness performance and liquid tightness performance) of the bearing unit can be kept constant over a long period of time.

  Here, when the slinger 62 is fitted to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16), the following procedure may be performed. First, the slinger 62 is positioned so that the tip at of the fixed portion 62a faces the step surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) (FIG. 1B), and the inner peripheral surface as of the fixed portion 62a is rotated. The slinger 62 is pushed (press-fitted) along the fitting surface 16b from the outboard side to the inboard side while being in contact with the fitting surface 16b of the wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). As it is, the slinger 62 is press-fitted until the tip at of the fixing portion 62b comes into contact with the step surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) (FIG. 1 (c)).

  In this state, by applying pressure input to the slinger 62 (pressing force acting on the step surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) from the tip at), the tip at at the fixed portion 62a is applied. The provided thin portion 62s is deformed by a reaction force against the pressing force (pressure input) (FIG. 1 (d)). Specifically, the fixed portion 62a is crushed and deformed so that the thin portion 62s reduces its width (the fixed portion 62a shortens its extension length (extension dimension)). As a result, a reaction force from the stepped surface 16h acting on the slinger 62 during fitting can be absorbed and absorbed by the deformation of the thin wall portion 62, and the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure is not deformed by itself). It can be easily positioned and fixed with respect to 16).

  When the slinger 62 is fitted to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16), the reference surface of the pushing (press-fitting) other than the step surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16) (as an example, the rotating wheel). 10 (end surface 16s on the inboard side of the inner ring structure 16). Further, in the press-fitting, the reference surface (the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring) is obtained by a pressure input equal to or greater than the sum (total load) of the deformation load of the thin-walled portion 62 of the slinger 62 and the fitting load to the stepped portion 16g of the fixed portion 62a. What is necessary is just to press-fit into the predetermined position from the end surface 16s) of the structure 16). Thereby, the thin-walled portion 62 can be easily deformed, and the slinger 62 can be fitted and fixed smoothly and at a fixed position with respect to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16).

  In this case, the method of forming the thin portion 62s with respect to the slinger 62 (fixed portion 62a) is not particularly limited, and may be performed by any method depending on the material of the slinger 62 and the like. For example, when the slinger 62 is made of a predetermined metal plate (made of steel plate) and formed by pressing the metal plate (steel plate), the thin portion 62s is formed simultaneously with the forming of the slinger 62 (fixed portion 62a). And the operation can be performed very easily. However, once the fixing portion 62a of the slinger 62 is formed into a flat plate shape by pressing or the like, the thin portion 62s is formed by cutting or grinding the tip at of the fixing portion 62a after the forming. May be.

  Further, the size (width (distance in the left-right direction in FIG. 1A) and thickness (distance in the vertical direction in FIG. 1A)) of the thin-walled portion 62s is, for example, the size of the slinger 62 (fixed portion 62a) or the slinger. Since it may be arbitrarily set according to the size of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) to which 62 is fitted, it is not particularly limited here.

  However, the extension length (extension dimension) of the fixed portion 62a is such that when the slinger 62 is fitted to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16), the thin-walled portion 62s reduces its width (the fixed portion 62a is extended). It is necessary to set the dimensions in consideration of shortening the protruding length (extended dimension). In other words, the fixing portion 62b of the slinger 62 has the base end ab at the rotating wheel 10 in a state where the thin portion 62s has a reduced width and the slinger 62 is positioned and fixed with respect to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). The extension length is set in advance to a dimension that does not protrude from the end surface 16s on the inboard side of the (inner ring component 16) (that is, the surface bs on the inboard side of the cylindrical portion 62b is substantially flush with the end surface 16s). Just keep it.

  Therefore, when the slinger 62 is fitted to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16), the tip at the fixed portion 62b is in contact with the step surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). As shown in FIG. 1 (c), the base end ab (the surface bs on the inboard side of the cylindrical portion 62b) of the fixed portion 62b protrudes more toward the inboard side than the end surface 16s of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). It may be out.

  Further, the size (width and thickness) of the thin wall portion 62s is smaller than the fitting load with respect to the step portion 16g of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) acting on the fixed portion 62a. It is preferable to set. At this time, the thickness of the fixing portion 62a of the slinger 62 and the fitting allowance thereof are preferably set so that the deformation load of the thin portion 62s is smaller than the fitting load of the fixing portion 62a.

  The shape of the thin portion 62s is not limited to a flat plate shape in which the tip at of the fixing portion 62a is narrowed down from the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side as shown in FIG. 62a), the shape of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) to which the slinger 62 is fitted, and the like. For example, FIGS. 1E to 1G show the configuration of the slinger 62 according to the first to third modifications of the present invention in which the shape of the thin portion 62s is modified.

  In the first modified example of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 (e), the inner diameter dimension of the distal end at of the fixing portion 62a of the slinger 62 is larger than the inner diameter dimension of a portion (other portion) other than the distal end at of the fixing portion 62a. The outer diameter dimension is large and is set to the same dimension as the outer diameter dimension of the other part, and the thin portion 62s is formed. That is, the thin portion 62s has a structure in which the distal end at of the fixed portion 62a is narrowed by a predetermined amount only from the inner diameter side, and the thickness of the distal end at (the vertical distance in FIG. 1A) is reduced. Yes. On the contrary, the thin portion 62s may be formed by narrowing the tip at the fixed portion 62a by a predetermined size only from the outer diameter side and reducing the thickness of the tip at.

  Further, in the second modified example of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 (f), the inner diameter dimension of the fixing portion 62a of the slinger 62 is such that the inner diameter dimension of the tip at is other than the tip at of the fixing section 62a (other portion). The outer diameter dimension is set to be gradually smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the other part, so that the thin portion 62s is formed. That is, the thin-walled portion 62s tapers the distal end at of the fixed portion 62a from both the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side, thereby reducing the thickness of the distal end at (the vertical distance in FIG. 1 (f)). It has a structure.

  Further, in the third modification of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 (g), the thin portion 62s is formed into a flat plate shape as in the first modification described above, and the width dimension is set at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction. A plurality of notches 62v are formed so that (distance in the left-right direction in the figure) changes. At this time, the size and shape of the notches 62v and the number (the formation interval) may be arbitrarily set according to the size of the slinger 62 and the like. For example, the shape of the notch 62v may be a trapezoidal shape, a semicircular shape, a semielliptical shape, etc. in addition to the rectangular shape shown in FIG. Note that a notch 62v as shown in FIG. 6G is formed on the thin portion 62s having the shape shown in the above-described embodiment (FIG. 1A) and the second modification (FIG. 5F). It may be formed.

  Thereby, the rigidity of the thin part 62s of the fixed part 62a can be made smaller than the rigidity of other parts of the fixed part 62a. Therefore, when the slinger 62 is fitted to the stepped portion 16g of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16), the thin-walled portion 62s of the fixing portion 62a contacts the stepped surface 16h of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16). At this time, the thin portion 62s can be more easily deformed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the method of forming the stepped portion 16g with respect to the outer peripheral portion (groove shoulder portion of the raceway surface 10i) of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituent body 16) is not particularly mentioned. What is necessary is just to carry out by arbitrary methods according to the material etc. of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). For example, the step portion 16g may be formed simultaneously with the molding of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16), or only the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16) is first molded, and then the molded rotating wheel 10 (inner ring). The step 16g may be formed by performing turning or cutting on the component 16).

  Here, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16) preferably has a configuration in which the smoothness accuracy of the raceway surface 10i is increased as much as possible in order to smoothly roll the rolling element (not shown). In addition, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) smoothly press-fits the slinger 62, and fixes (fits) the slinger 62 after press-fitting, so that the fitting surface of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). It is preferable to properly adjust the fitting margin of 16b.

  For this reason, the grinding process as shown in FIG. 2A is applied to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) having the raceway surface 10i and the fitting surface 16b (stepped portion 16g) before the assembly of the bearing unit A. It is given to. In this case, for example, the grindstone 50 formed with a diamond wheel or the like is simultaneously applied to the raceway surface 10i and the stepped portion 16g from an oblique direction with respect to the axis, and the grindstone 50, the raceway surface 10i and the fitting surface 16b (step difference). These are ground simultaneously by sliding the part 16g) relatively. At this time, a predetermined relief groove 16j is formed in advance on the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16), so that the grindstone 50 interferes (contacts) with the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) during grinding. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly perform such grinding.

  On the other hand, forming such a relief groove 16j increases, for example, the cost of turning the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16), and is close to the step surface 16h of the fitting surface 16b. The portion cannot be ground with the grindstone 50 as described above.

  For this reason, when the relief groove 16j is formed, the width of the thin portion 62s of the slinger 62 (fixed portion 62a) from the step surface 16h to the inboard side (for example, the distance in the left-right direction in FIG. 1A) The escape groove 16j may be formed in advance only in a region having substantially the same width. Such a region is a portion where the slinger 62 is not in contact with the fitting surface 16b of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16), and therefore there is no particular problem even if the above-described grinding process is not performed. In addition, when the size of the region not subjected to grinding (the non-grindable region) (the protruding portion 16z shown in FIG. 2B) is fitted to the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16) of the slinger 62, If the thin portion 62s of the slinger 62 (fixed portion 62a) is deformed so as not to interfere with the thin portion 62s, the relief groove 16j may not be formed in the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). Good. In this case, the size of the ungrindable region (protruding portion) 16z may be set so as to be a size slightly smaller than the amount of narrowing on the inner diameter side of the thin portion 62s and the formation width.

  In the present embodiment, since it is necessary to reliably contact the tip at of the thin portion 62s of the slinger 62 (fixing portion 62a) with the step surface 16h, the step surface 16h is substantially in the axial direction. The configuration is such that the stepped surface 16h is raised so that the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the stepped portion 16g are continued substantially at a right angle.

  Here, when the bearing unit A is assembled, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) is moved in the supply chute and supplied to the assembly process of the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16). If the step portion 16g is provided on the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) as in the present embodiment, for example, depending on the timing, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring) as shown in FIG. It is also assumed that the structure 16) tilts in the supply chute and comes into contact with the inner wall, causing inconvenience such as braking or being easily caught in the supply chute. Further, when the width dimension (diameter dimension) of the supply chute is large, for example, when a large number of rotating wheels 10 (inner ring constituting body 16) are continuously put into the supply chute, as shown in FIG. There is a possibility that the stepped portion 16g of a certain rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16) overlaps and gets entangled with the raceway surface 10i of another rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16), causing damage to the raceway surface 10i. The

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the stepped portion 16g has a large-diameter portion 16d whose position of the large-diameter portion 16d is in the axial direction (axial direction (the left-right direction in FIG. )), The stepped portion 16g is preferably formed on the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring structure 16) so as to overlap (same phase).

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4B, by forming the shape of the large-diameter portion 16d of the stepped portion 16g into a smooth convex curved surface, for example, the two rotating wheels 10 (inner ring constituting body 16) overlap. Even when entangled, since the large-diameter portion 16d has no edge, it is possible to effectively prevent the raceway surface 10i from being damaged. In this case, the apex position of the large-diameter portion 16d of the stepped portion 16g having a convex curved surface shape is in the axial direction and the axial direction (axial direction (left-right direction in the figure)) of the rotary wheel 10 (inner ring component 16). The stepped portion 16g may be formed on the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring constituting body 16) so as to overlap with each other (having the same phase).

In the above-described embodiment, the sealing device 6 is described as a single structure of the slinger 62. However, the configuration of the sealing device 6 is not limited to such a single structure of slinger.
For example, the disk portion 62b of the slinger 62 is used as a detection object of a sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation state of the slinger 62 (specifically, the rotating wheel 10 (inner ring component 16)). An encoder (not shown) may be attached. In this case, as an example, a sensor as a detection body is a magnetic sensor, and a magnetic pole body (sensor encoder (not shown)) made of a predetermined magnetic material magnetized in multiple poles is used as a detection body of the magnetic sensor. The slinger 62 can be configured by being attached to the plate portion 62b.

  Thus, a bearing unit having a sensor function capable of measuring the rotation state (for example, rotation speed, rotation angle or rotation direction) while keeping the inside in a sealed state (airtight state and liquid-tight state). It can be configured. In this case, the slinger 62 is configured as the sealing device 6 and is also configured as a core metal (that is, an encoder core metal) for attaching a magnetic pole body (sensor encoder (not shown)).

Further, for example, the sealing device 6 includes a package structure (so-called pack seal), that is, a slinger 62 (FIGS. 1A to 1G) and a core metal (FIGS. 5B and 5C). The structure may be a combination of a metal core 24) and a seal (corresponding to the seal 26 in the figure).
In this case, the pack seal is continuous with the slinger 62, the cylindrical metal core fixing part extending in a predetermined direction from the base end to the front end, and the base end of the metal core fixing part, and the pack seal is attached to the metal core fixing part. An annular cored bar made of a cored bar disk extending at a predetermined angle with respect to the slinger 62 and the cored bar, connected to one of the slinger 62 and the cored bar, and the other A seal that comes into sliding contact is provided. Then, the sealing device 6 may be configured by combining the slinger 62, the cored bar, and the seal so that the contour shape of the cross section is substantially rectangular (as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C). A similar configuration in which only the configuration of the pack seal 2 and the slinger 62 differs.
By making the sealing device 6 have such a package structure (pack seal), its sealing performance (airtight performance and liquid tight performance) can be remarkably enhanced.

As described above, according to the sealing device 6 (slinger 62 or pack seal) according to the present invention, the assembly to the bearing unit A can be easily performed, and the positional deviation after the assembly can be reliably prevented. As a result, the durability of the sealing device 6 (slinger 62 or pack seal) can be improved, and the sealing performance (air tightness and liquid tightness) can be kept constant over a long period of time.
Therefore, by assembling the sealing device 6 (slinger 62 or pack seal), the sealing performance (air tightness and liquid tightness) is improved, and the bearing unit A can be stably rotated with a certain accuracy over a long period of time. It will be possible to continue.

It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a sealing device according to the present invention, (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a slinger, (b) when the slinger is fitted to a rotating wheel (inner ring structure), Sectional drawing which shows the state which positioned the front-end | tip of a slinger (fixed part) so that it may face the level | step difference surface of the said rotation ring | wheel (inner ring structure), (c) is press-fitting a slinger and the front-end | tip contact | abuts a level | step difference surface. (D) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the thin portion of the slinger is deformed, and the slinger is positioned and fixed with respect to the rotating wheel (inner ring constituent body). Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the slinger which concerns on the 1st modification of this, (f) is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the slinger which concerns on the 2nd modification of this invention, (g) is the 3rd modification of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the slinger which concerns. (a) is a sectional view for explaining a method of grinding the raceway surface and the fitting surface of the rotating wheel (inner ring component), and (b) is provided with a relief groove in the rotating wheel (inner ring component). Sectional drawing which shows the state which gave grinding processing without positioning and positioned and fixed the slinger. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a rotating wheel (inner ring structure) is tilted in the supply chute and is in contact with the inner wall of the chute, and (b) is a view of two rotating wheels (inner ring structure) in the supply chute. Sectional drawing which shows the state in which the level | step-difference part and the track surface overlapped and intertwined. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the position of the stepped portion (large diameter portion) of the rotating wheel (inner ring component) and the position of the center of gravity of the rotating wheel (inner ring component), and (b) is the same figure (a) ) Is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which the shape of the stepped portion (large diameter portion) is a convex curved surface. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the conventional sealing device (pack seal), Comprising: (a) is sectional drawing of the bearing unit (hub unit bearing) to which the pack seal was attached, (b), (c) is a pack Sectional view showing the structure of the seal, (d) is a sectional view showing the state of the pack seal before assembly to the bearing unit (hub unit bearing), (e) is after assembly to the bearing unit (hub unit bearing) Sectional drawing which shows the state of the pack seal of. Sectional drawing which shows the structural example which concerns on the position shift prevention of the conventional sealing device.

Explanation of symbols

6 (62) Sealing device (Slinger)
10 (16) Rotating wheel (inner ring component)
16g Stepped portion 16h Stepped surface 62a Fixed portion 62b Disk portion 62s Thin portion at Fixed tip

Claims (6)

Sealing for bearings for keeping the inside of a bearing device air-tight and liquid-tight with at least a pair of bearing rings arranged so as to be rotatable relative to each other and a plurality of rolling elements rotatably incorporated between the bearing rings. The bearing sealing device includes a cylindrical fixed portion extending in a predetermined direction from a proximal end to a distal end, and a continuous angle to the proximal end of the fixed portion, and a predetermined angle with respect to the fixed portion. Is composed of a disc portion extending at least, and is configured to include at least an annular slinger fixed to any of the raceways,
The race ring to which the slinger is fixed is provided with a step portion for fixing the slinger over the entire circumference of the peripheral portion, and the step portion has two parts having a diameter difference with respect to the step surface. Has a structure that is continuous along the circumferential direction,
The slinger includes a thin portion in which the thickness of the tip of the fixing portion is thinner than the other portion of the fixing portion over the entire circumference, and the thin portion is a step portion provided on the raceway. A bearing sealing device, wherein the bearing sealing device is positioned and fixed to the bearing ring by being deformed in contact with the stepped surface.   2. The bearing sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the slinger is positioned and fixed to the bearing ring with reference to an axial end surface of the bearing ring provided with the stepped portion.   The bearing sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an encoder used as a detection object of a sensor that detects a rotation state of the slinger is attached to the disk portion of the slinger. In the bearing ring provided with the stepped portion, the circumferential surface is recessed over the entire circumference in the region of the peripheral portion corresponding to the axial width dimension of the thinned portion of the slinger from the stepped surface of the stepped portion. Groove is formed,
The said slinger is positioned and fixed to the said track ring in the state which matched the axial direction position of the thin part with the position of the groove | channel of the said track ring, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Sealing device for bearings. The slinger comprising the structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a cylindrical cored bar fixing part extending in a predetermined direction from the base end to the tip, and a base end of the cored bar fixing part, An annular cored bar made of a cored bar plate extending at a predetermined angle with respect to the cored bar fixing part, and interposed between the slinger and the cored bar, and connected to one of the slinger and the cored bar. And a seal which is in sliding contact with the other, and has a structure in which the slinger, the cored bar, and the seal are combined so that the profile of the cross section is substantially rectangular. A stationary wheel fixed to the vehicle body component member, a track ring formed by rotating and rotating the wheel component member fixed and rotating together with the wheel component member so as to be relatively rotatable, and a stationary wheel and a rotating wheel, respectively. A wheel support bearing unit comprising a plurality of rolling elements incorporated so as to be able to roll between mutually opposing raceway surfaces, in order to keep the inside airtight and liquid tight, 4. A bearing unit for supporting a wheel, wherein the bearing sealing device according to claim 4 is provided.

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