Bearing device for driving wheel

• US 6,712,707 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Takubo, Takayasu, Torii, Akira, Ogura, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Binda, Greg
• Application Number:
  US09/973,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 464/178, 464/906, 301/105.1, 384/589
• US Class Current: 464/178
• 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 19/386 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2240/46 Gap sizes or clearances
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/04 Assembling rolling-contact bearings
• 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 3/16 Universal joints in which flexibility is produced by means of pivots or sliding or rolling connecting parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/223 the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 464/906 Torque transmitted via radially spaced balls

Abstract

A driving wheel bearing device has an outer member on an inner peripheral surface forming double row raceways, an inner member on an outer peripheral surface of which raceways opposing to raceways of the outer member and a wheel mounting flange are formed, double row rolling elements between each raceway of the outer and inner members, and a constant velocity universal joint having a joint outer ring of which a shaft portion is inserted into the inner member such that torque is transmittable, the bearing device rotatably supporting a wheel on an automobile body, wherein a pilot portion is provided between a base part of the shaft portion of the joint outer ring and an end portion of the inner member.

Claims

1. A bearing device for a driving wheel comprising:

an outer member on an inner peripheral surface of which raceways in double rows are formed;

an inner member on an outer peripheral surface of which raceways opposing to the raceways of the outer member and a wheel mounting flange are formed;

rolling elements of double rows provided between each of the raceways of the outer member and the inner member; and

a constant velocity universal joint having a joint outer ring of which a shaft portion is inserted into the inner member in such a manner that torque is transmittable, the bearing device rotatably supporting a wheel on an automobile body, wherein a pilot portion of the bearing device provides a clearance between a base part of the shaft portion of the joint outer ring and an end portion of the inner member wherein the clearance of the pilot portion is 0.4 mm or less.

2. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the outer member integrally has the raceways of double rows and an automobile-body mounting flange on its inner and outer peripheral surfaces, respectively.

3. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the inner member comprises a hub ring on an outer peripheral surface of which the wheel mounting flange, one of the raceways, and a small-diameter stepped portion are formed and an inner ring, which is a separate member, fitted onto the small-diameter stepped portion and formed with the other raceway on its outer peripheral surface.

4. The bearing device according to claim 3, wherein a surface hardened layer is formed in an area extending from a base portion of the wheel-mounting flange to the small diameter stepped portion.

5. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the pilot portion is positioned on a line extending from the line of forming a contact angle for the rolling elements on the raceways of the inner member.

6. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein serrated portions, formed on the inner member and the shaft portion of the joint outer ring in such a manner that torque is transmittable, are fitted together with an interference.

7. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the inner member has a swaged portion in which an end portion of the inner member is plastically deformed toward its outside-diameter side, and the swaged portion is butted against a shoulder portion of the joint outer ring in a linear contact.

8. The bearing device according to claim 7, wherein the inner member and the shaft portion of the joint outer ring are detachably fixed together in an axial direction by a fastening element.

9. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the rolling elements are tapered rollers.

10. The bearing device according to claim 9, wherein the inner member comprises a hub ring on an outer peripheral surface of which the wheel mounting flange, one of the raceways, and a small-diameter stepped portion are formed, and an inner ring, which is a separate member, fitted onto a small diameter stepped portion and formed with the other raceway on its outer peripheral surface, and another pilot portion is formed between the end portion of the inner ring butted against a shoulder portion of the joint outer ring and the base part of the shaft portion of the joint outer ring.