Method of making wheel support bearing

• US 8,221,004 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimura, Akira, Komori, Kazuo, Kubota, Kazunori, Hashimoto, Tetsuya, Saitou, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R
• Application Number:
  US12/448,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20100278468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 384/544, 384/589, 298/980.64
• 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 19/186 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/04 Assembling rolling-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49686 Assembling of cage and rolling anti-friction members

Abstract

A support bearing assembly includes a plural rows of rolling elements between opposed raceway surfaces of outer and inner members, respectively. The inner member is formed from a hub unit and an inner ring mounted on an outer periphery of an inboard end portion thereof. An annular stepped area is provided in an inner periphery of the inboard side of the inner ring. A crimped portion engageable with the stepped area is provided on an inboard end of the hub unit and has a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process. By setting the amount of change in an inner diameter of the inboard end of the crimped portion within a preset range when a crimping punch is driven in, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion is regulated.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a wheel support bearing assembly comprising an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rows of raceway surfaces defined therein;

an inner member having an outer periphery formed with raceway surfaces opposed to the raceway surfaces and made up of an hub unit and an inner ring, the hub unit having a wheel mounting flange formed on an outer periphery thereof and also having a center bore defined in a center portion thereof, the inner ring being mounted on an inner ring mounting area of a stepped configuration that is defined in an inboard side of an outer periphery of the hub unit; and

a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposed raceway surfaces;

the rows of the raceway surfaces being defined in the hub unit and the inner ring, respectively, the inner ring having an inboard end provided at an inner peripheral edge thereof with an annular stepped area, the hub unit having an inboard end portion provided with a crimped portion engageable with an axially oriented inclined face of the stepped area of the inner ring, the method comprising;

forming the crimped portion by driving a crimping punch into an inner periphery of a plastically deformable portion of the inboard end portion of the hub unit from an inboard side thereof such that the plastically deformable portion is crimped to assume a diametrically expanded state, the plastically deformable portion being of a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process; and

regulating, during the driving-in of the crimping punch, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion by measuring the amount of change in an inner diameter of an inboard end of the plastically deformable portion and setting the amount of change to a value within a preset range.

2. A method of manufacturing a wheel support bearing assembly comprising an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rows of raceway surfaces defined therein;

an inner member having an outer periphery formed with raceway surfaces opposed to the raceway surfaces and made up of an hub unit and an inner ring, the hub unit having a wheel mounting flange formed on an outer periphery thereof and also having a center bore defined in a center portion thereof, the inner ring being mounted on an inner ring mounting area of a stepped configuration that is defined in an inboard side of an outer periphery of the hub unit; and

a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposed raceway surfaces;

the rows of the raceway surfaces being defined in the hub unit and the inner ring, respectively, the inner ring having an inboard end provided at an inner peripheral edge thereof with an annular stepped area, the hub unit having an inboard end portion provided with a crimped portion engageable with an axially oriented inclined face of the stepped area of the inner ring, the method comprising;

forming the crimped portion by driving a crimping punch with a forefront outer peripheral surface tapered to represent a tapered surface into an inner periphery of a plastically deformable portion of the inboard end portion of the hub unit from an inboard side thereof such that the plastically deformable portion is crimped to assume a diametrically expanded state, the plastically deformable portion being of a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process; and

regulating, during the driving-in of the crimping punch, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion by measuring a maximum inner diameter of an tapered inner peripheral surface of the plastically deformable portion and setting the maximum inner diameter to a value within a predetermined range.