Rolling bearing unit for vehicle wheel

• US 6,036,371 A
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Onose, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/157,223
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 384/494, 384/452, 384/544, 384/589, 301/105.1, 301/124.1, 464/178, 464/904, 464/906, 180/258, 180/259
• US Class Current: 384/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/497 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2240/80 Pitch circle diameters [PCD]
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2003/22316 Means for fastening or attaching the bellows or gaiters
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2003/22326 Attachments to the outer joint member, i.e. attachments to the exterior of the outer joint member or to the shaft of the outer joint member
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/223 the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts

Abstract

A rolling bearing unit for a vehicle wheel comprising an outer ring formed with first and second outer ring raceways, a hub formed with a first inner raceway, and with a housing portion for an outer ring of a constant velocity joint, an inner ring formed with a second inner ring raceway and fitted onto the middle portion of the hub, and a plurality of rolling members rotatably provided in rows between the first and second outer ring raceways and the first and second inner ring raceways to rotatably support the hub and inner rings inside the outer ring, balls being used for the rolling members for the row with respect to the first inner ring raceway while rollers being used for the rolling member row with respect to the second inner ring raceway, so that the basic dynamic load rating of the rolling member row on the axial inside is larger than that of the rolling member row on the axial outside whereby the lives of the double row rolling member rows are equalized.

Claims

1. A rolling bearing unit for a vehicle wheel comprising an outer ring having an outer peripheral surface formed with a mount portion to be connected to a suspension, and an inner peripheral surface formed with first and second outer ring raceways, a hub having an outer peripheral surface formed, at an axial one end side portion, with a portion axially projecting from the outer ring and having a flange to securely fix a vehicle wheel, at a middle portion, with a first inner ring raceway, and at the other axial end side portion, with a housing portion for an outer ring of a constant velocity joint, an inner ring having an outer peripheral surface formed with a second inner ring raceway and fitted onto the middle portion of the hub at a location closer to the other axial end side than the first inner ring raceway, and a plurality of rolling members rotatably provided in rows between the first and second outer ring raceways and the first and second inner ring raceways to rotatably support the hub and inner rings inside the outer ring, balls being used for the rolling members in the row with respect to the first inner ring raceway while rollers being used for the rolling members in the row with respect to the second inner ring raceway.

2. The rolling bearing unit of claim 1, wherein the balls used for the rolling members in the row with respect to the first inner ring raceway have a diameter Da while the rollers used for the rolling members in the row with respect to the second inner ring raceway have a diameter D, and the ratio of D/Da is provided from 0.5 up to 1.