Bearing structure for shaft

• US 10,641,338 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Naoki, Fujita, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Waits, Alan B
• Application Number:
  US15/757,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20190040911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/06 Bearings specially adapted for steering heads bearings in general F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/108 with a locking washer under the nut or bolt head having at least one tongue or lug folded against the nut or bolt head, or against the object itself F16B39/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/24 by means of washers, spring washers, or resilient plates that lock against the object locking to the screw-thread F16B39/14 , F16B39/34, F16B39/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/166 Four-point-contact ball bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/26 Bicycle steering or suspension in general B62K
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/7889 mounted to an inner race and extending toward the outer race
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/06 Mounting or dismounting of ball or roller bearings; Fixing them onto shaft or in housing

Abstract

A bearing structure for a shaft includes a shaft on which a male thread section is formed and a concave section recessed inside in a radial direction is partially formed in a circumferential direction thereof, a cylindrical holder in which the shaft is disposed, a bearing attached between the shaft and the holder and configured to rotatably support the shaft at an opening side thereof at which the holder is open, a thread engagement member having a female thread section threadedly engaged with the male thread section and a flat surface section crossing the circumferential direction of the shaft and formed on an outer circumference thereof, and coaxially threadedly fastened to the shaft from the opening side, and a locking member having a convex section fitted into the concave section and an engaging section engaged with the flat surface section, and partially locked to the shaft and the thread engagement member.

Claims

1. A vehicle body front section of a motorcycle comprising:

a shaft on which a male thread section is formed and a concave section recessed inside in a radial direction is partially formed in a circumferential direction thereof;

a cylindrical holder in which the shaft is disposed;

a bearing attached between the shaft and the holder and configured to rotatably support the shaft at an opening side thereof at which the holder is open;

a thread engagement member having a female thread section threadedly engaged with the male thread section and a plurality of flat surface sections crossing the circumferential direction of the shaft and formed on an outer circumference thereof, and coaxially threadedly fastened to the shaft from the opening side; and

a locking member having a convex section fitted into the concave section and an engaging section engaged with the plurality of flat surface sections, and partially locked to the shaft and the thread engagement member,

wherein the shaft is disposed over front forks while supporting an axle of a front wheel of a saddle riding vehicle, the concave section is formed in a side surface of the shaft in a vehicle width direction, the plurality of flat surface sections are disposed to be arranged in the circumferential direction of the shaft using the shaft as a symmetrical axis, the engaging section is disposed between two of the plurality of flat surface sections neighboring in the circumferential direction of the shaft, a retaining member for performing a retaining of the locking member above the locking member is provided, the retaining member is formed in a cylindrical shape coaxial with the shaft and having a diameter that is reduced as it goes upward, an inner circumferential surface of an upper end portion of the retaining member abuts an outer circumferential surface of a first end portion of the shaft, a lower end portion of the retaining member abuts an annular section of the locking member, and the retaining member is a dust cover for suppressing adhesion of dust to the first end portion of the shaft, in an axial direction.

2. The vehicle body front section of the motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the convex section and the engaging section are constituted by a continuous member.

3. The vehicle body front section of the motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the holder is supported by a vehicle body frame such that a longitudinal direction is along an upward/downward direction, and

the bearing rotatably supports the shaft in a state in which the first end portion of the shaft in the axial direction protrudes upward from an upper end of the holder.

4. The vehicle body front section of the motorcycle according to claim 3, wherein

a fixing unit configured to fix a steering mechanism is installed on the first end portion above the dust cover.

5. The vehicle body front section of the motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein, when seen in the axial direction of the shaft, the plurality of flat surface sections are disposed rotationally symmetrically, and either at least one of the convex section or the engaging section are disposed rotationally symmetrically.