KR102040731B1 - Sealing device for wheel bearing and wheel bearing assembly comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wheel bearing assembly is provided. The wheel bearing assembly includes an outer ring, a wheel hub that rotates relative to the outer ring, and a sealing device disposed between the wheel hub and the outer ring. The sealing device includes a frame coupled to the outer ring and a seal having a plurality of annular ribs formed to enclose at least a portion of the frame and projecting toward the outer circumferential surface of the wheel, wherein at least one of the plurality of ribs is a grease lip. . The grease lip includes at least one protrusion provided at the tip and the tip, and the tip is configured to contact the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub, and the protrusion contacts the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and presses at least a portion of the tip in the radially outward direction to the wheel hub. A gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and the distal end by separating it from the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub.

Description

Sealing device for wheel bearing and wheel bearing assembly including the same {SEALING DEVICE FOR WHEEL BEARING AND WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING THE SAME}

The present disclosure relates to a sealing device for a wheel bearing and a wheel bearing assembly comprising the same.

The bearing is a device mounted between the rotating element and the non-rotating element to facilitate the rotation of the rotating element. The vehicle wheel bearing connects the wheel to the vehicle body so that the vehicle can move. Such a wheel bearing may include an outer ring that is coupled to and fixed to a suspension of a vehicle that is a non-rotating element, a wheel hub that is coupled to and fixed to an axle that is a rotating element, and a rolling element disposed in an inner space between the outer ring and the wheel hub. have. The wheel hub rotates relative to the outer ring.

 A sealing device between the wheel hub and the outer ring to prevent foreign substances from entering the inner space between the outer ring and the wheel hub and to prevent leakage of grease (lubricant) injected into the inner space between the outer ring and the wheel hub. May be provided. For example, in such a sealing device it is possible to seal the inner space between the outer ring and the wheel hub in such a way that the grease lip contacts the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub.

When the grease lip of the sealing device comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wheel hub, the contact pressure affects the torque efficiency of the wheel bearing. In particular, when the temperature in the inner space between the outer ring and the wheel hub increases according to the driving state of the vehicle, the air in the inner space expands, and as a result, the pressure in the inner space increases. This increased pressure further deforms the grease lip to increase the contact pressure, thus degrading the torque efficiency of the wheel bearings.

The present disclosure is to solve the above-described deficiencies of the prior art, and provides a sealing device for a wheel bearing and a wheel bearing assembly including the same, which improve the torque efficiency of the wheel bearing with a simple structure.

Embodiments in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure relate to a wheel bearing assembly. A wheel bearing assembly according to an exemplary embodiment includes an outer ring, a wheel hub that rotates relative to the outer ring, and a sealing device disposed between the wheel hub and the outer ring, the sealing device comprising: a frame coupled to the outer ring; A seal having a plurality of annular lips protruding toward the outer circumferential surface of the wheel, wherein at least one of the plurality of ribs is a grease lip, the grease lip being at least one provided at the tip and the tip; A protruding portion of the wheel hub, wherein the distal end portion is configured to contact the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub, and the protruding portion contacts the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and presses at least a portion of the distal end in the outer radial direction to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub. A gap is formed between the tip and the tip.

In one embodiment, the grease lip extends in the inner radial direction and the inner axial direction.

In one embodiment, the tip portion includes a plurality of protrusions, the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the tip portion.

In one embodiment, the grease lip includes an inner surface facing in the inner axial direction, an outer surface facing in the outer axial direction, and a free end surface connecting the inner surface and the outer surface, and the protrusion is formed on the outer surface.

In one embodiment, the protrusion extends in the inner axial direction along the outer surface.

In one embodiment, the protrusion includes an inclined surface that is inclined in the inner radial direction and the inner axial direction.

Embodiments in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure relate to a sealing device for a wheel bearing comprising a wheel hub and an outer ring. A sealing device for a wheel bearing according to an exemplary embodiment includes a frame coupled to the outer ring, a seal formed to surround at least a portion of the frame, the seal having a plurality of annular lips, and at least one of the plurality of ribs is a grease lip. The grease lip includes an inner surface facing in the inner axial direction, an outer surface facing in the outer axial direction, a free end surface connecting the inner surface and the outer surface, and at least one protrusion formed on the outer surface, and the protrusions The end of the projection is formed to be disposed radially more inward than the edge formed by the free end face, the projection includes an inclined surface inclined in the inner radial direction and the inner axial direction.

In one embodiment, the protrusion extends in the inner axial direction along the outer surface.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, even if the temperature in the internal space between the wheel hub and the outer ring increases according to the driving state of the vehicle through the sealing device of a simple structure, the grease lip is not further deformed by this temperature increase. Accordingly, the torque efficiency of the wheel bearing assembly can be improved.

1 is a perspective view showing a cross section including an axial direction of a wheel bearing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A shown in FIG. 1.
3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion B shown in FIG. 2.
4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the sealing device disclosed in FIG. 1.
5 is a plan view of a state before the sealing device disclosed in FIG. 1 is mounted to a wheel bearing.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion C shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a cross section of the sealing device illustrated in FIG. 5 taken in a Ⅶ-Ⅶ direction. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a state where the sealing device disclosed in FIG. 1 is mounted on a wheel bearing so that grease lip is elastically deformed. FIG.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of part D shown in FIG. 8. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the sealing device shown in FIG. 8 in the Ⅹ-Ⅹ direction. FIG.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated for the purpose of describing the technical spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments set forth below or the detailed description of these embodiments.

All technical and scientific terms used in the present disclosure, unless defined otherwise, have the meanings that are commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. All terms used in the present disclosure are selected for the purpose of more clearly describing the present disclosure, and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights according to the present disclosure.

As used in this disclosure, expressions such as "comprising", "including", "having", and the like, are open terms that imply the possibility of including other embodiments unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence in which the expression is included. It should be understood as (open-ended terms).

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Expressions such as “first”, “second”, and the like used in the present disclosure are used to distinguish a plurality of components from each other, and do not limit the order or importance of the components.

As used in this disclosure, the expression “based on” is used to describe one or more factors that affect the behavior or behavior of a decision, judgment, described in a phrase or sentence that includes the expression, which expression Does not exclude additional factors that affect decisions, actions of behaviour, or actions.

In the present disclosure, when a component is referred to as being "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected to the other component, or may be connected via a new other component. It should be understood that.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments, it may be omitted to duplicate the same or corresponding components. However, even if the description of the component is omitted, it is not intended that such component is not included in any embodiment.

As used herein, the direction indicator in the "outer radial direction D1" refers to the direction away from the axis in the radial direction with respect to the rotational axis RA of the rotational body, and the "inner radial direction D2". Direction direction means the direction opposite to the outer radial direction. Further, the direction indicators such as "outer axial direction D3" and "outer" used in the present disclosure mean a direction from the inside of the chassis toward the wheel along the axis RA of the rotating body, and the "inner axial direction". (D4) ", " inner " refer to a direction from the wheel toward the inside of the chassis along the axis of the rotating body. "Circumferential direction (D5)" means the axis (RA) is a direction surrounding the rotating body around the rotating body.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section including an axial direction RA of a wheel bearing assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the wheel bearing assembly 1 may be disposed between the suspension of the vehicle and the wheel, to rotate the wheel relative to the suspension. The wheel bearing assembly 1 may include a wheel hub 10, an inner ring 13, a rolling element 20, and an outer ring 30. The suspension can be arranged in the inner axial direction D4 of the wheel bearing assembly 1 and the wheel can be arranged in the outer axial direction D3 of the wheel bearing assembly 1. In the outer radial direction D1 of the wheel bearing assembly 1 a chassis of the vehicle can be located.

In one embodiment, the outer ring 30 may be coupled to one side of the suspension device. The outer ring 30 may be provided as a non-rotating element, and may be configured such that the position does not move after being coupled to one side of the suspension device. The outer ring 30 may, for example, be coupled to the knuckle arm of the suspension device and fixed in position. In addition, the inner ring 13 is press-fitted to the wheel hub 10, so that the inner ring 13 may rotate together with the wheel hub 10 when the wheel hub 10 rotates.

The rolling element 20 may be interposed between the outer ring 30 and the wheel hub 10 or between the outer ring 30 and the inner ring 13. According to one embodiment, the rolling element 20 may have, for example, a ball-like configuration. Further, the outer portion of the rolling element 20 is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 30, the inner portion of the rolling element 20 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 or the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 13. Can be. In one embodiment, the rolling elements 20 may be provided in two or more rows. For example, one rolling element 20 may be interposed between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30, and the other rolling element 20 may be interposed between the outer ring 30 and the inner ring 13. have. Since two or more rows of the rolling bodies 20 support two or more points of the wheel hub 10, the wheel hub 10 may be stably rotated with respect to the outer ring 30.

In one embodiment, the sealing device 100 may be installed between the outer ring 30 and the wheel hub 10 to block foreign substances flowing into the space between the outer ring 30 and the wheel hub 10. The sealing device 100 can comprise a rigid metal material and a flexible rubber material. The rubber material may contact the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 or reduce the distance between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 to block the inflow of foreign matter.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A shown in FIG. 1. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion B shown in FIG. 2. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the sealing device disclosed in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, in one embodiment, the sealing device 100 may include a frame 110 and a seal 120. The frame 110 and the seal 120 may have an annular shape as a whole. The frame 110 may be made of a metal material and may be coupled to the outer ring 30 while surrounding at least a portion of the end of the outer ring 30. The seal 120 may be made of a rubber material and may be configured to surround at least a portion of the frame 110.

In one embodiment, the seal 120 may include a plurality of ribs 140, 160. The plurality of lips 140 and 160 may include at least one first lip 140 and one second lip 160. The at least one first lip 140 is mainly for preventing foreign matter from penetrating into the inner space between the outer ring 30 and the wheel hub 10, and for this purpose, the outer axial direction D3 and the outer radial direction ( It can be formed to extend to D1).

The second lip 160 is disposed directly opposite the inner space between the outer ring 30 and the wheel hub 10, that is, the most axially inward of the plurality of ribs 140, 160 of the seal 100. As the grease lip to be, mainly serves to prevent the leakage of grease (lubricant) injected into the inner space between the outer ring 30 and the wheel hub 10. To this end, the second lip 160 may be formed to extend in the inner axial direction D4 and the inner radial direction D2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second lip 160 is annular in shape and extends in the inner axial direction D4 and the inner radial direction D2 (as a free end) and has a tip portion 161. . The second lip 160 has an outer surface 165 facing the outer axial direction D3, an inner surface 163 facing the inner axial direction D4, and a free end surface connecting the outer surface 165 and the inner surface 163. 164 is formed.

5 is a plan view of a state before the sealing device disclosed in FIG. 1 is mounted to a wheel bearing. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion C shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a cross section of the sealing device illustrated in FIG. 5 taken in a Ⅶ-Ⅶ direction. FIG.

The protrusion 166 is formed on the outer surface 165. The protrusion 166 extends in the inner axial direction D4 along the outer surface 165. As shown in FIG. 7, in the state before the sealing device 100 is mounted on the wheel bearing and elastically deformed, the end 168 of the protrusion 166 is formed by the outer surface 165 and the free end surface 164 meeting each other. It is disposed inward in the radial direction more than the edge (169).

In order for the second lip 160 to reliably prevent the leakage of grease injected into the inner space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30, the second lip 160 has a tip portion 161 of the wheel hub 10. Elongate to contact the outer circumferential surface 14 of.

  In this case, if there is no protrusion 166 as the present invention, the second lip 160 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 along the circumferential direction (D5) as a whole, the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring The interior space between the 30 will be completely closed. Accordingly, when the temperature of the internal space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 increases according to the driving state of the vehicle, air in the internal space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 will expand. Inflated air will increase the pressure in the interior space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30. The second lip 160 has a structure extending in the inner axial direction (D4) and the inner radial direction (D2) to effectively prevent the leakage of grease, the second lip 160 of this structure is the wheel hub (10) When the elastic deformation due to the increase in the pressure of the inner space between the outer ring 30 and the outer ring 30, the contact pressure with the wheel hub 10 is further increased. That is, without the protrusion 166, when the temperature of the internal space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 is increased, the torque efficiency of the wheel bearing assembly 1 may be reduced.

8 is a plan view of a state in which the sealing device disclosed in FIG. 1 is mounted on an outer ring and the second lip is elastically deformed. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of part D shown in FIG. 8. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the sealing device shown in FIG. 8 in the Ⅹ-Ⅹ direction. FIG.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the sealing device 100 is mounted on the outer ring 30, the protrusion 166 may have the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10. Presses the tip 161 having the protrusion 166 in the outer radial direction D1, and the portion of the tip 161 having the protrusion 166 formed thereon and the peripheral portion of the wheel hub 10. 14) away from it. As a result, a gap 170 is formed locally between the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 and the second lip 160. Therefore, since the temperature of the inner space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 rises so that the air in the inner space expands, the second lip 160 is additionally elastic because it is discharged out of the inner space through the gap 170. It does not deform. Therefore, even if the temperature of the inner space between the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 increases, the torque efficiency of the wheel bearing assembly 1 does not fall. At the same time, only the portion where the protrusion 166 is formed and the peripheral portion of the tip portion 161 are spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10, and the remaining portion of the tip portion 161 is the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub 10 ( 14) and the gap 170 is also partially closed by the projection 166, so that grease (of the inner space between the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30) leaks to the outside. Is effectively prevented.

In addition, the gap 170 is not allowed to leak grease in the inner space between the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 to the outside, and the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring The protrusions can be designed to allow the release of air in the interior space between the 30.

For example, the height H1 of the gap 170 may be formed small enough to prevent the viscous grease from leaking through the gap 170, and the height H1 of the gap 170 may be formed in the protrusion 166. Can be determined. As described above, in the structure in which the tip portion 161 of the second lip 160 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10, the tip 161 is projected by the protrusion 166 to the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub 10. This is because the distance from 14 is the height H1 of the gap 170.

In one embodiment, the protrusion 166 may include an inclined surface 167 inclined in the inner radial direction D2 and the inner axial direction D4. In the structure in which the second lip 160 extends in the inner radial direction D2 and the inner axial direction D4, the protrusion 166 formed on the outer surface 165 of the second lip 160 also has an inner radial direction D2. And the inclined surface 167 inclined in the inner axial direction D4, the portion of the protrusion 166 in contact with the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 is formed of the inclined surface 167 of the protrusion 166. Limited to tip 168. Therefore, the height H1 of the gap 170 may be determined by the distance between the end 168 of the inclined surface 167 of the protrusion 166 and the outer surface 165. Accordingly, the height H1 of the gap 166 can be easily set by adjusting the distance between the end 168 of the inclined surface 167 of the protrusion 166 and the outer surface 165.

The end 168 of the inclined surface 167 may be formed to have a width W1 sufficient for the protrusion 166 to stably support the tip portion 164. For example, the inclined surface 167 may be formed such that the width W1 of the end 168 of the inclined surface 167 is equal to the height H1 of the gap 166 or greater than the height H1 of the gap 166. . When the width W1 of the end 168 of the inclined surface 167 is smaller than the height H1 of the gap 166, the protrusion 166 is moved in the circumferential direction D5 by the frictional force caused by the rotation of the wheel hub 10. It is easy to be deformed and the projection 166 is difficult to maintain a constant height of the gap 166. In addition, if the width W1 is too small, there is substantially no effect of forming the gap 166.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, a portion of the gap 170 is partially closed in the protrusion 166, thereby further increasing the sealability to the viscous grease.

A plurality of protrusions 166 may be formed on the outer surface 165 of the second lip 160, and in this case, the plurality of protrusions 166 may be spaced apart from each other and disposed along the circumferential direction D5. Accordingly, the expanded air in the inner space between the outer circumferential surface 14 of the wheel hub 10 and the outer ring 30 can be prevented from elastically deforming the second lip 160 by locally increasing the pressure in the inner space. have.

While the technical spirit of the present disclosure has been described with reference to some embodiments and the examples shown in the accompanying drawings, the technical spirit and scope of the present disclosure may be understood by those skilled in the art. It will be appreciated that various substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be made in the scope. Also, such substitutions, modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

1: wheel bearing assembly.
10: wheel hub
20: rolling element
30: paddle
100: sealing device
110: frame
120: seal
140: first lip
160: second lip

Claims (9)

Paddle Wheel,
A wheel hub that rotates relative to the outer ring,
A sealing device disposed between the wheel hub and the outer ring,
The sealing device,
A frame coupled to the outer ring,
A seal formed to surround at least a portion of the frame, the seal having a plurality of annular lips projecting toward an outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub;
At least one of the plurality of ribs is a grease lip,
The grease lip extends in the inner radial direction and the inner axial direction,
The grease lip includes a tip portion and at least one protrusion provided on the tip portion,
The tip portion is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the wheel hub,
The protrusion contacts the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and presses a portion of the tip portion in an outer radial direction to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub to form a gap between the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and the tip portion;
The grease lip includes an inner surface facing in the inner axial direction, an outer surface facing in the outer axial direction, and a free end surface connecting the inner surface and the outer surface,
The protrusion is formed on the outer surface,
On the cross section cut the projection including the axis of the wheel hub, the end of the projection is formed to be disposed on the inner radial side more than the edge formed by the outer surface and the free end face,
The portion of the protrusion in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub is the end of the protrusion,
Wheel bearing assembly. delete According to claim 1, The tip portion includes a plurality of protrusions, the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the tip portion,
Wheel bearing assembly. delete The method of claim 1, wherein the protrusion extends in the inner axial direction along the outer surface,
Wheel bearing assembly. The method of claim 1, wherein the projection comprises an inclined surface inclined in the inner radial direction and the inner axial direction,
Wheel bearing assembly. The method of claim 6,
Width of the end of the inclined surface is equal to the height of the gap or greater than the height of the gap,
Wheel bearing assembly. Sealing device for wheel bearings installed between the wheel hub and the outer ring,
A frame coupled to the outer ring,
A seal formed to surround at least a portion of the frame, the seal having a plurality of annular lips,
At least one of the plurality of ribs is a grease lip,
The grease lip extends in the inner radial direction and the inner axial direction,
The grease lip includes a tip portion and at least one protrusion provided on the tip portion,
The tip portion is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the wheel hub,
The protrusion contacts the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and presses a portion of the tip portion in an outer radial direction to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub to form a gap between the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub and the tip portion;
The grease lip includes an inner surface facing in the inner axial direction, an outer surface facing in the outer axial direction, and a free end surface connecting the inner surface and the outer surface,
The protrusion is formed on the outer surface,
On the cross section cut the projection including the axis of the wheel hub, the end of the projection is formed to be disposed on the inner radial side more than the edge formed by the outer surface and the free end face,
The portion of the protrusion in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub is the end of the protrusion,
Sealing device for wheel bearings. The method of claim 8, wherein the projection extends in the inner axial direction along the outer surface,
Sealing device for wheel bearings.

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