Encoder for a wheel bearing, and wheel bearing having an encoder of this type

Abstract

An encoder for a wheel bearing includes a carrier plate ring and a magnetic encoding ring. The carrier plate ring has a radially running first leg, and an axially running second leg arranged on an outer ring or on an inner ring of the wheel bearing. The carrier plate ring has, on the radially running first leg, cut-outs distributed over its circumference. The first leg has a fold for forming a folded portion, and the folded portion at least partly covers the cut-outs. The carrier plate ring is at least partly surrounded by the magnetic encoding ring. The encoding ring has unipolar magnetization and at least partly comes into contact in the cut-outs.

Claims

1. An encoder for a wheel bearing, comprising a carrier plate ring having a radially running first leg and an axially running second leg, the axially running second leg of the carrier plate ring being arranged on an outer ring or on an inner ring of the wheel bearing, the carrier plate ring being at least partly surrounded by a magnetic encoding ring, wherein: the carrier plate ring has, on the radially running first leg, cut-outs distributed over its circumference, the radially running first leg has a fold for forming a folded portion, the folded portion of the radially running first leg at least partly covers the cut-outs, and the magnetic encoding ring has unipolar magnetization and at least partly comes into contact in the cut-outs.

2. The encoder according to claim 1, wherein: the folded portion of the radially running first leg is configured to form a counter face for a sealing lip of a sealing element.

3. The encoder according to claim 1, wherein: the encoding ring is arranged over an entire circumference of the carrier plate ring.

4. The encoder according to claim 1, wherein: the fold is formed on the radially running first leg in a region of the cut-outs.

5. The encoder according to claim 1, wherein: the fold is formed on the radially running first leg on a side of the cut-outs facing away from the axially running second leg.

6. The encoder according to claim 1, wherein: the radially running first leg or the folded portion is surface-treated at least in sections.

7. The encoder according to claim 1, wherein: the encoding ring has an axially running leg.

8. An encoder for a wheel bearing, comprising a carrier plate ring having a radially running first leg and an axially running second leg, the axially running second leg of the carrier plate ring being arranged on an outer ring or on an inner ring of the wheel bearing, the carrier plate ring being at least partly surrounded by a magnetic encoding ring, wherein: a window plate ring with cut-outs distributed over its circumference is fastened to the radially running first leg of the carrier plate ring, and the encoding ring has unipolar magnetization and at least partly comes into contact in the cut-outs of the window plate ring.

9. The encoder according to claim 8, wherein: the carrier plate ring has an axially running third leg.

10. A wheel bearing comprising an encoder according to claim 1, wherein the encoder is arranged in a non-rotatable manner on an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring or an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring.

11. An encoder for a wheel bearing, comprising: a carrier plate ring comprising: a radially running first leg comprising: a first circumference; cut-outs distributed over the first circumference; and a fold for forming a folded portion, the folded portion at least partly covering the cut-outs; an axially running second leg arranged on an outer ring or an inner ring of the wheel bearing; and a magnetic encoding ring having unipolar magnetization, the magnetic encoding ring: at least partially surrounding the carrier plate ring; and at least partly coming into contact in the cut-outs.

12. The encoder of claim 11 further comprising a sealing element having a sealing lip, wherein the folded portion forms a counter face for the sealing lip.

13. The encoder of claim 11, wherein: the carrier plate ring comprises a second circumference; and the encoding ring is arranged over an entirety of the second circumference.

14. The encoder of claim 11, wherein: the radially running first leg comprises a cut-out region; the cut-outs are arranged in the cut-out region; and the fold is formed on the radially running first leg in the cut-out region.

15. The encoder of claim 11, wherein: the radially running first leg comprises a first side; the first side is a side of the cut-outs facing away from the axially running second leg; and the fold is formed on the first side.

16. The encoder of claim 11, wherein the radially running first leg or the folded portion is surface-treated at least in sections.

17. The encoder of claim 11, wherein the encoding ring comprises an axially running leg.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present disclosure is described below together with a description of three exemplary embodiments using the figures, wherein identical or similar elements are marked with the same reference numeral. In the figures:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view illustrating the structure of a partially shown wheel bearing according to the disclosure with an encoder according to the disclosure in accordance with a first embodiment,

[0028] FIG. 2a shows a schematic perspective view of the encoder according to a second embodiment,

[0029] FIG. 2b shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIG. 2a,

[0030] FIG. 2c shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIGS. 2a and 2b.

[0031] FIG. 2d shows a further perspective cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIGS. 2 to 2c,

[0032] FIG. 3a shows a schematic perspective view of the partially shown encoder according to FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 3b shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIGS. 1 and 3a,

[0034] FIG. 3c shows a further schematic cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIGS. 1, 3a and 3b,

[0035] FIG. 3d shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIGS. 1 and 3a to 3c,

[0036] FIG. 3e shows a further perspective cross-sectional view of the encoder according to FIGS. 1 and 3a to 3d, and

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the encoder according to the disclosure according to a third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] According to FIG. 1, a wheel bearing 1 for a vehicle, not shown here, has an encoder 2. The encoder 2 is arranged in a non-rotatable and axially fixed manner on an outer peripheral surface 5 of an inner ring 3b of the wheel bearing 1 designed as an angular contact ball bearing. In particular, the encoder 2 includes a substantially L-shaped carrier plate ring 4 and a magnetized encoding ring 7 partially arranged thereon by overmolding. The encoder 2 interacts with a sensor device 8, for example for the purpose of speed measurement.

[0039] The carrier plate ring 4 has a first radially running leg 4a and a second axially running leg 4b. The axial second leg 4b is arranged on the inner ring 3b of the wheel bearing 1 in a non-rotatable and axially fixed manner. The radial first leg 4a extends in a radial direction towards the outer ring 3a and is folded at a fold 15 so that a folded portion 4d of the first leg 4a extends in the opposite radial direction towards the inner ring 3b and abuts axially against the radial first leg 4a. Consequently, the folded portion 4d is arranged parallel to the first leg 4a. In the present case, the folded portion 4d is arranged on a side of the radially running first leg 4a facing the axially running second leg 4b.

[0040] The carrier plate ring 4 has cut-outs 10 distributed around the circumference on the radially running first leg 4a, which result in a different design of the carrier plate ring 4 depending on the radial position of the fold 15. The fold 15 is made after punching the cut-outs 10. In the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 3e, the radial position of the fold 15 is provided such that the folded portion 4d of the first leg 4a at least partially covers the cut-outs 10. The folded portion 4d of the radially running first leg 4a is designed in particular to form a counter face for a substantially axially extending sealing lip 11 of a sealing element 9. Furthermore, a further sealing lip 14 can come into contact radially with the axially running second leg 4b to form a seal, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 3b and 3c respectively. The design of the sealing element 9 is, of course, readily transferable to all embodiments.

[0041] The encoding ring 7 is formed over the entire circumference of the first leg 4a of the carrier plate ring 4. The encoding ring 7 is unipolarly magnetized before or after it is mounted in the wheel bearing 1 and at least partly comes into contact in the cut-outs 10 of the carrier plate ring 4. Consequently, the material of the encoding ring 7 at least partially fills the space of the cut-outs 10, and the encoding ring 7 is supported on the corresponding walls of the cut-outs 10.

[0042] According to FIGS. 2a to 2d, the fold 15 is formed according to a second embodiment on a side of the cut-outs 10 facing away from the axially running second leg 4b. In other words, the fold 15 is formed radially outside the cut-outs 10, and the folded portion 4d covers the cut-outs 10 only partially, i.e., not completely. Thus, the cut-outs 10 are spatially connected to a space between the tip of the folded portion 4d and the axially running second leg 4b, and this space, as well as the space of the cut-outs 10, is completely filled with the material of the encoding ring 7. The fold 15 forms the radially outermost point of the carrier plate ring 4.

[0043] FIGS. 2c and 2d show different cross-sections through the encoder 7. It is intended to show here that the material of the encoding ring 7 extends over the entire circumference of the carrier plate ring 4 on the axial leg side or sealing element side, and the material of the encoding ring 7 engages in the cut-outs 10 in the regions of the cut-outs 10 and fills them completely. Consequently, the encoding ring 7 comes into contact with the cut-outs 10. On the one hand, this prevents a relative movement between the carrier plate ring 4 and the encoding ring 7. On the other hand, the encoding ring 7 has a magnetized layer with varying material thickness, and an alternating magnetic field of the same polarity is consequently formed on its surface. Depending on requirements, the cut-outs 10 can be evenly or unevenly distributed around the circumference of the carrier plate ring 4. Furthermore, the cut-outs 10 can have a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially circular shape. Furthermore, the longer sides of the cut-outs 10 may extend substantially radially.

[0044] According to the first embodiment of the encoder 2 also shown in FIG. 1 according to FIGS. 3a to 3e, one difference from the second embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 2d is that the fold 15 is formed on the radially running first leg 4a in the region of the cut-outs 10. The carrier plate ring 4 therefore has a tooth-shaped structure on its outer peripheral surface into which the material of the encoding ring comes into contact. The fold 15 forms the radially outermost point of the carrier plate ring 4. The radial position of the fold 15 is selected such that the folded portion 4d of the carrier plate ring 4 partially covers the part of the cut-out 10 on the radially running first leg 4a.

[0045] Furthermore, the encoding ring 7 has an axially running leg 7a. The axially running leg 7a is integrally formed on the material of the encoding ring 7 received in the cut-outs 10 and is radially spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the axially running second leg 4b of the carrier plate ring 4. In addition, the axially running leg 7a of the encoding ring 7 is aligned in the same direction as the axially running second leg 4b of the carrier plate ring 4 so that the encoder 2 has a substantially C-shaped structure. A pre-sealing labyrinth is formed through the axial leg 7a of the encoding ring 7 in order to make it more difficult or delay the ingression of dirt and/or moisture to the sealing element 9 and thereby increase the service life of the sealing element 9, for example.

[0046] As already indicated, FIGS. 3b and 3c each show a sealing element 9 that in both cases comes into contact with the axially running second leg 4b via the sealing lip 14 to form a seal. The sealing element 9 shown in FIG. 3b also has a sealing lip 11 which comes into contact with the folded portion 4d in a substantially axially sealing manner. The folded portion can be surface treated in the area of contact with the sealing lip 11 to increase the service life of the sealing element 9. The sealing element 9 is arranged in a non-rotatable and axially fixed manner on the outer ring 3b shown in FIG. 1.

[0047] The sealing element 9 as shown in FIG. 3c has a pocket 6 instead of the sealing lip 11 to catch dirt and/or moisture and prevent dirt and/or moisture from reaching the contact surface between the carrier plate ring 4 and the sealing lip 14.

[0048] FIGS. 3d and 3e show different cross-sections through the encoder 7. It is intended to show here that the material of the encoding ring 7 extends over the entire circumference of the carrier plate ring 4 on the axial leg side or sealing element side over the axial leg 7a of the encoding ring 7, and the material of the encoding ring 7 engages in the cut-outs 10 in the regions of the cut-outs 10 and fills them completely. Consequently, the encoding ring 7 comes into contact with the cut-outs 10. On the one hand, this prevents a relative movement between the carrier plate ring 4 and the encoding ring 7. On the other hand, the encoding ring 7 has a magnetized layer with varying material thickness, and an alternating magnetic field of the same polarity is consequently formed on its surface.

[0049] According to FIG. 4, the encoder 2 according to a third exemplary embodiment includes a carrier plate ring 4 with a radially running first leg 4a, an axially running second leg 4b and an axially running third leg 4c. The two axially running legs 4b, 4c are radially spaced apart and point in the same direction, so that the encoder is formed to be essentially C-shaped. The carrier plate ring 4 is arranged with the axially running second leg 4b on an inner ring 3b of the wheel bearing 1, analogously to the previous embodiments, and is partially surrounded by a magnetic encoding ring 7 in the region of the radially running first leg 4a on an end face 12. Also fastened to the radially running first leg 4a of the carrier plate ring 4 is a window plate ring 13 with cut-outs 10 distributed over its circumference, which is connected to the carrier plate ring 4 in a non-rotatable manner via the material of the encoding ring 7. The encoding ring 7 is unipolarly magnetized and comes into contact in the cut-outs 10 of the window plate ring 13. Furthermore, the material of the encoding ring 7 is guided to the interference fit between the inner ring 3b and the axially running third leg 4c to improve the static sealing effect. This is analogously transferable to the previous embodiments.

[0050] In this case, the task of the axial leg 7a of the encoding ring 7 according to the second exemplary embodiment is taken over by the axially running third leg 4c, and a sealing lip, not shown here, can come into contact with the radially running first leg 4a in a sealing manner.

[0051] For all embodiments, it is also conceivable that the carrier plate ring 4 is arranged in a non-rotatable and axially fixed manner on the outer ring 3a shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the sealing element 9 is arranged on the inner ring 3a shown in FIG. 1 in a non-rotatable and axially fixed manner.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0052] 1 Wheel bearing [0053] 2 Encoder [0054] 3a Outer ring [0055] 3b Inner ring [0056] 4 Carrier plate ring [0057] 4a First leg of the carrier plate ring [0058] 4b Second leg of carrier plate ring [0059] 4c Third leg of the carrier plate ring [0060] 4d Folded portion of carrier plate ring [0061] 5 Outer peripheral surface [0062] 6 Pocket [0063] 7 Encoding ring [0064] 7a Axial leg of the encoding ring [0065] 8 Sensor device [0066] 9 Sealing element [0067] 10 Cut-out [0068] 11 Sealing lip [0069] 12 End face [0070] 13 Window plate ring [0071] 14 Second sealing lip [0072] 15 Fold