WO2020179727A1

WO2020179727A1 - Sealing device and bearing apparatus provided with same

Info

Publication number: WO2020179727A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/008633
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健太郎大森
Original assignee: 内山工業株式会社
Priority date: 2019-03-05
Filing date: 2020-03-02
Publication date: 2020-09-10
Also published as: JPWO2020179727A1

Abstract

An annular sealing device 10 for sealing between a fixed-side member 2 and a rotation-side member 5 supported so as to be rotatable relative to the fixed-side member, is characterized by being provided with: a core body 16 that is attached to the fixed-side member; a seal body 17 that has a plurality of seal lips 171, 172, 173 in proximity to or in slidingly contact with the rotation-side member and that is fixed to the core body; a connection part 20 that is provided to at least one of the seal lips and formed so as to connect a space defined by the seal lips with a space adjacent thereto; and an index part 13 that is provided so as to enable recognition of the circumferential-direction position of the connection part.

Description

Sealing device and bearing device equipped with it

The present invention relates to a sealing device that seals between a stationary member and a rotating member that rotates relative to the stationary member, and a bearing device including the sealing device.

For example, as a bearing device for a wheel support portion of an automobile or the like, a device composed of an outer ring and an inner ring supported so as to be relatively rotatable is known, and a bearing is provided at an axial end portion between the outer ring and the inner ring. In order to prevent infiltration of muddy water, dust, etc. into the space, a sealing device having seal lips of various configurations is attached. In this sealing device, when the outer ring or the inner ring rotates, the temperature in the bearing space rises due to the friction energy between the seal lip and the rotating member. Then, the pressure in the bearing space rises, and the air in the bearing space may leak from the sliding contact interface between the seal lip and the rotary member. After that, when the wheel decelerates or stops, the temperature in the bearing space decreases, which causes a negative pressure state in the bearing space. As a result, it is a problem that the seal lip sticks to the contacting member and is adsorbed, which contributes to an increase in the rotational torque. Therefore, the following

Patent Documents

1 and 2 disclose the one provided with a ventilation portion for ventilating the seal lip in contact with the member.

DE102015220367 Gazette Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-187118

By the way, a ventilation portion composed of through holes, notches, protrusions and the like as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 is easily exposed to, for example, muddy water in a state where a sealing device is attached. When it is arranged at a position close to the outer space of the fixed member, muddy water or the like may enter through the ventilation part. Therefore, in the sealing devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, since the ventilation portion is provided for the purpose of suppressing the increase of the rotation torque, other desired performance such as sealing performance may not be exhibited.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sealing device capable of exhibiting other desired performance such as sealing performance after providing a communication portion, and a bearing device provided with the sealing device. It is said.

The sealing device according to the present invention is an annular sealing device that seals between a stationary member and a rotating member that is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the stationary member, and is attached to the stationary member. A core body to be formed, a seal body having a plurality of seal lips that are fixed to the core body and have a plurality of seal lips that are in sliding contact with or close to the rotating side member, and at least one of the seal lips are provided with the seal. It is provided with a communication portion formed so that the space partitioned by the lip and the space adjacent to the space communicate with each other, and an index unit provided so that the position of the communication portion in the circumferential direction can be recognized. It is characterized by

Further, the bearing device according to the present invention is a bearing device including a fixed side member and a rotating side member that rotate relatively coaxially, and the above-mentioned sealing device mounted on the fixed side member. It is characterized in that a bearing side index portion capable of recognizing the position of the communication portion in the circumferential direction is provided in a state where the sealing device is mounted between the fixed side member and the rotating side member.

According to the sealing device according to the present invention, the above-described configuration provides a communication portion between the fixed-side member and the rotating-side member so as to exhibit other desired performance such as sealing performance. A sealing device can be attached to the.

Further, according to the bearing device according to the present invention, with the above-described configuration, the fixed-side member can effectively exhibit other desired performance such as sealing performance after providing the sealing device with a communication portion. A sealing device can be mounted between the rotary member and the rotary member. Further, when fixing the fixed side member to the mechanical device, even if the index portion provided on the sealing device cannot be confirmed because the sealing device is mounted between the fixed side member and the rotating side member, the fixed side member is fixed. The position of the index unit can be estimated with reference to the bearing-side index unit provided on the member. Therefore, by confirming the bearing-side index portion, the communication portion of the sealing device can be arranged at a desired position in the circumferential direction with respect to the mechanical device.

It is a schematic schematic vertical sectional view which shows an example of the bearing device to which the sealing device which concerns on this invention is applied. (A) And (b) is a typical schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the sealing device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is an enlarged view of the X1 part of FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view of the position indicated by the arrow A of FIG. 3 (b), and (b) is an enlarged view of the X2 part of FIG. 1, and the arrow of FIG. 3 (b). It is sectional drawing of the position shown by B. (A) is a schematic schematic plan view of the sealing device as viewed from the Z1 direction shown in FIG. 2 (a). (B) is a schematic schematic side view of the sealing device as viewed from the Z2 direction shown in FIG. 2 (a). (A) and (b) are diagrams showing a modification of the sealing device. (A) corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the position indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 5 (a), and (b) is the view corresponding to the cross-sectional view of the position indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 5 (a). (A) is a schematic schematic side view of the sealing device as viewed from the Z2 direction shown in FIG. 4 (a), and FIGS. (B) and (c) are views showing modified examples thereof. (A) And (b) is a typical schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the sealing device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a diagram corresponding to an enlarged view of the X1 portion of FIG. 1, and (b) is a diagram corresponding to an enlarged view of the X2 portion of FIG. (A) And (b) is a typical schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the sealing device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. 1A is an enlarged view of a Y1 portion of FIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a Y2 portion of FIG. (A) is a partially enlarged view showing a further modified example of the sealing device shown in FIG. 4 (a), and (b) is a schematic schematic side view seen from the direction E of FIG. 8 (a). (A) is a schematic schematic vertical sectional view showing an example of a bearing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 (b) of the bearing device with an outer ring and a bearing side index. It is explanatory drawing which added the part. (A) and (b) are schematic schematic vertical sectional views showing different deformation examples of the bearing device, respectively.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In some figures, some of the detailed symbols attached to the other figures are omitted.
The

sealing devices

10 and 11 according to the present invention are

annular sealing devices

10 and 11 that seal between the fixed-side member 2 and the rotary-side member 5 that is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the fixed-side member 2. .. The

sealing devices

10 and 11 include a core body 16 attached to the fixed-side member 2 and

seal bodies

17 and 19 fixed to the core body 16 and having a plurality of seal lips that are in sliding contact with or close to the rotary-side member 5. , Are provided. Further, the

sealing devices

10 and 11 are provided in at least one of the plurality of seal lips, and a communication portion 20 formed so that a space defined by the seal lips and a space adjacent to the space communicate with each other. The indicator portion 13 is provided so that the position of the communication portion 20 in the circumferential direction can be recognized. The details will be described below.

<First Embodiment>
First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
FIG. 1 shows a bearing device 1 that supports a wheel (not shown) of an automobile so as to be rotatable about its axis. The bearing device 1 is roughly composed of two rows of an outer ring 2 corresponding to the above-mentioned fixed side member, an inner ring 5 corresponding to the above-mentioned rotating side member, and two rows interposed between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5. It is configured to include a rolling element (ball) 6 ... The inner ring 5 is composed of a hub wheel 3 and an inner ring member 4, and the inner ring member 4 is integrally fitted to the vehicle body side of the hub wheel 3. A drive shaft 7 is coaxially spline-fitted to the hub wheel 3, and the drive shaft 7 is connected via a constant velocity joint 8 to a drive source (drive transmission unit) not shown. The drive shaft 7 is integrated with the hub wheel 3 by a nut 9 to prevent the hub wheel 3 from falling off the drive shaft 7. The inner ring 5 (hub ring 3 and inner ring member 4) is rotatable about an axis with respect to the outer ring 2, and the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5 form two relatively rotating members, and is an annular bearing. A space S is formed. In the bearing space S, two rows of rolling elements 6 ... Can roll the raceway rings 2a of the outer ring 2, the hub wheels 3, and the raceway rings 3a, 4a of the inner ring member 4 while being held by the retainer 6a. It is installed. The hub wheel 3 has a cylindrical hub wheel main body 30 and a hub flange 32 formed so as to extend radially outward from the hub wheel main body 30 via a rising base portion 31. The wheels are attached and fixed by bolts 33 and nuts (not shown).
Hereinafter, the side facing the wheel along the axial direction L (left side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the wheel side, and the side facing the vehicle body (right side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the vehicle body side.

The sealing device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) is attached to an end portion (part X) between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring member 4 on the vehicle body side. It is the sealing device 10A. 2A is an enlarged view of a portion X1 of FIG. 1 and a sectional view of the sealing device 10A shown in FIG. 3B at a position indicated by an arrow A. 2B is an enlarged view of the X2 portion of FIG. 1 and a sectional view of the sealing device 10A shown in FIG. 3B at a position indicated by an arrow B.

The sealing device 10A includes a core body 16 having a substantially L-shaped cross section on one side, a seal body 17 made of an elastic material such as rubber and integrally molded by being vulcanized and bonded to the core body 16. A slinger 14 that is externally fitted to the outer peripheral surface 4b of the inner ring member 4 is provided. Then, an example in which the core body 16, the seal body 17, and the slinger 14 are combined to perform a sealing function will be described.
The core body 16 is formed by pressing a steel plate such as SPCC. The core body 16 extends inward in the radial direction from the cylindrical portion 160 that is fitted to the vehicle body side inner diameter surface 2b of the outer ring 2 that is the fixed side member and the axial inner end 160a of the cylindrical portion 160 of the core body 16. It has a disc portion 161 to be put out.

The seal body 17 has a seal base 170 and a plurality of

seal lips

171, 172, 173 extending from the seal base 170. The seal lip 171 is a seal lip located on the outermost side in the radial direction D'(see FIG. 1) and arranged at a position closest to the outer space. The seal lip 173 is a seal lip located on the innermost side in the radial direction D′ and arranged at a position closest to the bearing space S. The seal lip 172 is a seal lip located between the seal lip 171 and the seal lip 173. Of these, the

seal lips

171 and 172 are formed by gradually expanding and extending their respective diameters toward the outside in the axial direction L at similar angles, and are formed on the axial inner side surface 141c of the disk portion 141 of the slinger 14. It is an axial lip (side lip) that makes sliding contact. The seal lip 173 is a radial lip that is formed so as to extend inward in the radial direction and toward the bearing space S and is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface 140b of the cylindrical portion 140 of the slinger 14 described later. The seal lip 173 is formed with a communicating portion 20 having a partially cutout shape at the tip 173a that is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface 140b of the cylindrical portion 140 of the slinger 14. Specifically, in the first embodiment, of the plurality of

seal lips

171, 172, 173, the communication portion 20 is formed on the innermost seal lip 173 in the radial direction, which is less likely to be exposed to muddy water or the like. Further, a plurality of communicating portions 20 in the first embodiment are partially formed in the circumferential direction of the seal lip 173 (see FIG. 3B). The communication portion 20 is formed so that the space 100 partitioned by the seal lip 172 and the seal lip 173 and the bearing space S, which is a space adjacent to the space 100, communicate with each other. In FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the two-dot chain lines of the

seal lips

171, 172, and 173 indicate the original shape before deformation.

The seal base 170 wraps around the inner end portion 161b in the radial direction from a part of the inner side surface 161a in the axial direction of the disc portion 161 in the core body 16 and covers the entire surface of the outer surface 161c in the axial direction of the disc portion 161. It is located in. Further, the seal base 170 covers the inner peripheral surface 160b of the cylindrical portion 160 of the core body 16 over the entire surface, goes around the outer end portion 160c in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 160, and reaches the outer diameter surface 160d of the cylindrical portion 160. , Is fixedly integrated with the core body 16. The core body 16 is formed with an annular protrusion 174 that protrudes outward in the radial direction at a portion of the cylindrical portion 160 that reaches the outer diameter surface 160d. The annular protrusion 174 is formed so as to be interposed between the inner diameter surface 2b on the vehicle body side of the outer ring 2 and the outer diameter surface 160d of the cylindrical portion 160 in a compressed state when the core body 16 is fitted into the outer ring 2. ing. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the two-dot chain line of the annular protrusion 174 shows the original shape before compression.

The seal base 170 is provided with an index portion 13 formed in a convex shape as shown in FIG. 2A at a portion of the cylindrical portion 160 that wraps around the outer end portion 160c in the axial direction. The index portion 13 in the present embodiment is formed so as to project more outward in the axial direction L than the outer surface 2d of the outer ring 2 on the vehicle body side. Further, the index portion 13 is formed to protrude outward in the axial direction L from the outer surface 150a in the axial direction L of the main body portion 150 of the magnetic encoder 15. Further, the index unit 13 is provided so that the position of the communication unit 20 formed on the seal lip 173 can be recognized. The index unit 13 in the present embodiment is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front in the axial direction L, and as shown in FIG. 3A, a part of the index unit 13 in the circumferential direction protrudes from other parts and can be visually identified. Is configured. In the example of FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 2A, one index unit 13 is provided so as to be at the same position as the communication unit 20 in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the communication portion 20 is not formed at the portion of the seal lip 173 of the sealing device 10A shown in FIG. 2(b). Therefore, there is no convex portion in the portion where the seal base 170 wraps around the outer end portion 160c of the cylindrical portion 160 in the axial direction L, and the outer surface 2d of the outer ring 2 on the vehicle body side and the magnetic encoder 15 are similar to the other portions. It is formed substantially flush with the outer surface 150a of the main body 150 in the axial direction.

The slinger 14 with which the

seal lips

171, 172, 173 are in sliding contact is attached to the inner ring member 4 and constitutes a part of the rotating side member. The slinger 14 has a cylindrical portion 140 that is externally fitted to the outer peripheral surface 4b of the inner ring member 4, and a disc portion 141 that extends radially outward from the axially outer end portion 140a of the cylindrical portion 140. A magnetic encoder 15 to which a magnetic powder such as ferrite is bonded by a rubber material is vulcanized and bonded to the outer surface 141a in the axial direction of the disk portion 141. The magnetic encoder 15 is harder than rubber and more elastic than the steel plate constituting the slinger 14. The magnetic encoder 15 has a main body portion 150 that covers the axially outer surface 141a of the disc portion 141, and an end covering portion 151 that covers the radial outer end portion 141b of the disc portion 141. The main body 150 has a large number of north and south poles magnetized in the circumferential direction of the main body 150. Then, the rotation of the wheel of the automobile is detected by the magnetic sensor 12 and the magnetic encoder 15 shown by the dotted line in FIG.

According to the above configuration, when the sealing device 10A is mounted between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5, the convex index portion 13 is used as a guide, and the communication portion 20 provided on the seal lip 173 is provided in the circumferential direction. The position in can be recognized. Therefore, the sealing device 10A can be mounted between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5 in a state where the communicating portion 20 is arranged at a desired position while recognizing the position of the communicating portion 20 from the forming position of the index portion 13. In other words, when mounting the sealing device 10A between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5, the mounting work is efficiently performed by using the forming position of the index portion 13 as a guide without worrying about the forming position of the communicating portion 20. be able to. Further, since the index portion 13 also serves as a positioning means for the mounting position in this manner, it is possible to prevent the index portion 13 from being erroneously mounted while being displaced from the desired position. According to the above configuration, the space 100 partitioned by the

seal lips

172 and 173 sliding in contact with the slinger 14 and the bearing space S adjacent to the space 100 can allow fluid (air) to flow through the communication portion 20. Become. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure of the space 100 partitioned by the

seal lips

172, 173 from fluctuating and sticking the

slidable seal lips

172, 173 to the slinger 14. Further, since the position of the communication portion 20 in the circumferential direction can be easily recognized by the index unit 13, it is possible to take measures such as arranging the position where the communication portion 20 is formed at a position where muddy water or the like does not easily enter and mounting the communication portion 20. It is possible to improve the sealing property. Therefore, after providing the communication portion 20, the sealing device 10A can be mounted so as to exhibit desired performance such as reduction of rotational torque in addition to sealing performance.

Next, the relationship between the formation positions of the index unit 13 and the communication unit 20 will be further described.
The index portion 13 is provided according to the position where the communication portion 20 is formed, as shown in FIG.
FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining the formation state of the index portion 13, and FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining the formation position of the communication portion 20. In FIG. 3B, the upper side of the paper surface is the “heaven” on the zenith side in the top-bottom direction when mounted on the outer ring 2, and the lower side is the “ground” on the nadir side when mounted on the outer ring 2. In the sealing device 10A, a communication portion 20 is formed on the zenith side (upper position) in the vertical direction, and the communication portion 20 and the index portion 13 are provided at the same position in the circumferential direction. That is, since the index unit 13 is also formed on the zenith side in this example like the communication unit 20, if the sealing device 10A is attached so as to be located on the zenith side when assembled to the outer ring 2, the communication unit 20 can be mounted. It can be assembled in a state of being arranged at a desired position. Further, as shown in FIG. 3A and the like, since the indicator portion 13 is configured to be identifiable in shape, compared with the case where the position of the communication portion 20 is shown by painting, the flow until the sealing device 10A is attached is distributed. It is possible to prevent the indicator portion 13 from disappearing in the process and the indicator portion 13 from becoming indistinguishable due to dirt. In particular, since the index portion 13 of the first embodiment is formed in a convex shape that projects in the axial direction L, the index portion 13 is easier to recognize than when the index portion 13 is concave. There is. Since the index portion 13 is provided at the same position in the circumferential direction as one of the plurality of communication portions 20 provided, it is easy to estimate the position of the communication portion 20 from the position of the index portion 13. Become.

<Modification of First Embodiment>
Next, a sealing device 10A′ which is a modified example of the sealing device 10A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The same parts as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description of the configuration, operation, effects, etc. will be omitted.
In this modified example, the configuration of the index unit 13 is different. Further, the relationship between the formation positions of the index unit 13 and the communication unit 20 is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the index portion 13 shown here is provided in the magnetic encoder 15 in which the index portion 13 is fixed to the slinger 14. Further, the index portion 13 does not project in the axial direction L as in the first embodiment, but is formed in a convex shape projecting in the radial direction D′ more than other parts. Also with the above configuration, the index portion 13 is easier to recognize than when the index portion 13 is concave.

Further, in the sealing device 10A'in this modified example, the index portion 13 is formed on the zenith side as shown in FIG. 4A, and the position is the position where the communication portion 20 is formed (FIG. 5A). (See), it is provided at a position deviated by about 50 °, which is larger than 45 ° in the circumferential direction.
According to the above configuration, by disposing the index portion 13 on the zenith side in the vertical direction, the position of the index portion 13 can be easily recognized when the sealing device 10A′ is assembled. Further, with the above configuration, if the communication portion 20 can be arranged at a position displaced by 0 ° to 45 ° toward the zenith side from the central position in the top-bottom direction, even if muddy water or the like invades from either the top or bottom direction, It is possible to prevent muddy water and the like from reaching the communication portion 20.

Subsequently, a modified example of the formation position of the communication portion 20 will be further described with reference to FIGS.
In the first embodiment, an example in which the communication portions 20 formed on the seal lip 173 are formed on the zenith side has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of communication portions 20 are formed in the circumferential direction of the seal lip 173. Good. As shown in FIG. 5(a), they may be provided at positions displaced from the zenith position by about 50° in the left-right circumferential direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, a plurality of positions may be provided at positions other than the zenith position and the nadir position. Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, they may be provided at the center positions in the vertical direction. In any case, the communication portion 20 can suppress the sticking of the seal lip 173 to the slinger 14 with which the seal lip 173 is in sliding contact, and suppress the increase in torque.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the sealing device 10B according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description of the configuration, operation, effects, etc. will be omitted.
In the sealing device 10B shown in the second embodiment, the cylindrical portion 160 of the core body 16 is fitted to the outer diameter surface 2e on the vehicle body side of the outer ring 2, and the disk portion 161 is the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 160 in the axial direction L. It is different from the first embodiment in that it is formed to extend inward in the radial direction from 160f. Also, the seal body 17 is arranged on the outer diameter surface 160d of the cylindrical portion 160 and the outer surface 161c of the disc portion 161, which is also different from the first embodiment. Further, the slinger 14 is also different in that the cross section on one side is formed in a substantially U-shape, and is provided with a second cylindrical portion 142 arranged so as to cover the outer diameter surface 2e of the outer ring 2. The communication part 20 is not a notch shape but is a through hole, and the seal lip 171 having the communication part 20 is not in sliding contact with the slinger 14. Further description will be given below.

The core body 16 has a substantially L-shaped cross section on one side. The core body 16 has a cylindrical portion 160 that is externally fitted to the outer diameter surface 2e of the outer ring 2, and a disc portion that extends inward in the radial direction D'from the outer end portion 160f of the cylindrical portion 160 in the axial direction L. 161 are provided. The disc portion 161 is formed with a notch 161d at the end portion on the inner side surface 161a side of the inner end portion 161b in the radial direction.

The seal body 17 includes a seal base 170 fixed to the outer diameter surface 160d, the outer surface 161c, and the like, a plurality of

seal lips

171, 172, 173, and an upright portion 175. The seal base 170 wraps around the notch 161d of the disc portion 161 and is fixed, covers the entire outer surface 161c of the disc portion 161, and covers the outer diameter surface 160d and the inner end portion 160e of the cylindrical portion 160. It is provided to cover. The upright portion 175 is formed so as to project outward in the radial direction D'from a portion of the outer ring 2 of the seal base 170 that covers a part of the outer diameter surface 2e. The upright portion 175 is provided so as to be separated from the inner end portion 142a of the second cylindrical portion 142 of the slinger 14 in the axial direction L, and is separated from the inner end portion 142a of the second cylindrical portion 142 of the slinger 14 in the axial direction L. A labyrinth portion R is formed between the two. The upright portion 175 is formed so that its end portion 175a protrudes so as to be substantially the same height as the outer peripheral surface 142b of the second cylindrical portion 142 of the slinger 14, and has an effect of preventing the intrusion of muddy water and the like.

The

seal lips

171 and 172 are formed so as to extend outward in the axial direction L from the seal base 170. The seal lip 173 extends inward in the radial direction from the seal base 170, and its tip is formed toward the bearing space S side. The seal lip 171 is located on the outermost side in the radial direction D'of the plurality of seal lips. The seal lip 171 has an extension portion 171a formed by extending straight from the seal base 170 in the axial direction, and approximately 90 ° outward from the outer end portion 171b in the axial direction L of the extension portion 171a in the radial direction D'. It has a bent portion 171c formed by being bent. Therefore, the bent portion 171c including the tip 171d of the seal lip 171 is not in sliding contact with the disc portion 141 of the slinger 14, and a labyrinth is formed between the inner side surface 141c of the disc portion 141 and the bent portion 171c. There is. Further, the extending portion 171a of the seal lip 171, the bent portion 171c, and the seal base portion 170 form a space 120 partitioned in a concave shape. Further, a communication portion 20 which is a through hole is provided at an intermediate position of the extending portion 171a arranged on the zenith side of the seal lip 171. The communication part 20 is formed so that the space 120 partitioned in a concave shape and the space 110 adjacent to the space 120 communicate with each other. As a result, muddy water or the like that has infiltrated through the labyrinth portion R from the outside infiltrates into the sealing device 10B along the seal base 170, but stays in the concavely partitioned space 120. Then, the muddy water or the like staying in the space 120 flows downward along the extending portion 171a and the bending portion 171c, and then is discharged to the outside from the lower labyrinth portion R through the second cylindrical portion 142 of the slinger 14. You can In addition, a part of the muddy water or the like that has accumulated in the space 120 has the function of the drainage hole of the communication portion 20, and flows down to the adjacent space 110 side through the communication portion 20. Then, it can be discharged to the outside from the lower labyrinth portion R along the seal lip 172, the disc portion 141, and the second cylindrical portion 142. Since the index unit 13 is provided at a position opposite to the communication unit 20 in the circumferential direction, the index unit 13 is provided on the nadir side. The index portion 13 shown here is formed in a notch shape recessed in the radial direction.

The seal lip 172 is located between the seal lip 171 and the seal lip 173, and is formed by gradually expanding the diameter toward the outer side in the axial direction and extending the inner side surface 141 c of the disk portion 141 of the slinger 14 in the axial direction. Slide on.

According to the above configuration, when the sealing device 10B is mounted between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5, the concave index portion 13 is used as a guide, so that the communication portion 20 provided on the seal lip 171 is in the circumferential direction. The position can be recognized. Therefore, the sealing device 10B can be mounted between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5 in a state where the communicating portion 20 is arranged at a desired position while recognizing the position of the communicating portion 20 from the forming position of the index portion 13. The space 120 partitioned by the seal lip 171 and the space 110 adjacent to the space 120 allow the fluid (air, muddy water, etc.) to flow through the communication portion 20, and the above-described discharge effect is achieved. Further, since the position of the communication part 20 in the circumferential direction can be easily recognized by the index part 13, it is possible to arrange the position where the communication part 20 is formed at the zenith position and mount it. Therefore, the sealing device 10B provided with the communication portion 20 can be attached so as to exhibit desired performance such as sealing performance.
Since the configuration of the seal lip 173 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, the sealing device 11 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
The sealing device 11 according to the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) is on the vehicle body side of the sealing devices 10 (10A, 10A', 10B) of the first and second embodiments. It differs in that it is not a sealing device but a sealing device on the wheel side. Therefore, the sealing device 11 does not include the slinger 14, and the

seal lips

191, 192, 193 directly come into sliding contact with the hub flange 32 constituting the rotating side member, that is, the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above. It is different from the sealing device 10 (10A, 10A', 10B) of. Further, the index portion 13 has a convex shape protruding in the radial direction, and the convex shape is formed so as to engage with the concave portion 2f formed on the wheel side inner diameter surface 2c of the outer ring 2 forming the fixed side member. Different. Further details will be described.

The sealing device 11 includes a core body 18 internally fitted to the wheel-side inner diameter surface 2c of the outer ring 2, a seal base 190 fixed to the core body 18, and a plurality of seals slidingly contacting the hub flange 32 which is a rotating side member 5. It includes a seal body 19 having

lips

191, 192, 193.

The core body 18 is formed by pressing a steel plate such as SPCC. The core body 18 includes a cylindrical portion 180 fitted inside the inner diameter surface 2c on the wheel side of the outer ring 2, and an inclined portion 181 that descends and inclines inward in the axial direction L from the inner end portion 180a in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 180. Has been formed. Further, the core body 18 is formed with a disk portion 182 extending inward in the radial direction from the inner end portion 181a in the axial direction L of the inclined portion 181. The seal base 190 of the seal body 19 is fixed to a part of the outer surface 182a of the disc portion 182 in the axial direction L. Further, the seal base 190 of the seal body 19 wraps around the inner end portion 182b in the radial direction D', covers the entire surface of the inner side surface 182c in the axial direction, and covers the front surface of the outer diameter surface 181b of the inclined portion 181. It is integrally fixed to 18.

The seal lip 191 formed on the seal body 19 is a seal lip located on the outermost side in the radial direction and arranged at a position closest to the outer space. The seal lip 193 is a seal lip located on the innermost side in the radial direction and arranged at a position closest to the bearing space S. The seal lip 192 is a seal lip located between the seal lip 191 and the seal lip 193. Of these, the

seal lips

191 and 192 are axial lips (side lips) that are formed by gradually expanding and extending their respective diameters toward the outside in the axial direction L at the same angle and in sliding contact with the rising base portion 31. The seal lip 193 is a radial lip that is formed radially inward and extends toward the bearing space S, and is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface 30 a of the hub wheel body 30. A communication portion 20 having a partially cutout shape is formed at the tip 192a of the seal lip 192. Specifically, in the third embodiment, the communication portion 20 is formed on the seal lip 193 located in the middle of the plurality of

seal lips

191, 192, 193, which is less likely to be exposed to muddy water or the like. The communication portion 20 is formed so that the space 200 partitioned by the seal lip 192 and the seal lip 193 and the space 210 adjacent to the space 200 are in communication with each other. In FIG. 7, the two-dot chain line of the

seal lips

191, 192, and 193 shows the original shape before deformation.

A convex index portion 13 protruding outward in the radial direction from the seal base 190 of the seal body 19 located between the outer diameter surface 181b of the inclined portion 181 of the core body 18 and the wheel-side inner diameter surface 2c of the outer ring 2 It is provided. The index portion 13 is formed so as to engage with the recess 2f of the outer ring 2 which is a fixed side member. Further, the index unit 13 is provided so as to be at the same position in the circumferential direction as the communication unit 20, and in this example, the index unit 13 is formed at the “heaven” position on the zenith side in the heaven and earth direction.

According to the above, when the sealing device 11 is attached to the outer ring 2, if the convex index portion 13 is attached so as to engage the concave portion 2f formed in the outer ring 2, the attachment position of the sealing device 11 in the circumferential direction is naturally obtained. Is positioned. Therefore, when the sealing device 11 is attached to the outer ring 2, the attachment operation can be efficiently performed by using the forming position of the index portion 13 as a guide without worrying about the forming position of the communicating portion 20. Further, since the configuration also serves as the mounting position positioning means in this way, it is possible to avoid erroneous mounting in a state deviated from the desired position.

The configurations of the sealing devices 10 (10A to 10C) and 11 according to the above embodiments are not limited to the example shown in the drawings. Further, the configurations, shapes, numbers, etc. of the

core bodies

16, 18, the

seal bodies

17, 19, slinger 14, the magnetic encoder 15, the index unit 13, the communication unit 20, and the

seal lips

171, 172, 173, 191, 192, 193 are described. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the form shown in FIG. 4, the index unit 13 is provided on the magnetic encoder 15 fixed to the slinger 14, but the sealing device 10A'' not provided with the magnetic encoder 15 as shown in FIG. 8 (a). In the case of, the index unit 13 may be provided in the slinger 14. In this case, a concave portion may be formed in the outer end portion 141b of the disc portion 141 of the slinger 14 and this concave portion may be used as the indicator portion 13 (see FIG. 8B). Further, for example, the communication portion 20 shown in the illustrated example has a notched shape and a through hole, but is not limited to this. Any configuration may be used as long as the space partitioned by the seal lip is formed so as to communicate with the space adjacent to the space. Therefore, a protrusion may be partially provided on the seal lip that is in sliding contact with the rotating side member. Further, as the communication portion 20, although an example of the notch shape is shown in the first embodiment and the third embodiment, it may be replaced with a through hole. The forming position of the communication portion 20 may be formed anywhere on the seal lip as long as it can exhibit the desired performance. For example, if the communication portion 20 is a through hole, a plurality of communication portions 20 may be formed on one seal lip. In the third embodiment, an example in which the index portion 13 engages with the recess 2f of the outer ring 2 has been shown, but this example may be applied to the sealing device 10 of the first embodiment. As for the configuration of the index unit 13, for example, the convex shape may be hemispherical or triangular in side view. Further, the index portion 13 may be configured by a concave portion, or may be configured such that a convex portion formed on the fixed-side member engages with the concave portion. Further, in the above embodiment, the example in which the index portion 13 is configured to be distinguishable in shape has been described. May be attached. Further, although the index unit 13 is visually indistinguishable, it does not exclude an example in which it can be identified by an electronic device. For example, an index mark that can be recognized by an image camera or the like (for example, a fluorescent paint issued when irradiated with ultraviolet rays) or the like. ) May be used as an index unit. In this case, an automatic machine such as a robot may recognize the position of the communicating portion 20 in the circumferential direction based on the position recognized by the electronic device, and mount the sealing device between the fixed side member and the rotating side member. .. Further, the position of the index unit 13 may be provided at any position as long as it is exposed to the outside, and is not limited to the above embodiment. Further, the standing portion 175 shown in FIG. 6 is not limited to the height substantially the same as the outer peripheral surface 142b of the slinger 14, but may be a height protruding from the outer peripheral surface 142b.

<Other embodiments of bearing device>
Next, a bearing device 1A, which is another embodiment of the bearing device 1 including the above-described sealing devices 10 (10A to 10C) and 11, will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that parts of the

sealing devices

10 and 11 that are common to the bearing device 1 used in the respective embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description of the configuration, operation, and effects thereof will be omitted. Further, in FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper side of the paper surface is the "heaven" on the zenith side in the top-bottom direction when mounted on the vehicle body, and the lower side is the "ground" on the nadir side when mounted on the vehicle body.
The bearing device 1A of the present embodiment includes a fixed-side member (outer ring 2) and a rotating-side member (inner ring 5) that are relatively coaxially rotated, and the above-described

sealing devices

10 and 11 attached to these members. ing. The position of the communicating portion 20 in the circumferential direction is determined on the fixed side member (outer ring 2) with the sealing

devices

10 and 11 mounted between the fixed side member (outer ring 2) and the rotating side member (inner ring 5). A recognizable bearing side index unit 40 is provided. The details will be described below.

The bearing device 1A shown in FIG. 9 has a different configuration of the outer ring 2 from the bearing device 1 in each of the

sealing devices

10 and 11 described above. The outer ring 2 is provided with a bearing side index portion 40 near the middle portion in the axial direction L on the zenith side (upper side) in the vertical direction. The bearing-side index portion 40 is formed in a convex shape protruding outward in the radial direction D'from the outer diameter surface (outer circumference) 2e of the outer ring 2.

FIG. 9B is a diagram in which the outer ring 2 and the bearing side index portion 40 are added to the diagram corresponding to FIG. 3B in order to explain the formation position of the bearing side index portion 40. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the sealing device 10 is placed between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5 so that the communication portion 20 is at the same position as the bearing side index portion 40 of the outer ring 2 in the circumferential direction. It is installed. Although FIG. 9B shows the communicating portion 20 in the sealing device 10 on the vehicle body side, the communicating portion 20 in the sealing device 11 on the wheel side is similarly positioned at the same position as the bearing side index portion 40 in the circumferential direction. It is mounted between the outer ring 2 and the inner ring 5 so that

In the bearing device 1A of the present embodiment, the communication portion 20 of the

sealing devices

10 and 11 is located at the position where the bearing side indicator portion 40 is provided in the circumferential direction. Therefore, even if the index unit 13 provided in the sealing device 10 cannot be confirmed when the outer ring 2 is fixed to the vehicle body, the position of the index unit 13 is estimated with reference to the bearing side index unit 40 provided in the outer ring 2. It's getting easier. Therefore, the bearing device 1A can be mounted on the vehicle body in a state where the communication portion 20 is arranged at a desired position while recognizing the position of the communication portion 20 from the formation position of the bearing side index portion 40. In other words, when the bearing device 1A is attached to the vehicle body, the attachment operation can be performed efficiently by using the formation position of the bearing side index portion 40 as a guide without worrying about the formation position of the communication portion 20. Further, in the present embodiment, since the bearing side index portion 40 is provided on the outer diameter surface 2e of the outer ring 2, the bearing side index portion 40 can be easily confirmed when the bearing device 1A is fixed to the vehicle body. There is. Therefore, since the position of the communication portion 20 in the circumferential direction can be easily recognized by the bearing side index portion 40, it is necessary to arrange the position where the communication portion 20 is formed at a position where muddy water or the like does not easily enter and mount the communication portion 20. It is possible to improve the sealing performance. Therefore, after the communication portion 20 is provided in the sealing device 10, the bearing device 1A provided with the sealing device 10 is mounted on the vehicle body of the automobile so that the desired performance such as reduction of rotational torque can be exhibited in addition to the sealing performance. can do.

<Modification of bearing device 1A>
Next, a bearing device 1A′ which is a modified example of the bearing device 1A will be described with reference to FIG.
The bearing device 1A′ of FIG. 10A is an example in which the configuration of the bearing side index portion 40 is different from that of the bearing device 1A of FIG. The bearing side indicator portion 40 shown here is provided on the vehicle-body-side outer surface 2d on the zenith side (upper side) of the outer ring 2 in the up-down direction. Further, the bearing-side index portion 40 does not project in the radial direction D'as in the bearing-side index portion 40 of FIG. 9, but is axially oriented from the outer surface 2d of the outer ring 2 to the other portion of the outer ring 2. It is formed in a convex shape protruding outward from L. Also with the above configuration, the bearing-side index portion 40 is easier to confirm than when the bearing-side index portion 40 is formed in a concave shape.

Next, a bearing device 1A″ which is a further modified example of the bearing device 1A will be described with reference to FIG. In the bearing device 1A″, the outer ring 2 is provided with a mounting flange 2g that is located near the middle portion in the axial direction L and projects outward in the radial direction D′ over the entire circumference of the outer diameter surface 2e. The mounting flange 2g is provided with bolt insertion holes 2h through which bolts are inserted when the bearing device 1A″ is attached to the vehicle body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Then, the mounting flange 2g is provided with a bearing side index portion 40 near the intermediate portion in the axial direction L on the zenith side (upper side) in the vertical direction. The bearing side index portion 40 is formed in a convex shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction D′ from the outer diameter surface of the mounting flange 2g. Since the bearing side index portion 40 protrudes outward in the radial direction D′ with respect to the outer ring 2 and other portions of the mounting flange 2g, it is easy to confirm.
As described above, the bearing devices 1A′ and 1A″, which are modified examples of the bearing device 1A, also have the same effects as the bearing device 1A.

The configuration of the bearing device 1A (1A', 1A'') according to the above embodiment is not limited to the example shown in the drawings. Further, as long as the circumferential position of the communicating portion 20 can be recognized, the communicating portion 20 is not limited to being provided at the same position in the circumferential direction as the bearing side indicator 40. Further, in the illustrated example, the bearing side index portion 40 is shown to be formed in a convex shape, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the bearing side index portion 40 may be formed in a notch shape or a concave shape. Further, the degree of protrusion of the bearing side index portion 40 is not limited to the illustration. Further, the bearing side index portion 40 is not limited to the one configured to be identifiable in shape, and may be a coating or a mark that can be visually identified. Further, although the bearing side index unit 40 is visually indistinguishable, it does not exclude an example in which it can be identified by an electronic device. For example, an index mark that can be recognized by an image camera or the like (for example, fluorescence emitted during ultraviolet irradiation) is not excluded. The bearing side indicator 40 may be made of paint or the like. In this case, an automatic machine such as a robot may recognize the position of the communicating portion 20 in the circumferential direction based on the position recognized by the electronic device, and mount the bearing device 1A on the mechanical device. Further, the position of the bearing side indicator 40 may be provided at any position as long as it is exposed to the outside, and is not limited to the above embodiment. The

bearing devices

1, 1A, 1A ", 1A" are not limited to the vehicle body of an automobile, and may be used by being attached to various mechanical devices in which the

bearing devices

1, 1A, 1A ", 1A" are used.

1,1A, 1A', 1A'' Bearing device 2 Outer ring (fixed side member)
5 Inner ring (rotating member)
10 (10A to 10C), 11 Sealing device 13 Indicator part 15

Magnetic encoder

16,18

Core body

17,19 Sealed body 171,172,173 Seal lip 191,192,193 Seal lip 20 Communication part 40 Bearing side index part

Claims

An annular sealing device for sealing between a stationary member and a rotating member that is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the stationary member,
A core body attached to the fixed side member and
A seal body having a plurality of seal lips that are fixed to the core body and are in sliding contact with or close to the rotary member;
A communication portion which is provided in at least one of the seal lips and which is formed so that the space defined by the seal lip and the space adjacent to the space communicate with each other,
A sealing device, comprising: an indicator portion provided so that a position of the communication portion in the circumferential direction can be recognized.
The sealing device according to claim 1,
The index unit is a sealing device characterized in that it is configured so as to be identifiable in shape.
In the sealing device according to claim 2,
The said index part is formed in the convex shape which protrudes in an axial direction or a radial direction, The sealing device characterized by the above-mentioned.
In the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The sealing device, wherein the index portion is provided on the seal body and is formed so as to engage with the fixed side member.
In the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
Further provided with a slinger attached to the rotating side member,
The said index part is provided in the magnetic encoder fixed to the said slinger, The sealing device characterized by the above-mentioned.
In the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
Further provided with a slinger attached to the rotating side member,
The index unit is a sealing device provided on the slinger.
In the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The sealing device, wherein the index portion is provided at the same position as the communication portion in the circumferential direction.
In the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The sealing device, wherein the index portion is provided at a position displaced by more than 45° and less than 90° in the circumferential direction with respect to the position where the communication portion is formed.
A bearing device comprising: a fixed-side member and a rotating-side member that relatively rotate coaxially; and the sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is mounted on these members.
The stationary side member is provided with a bearing side indicator portion capable of recognizing a position in the circumferential direction of the communicating portion in a state where the sealing device is mounted between the stationary side member and the rotating side member. Bearing device characterized in that
The bearing device according to claim 9,
The fixed side member is an outer ring.
The bearing device, wherein the bearing side indicator is provided on the outer periphery of the outer ring.