Bearing assembly for the hub of a motor vehicle wheel

• US 20050017586A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABet SKF
• Original Assignee: ABet SKF
• Inventors: Van Ballegooij, Simon, Pilone, Simona, Giai, Bruno, Molenaar, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,164,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/90
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/007 Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/443 mounted in bearings bearings F16C
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/487 delivered by rotating magnets

Abstract

A bearing unit for a vehicle wheel hub is associated with a rotation sensing device and an electromagnetic inductive coupling. The rotation sensing device comprises an impulse ring (18) secured for rotation with the rotatable race (13) of the bearing unit by means of a rotatable annular carrier (19), and a magnetic/electric transducer (20) mounted to the stationary race (12) of the bearing unit by means of a stationary annular carrier (21) and operatively facing the impulse ring (18). The electromagnetic inductive coupling comprises a stationary coil (24) electrically connectable to a power supply (32) and carried by the stationary annular carrier (21), and a rotatable coil (25) electrically connectable (26) to an electric or electronic device mounted on the wheel. The rotatable coil (25) is carried by the rotatable annular carrier (19) and is electromagnetically linked to the stationary coil (24).

Claims

1. A bearing assembly for the hub of a motor vehicle wheel, comprising:

a bearing unit with at least one rotatable race (13), a stationary race (12), and rolling bodies (14) radially interposed between the races;

a rotation sensing device with

an impulse ring (18) secured for rotation with the rotatable race (13) by means of a rotatable annular carrier (19), and

a magnetic/electric transducer (20) mounted to the stationary race (12) by means of a stationary annular carrier (21) and operatively facing the impulse ring (18);

an electromagnetic inductive coupling, including

a stationary coil (24) electrically connectable to a power supply means (32) and carried by the stationary annular carrier (21), and

a rotatable coil (25) electrically connectable (26) to at least one electric or electronic device mounted on the wheel, the rotatable coil (25) being carried by the rotatable annular carrier (19) and being electromagnetically linked to the stationary coil (24).

2. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second coils (24, 25) are mounted closely to one side of the bearing unit.

3. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second coils (24, 25) are mounted coaxial to one another.

4. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotatable coil (25) is electrically connectable to said wheel-mounted electric or electronic device through electrically conductive means (26).

5. The bearing assembly of claim 4, the assembly being mounted onto an axial tubular portion (10) of a wheel hub having an end portion (15) abutting a radial shoulder (17) of a constant velocity joint (11), wherein the electrically conductive means (26) is passed through a radial passage (30) formed at the interface between the constant velocity joint (11) and the end portion (15) of the hub.

6. The bearing assembly of claim 5, wherein the end portion (15) of the hub (10) is a radially outwardly protruding edge cold formed against a radial surface (16) of the rotatable race (13) so as to axially lock the bearing unit onto the hub, and wherein the radial passage (30) is obtained by machining the hub edge portion (15).

7. The bearing assembly of claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive means (26) is further passed through an axial slot (31) formed at the cylindrical interface between the tubular hub portion (10) and the constant velocity joint (11).

8. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second coils (24, 25) are carried by said respective carriers (21, 19) so as to face one another axially.

9. The bearing assembly of claim 8, wherein said first and second coils (24, 25) are mounted in a respective stationary and rotatable printed circuit board (34, 35) carried by said stationary and rotatable carriers (21, 19), respectively.

10. The bearing assembly of claim 9, wherein at least one said transducer (20) is mounted on the stationary printed circuit board (34).

11. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein each coil (24, 25) is accommodated in a respective circumferential groove (21a, 19a) formed in each of the annular carriers (21, 19).

12. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein a foil of electromagnetic shielding material (27, 28) is coupled to each coil (24, 25) so as to avoid electromagnetic pollution from and to the outside.

13. The bearing assembly of claim 12, wherein said electromagnetic shielding material (27, 28) is ferrite.

14. The bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein the carriers (19, 21) are made of non-ferromagnetic material.