BEARING STRUCTURE FOR SHAFT

• US 20190040911A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 02/07/2019
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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
• 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

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A bearing structure for a shaft 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 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,

wherein the shaft is disposed over front forks while supporting an axle of a front wheel of a saddle riding vehicle, and

the concave section is formed in a side surface of the shaft in a vehicle width direction.

8. The bearing structure for a shaft according to claim 7, wherein the convex section and the engaging section are constituted by a continuous member.

9. The bearing structure for a shaft according to claim 7, 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 a first end portion of the shaft in an axial direction protrudes upward from an upper end of the holder.

10. The bearing structure for a shaft according to claim 9, wherein a dust cover configured to suppress adhesion of dust to the first end portion is installed above the locking member, and

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

11. The bearing structure for a shaft according to claim 7, wherein 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, and

the engaging section is disposed between the two flat surface sections neighboring in the circumferential direction of the shaft.

12. The bearing structure for a shaft according to claim 11, wherein, when seen in an axial direction of the shaft, the plurality of flat surface sections are disposed rotationally symmetrically, and at least one of the convex section and the engaging section is disposed rotationally symmetrically in plural.