Wheel hub unit

• US 20030202843A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Krude, Werner, Wenning, Ludger
• Granted Patent: US 6,821,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/178
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0005 with ball bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0042 characterised by the fixation of the homokinetic joint to the hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0084 caulking to fix inner race
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0094 one or more of the bearing races are formed by the hub
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/349 Coplanar

Abstract

A wheel hub unit having a wheel hub (11), a wheel bearing (19) and an outer joint part (15) of a constant velocity universal joint which, at the hub end, includes a shaft journal (16) with shaft splines (17), which shaft journal (16) is inserted into a through-aperture (13) of the wheel hub, which through-aperture (13) is provided with internal splines (14), wherein an axial securing mechanism between the wheel hub (11) and the outer joint part (15) are formed by a securing ring (18) which comprises a rectangular cross-section and which engages corresponding rectangular circumferential grooves in the internal splines (14) and in the shaft splines (17) and is arranged near the end of the shaft journal, and wherein, at the shaft journal (16), near its base, there is provided a centering collar which, in a radially play-free way, engages the through-aperture (13) of the wheel hub (11).

Claims

1. A wheel hub unit comprising:

a wheel hub (11) with a through-aperture (13) having internal splines (14);

a wheel bearing (19);

an outer joint part (15) of a constant velocity universal joint which, at the hub end, comprises a shaft journal (16) with shaft splines (17), which shaft journal (16) is inserted into the through-aperture (13) of the wheel hub;

an axial securing mechanism between the wheel hub (11) and the outer joint part (15) comprising a securing ring (18) having a rectangular cross-section and which engages corresponding rectangular circumferential grooves (31, 32) in the internal splines (14) and in the shaft splines (17), wherein the securing ring (18) is arranged near the end of the shaft journal, and

wherein, the shaft journal (16), near its base, includes a centering collar (34) which, in a radially play-free way, engages the through-aperture (13) of the wheel hub (11).

2. A wheel hub unit according to claim 1, wherein a shoulder face (39) of the wheel hub (11), at the joint end, and an end face (40) of the outer joint part (15), at the hub end, form an open annular gap (37).

3. A wheel hub unit according to claim 1 comprising a sealing ring (38) near the base of the shaft journal (16), and sealingly positioned between the through-aperture (13) of the wheel hub (11) and the shaft journal (16) of the outer joint part (15).

4. A wheel hub unit according to claim 2 comprising a sealing ring (38) near the base of the shaft journal (16), and sealingly positioned between the through-aperture (13) of the wheel hub (11) and the shaft journal (16) of the outer joint part (15).

5. A wheel hub unit according to claim 1, wherein, at its end face, the shaft journal (16) comprises a central recess (28) which extends axially from the free end and projects beyond the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14), and a radial notch (29) which extends axially from the free end as far as the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14) and into the central recess (28), and wherein inwardly bent free ends (35, 36) of the securing ring (18) extend through the notch (29) into the recess (28).

6. A wheel hub unit according to claim 2, wherein, at its end face, the shaft journal (16) comprises a central recess (28) which extends axially from the free end and projects beyond the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14), and a radial notch (29) which extends axially from the free end as far as the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14) and into the central recess (28), and wherein inwardly bent free ends (35, 36) of the securing ring (18) extend through the notch (29) into the recess (28).

7. A wheel hub unit according to claim 3, wherein, at its end face, the shaft journal (16) comprises a central recess (28) which extends axially from the free end and projects beyond the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14), and a radial notch (29) which extends axially from the free end as far as the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14) and into the central recess (28), and wherein inwardly bent free ends (35, 36) of the securing ring (18) extend through the notch (29) into the recess (28).

8. A wheel hub unit according to claim 4, wherein, at its end face, the shaft journal (16) comprises a central recess (28) which extends axially from the free end and projects beyond the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14), and a radial notch (29) which extends axially from the free end as far as the circumferential groove (32) in the internal splines (14) and into the central recess (28), and wherein inwardly bent free ends (35, 36) of the securing ring (18) extend through the notch (29) into the recess (28).

9. A wheel hub unit according to claim 1, wherein the wheel bearing (19) comprises a double-row rolling contact bearing comprising an inner bearing race (23) which is slid from the joint end on to the wheel hub (11) and which is axially held on the wheel hub by an outwardly directed beading (24) of the wheel hub (11), at the joint end.

10. A wheel hub unit according to claim 2, wherein the wheel bearing (19) comprises a double-row rolling contact bearing comprising an inner bearing race (23) which is slid from the joint end on to the wheel hub (11) and which is axially held on the wheel hub by an outwardly directed beading (24) of the wheel hub (11), at the joint end.

11. A wheel hub unit according to claim 3, wherein the wheel bearing (19) comprises a double-row rolling contact bearing comprising an inner bearing race (23) which is slid from the joint end on to the wheel hub (11) and which is axially held on the wheel hub by an outwardly directed beading (24) of the wheel hub (11), at the joint end.

12. A wheel hub unit according to claim 5, wherein the wheel bearing (19) comprises a double-row rolling contact bearing comprising an inner bearing race (23) which is slid from the joint end on to the wheel hub (11) and which is axially held on the wheel hub by an outwardly directed beading (24) of the wheel hub (11), at the joint end.

13. A wheel hub unit according to claim 9, wherein the wheel hub (11) includes an integral wheel flange (12).

14. A wheel hub unit according to claim 1, wherein the wheel bearing (19) comprises a double-row rolling contact bearing comprising an inner bearing race (23′

) which is slid from the wheel end on to the wheel hub (11) and which is axially held on the wheel hub (11) by an outwardly directed beading (24′

) of the wheel hub, at the wheel end.

15. A wheel hub unit according to claim 14, wherein the inner bearing race (23′

) includes an integral wheel flange (12).

16. A wheel hub unit according to claim 2, wherein the annular gap (37) is axially wider than a sum of the axial play between the securing ring (18) and the circumferential grooves (31, 32).

17. A wheel hub unit according to claim 5, wherein the annular gap (37) is axially wider than a sum of the axial play between the securing ring (18) and the circumferential grooves (31, 32).

18. A wheel hub unit according to claim 9, wherein the annular gap (37) is axially wider than a sum of the axial play between the securing ring (18) and the circumferential grooves (31, 32).

19. A wheel hub unit according to claim 14, wherein the annular gap (37) is axially wider than a sum of the axial play between the securing ring (18) and the circumferential grooves (31, 32).