BEARING SEAL

Abstract

A bearing seal includes at least one first metal-plate element having an attachment region for attaching the first metal-plate element to a bearing inner ring, at least one seal element attached to the first metal-plate element, and at least one spring element configured to press at least one region of the seal element in a radially outward direction. Also a wheel bearing assembly including the bearing seal.

Claims

1. A bearing seal comprising: at least one first metal-plate element having an attachment region for attaching the first metal-plate element to a bearing inner ring, at least one seal element attached to the first metal-plate element, at least one spring element configured to press at least one region of the seal element in a radially outward direction.

2. The bearing seal according to claim 1, wherein the seal element is configured such that a radially outward force generated by the at least one spring element presses a region of the seal element in an axial direction.

3. A wheel bearing assembly including: a bearing inner ring; a bearing outer ring; and the bearing seal according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first metal-plate element is attached to the bearing inner ring.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the seal element includes at least one seal lip pointing at least partially axially outward and contacting a component of the bearing seal that is at rest with respect to an outer ring of the bearing assembly during any operational processes.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 4, wherein the component is pressed into a further component of the bearing seal or is configured one-piece therewith.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 4, wherein the component comprises an impulse wheel.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the seal element includes a seal lip that points at least partially radially outward and contacts a component that is at rest with respect to an outer ring of the bearing assembly during any operating processes, and/or contacts the outer ring.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 7, wherein the seal lip contacts the component on a radially inner region.

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein a center of gravity of the bearing seal lies outside a bore of the inner ring.

10. The bearing seal according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first metal plate element includes a cylindrical portion configured to be mounted on a radially outer surface of the bearing inner ring and an annular portion extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical portion; wherein the at least one seal element includes a first portion extending along a surface of the annular portion and a second portion extending radially outward of the annular portion and a first seal lip extending from the second portion, wherein the spring element is mounted in a radially inwardly facing channel in the third portion.

11. A wheel bearing assembly comprising: a hub having an opening at a radially outer end; a bearing outer ring mounted in the hub; a bearing inner ring inside the bearing outer ring; a plurality of rolling elements between the bearing inner ring and the bearing outer ring, a first bracket having a radially inwardly extending flange mounted on the hub, and the bearing seal according to claim 10, wherein a radially inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the first metal plate element is mounted on a radially outer surface of the bearing inner ring, wherein the flange is located axially between the annular portion and the plurality of rolling elements, and wherein the first seal lip is held against the flange by the at least one spring element.

12. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 11, including a second bracket mounted on the first bracket and having a first leg in contact with the first bracket and a second leg radially overlapping and axially spaced from the annular portion, wherein the sealing element includes a second seal lip in contact with the second bracket.

13. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 12, wherein the sealing element includes a third seal lip in contact with the first bracket.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevational view of a first conventional bearing assembly.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational view of a conventional oil-lubricated bearing assembly.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevational view of a conventional grease-lubricated bearing assembly.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a sectional side elevational view of a bearing assembly including a bearing seal according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] FIG. 4 shows a bearing assembly, specifically a wheel bearing assembly that includes a bearing seal according to the present disclosure. The bearing seal includes a first metal-plate element 16 that has an attachment region 18 by which the metal-plate element 16 is attached to a bearing inner ring 20 of the bearing assembly. Rolling elements 52 of the bearing assembly abut against the bearing inner ring 20 and against an outer ring 36 of the bearing assembly, and together with these form a rolling-element bearing in which, during an operation of the rolling-element bearing, the rings rotate relative to each other about an axis 48. The outer ring is pressed into a hub 35. The bearing seal includes an elastomeric seal element 22 and is attached to the metal-plate element 16. A region 26 of the seal element 22 is pressed radially outward by a spring element 24 of the bearing seal, which spring element 24 is configured as a spiral spring. A seal lip 40 of the seal element, which seal lip 40 extends radially outward, is thereby pressed against a component 38 that is comprised of metal plate and is also pressed into the hub 35. Due to the attachment of the seal element to the metal-plate element 16 and an axial component of the force exerted by the spring element 24, a region 28 of the seal element 22 is pressed axially against a region 30 of the component 38, which region 30 extends in the radially and circumferentially.

[0013] Furthermore the seal element comprises a seal lip 32 that extends axially outward and radially inward with respect to the rolling-element bearing. The seal lip 32 contacts a component 34 of the bearing seal that always, even during an operation of the rolling-element bearing, is at rest with respect to the outer ring. The component 34 is pressed into the component 38.

[0014] In alternative exemplary embodiments the components 34, 38 are configured one-piece. In other alternative exemplary embodiments an impulse wheel that is used to determine a rotational speed of the outer ring can perform the function of the component 34.

[0015] A further seal lip 41 of the seal element contacts a radially inner region 44 of the component 38.

[0016] In addition, a center of gravity 50 of the bearing seal is disposed outside a bore 46 of the bearing inner ring. The bearing seal thus protrudes over an axial end surface of the bearing inner ring, so that an axial length of the bearing inner ring can be kept minimal. Furthermore installation space can be saved, and in addition a standard design can be used for the bearing inner ring, which is particularly cost-effective. Due to the good connecting of the bearing seal to the bearing inner ring, the bearing seal offers high running accuracy and a very good seal effect.

[0017] In alternative embodiments the metal-plate element is flanged at its axial end that is turned toward the rolling elements, so that a stiffening and strengthening is achieved and thus a better retention on the bearing inner ring is achieved.

[0018] The component 34 improves sealing against water and dirt from outside. It is also to be mentioned that, in addition to the seal lip 32, a further seal lip of the seal element abuts against the component 34. The component 34 can also be replaced by a metal plate attached to the hub. If the component 38 and the component 34 are configured one-piece, a flanging is carried out at the end of the installation of the bearing seal in order to form a region against which the seal lip 32 abuts.

[0019] Oil or grease can be used as lubricant for the rolling-element bearing. In particular with the use of oil a secure and durable sealing is effected by the bearing seal according to the disclosure.

[0020] Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide improved bearing seals.

[0021] Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings.

[0022] All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositions of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, all value ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended to disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0023] 10 Metal-plate element [0024] 12 Inner ring [0025] 14 Seal element [0026] 16 Metal-plate element [0027] 18 Attachment region [0028] 20 Bearing inner ring [0029] 22 Seal element [0030] 24 Spring element [0031] 26 Region [0032] 28 Region [0033] 30 Region [0034] 32 Seal lip [0035] 34 Component [0036] 35 Hub [0037] 36 Outer ring [0038] 38 Component [0039] 40 Seal lip [0040] 41 Seal lip [0041] 44 Inner region [0042] 46 Bore [0043] 48 Axis [0044] 50 Center of gravity [0045] 52 Rolling element