Bearings – Rotary bearing – Antifriction bearing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-07-31
Estremsky, Sherry (Department: 3681)
Bearings
Rotary bearing
Antifriction bearing
C324S174000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267509
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wheel bearing device for an automobile, and more particularly to a wheel bearing device having incorporated therein a mechanism that detects the number of rotations of a wheel of the automobile.
In an automobile equipped with an anti-skid braking system (ABS), it is necessary to detect the number of rotations of the wheels which changes moment by moment. A typical mechanism for detection of the number of rotations of the wheel is made up of a pulser ring having recessed and protruded teeth formed in an outer circumferential surface or a side thereof at a certain pitch, and a pickup sensor disposed so as to confront the recessed and protruded teeth for detection thereof.
A mechanism for detecting the number of rotations of the wheels of an automobile like the one described above is, as seen from a cross-sectional view illustrated in
FIG. 2
, incorporated in a wheel bearing device. In this example, an inner ring
21
is fixedly mounted to an axle S and acts as a fixed ring, and an outer ring
23
, which is made to freely rotate relative to the inner ring
21
via rolling members, is fixedly mounted over a hub (not shown) of a wheel and acts as a rotating ring. In addition, a pulser ring
24
is mounted on the outer ring
23
, i.e. the rotating ring, to thereby rotate together with the wheel. A pickup sensor
25
is supported on a fixed portion of the vehicle body via a carrier
26
and placed so as to contact the pulser ring
24
.
A sealing member
24
a
made from rubber or the like is fixedly mounted on a radially innermost circumferential edge of the pulser ring
24
, so that the sealing member
24
a
is brought into abutment with an outer circumferential surface of the inner ring
21
to achieve the sealing of the bearing. In addition, the pulser ring
24
and the pickup sensor
25
are sealed by a labyrinth seal
27
fixedly mounted on the side of the axle S.
In the wheel bearing device a for detecting the number of rotations of the wheel of an automobile as described above, although the seal
27
is mounted on the side of the axle S in an attempt to seal the pulser ring
24
and the pickup sensor
25
, a gap G is still formed between the axle S or the seal
27
and each of the pulser ring
24
and the pickup sensor
25
, which permits foreign matters to enter into the inside of the seal and adhere to the pulser ring
24
and the pickup sensor
25
. This may interfere with the detection of the number of rotations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of these circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a wheel bearing device having a mechanism for detecting the number of rotations of a wheel of an automobile that can securely prevent the adherence of foreign matter to the pulser ring and the pickup sensor, thereby eliminating the threat of interference in the detection of the number of rotations of the wheel.
To fulfill the above object, the present invention provides a wheel bearing device comprising an outer ring fixed to a vehicle body side, and an inner ring that is rotatably supported by the outer ring via rolling bodies and that is mounted on a drive shaft side so as to rotate together therewith. In the device, a pulser ring is fixedly mounted on one end face side of the inner ring, and a seal in which an annular resilient material is mounted at a distal end of a metal ring is fixedly mounted at a proximal end thereof on one end face side of the outer ring which corresponds to the one end face side of the inner ring. The seal is mounted in such a manner that it encompasses the pulser ring and that the resilient material disposed at the distal end of the seal is arranged in tight contact with and slidable relative to an outer circumferential surface of a drive shaft. A pickup sensor is mounted on the metal ring in such a manner as to be opposed to the pulser ring.
To achieve the stated object, the present invention adopts such an arrangement as to sealingly house the pulser ring and the pickup sensor. That is, the pulser ring is fixed to one end face side of the inner ring acting as a rotating ring, while the seal in which a resilient material such as a vulcanized rubber is mounted on the distal end of the metal ring is mounted on the one end face side of the outer ring acting as a fixed ring which one end face side corresponds to the one end face side of the inner ring. The resilient material is arranged in tight contact with and slidable relative to the outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft. The pickup sensor is mounted on the metal ring. This arrangement makes it possible to sealingly house the pulser ring and the pickup sensor on the axle side.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application No. Hei. 10-188330 (filed on Jul. 3, 1998), which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5567058 (1996-10-01), Morita et al.
patent: 5614822 (1997-03-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 61-159202 (1986-10-01), None
patent: 2-50517 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 2-132502 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 4-74729 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 4-74730 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 5-10010 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 6-29903 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 9-288117 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 11-23593 (1997-11-01), None
European Search Report dated Dec. 1, 1999.
Estremsky Sherry
Koyo Seiko Co. Ltd.
Lewis Tisha D.
McGinn & Gibb PLLC
LandOfFree
Wheel bearing device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wheel bearing device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wheel bearing device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2449184