Wheel bearing assembly for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A wheel bearing assembly for a motor vehicle. A roller bearing arranged in a wheel carrier, by which a wheel hub is rotatably mounted with respect to the wheel carrier. The wheel carrier is provided with a circumferential axial gap, and that at the rotary bearing ring of the roller bearing is formed an extension which is extending into the gap.

Claims

1. A wheel bearing assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a roller bearing arranged in a wheel carrier, the roller bearing includes a rotary bearing ring and a fixed bearing ring, a wheel hub is mounted rotatably with respect to the wheel carrier, the wheel carrier is provided with a circumferential radial gap formed axially opposite to the roller bearing on the wheel carrier and at the rotary bearing ring of the roller bearing is formed an extension which is extending into the gap in a direction axially away from the roller bearing along an axis parallel to a joint shaft axis, wherein the circumferential gap is a groove introduced into the wheel carrier, wherein the rotary bearing ring is seated on a joint shaft which is rotated within the wheel carrier, wherein the fixed bearing ring is mounted in the wheel carrier; and wherein the wheel carrier further comprises a drain hole defining a passage extending between an external surface of the wheel carrier and the extension, wherein said drain hole axially overlaps the extension.

2. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wheel bearing assembly further comprises a fixed rotational speed sensor and a rotating and signal generating encoder, which is arranged opposite the rotational speed sensor, wherein the rotational speed sensor is arranged so that it extends inside the gap, and wherein the encoder is arranged on the extension which is extending into the gap.

3. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the extension is an axially projecting extension of a centrifugal disk arranged on the rotary bearing ring of the roller bearing.

4. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 3, wherein the centrifugal disk is a component part of a cassette seal, which is effective between the rotary ring and the fixed bearing ring of the roller bearing.

5. The wheel bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rotational speed sensor is arranged in a bore of the wheel carrier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further advantages and application possibilities of the present invention will become apparent from the description below in conjunction with the embodiment shown in the drawing.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial and sectional view of a wheel bearing assembly according to the invention, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the wheel assembly of FIG. 1 in another sectional view illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(4) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a wheel bearing assembly generally designated by the number 10. The wheel bearing assembly comprises in a known manner a roller bearing 14 mounted in a wheel carrier 12, by means of which a wheel hubnot shown hereis mounted rotatably with respect to the wheel carrier 12.

(5) While the fixed bearing outer ring 14-1 is mounted in the wheel carrier 12, the rotary inner ring 14-2 is seated on a joint shaft 16, which is in turn non-rotatably connected to the wheel hub, not shown.

(6) As can be further seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the roller bearing 14 is sealed on the side of the wheel carrier by means of a sealing arrangement 18. The sealing arrangement 18 is provided in the present case in the form of a cassette sealing and it comprises a sealing element 18-1 arranged on a stationary bearing outer ring 14-1 as well as a sealing element 18-2 arranged on a rotary bearing inner ring 14-2, between which are in a known manner arranged sealing lips, not shown here.

(7) As FIG. 1 further also shows, the wheel carrier 12 is provided with a circumferential gap 12-1 located axially opposite the roller bearing 14. The gap 12-1 is in the present case designed in the form of a circumferential grove introduced into a circumferential groove created in the wheel carrier 12. In addition, as is also further shown in FIG. 1, in the second sealing element 18-2 is created in the form of a centrifugal disk an extension 20, which is aligned in the axial direction and extending into the gap 12-1.

(8) A labyrinth is formed in an advantageous manner by means of the gap 12-1 in the wheel carrier 12 in combination with the extension 20, which is extending into the gap 12-1 and which assumes the pre-sealing function with respect to the cassette sealing 18 and thus also with respect to the roller bearing 2, so that as a result of the reduced penetration of water and dirt to the cassette sealing 18, the wear and tear of the sealing lip is reduced and the roller bearing 14 is better protected against penetration of water and dirt.

(9) In addition, the wheel bearing assembly 10 further comprises also a rotary, signal generating encoder 22, as well as a fixed rotation speed sensor 23, which cooperates with the encoder 22. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the encoder 22 is arranged at the extension 20 which is extending into the gaps 12-1, while the rotational speed sensor 24 is arranged in a bore 12-2 of the wheel carrier 12 which is extending into the gap 12-1, see FIG. 2, so that a front surface of the rotary speed sensor 24 extending into the gap 12-1 is arranged radially opposite the encoder 22.

(10) In order to remove in a targeted manner water that is formed by the centrifugal force between the wheel carrier 12 and the extension 20, a drain bore 12-3 extending into the gap 12-1 is created in the wheel carrier 12, in addition to the bore 12-1 which accommodates the rotational speed sensor 24 on the radially opposite side, see FIG. 2.