Shaft and wheel hub retention assembly
First Claim
1. An assembly, comprising:
- an outer race of a constant velocity joint;
a shaft of an outboard drive axle axially coupled to said outer race, wherein said shaft has an external surface and an external groove circumferentially formed in said external surface of said shaft;
a retaining element;
a wheel hub having a first bore and an internal groove circumferentially formed in said first bore for receiving said retaining element, wherein said first bore of said wheel hub telescopingly receives said external surface of said shaft; and
a bearing assembly telescopingly received on one of said shaft on said wheel hub,wherein said retaining element releasably engages said external groove of said shaft and said internal groove of said wheel hub to axially secure said wheel hub and shaft in both axial directions and imparts no pre-load on said bearing assembly.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An assembly having a retaining element, an outer race of a constant velocity joint, and a shaft of an outboard drive axle that is axially joined to the outer race. The shaft has an external groove circumferentially formed on its external surface for receiving the retaining element. The external surface of the shaft supports a new generation wheel bearing assembly and a wheel hub that is non-rotatably coupled to the external surface of the shaft. The retaining element engages the external groove of the shaft and retains the wheel hub without requiring a preload on the bearing. The wheel hub is held in place by the retaining element and the shaft, wherein the wheel bearing assembly is retained by the wheel hub, thereby allowing the retained wheel hub to be rotatably drivable within the wheel bearing assembly by the constant velocity joint.
37 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An assembly, comprising:
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an outer race of a constant velocity joint; a shaft of an outboard drive axle axially coupled to said outer race, wherein said shaft has an external surface and an external groove circumferentially formed in said external surface of said shaft; a retaining element; a wheel hub having a first bore and an internal groove circumferentially formed in said first bore for receiving said retaining element, wherein said first bore of said wheel hub telescopingly receives said external surface of said shaft; and a bearing assembly telescopingly received on one of said shaft on said wheel hub, wherein said retaining element releasably engages said external groove of said shaft and said internal groove of said wheel hub to axially secure said wheel hub and shaft in both axial directions and imparts no pre-load on said bearing assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An assembly, comprising:
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an outer race of a constant velocity joint; a shaft of an outboard drive axle axially coupled to said outer race, wherein said shaft has an external surface and an external groove circumferentially formed in the external surface of said shaft; a steering knuckle having a third bore and a backstop; a retaining ring; a wheel bearing assembly and comprising an outer part rotatably coupled by a plurality of bearing elements to an inner part, wherein the inner part has a second bore, a first side and a second side, wherein the outer part of said wheel bearing assembly is fit into the third bore up to the backstop of said steering knuckle and retained by said retaining ring opposite the backstop, the inner part of the wheel bearing assembly is coupled to said shaft and the first side is adjacent to said outer race; a retaining element; and a wheel hub having a first bore with an internal agroove, and a radially extending flange, wherein the first bore of said wheel hub is coupled to the external surface of said shaft and held in an assembled position between the second side of the inner part of said wheel bearing assembly and said retaining element, wherein said retaining element is engaged in the internal and the external grooves to axially secure the wheel hub and shaft in both axial directions and imparts no pre-load on said wheel bearing assembly, and wherein the wheel hub is rotatably drivable within the steering knuckle by the constant velocity joint. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. In an assembly comprising an outer race of a constant velocity joint, a shaft of an outboard drive axle axially coupled to said outer race, wherein said shaft has an external surface and an external groove circumferentially formed in the external surface of said shaft, and a wheel bearing assembly having a second bore with an internal groove, a retaining element, and a wheel hub having a first bore and a radially extending flange, a method of retaining said wheel hub and said wheel bearing in telescopic relationship with said shaft by said retaining element comprising:
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telescoping said shaft inwardly through the second bore of said wheel bearing assembly and the first bore of said wheel hub; retaining said wheel hub and said wheel bearing assembly on said shaft with an engaged retaining element in the internal and the external grooves to axially secure the wheel hub and shaft in both axial directions while imparting no pre-load on said wheel bearing assembly; and mounting said retaining element on said shaft. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification