Bearing apparatus for a wheel of vehicle

• US 7,635,226 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimura, Akira, Norimatsu, Takayuki, Hirai, Isao, Kato, Hiroya, Fukada, Kikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon; Thomas R
• Application Number:
  US12/187,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 384/544, 384/589
• US Class Current: 384/544
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0084 caulking to fix inner race
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/386 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2240/70 Diameters; Radii
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/063 Fixing them on the shaft with interposition of an element F16C35/07

Abstract

A vehicle wheel bearing apparatus is formed as a unit and has a wheel hub with a wheel mounting flange at one end. A cylindrical portion extends from the wheel mounting flange, via a shoulder portion. A wheel bearing, formed by a double row rolling bearing, is press fit onto the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub. The wheel bearing has an outer member formed with double row outer raceway surfaces on its inner circumferential surface. A pair of inner rings, formed with inner raceway surfaces, is arranged opposite to the double row outer raceway surfaces. The rings are press fit onto the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub, via a predetermined interference. One ring abuts the shoulder portion. Double row rolling elements are freely rollably contained between the opposed inner and outer raceway surfaces, via cages. The inner rings are axially immovably secured by a caulked portion. The caulked portion is formed by plastically radially outwardly deforming the end portion of the cylindrical portion. The inner circumferential surfaces of one end of the inner rings are formed with predetermined chamfer portions. The chamfer portion of the inner ring of the inner side is smaller than the chamfer portion of the inner ring of the outer side.

Claims

1. A vehicle wheel bearing apparatus formed as a unit comprising:

a wheel hub with a wheel mounting flange at its one end, a cylindrical portion extending from the wheel mounting flange via a shoulder portion;

a wheel bearing formed by a double row rolling bearing press fit onto the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub, said wheel bearing including an outer member with double row outer raceway surfaces on an the inner circumferential surface;

a pair of inner rings, formed with inner raceway surfaces, are arranged opposite to the double row outer raceway surfaces, the rings are press fit onto the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub via a predetermined interference, one ring abuts the shoulder portion;

double row rolling elements are freely rollably contained between the opposed inner and outer raceway surfaces via cages, said inner rings are axially immovably secured by a caulked portion, the caulking portion is formed by plastically radially outwardly deforming the end portion of the cylindrical portion, said caulking portion in tight immediate contact with the end surface of the inner ring of an inner side of the wheel bearing apparatus, inner circumferential surfaces of one end of each of the inner rings is formed with a predetermined chamfer portion, and the chamfer portion of the inner ring of the inner side of the wheel bearing apparatus is smaller than the chamfer portion of the inner ring of an outer side of the wheel bearing apparatus.

2. The vehicle wheel bearing apparatus of claim 1 wherein a corner portion between the shoulder portion and the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub is formed by a composite radius that comprises a plurality of radii of curvatures, an outer side radius of curvature is smaller than a maximum radius of curvature and an inner side radius of curvature is larger than the maximum radius of curvature.

3. The vehicle wheel bearing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the composite radius comprises two radii of curvatures.

4. The vehicle wheel bearing apparatus claim 1 wherein the chamfer portion of the inner ring of the inner side has a circular arc of a radius of curvature of 1.0˜

2.5 mm.

5. The vehicle wheel bearing apparatus claim 1 wherein an annular groove, with a circular arc cross-section and extending to the chamfer portion of the inner ring of the inner side, is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the end portion of the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub, and a thickness of the end portion of the cylindrical portion before caulking is gradually increased toward its tip end portion.