Wheel-support rolling bearing unit

• US 7,004,637 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Okita, Shigeru, Uyama, Hideyuki, Miyamoto, Yuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US11/035,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 384/544, 384/589, 384/913, 384/569, 384/492, 384/625, 298/980.6
• US Class Current: 384/544
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 9/40 for rings; for bearing races
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/002 containing In, Mg, or other elements not provided for in one single group C22C38/001 - C22C38/60
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/02 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/04 containing manganese
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/18 containing chromium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/24 with vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/26 with niobium or tantalum
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/28 with titanium or zirconium
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/185 with two raceways provided integrally on a part other than a race ring, e.g. a shaft or housing
• 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 33/64 Special methods of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 384/913 Metallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49679 Anti-friction bearing or component thereof

Abstract

In a wheel-support rolling bearing unit, in order to made a flange 6 thinner and thus lighten the bearing unit without impairing fatigue strength, machinability, and workability after forging, the composition of the alloy steel constituting the flange attached member (hub ring 2), the surface hardness of the root portion 14 on the axial outside surface side of the flange 6, and the surface roughness, are stipulated to thereby improve the durability ratio (fatigue limit strength/tensile strength) of the flange 6. In one aspect, the member is made from an alloy steel containing C: 0.5 to 0.65 weight %, Mn: 0.3 to 1.5 weight %, Si: 0.1 to 1.0 weight %, Cr: 0.01 to 0.5 weight %, S: 0.35 weight % or less, and any one type or more selected from 0.01 to 0.2 weight % of V, 0.01 to 0.15 weight % of Nb, and 0.01 to 0.15 weight % of Ti, with the rest being Fe and inevitable impurities, and the oxygen contents is 15 ppm or less. Moreover, the surface hardness of the inner raceway 7a formed with the hardened layer, is between Hv 650 and 780, and the surface hardness of a portion not formed with the hardened layer is between Hv 230 and 300.

Claims

1. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising;

an inner member having an inner raceway on an outer peripheral surface, an outer member having an outer raceway on an inner peripheral surface, a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner raceway and said outer raceway, and a flange provided on the peripheral surface of at least one member of said inner member and said outer member, for fastening to a part of a suspension device or a wheel,

wherein in a portion being a part of at least one member of said inner member and said outer member and including said inner raceway or said outer raceway, a hardened layer is formed by induction hardening, and

at least one member of said inner member and said outer member is made from an alloy steel containing 0.5 to 0.65 weight % of C, 0.3 to 1.5 weight % of Mn, 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of Si, and 0.01 to 0.5 weight % of Cr, and the S content is kept to 0.035 weight % or less, and further including any one type or more selected from 0.01 to 0.2 weight % of V, 0.01 to 0.15 weight % of Nb, and 0.01 to 0.15 weight % of Ti, with the rest being Fe and inevitable impurities, and the oxygen contents of the alloy steel is 15 ppm or less, and

for at least one member of said inner member and said outer member, the surface hardness of the inner raceway or the outer raceway formed with the hardened layer, is between Hv 650 and 780, and for at least one member of the inner member and the outer member, the surface hardness of a portion not formed with the hardened layer is between Hv 230 and 300.

2. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein in the case where in the alloy steel constituting the at least one member of said inner member and said outer member, the C content is x₁ weight %, the V content is x₂ weight %, the Nb content is x₃ weight %, and the Ti content is x₄ weight %, the expression 0.30≦

{x<sub>1−

1.5</sub>(x₂+x₃+x₄)}≦

0.55 is satisfied.

3. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising:

a stationary ring which is supported on a suspension device during use and does not rotate;

a rotating ring disposed concentric with said stationary ring, and which is fastened to a wheel during use and which rotates together with said wheel;

an outer raceway provided on an inner peripheral surface of an outer diameter side bearing ring of one of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially outwards;

an inner raceway provided on an outer peripheral surface of an inner diameter side bearing ring of the other of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially inwards;

a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner raceway and said outer raceway; and

a flange provided on the outer peripheral surface of said rotating ring, for fastening a wheel,

wherein at least a portion of said rotating ring that is provided with said flange is made from a carbon steel containing 0.5 to 0.8 weight % of C, and in this rotating ring, at least the hardness of the surface of a root portion on an axial outside surface side of said flange is between 24 and 35 by Rockwell hardness C scale, that is between 260 and 345 by Vickers hardness.

4. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 3, wherein said carbon steel contains 0.03 to 0.3 weight % of Vanadium.

5. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising:

a stationary ring which is supported on a suspension device during use and does not rotate;

a rotating ring disposed concentric with said stationary ring, and which is fastened a wheel during use and which rotates together with said wheel;

an outer raceway provided on an inner peripheral surface of an outer diameter side bearing ring of one of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially outwards;

an inner raceway provided on an outer peripheral surface of an inner diameter side bearing ring of the other of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially inwards;

a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner raceway and said outer raceway; and

a flange provided on the outer peripheral surface of said rotating ring, for fastening a wheel,

wherein in said rotating ring, at least the surface roughness of a root portion on an axial outside surface side of said flange is between 0.1 and 1.0 μ

m by arithmetic average roughness Ra.

6. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising:

a stationary ring which is supported on a suspension device during use and does not rotate;

a rotating ring disposed concentric with said stationary ring, and which is fastened a wheel during use and which rotates together with said wheel;

an outer raceway provided on an inner peripheral surface of an outer diameter side bearing ring of one of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially outwards;

an inner raceway provided on an outer peripheral surface of an inner diameter side bearing ring of the other of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially inwards;

a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner raceway and said outer raceway; and

a flange provided on the outer peripheral surface of said rotating ring, for fastening a wheel,

wherein in said rotating ring, at least the surface roughness of a root portion on an axial outside surface side of said flange is 10 μ

m or less by maximum height Ry.

7. A flanged bearing unit comprising:

an inner member having a raceway surface on an outside surface;

an outer member having a raceway surface facing the raceway surface of said inner member on an inner surface and arranged on the outside of said inner member;

rolling elements rotatably arranged between said raceway surfaces; and

a flange provided at least on one of said inner member and said outer member, wherein at least the member provided with said flange is made from a carbon steel having a carbon content between 0.45 weight % and 0.65 weight %, and an area ratio of pro-eutectoid ferrite of at least said flange is between 3 and 15%.

8. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 7, wherein an S content of said carbon steel is between 0.003 weight % and 0.020 weight %, and a relation between said S content and the area ratio of said pro-eutectoid ferrite structure is 10≦

(S content (weight %)×

1000+area ratio of pro-eutectoid ferrite structure (%))≦

30.

9. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 7, wherein an area ratio of said pro-eutectoid ferrite structure with respect to said S content satisfies the relation of 1≦

(S content (weight %)×

1000)/area ratio of pro-eutectoid ferrite structure (%)≦

2.

10. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 7, wherein an area ratio of said pro-eutectoid ferrite per unit area (10 mm²) of the root portion on the outside in the thickness direction of said flange is between 3 and 15%, and a maximum length of said pro-eutectoid ferrite is 200 μ

m or less, and the number of pro-eutectoid ferrites having a length of 180 μ

m or more is five or less.

11. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 7, wherein the member provided with said flange has a V (Vanadium) content of 0.05 to 0.3 weight %.

19. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 7, wherein said inner member is used as a hub ring, and a wheel attaching flange serving as said flange is arranged on one end portion of said hub ring, and an inner ring is fitted onto a small diameter step portion formed on an other end portion of said hub ring so that raceway surfaces are respectively formed on the outer peripheral surface of said inner ring and on the outer peripheral surface of an axial middle portion of said hub ring to make a double row inner raceway surface, and said outer member is used as an outer ring, and a double row outer raceway surface corresponding to said double row inner raceway surface is formed on an inner peripheral surface of said outer ring, and a suspension device attaching flange is formed on an end portion of said outer ring on a side away from said wheel attaching flange, and a plurality of said rolling elements are rotatably arranged between said double row inner raceway surface and said double row outer raceway surface.

12. A method of manufacturing a flanged bearing unit wherein a plurality of rolling elements are arranged between an inner member and an outer member having a flange for attaching at least one member of said inner member and said outer member on a fixed side or a rotation side, and having a hardened layer made by induction hardening at least in the vicinity of a raceway portion, and at least the member provided with said flange is formed by hot forging using an alloy steel containing C, 0.45 to 0.65 weight %, Mn:

0.3 to 1.5 weight %, Si;

0.1 to 1.0 weight %, Cr;

0.01 to 0.5 weight %, S≦

0.025 weight %, O≦

15 ppm, and the rest being Fe and inevitable impurities, and the material heating temperature at the time of said hot forging is between 900 and 1050°

C., and the temperature at the time of finishing forge stamping is 800°

C. or more.

13. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 12, wherein an average cooling rate from a temperature at the time of the finishing forge stamping until reaching 600°

C. is between 0.5 and 5°

C./sec.

14. A flanged bearing unit according to claim 12, wherein an alloy steel containing at least one type of V:

0.01 to 0.2 weight %, Nb;

0.01 to 0.15 weight % and Ti;

0.01 to 0.15 weight % is used.

15. A flanged bearing unit made by the manufacturing method according to claim 12, having a plurality of rolling elements arranged between an inner member and an outer member, and a flange for attaching at least one member of said inner member and said outer member on a fixed side or a rotation side, and having a hardened layer made by induction hardening at least in the vicinity of the raceway portion, wherein the metal structure of the root portion of said flange contains a ferrite-pearlite structure, and a prior austenite grain size number of said ferrite-pearlite structure is 4 or more in JIS G0551.

16. A method of manufacturing a flanged bearing unit wherein a plurality of rolling elements are arranged between an inner member and an outer member having a flange for attaching at least one member of said inner member and said outer member on a fixed side or a rotation side, and having a hardened layer made by induction hardening at least in the vicinity of a raceway portion, and at least the member provided with said flange is formed by hot forging using an alloy steel containing C, 0.45 to 0.65 weight %, Mn:

0.3 to 1.5 weight %, Si;

0.1 to 1.0 weight %, Cr;

0.01 to 0.5 weight %, S≦

0.025 weight %, O≦

15 ppm, and the rest being Fe and inevitable impurities, and the material heating temperature at the time of said hot forging is between 900 and 1050°

C., and the average cooling rate from the temperature at the time of finishing forge stamping until reaching 600°

C. is between 0.5 and 5°

C./sec.

17. A wheel-support flanged bearing unit having a plurality of rolling elements arranged between an inner member and an outer member, and a flange for attaching at least one member of said inner member and said outer member on a vehicle body side or a wheel side, and having a hardened layer made by induction hardening at least in the vicinity of a raceway portion, wherein at least the member provided with said flange is formed from an alloy steel containing C, 0.45 to 0.50 weight %, Si:

0.3 to 1.5 weight %, V;

0.03 to 0.3 weight %, Mn≦

1.5 weight %, Cr≦

1.0 weight %, S≦

0.035 weight %, O≦

15 ppm, and the rest being Fe and inevitable impurities, and the C+0.2Si+0.5V value satisfies between 0.55 and 0.75, and the raceway portion surface hardness of the hardened layer made by said induction hardening is between Hv 630 and Hv 750, and the hardness of the portion which is not subjected to hardening treatment by said induction hardening is between Hv 220 and Hv 300.

18. A wheel-support flanged bearing unit according to claim 17, wherein a pro-eutectoid ferrite area ratio in a non-thermal refined portion of the root portion of at least the flange attached to the wheel side is between 5% and 15%.

20. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising:

an inner member having an inner raceway on an outer peripheral surface;

an outer member having an outer raceway on an inner peripheral surface; and

a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner raceway and said outer raceway, wherein a member being at least one member of said inner member and said outer member and comprising a flange on the outer peripheral surface, is made from a steel containing 0.45 to 0.60 weight % of C, and has a hardened layer formed by induction hardening, on the raceway portion provided on the peripheral surface, and the hardness of a portion at a depth of 0.1 mm from the surface of this hardened layer is Hv 670 or more, and a prior austenite grain size of the metal structure of this hardened layer is 8 or more in grain size number according to JIS G 0551.

21. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 20, wherein the steel constituting the member provided with the flange contains 0.3 to 1.5 weight % of Mn, 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of Si, and 0.01 to 0.5 weight % of Cr, and the S content is kept to 0.035 weight % or less, and the O content is kept to 15 ppm or less.

22. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 20, wherein the steel constituting the member provided with the flange contains one type or more selected from 0.01 to 0.2 weight % of V, 0.01 to 0.15 weight % of Nb, and 0.01 to 0.15 weight % of Ti.

23. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising:

a stationary ring which is supported on a suspension device during use and does not rotate;

a rotating ring disposed concentric with said stationary ring, and which is fastened a wheel during use and which rotates together with said wheel;

an outer raceway provided on an inner peripheral surface of an outer diameter side bearing ring of one of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially outwards;

an inner raceway provided on an outer peripheral surface of an inner diameter side bearing ring of the other of said rotating ring and said stationary ring which exists radially inwards;

a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner raceway and said outer raceway; and

a flange provided on the outer peripheral surface of said rotating ring, for fastening a wheel,

wherein said rotating ring is made from a carbon steel containing 0.45 to 0.60 weight % of C, and in this rotating ring, at least a root portion on the axial outside surface side of said flange is made from a pro-eutectoid ferrite wherein a prior austenite grain size number is 4 or more in JIS G0551, and the area ratio is between 3 and 15%.

24. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 23, wherein the C content in the carbon steel constituting said rotating ring is 0.50 weight % or more.

25. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 23, wherein the austenite grain size number is 5 or more in JIS G0551, and the area ratio of the pro-eutectoid ferrite is between 3 and 9%.

26. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 23, wherein said stationary ring is an outer ring having a double row outer raceway on an inner peripheral surface, and said rotating ring comprises a hub ring formed with a flange for supporting a wheel on an outer peripheral surface of an axial outside end portion, and with a first inner raceway on an outer peripheral surface of an axial middle portion, and an inner ring provided with a second inner raceway on an outer peripheral surface, and said inner ring is fitted onto a step portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of an inside end portion of said hub ring for which the outer diameter dimension is made smaller than that of a portion formed with said first inner raceway.

27. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 23, wherein said stationary ring is a pair of inner rings each having an inner raceway on an outer peripheral surface, and said rotating ring is a hub ring formed with a flange for supporting a wheel on an outer peripheral surface, and with a double row outer raceway on an inner peripheral surface.

28. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 23, wherein the carbon steel constituting said rotating ring contains 0.02 to 0.30 weight % of Nb.

29. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit according to claim 23, wherein said rotating ring is one where an intermediate material formed into a predetermined shape by applying hot forging or cutting to a material made from carbon steel, is subjected to heat treatment involving heating to a temperature of 750 to 1000°

C. at least once, and then cooling at a speed of the critical cooling rate or less, and is then subjected to finishing.

30. A wheel-support rolling bearing unit comprising;

an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements rotatably provided between said inner ring and said outer ring, and a hub ring made from steel having said inner ring integrally fixed by swaging, wherein

said steel contains manganese and 0.45 to 0.65 mass % of carbon, and manganese segregation degree determined by the following equation is 0.6 or less if the manganese content [Mn0] is 0.5 mass % or more, and is (2.8−

2×

[Mn0]/3 or less if the manganese content [Mn0] is less than 0.5 mass %;

manganese segregation degree=([Mn]−

[Mn0])/[Mn0]

where [Mn] is the maximum manganese concentration of the steel;

the unit is mass %.