WHEEL SUPPORT BEARING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20100278468A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Tetsuya, Kubota, Kazunori, Fujimura, Akira, Saitou, Keiji, Komori, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,221,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/490
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0084 caulking to fix inner race
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/186 with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/04 Assembling rolling-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49686 Assembling of cage and rolling anti-friction members

Abstract

A support bearing assembly includes a plural rows of rolling elements (5) between opposed raceway surfaces (3, 4) of outer and inner members (1, 2), respectively. The inner member (2) is formed from a hub unit (9) and an inner ring (10) mounted on an outer periphery of an inboard end portion thereof. An annular stepped area (16) is provided in an inner periphery of the inboard side of the inner ring. A crimped portion (9b) engageable with the stepped area (16) is provided on an inboard end of the hub unit (9) and has a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process. By setting the amount of change in an inner diameter of the inboard end of the crimped portion (9b) within a preset range when a crimping punch is driven in, the amount (D) of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion is regulated.

Claims

1. A wheel support bearing assembly comprising an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rows of raceway surfaces defined therein;

an inner member having an outer periphery formed with raceway surfaces opposed to the raceway surfaces and made up of an hub unit and an inner ring, the hub unit having a wheel mounting flange formed on an outer periphery thereof and also having a center bore defined in a center portion thereof, the inner ring being mounted on an inner ring mounting area of a stepped configuration that is defined in an inboard side of an outer periphery of the hub unit; and

a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposed raceway surfaces;

wherein the rows of the raceway surfaces are defined in the hub unit and the inner ring, respectively;

wherein an inboard end portion of the inner ring has an inner peripheral edge provided with an annular stepped area;

wherein the hub unit has an inboard end portion provided with a crimped portion engageable with an axially oriented inclined face of the stepped area of the inner ring;

wherein the crimped portion is a plastically deformable portion of the inboard end portion of the hub unit, which deformable portion is of a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process, but which deformable portion has been crimped to assume a diametrically expanded state by means of a crimping punch driven into an inner periphery of the plastically deformable portion from an inboard side thereof, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion being regulated by setting the amount of change in an inner diameter of an inboard end of the plastically deformable portion, which is brought about by the crimping punch being driven in, to a value within a preset range.

2. The wheel support bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inboard portion of the hub unit has an inner peripheral surface formed with a large diameter stepped portion that is radially outwardly depressed and wherein the crimped portion is formed in an inboard end portion of the large diameter stepped portion in the hub unit.

3. The wheel support bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the stepped area in the inner ring has a straight portion continued to an inboard side of the inclined face and a radial gap is present between the straight portion and the crimped portion.

4. The wheel support bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of augmentation is within the range of 0.05 to 0.25 mm.

5. A method of manufacturing a wheel support bearing assembly which comprises an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rows of raceway surfaces defined therein;

an inner member having an outer periphery formed with raceway surfaces opposed to the raceway surfaces and made up of an hub unit and an inner ring, the hub unit having a wheel mounting flange formed on an outer periphery thereof and also having a center bore defined in a center portion thereof, the inner ring being mounted on an inner ring mounting area of a stepped configuration that is defined in an inboard side of an outer periphery of the hub unit; and

a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposed raceway surfaces;

the rows of the raceway surfaces being defined in the hub unit and the inner ring, respectively, the inner ring having an inboard end provided at an inner peripheral edge thereof with an annular stepped area, the hub unit having an inboard end portion provided with a crimped portion engageable with an axially oriented inclined face of the stepped area of the inner ring, the method comprising the steps of;

forming the crimped portion by driving a crimping punch into an inner periphery of a plastically deformable portion of the inboard end portion of the hub unit from an inboard side thereof such that the plastically deformable portion is crimped to assume a diametrically expanded state, the plastically deformable portion being of a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process; and

regulating, during the driving-in of the crimping punch, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion by setting the amount of change in an inner diameter of an inboard end of the plastically deformable portion to a value within a preset range.

6. A wheel support bearing assembly comprising an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rows of raceway surfaces defined therein;

an inner member having an outer periphery formed with raceway surfaces opposed to the raceway surfaces and made up of an hub unit and an inner ring, the hub unit having a wheel mounting flange formed on an outer periphery thereof and also having a center bore defined in a center portion thereof, the inner ring being mounted on an inner ring mounting area of a stepped configuration that is defined in an inboard side of an outer periphery of the hub unit; and

a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposed raceway surfaces;

wherein the rows of the raceway surfaces are defined in the hub unit and the inner ring, respectively;

wherein an inboard end portion of the inner ring has an inner peripheral edge provided with an annular stepped area;

wherein the hub unit has an inboard end portion provided with a crimped portion engageable with an axially oriented inclined face of the stepped area of the inner ring;

wherein the crimped portion is a plastically deformable portion of the inboard end portion of the hub unit, which deformable portion is of a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process, but which deformable portion has been crimped to assume a diametrically expanded state by driving a crimping punch, which has a forefront outer peripheral surface tapered to represent a tapered surface, into an inner periphery of the cylindrical plastically deformable portion from an inboard side thereof, and the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion is regulated by setting a maximum inner diameter of a tapered inner peripheral surface of the plastically deformable portion, which is brought about by the crimping punch being driven in, to a value within a predetermined range.

7. The wheel support bearing assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein an inboard portion of the hub unit has an inner peripheral surface formed with a large diameter stepped portion that is radially outwardly depressed and wherein the crimped portion is formed in an inboard end portion of the large diameter stepped portion in the hub unit.

8. The wheel support bearing assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein an inner surface of the stepped area in the inner ring has a straight portion continued to an inboard side of the inclined face and a radial gap is present between the straight portion and the crimped portion.

9. The wheel support bearing assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the amount of augmentation is within the range of 0.05 to 0.25 mm.

10. A method of manufacturing a wheel support bearing assembly which comprises an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rows of raceway surfaces defined therein;

an inner member having an outer periphery formed with raceway surfaces opposed to the raceway surfaces and made up of an hub unit and an inner ring, the hub unit having a wheel mounting flange formed on an outer periphery thereof and also having a center bore defined in a center portion thereof, the inner ring being mounted on an inner ring mounting area of a stepped configuration that is defined in an inboard side of an outer periphery of the hub unit; and

a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposed raceway surfaces;

the rows of the raceway surfaces being defined in the hub unit and the inner ring, respectively, the inner ring having an inboard end provided at an inner peripheral edge thereof with an annular stepped area, the hub unit having an inboard end portion provided with a crimped portion engageable with an axially oriented inclined face of the stepped area of the inner ring, the method comprising the steps of;

forming the crimped portion by driving a crimping punch with a forefront outer peripheral surface tapered to represent a tapered surface into an inner periphery of a plastically deformable portion of the inboard end portion of the hub unit from an inboard side thereof such that the plastically deformable portion is crimped to assume a diametrically expanded state, the plastically deformable portion being of a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process; and

regulating, during the driving-in of the crimping punch, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion by setting a maximum inner diameter of an tapered inner peripheral surface of the plastically deformable portion to a value within a predetermined range.