Bearings – Rotary bearing – Antifriction bearing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-10-09
Footland, Lenard A. (Department: 3682)
Bearings
Rotary bearing
Antifriction bearing
C384S537000, C384S544000, C384S589000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299360
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY
SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to capturing a ring-like component or a spindle and more particularly to a hub assembly having a captured ring and a process for assembling the same.
Most light automotive vehicles that are equipped with four wheel drive travel for the most part on paved roads where traction is good. Under these circumstances this type of vehicle operates more efficiently and with less tire wear with only two wheels driving. Hence, the typical four wheel drive vehicle has a mechanism, such as a transfer case, for engaging and disengaging two of the wheels. In sport-utility vehicles and pick-up trucks equipped with four wheel drive, the rear wheels serve as the primary driving wheels and the mechanism engages and disengages the front wheels. But other vehicles, such as some automobiles and vans, rely on the front wheels as the primary driving wheels.
In any event, the drive train for the primary wheels remains permanently coupled to the transmission for the vehicle. Even though the drive train for the remaining wheels may be disengaged from the transmission when the vehicle negotiates clear pavement, the wheels will power that drive train causing its components to rotate unless the drive train is further equipped with a disconnect mechanism at those remaining wheels. The disconnect mechanism may take the form of a splined coupler ring which slides over a drive spline on a constant velocity (CV) joint, and in so doing moves between a disengaged position where it lies entirely around a spline on the CV joint and an engaged position where it lies not only around the spline on the CV joint, but also around a spline that forms part of a wheel hub, thus coupling the CV joint to the hub so that torque is transmitted from the drive train to the hub. U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,895 shows such a mechanism.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention in a broad sense involves the use of a circular clip to facilitate the capture of a ring-like component on a spindle when the end of the spindle is deformed outwardly. In a narrower sense the invention resides in a hub assembly that includes a hub having a spindle, a shoulder at one end of the spindle, and a formed end at the other end, with the formed end being produced by deforming radially outwardly an initial axially directed end on the spindle. The inner race of a bearing and a ring lie captured between the shoulder and the formed end, with the formed end being turned up against the ring. The ring may be coupled to the spindle at a spline and may have an exterior spline capable of being engaged by a connect-disconnect mechanism. The axially directed portion of the spindle is turned outwardly over a circular clip which provides a generous radius at which the deformation occurs. The circular clip also prevents the edges at the ends of the splines on the spindle and ring from contacting the formed end and initiating fatigue cracks or fretting damage. The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4893960 (1990-01-01), Beier et al.
patent: 5226738 (1993-07-01), Valette et al.
patent: 5490732 (1996-02-01), Hofmann et al.
patent: 5740895 (1998-04-01), Bigley
patent: 5782465 (1998-07-01), Bertetti et al.
patent: 5782565 (1998-07-01), Bertetti et al.
patent: 5853250 (1998-12-01), Krude et al.
patent: 5984422 (1999-11-01), Seifert
patent: 6112411 (2000-09-01), Rutter
patent: 6146022 (2000-11-01), Sahashi et al.
patent: 9825772 (1998-06-01), None
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patent: 0736398 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 9858762 (1998-12-01), None
patent: WO9858762 (1998-12-01), None
Dougherty John D.
Holland Peter
Footland Lenard A.
Polster Lieder Woodruff & Lucchesi L.C.
The Timken Company
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