A bearing assembly includes an inner bearing ring, an outer bearing ring and rolling bodies located between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring. A gap is defined by a radially outer surface of the inner bearing ring and a radially inner surface of the outer bearing ring. The radially inner surface of the outer bearing ring includes a first radial surface portion that is offset a greater distance from a center of the bearing than a second radial surface portion. The first and second radial surface portions are connected by a sloped surface. A sealing arrangement located in the gap. The sealing arrangement includes a first annular body including an elastomeric sealing protrusion to contact the sloped surface of the outer bearing ring.

Bearing sealing structures are disclosed, which may include first and second frameworks configured to attach to an outer ring and an inner ring, respectively, and an elastic sealing member. The first framework may include a first radially extending part extending towards the inner ring, the second framework may include a second radially extending part extending towards the outer ring, and the second radially extending part may be located on an axially outer side of the first radially extending part. The sealing structure may form a first chamber and a second chamber in a radial direction, the first chamber being formed by the first or second radially extending part. The second chamber may be located on a radially inner side of the first chamber, and the elastic sealing member may include a first sealing member extending into the first chamber and a second sealing member extending into the second chamber.

A sealing apparatus includes a sealing apparatus body that is to be attached to an outer ring of a hub bearing, and a slinger that is to be attached to a hub, in which the sealing apparatus body includes a reinforcing ring and an elastic body part. The elastic body part includes an outer periphery side labyrinth lip that is positioned on an outer periphery side of an outer periphery side end portion of the slinger and forms a gap between the hub and the outer periphery side labyrinth lip, an inner periphery side labyrinth lip, and a side lip. A distal end portion of the outer periphery side labyrinth lip is positioned on the outer side of the outer periphery side end portion of the slinger in a direction of an axis, and the outer periphery side labyrinth lip forms a groove portion in an annular shape centered about the axis and depressed toward the inner periphery side at the outer periphery side labyrinth lip on the outer periphery side.

A wheel bearing apparatus has a seal (8) with a metal core (15) and a sealing member (6). The metal core (15) is fit into an outer-side end inner circumference of the outer member (10). The sealing member (16) with a first side lip (16a) is adhered to the metal core. The first side lip (16a) is inclined radially outward to oppose a metal annulus (17) mounted on a base (18) of a wheel mounting flange (4), via an axial gap. The sealing member second side lip (16b) is formed radially inward from the first side lip (16a) and is in sliding contact with the base (18), via an axial interference. The sealing member third side lip (19a) is inclined radially outward from a base (19), covering the outer surface of the metal core (15), toward the wheel mounting flange (4). The tip end of the third side lip (19a) is formed with a vertically flat surface opposing the inner-side surface (4b) of the wheel mounting flange (4, 28), via an axial gap (S1), to form a first labyrinth seal (20). The outer edge of the metal annulus (17) opposes a sealing member (16), via an axial gap, to form a second labyrinth seal (25).

A sealing device is constructed by combination of a lip seal member attached to a not-rotating stationary member and a seal flange member attached to a rotary member. The seal lip member has a lip seal member main body having an end face lip, an outward flange portion, and an outer peripheral tube portion. The seal flange member has a seal flange member main body and an outer peripheral side tubular portion. The sealing device further includes a non-contact type labyrinth seal having a predetermined axial length arranged between the outer peripheral tube portion in the lip seal member and the outer peripheral side tubular portion in the seal flange member. The sealing device can improve sealing performance, particularly muddy water sealing performance, while fulfilling the need for low torque.

A coupling system for a sealing assembly with a rotating annular member. In particular, a bearing ring provided with a flange. The sealing assembly provides at least one first annular shield having a sleeve portion integrally coupled with the rotating annular member and a flange portion that radially and overhangingly protrudes from the sleeve portion and is arranged close to the flange. The sleeve portion is defined by a solid tubular body of rotation delimited by a mounting surface facing towards the rotating annular member and having cylindrical geometry, In combination, the sleeve portion couples with an assembly seat of the rotating annular member, formed by an annular shallow recess delimited by a cylindrical bottom surface and by an axial shoulder arranged on the side opposite to the flange; the first annular shield being placed, at the same time, in axial contact with the flange portion and the axial shoulder.

A bearing apparatus for wheels includes an outer ring, a hub shaft, rolling elements, a seal attached to a vehicle-outer-side part of the outer ring, a rotating slinger attached to the vehicle-outer-side part of the hub shaft and contacted by the seal, and a fixed slinger attached to a vehicle-outer-side outer periphery of the outer ring and contacted by the seal. An outer peripheral surface of the outer ring has a non-plated surface portion provided at a vehicle-outer-side end of the outer ring and a plated surface portion that is continuous with the non-plated surface portion. The fixed slinger has an inner cylindrical portion externally fitted over and attached to the non-plated surface portion. The seal has an inner lip that contacts the rotating slinger and an outer lip that contacts the inner cylindrical portion.

A hub-bearing assembly having an axis of rotation and provided with an outer ring and an inner ring that define between them an interspace. The inner ring is provided with a flange that is transverse to the axis, and a sealing device being interposed between the outer ring and the inner ring and being provided with a moving sealing lip that is integral with the flange with the interposition of a second sealing shield, and which is directed towards a front annular surface of the outer ring.

A wheel hub assembly includes a mounting base and a wheel hub supported for rotation on the mounting base by a plurality of bearings disposed within an annular space between the hub and base. A sealing system is provided that seals all points of intrusion into the space such that liquid contaminants are inhibited or precluded from entering the space and reaching the bearings when the assembly is subjected to an immersion/thermal shock test in which the assembly is heated to an elevated temperature and then immersed on a cold bath of the liquid contaminant. A method of testing the sealing integrity of wheel hub assemblies is also provided.

A rolling-element bearing unit for a wheel bearing assembly of a vehicle includes a rolling-element bearing with an outer ring, a an inner ring, a bearing interior between the outer ring and the inner ring and a plurality of rolling elements in the bearing interior. The inner ring has an inner ring surface facing the bearing interior and a first and a second axial end surface. A first seal assembly includes a retainer fixed on the bearing outer ring and a seal element configured to slidingly seal against the bearing inner ring surface or against a slip sleeve carried by the bearing inner ring. The retainer is an angle bracket having an axially extending annular leg and a radially inwardly extending annular flange, and radially inwardly extending flange projects radially inwardly beyond the bearing inner ring surface, for example, over a step in the first axial end surface.