Outer part for homokinetic joints and rolling bearings

Abstract

An outer part for homokinetic joints and rolling bearings, the outer part having, at least at one of its end faces, an annular sealing face. Axially running bores for receiving fastening means are formed in the end faces of the outer part, the sealing face extending in the region of the bores radially between the bores and the inner diameter of the outer part. A contour protruding from the sealing face is arranged on the end-face sealing face(s) of the outer part, against which contour the seal presses when fitted. Said contour, which protrudes nose-like in longitudinal cross-section, provides even at the pre-assembled stage a small seating surface for the seal, such that the contour is fixed in position, without the use of an adhesive, even under small pressing forces, such as those usually applied during the preassembly of the module to which the outer part belongs.

Claims

1. External part for homokinetic joints and rolling bearings, wherein the external part (1) has an annular sealing surface (12) on at least one of its end faces, and axially extending drillholes (15) are created on the end face in the external part (1) to accommodate fastening means, wherein the sealing surface (12) extends radially between the drillholes (15) and the inner diameter of the external part (1) in the region of the drillholes (15), characterized in that a contour (16) which protrudes from the sealing surface (12) is arranged on the one or more end face sealing surfaces (12) of the external part (1), against which contour a gasket (13) is pressed in the assembled state.

2. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding contour (16) extends circumferential without interruption.

3. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding contour (16) is arranged in the region of the outer diameter of the sealing surface (12).

4. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding contour (16) is arranged in the region of the inner diameter of the sealing surface (12).

5. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding contour (16) is arranged in the region between the inner and outer diameters of the sealing surface (12).

6. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that when viewed in cross section the protruding contour (16) has at least one shell surface extending conically towards the axis of the external part (1).

7. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that when the protruding contour (16) is viewed in cross section, a transition of at least one shell surface of said protruding contour to the sealing surface (12) is constructed as a radius (18).

8. External part according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding contour (16) has a flat bearing surface for the gasket (13).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the object according to the invention are represented in the drawing which illustrates an example of an external part for a homokinetic joint and which will be explained in greater detail below. In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a constant velocity joint connected to a shaft journal,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail X in the sealing region of the external part of the constant velocity joint with gasket in the pre-assembled state,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a detail X in the sealing region of the external part of the constant velocity joint with gasket in the finally assembled state

(5) FIG. 4 shows a first variant of the gasket retainer according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a second variant of the gasket retainer according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a third variant of the gasket retainer according to the invention and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a fourth variant of the gasket retainer according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) As may be seen in FIG. 1, the constant velocity joint has an external joint part 1 with inner ball races 2 and an internal joint part 3 with outer ball races 4, may be positioned coaxially, displaced and swivelled by means of ball bearings 5 which are arranged between the inner and outer ball races 2 and 4 in the external joint part 1. The ball bearings 5 are accommodated and retained in a cage 6 whose outer circumference bears on the inner circumference of the external joint part 1. This Inner circumference is formed by the inner surfaces of the bridges 7 which remain between the inner ball races 2 and will be referred to in the text below as the cage guide surface 8. A shaft journal 9 is inserted in the internal joint part 3 and is sealed against the external joint part 1 by means of a flexible cuff 10 and a cap 11. On the end face opposite this sealing arrangement, the external joint part 1 has an end face sealing surface 12, via which the constant velocity joint is sealed with a gasket 13 and a cover 14. Cover 14 and gasket 13 are screwed to the housing internal part, and the housing part is furnished with drillholes 15 in the region of the bridges 7 for this purpose.

(10) FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the bearing of the gasket 13 on the sealing surface 12 of the external joint part 1 as detail X from FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 1 shows a component consisting of external joint part 1, gasket 13, cover 14 and connecting elementsnot shown herein the pre-assembled state, that is to say with a gasket 13 pressed lightly against the external joint part 1 by means of the connecting elements. This figure clearly shows the contour 16 protruding in accordance with the invention a few tenths of a millimetre axially from the sealing surface 12, which contour secures the gasket 13 against the external joint part 1 even under light pressure so that it is held in position even while the component is being transported, during downstream joining operations and when it is subsequently installed in a motor vehicle, without damaging the gasket 13. In this pre-assembled state, the gasket 13 lies flush in line with the axially protruding contour 16. FIG. 3 shows the same component in the finally assembled state, wherein the gasket 13 is now pressed fully against the sealing surface 12 of the external joint part 1, and the axially protruding contour 16 passes into the gasket 13, and the gasket 13 is pressed against the sealing surface 12 of the bridge 7.

(11) FIGS. 4 to 7 show two different arrangements and three different cross sectional shapes of the radially protruding contour 16. In the variants represented in FIGS. 4 to 6, the radially protruding contour 16 is arranged in the region of the inner diameter of bridges 7 on which the cage guide surface 8 is supported. FIG. 7 shows the arrangement thereof in the middle of the sealing surface 12 of bridges 7. The cross-sectional shape of the contour 16 may be rectangular, trapezoidal on one or both sides. If the cross-sectional shape is rectangular, a broad, flat bearing surface 17 is created (FIG. 4), in which case it is advantageous to provide the one or more shell surface(s) protruding vertically from the sealing surface 12 with a transition radius 18. If the cross-sectional shape is trapezoidal (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7), the protruding contour 16 tapers conically into a transition with the sealing surface 12, so the bearing surface of the gasket 13 is smaller.

(12) The detail drawings in FIGS. 2 to 7 show another special feature of the design of the cage guide surfaces 8 which is independent of the resent invention: The cage guide surfaces 8 have an alignment which is guided radially in the direction of the swivel axis of the external joint part 1 towards the sealing surface 12. Consequently, the radial thickness of the bridges 7 increases or, expressed in a different way, the bridges 7 have a radial overhang 19 which has the effect of radially enlarging the width of the sealing surface 12 on the bridges 7 in the region of the drillholes 15.

(13) All of the features represented here may be essential to the invention either individually or on any combination with each other.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(14) 1 External joint part 2 Inner ball race 3 Internal joint part 4 Outer ball race 5 Ball bearing 6 Cage 7 Bridge 8 Cage guide surface 9 Shaft journal 10 Cuff 11 Cap 12 Sealing surface 13 Gasket 14 Cover 15 Drillhole 16 Axially protruding contour 17 Flat bearing surface 18 Transition radius 19 Radial overhang