Vehicle wheel hub mounting system

Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Hub

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C180S259000, C384S544000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06196639

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to vehicle wheel hub mounting systems and in particular to an improved structure for such a vehicle wheel hub mounting system.
One example of a known vehicle wheel hub mounting system, indicated generally at
900
, is illustrated in prior art FIG.
10
. As shown therein, the prior art vehicle wheel hub mounting system
900
is associated with a driven front wheel of a vehicle and includes an axle spindle or drive shaft
912
, a wheel hub
914
, a bearing assembly
918
, and a spanner nut
920
. The axle spindle
912
includes an outer end having external threads
912
A, a body having external splines
912
B along a portion thereof, and an inner end (not shown) adapted to be connected to an axle (not shown) of the vehicle.
The wheel hub
914
includes internal splines
914
A for receiving the mating external splines
912
B of the axle spindle
912
for connecting the wheel hub
914
to the axle spindle
912
for rotation therewith. The wheel hub
914
also includes a generally radially outwardly extending flange
914
B, and a bearing seat
914
D. The wheel hub flange
914
B includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced stud receiving holes
914
C formed therein (only one of such stud receiving holes
914
C is illustrated in FIG.
10
). The stud receiving holes
914
C are adapted to receive studs (not shown) and nuts (not shown) for securing a rotatable brake component, such as for example a brake rotor (not shown) or a brake drum (not shown), and a vehicle wheel (not shown), to the wheel hub
914
for rotation therewith. The bearing seat
914
D is adapted to support the bearing assembly
918
which is in turn, secured to a non-rotatable component of the vehicle (not shown), so as to rotatably support the axle spindle
912
and the wheel hub
914
relative thereto. To secure the axle spindle
912
and the wheel hub
914
together for rotation with one another and also to preload the bearing assembly
918
, the spanner nut
920
is installed on the threaded outer end
912
A of the axle spindle
912
and tightened to preload the bearing assembly
918
to a predetermined load.
The vehicle wheel hub mounting system
900
is subjected to various loads during vehicle operation. Typically, the loads which the vehicle wheel hub mounting system
900
is subjected to include radial loads, bending loads, and torsional loads. Depending on the magnitude of the associated loads, the spanner nut
920
can rotate from its installed position resulting in the loss of the bearing preload provided by the spanner nut
920
. Also, depending on the magnitude of the associated loads, the wheel hub
914
can move relative to the axle spindle
912
resulting in the premature wear of the respective splines
912
B and
914
A thereof. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for a vehicle wheel hub mounting system which improved the retention of the spanner nut on the axle spindle and which reduced the wear of the wheel hub splines and axle spindle splines and yet was simple and inexpensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved vehicle wheel hub mounting system and includes a wheel hub, an axle spindle, a bearing assembly, and a threaded fastener. The wheel hub defines an axis and including a generally axially extending body having bore formed therethrough. The bore of the wheel hub includes an internal splined portion and an inner annular wheel hub surface spaced apart from the internal splined portion. The inner annular wheel hub surface defines a predetermined wheel hub inner diameter. The axle spindle is connected to the wheel hub for rotation therewith and includes a generally axially extending body having an external splined portion and an outer annular axle spindle surface spaced apart from the external splined portion. The external splined portion of the axle spindle matingly receives the internal splined portion of the wheel hub to connect the axle spindle to the wheel hub for rotation therewith. The outer annular axle spindle surface of said axle spindle defines a predetermined axle spindle outer diameter which receives the inner annular wheel hub surface of the wheel hub so as to pilot and support the wheel hub thereon. The bearing assembly is pressed onto at least a portion of one of the wheel hub and the axle spindle. The bearing assembly is adapted to be secured to a non-rotatable component of the vehicle so as to rotatably support the wheel hub and the axle spindle relative thereto. The threaded fastener nut is secured to the axle spindle for preloading the bearing assembly and securing the wheel hub and the axle spindle together for rotation with one another. As a result of separating the wheel hub to axle spindle pilot, provided by the inner annular wheel hub surface being piloted and supported on the outer annular wheel hub of the axle spindle, from the axle spindle to hub connection, provided by the mating connection of the internal axle spindle splines and the external wheel hub splines, the radial loads transmitted from the wheel hub to the axle spindle are separated from the torsional loads transmitted from the wheel hub splines to the axle spindle splines thereby reducing wear of the associated splines. Also, this separation is effective to reduce the radial loads transmitted from the wheel hub to the threaded fastener. Thus, the retention of the threaded fastener on the axle spindle is improved which in turn, is effective to maintain the bearing preload.
Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2271849 (1942-02-01), Wallace
patent: 2341755 (1944-02-01), Ash
patent: 4282949 (1981-08-01), Kopich et al.
patent: 4354711 (1982-10-01), Main
patent: 4371214 (1983-02-01), Strader
patent: 4792020 (1988-12-01), Okumura et al.
patent: 5394967 (1995-03-01), Bigley
patent: 5560687 (1996-10-01), Hagelthorn
patent: 3620003 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 65127 (1982-11-01), None
patent: 794072 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 2112500 (1983-07-01), None
patent: 2198995 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 85-5661 (1985-12-01), None
patent: 96/14515 (1996-05-01), None

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