Ntn Corporation

Ntn Toyo Bearing Co., Ltd.

Kenro Adachi

Hiromi Nojiri

Kenichiro Ito

Takayuki Norimatsu

Kenichiro Itoh

Koji Akiyoshi

Isao Hori

Katsuhisa Suzuki

Hisashi Ohtsuki

Motoharu Niki

Koji Kametaka

Eiji Funahashi

Katsumi Sugiyama

A wheel bearing includes a sealing devicepositioned between inner and outer membersand. This sealing deviceincludes an elastic member, which eventually forms an encoder grid and is provided on a first annular sealing plate. A second annular sealing plateis provided with sealing lipsto. An engagementbetween a cylindrical wallof the first annular sealing plateand the inner memberis provided with an elastic membermade of a material dissimilar to that for the elastic material. This elastic membermay be a rubber coated layer, resin paint layer, a thin film of adhesive material or a ring-shaped rubber member. Thereby, any possible ingress of water across an engagement surface of the annular sealing plate is prevented, accompanied by increase of the lifetime of the bearing, with no problem associated with separation and displacement of the annular sealing plates. The magnetic flux density can also be easily secured.

Wheel bearing and sealing device therefor

The instant invention pertains to a hub clutch assembly mounted between an axle and a hub of a four-wheel drive vehicle for changeover between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive using fluid pressure. An inner ring is moved, by supplying or sucking air to or from one of the chambers airtightly sealed by a diaphragm, into or out of engagement with an outer ring for changeover between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive modes. The diaphragm has a hardness of 50-70 Hw to prevent a reduction in the thrust of fluid pressure for changeover. The diaphragm also has a convex configuration extending towards the outer ring.

Hub clutch assembly

A hub clutch assembly has a cover and a gasket which can be easily mounted to an end of the cover. In a hub clutch assembly in which an end of a wheel hub is closed by a cover tightened with a gasket sandwiched therebetween, the cover is formed with positioning grooves along its inner edge. Along its inner edge, the gasket is formed with positioning claws to be engaged in the grooves and claws to be press-fitted into the cover to prevent the gasket from coming off the cover. The gasket can thus be mounted to the cover simply by inserting the claws into the cover.

A hub clutch assembly is designed so that fluid pressure is used only while the driving mode is being changed over between a four-wheel drive position and a two-wheel drive position, while eliminating the necessity of holding a coupling member in position once the driving mode has been changed over. A driven member and a driving member are coupled together and uncoupled from each other by a slider which is moved under a negative or positive air pressure. A spring is used to maintain the slider in the two-wheel drive position, while a magnet is used to maintain the slider in the four-wheel drive position.

A hub clutch assembly mounted between an axle and a hub of a four-wheel drive vehicle and having a 2WD/4WD position indicator that is simple in structure. A slide ring is axially slidably mounted on the axle. The slide ring is biased by a spring to a position in which an external gear formed on the slide ring engages an internal gear of an outer ring to maintain 4WD position. A magnet fixed to a cover attracts the slide ring to a 2WD position and keeps it in the 2WD position. The drive mode is changed between the 2WD mode and the 4WD mode by supplying pressure fluid only for a limited time period set by timers. A pressure gauge is provided in a passage for pressure fluid to indicate whether the current drive mode is the 2WD mode or the 4WD mode.

A hub clutch assembly is designed so that fluid pressure is used only while the driving mode is being changed over between a four-wheel position and a two-wheel drive positions, while eliminating the necessity of holding a coupling member in position once the driving mode has been changed over. A driven member and a driving member are coupled together and uncoupled from each other by a slider which is moved under a negative or positive air pressure. A spring is used to maintain the slider in the drive position, while a magnet is used to maintain the slider in the four-wheel drive position.

A rotation transmission device which has a driving member, a driven member, engaging elements mounted between them, and a device for mechanically changing over the transmission and cut-off of turning effort and which restricts the operation of the changeover device as necessary. Between the outer ring as a driven member and the inner member as a driving member, a retainer holding the sprags spaced from one another is mounted. In the inner member are housed a solenoid and a coupling member engaging the outer ring. The solenoid is actuated by contact of a brush against a slip ring, so that the coupling member couples the outer ring with the inner member, thus causing the sprags to be inoperative.

Rotational transmission device

A rotation transmitting device has an input shaft coupled to the transmission of the engine of a four-wheel drive vehicle and an output shaft coupled to the rear wheel differential. The input and output shafts are mounted rotatably and concentrically relative to each other. An outer ring is rotatably mounted around the input shaft and a cage is rotatably mounted between the opposed surfaces of the input shaft and the outer rink and formed with a plurality of pockets. Engaging elements are mounted in the pockets and adapted to engage the opposed surfaces when the cage and the input shaft rotate relative to each other. Resilient members are mounted in the pockets to keep the engaging elements out of engagement with the opposed surfaces. The cage and the output shaft are coupled to the input shaft with a gap left therebetween in the direction of rotation so as to be rotatable to,ether. The input and output shafts are kept in a neutral position of the above gap by a retaining member. The outer ring is provided with a connecting portion through which the outer ring is connected with a drive shaft coupled to the front wheel differential.

Rotation transmitting device for an interaxle gearless differential

A torque transmission device has an outer ring and an input shaft rotatably mounted in the outer ring. The outer ring and the input shaft are formed with engaging surfaces so as to be opposite to each other. A cage is rotatably mounted between the engaging surfaces and provided with pockets. The engaging elements are mounted in the pockets and adapted to engage the engaging surfaces when the input shaft and the cage rotate either in a normal or reverse direction relative to each other. Elastic members are mounted in the pockets to hold the engaging elements in a position where they are not engaged. A control shaft is mounted coaxially and rotatably with respect to the input shaft. The cage and the input shaft are coupled together through the control shaft so that a turning torque can be transmitted therebtween. A gap is provided in the direction of rotation at a coupling portion between the input shaft and the control shaft. A differential unit is provided to create a difference in speed between the input shaft and the control shaft.

Torque transmission device

A rotation transmitting device having an outer ring formed with a bore, a holder fixedly mounted in the bore and rolling elements mounted in the holder so as to be rollable as the outer ring rotates. A pair of input shafts are provided coaxially with an axis of rotation of the outer ring so as to sandwich the rolling elements from both sides thereof. Output shafts are rotatably mounted in the bore at both sides of the input shafts. Cages are rotatably mounted between the output shafts and the outer ring and formed with pockets. Engaging elements are mounted in the pockets and adapted to be engageable between opposite surfaces of the outer ring and the output shafts with relative rotation between the cages and the output shafts in either direction. Elastic members are mounted in the pockets to keep the engaging elements in a position where they are not engaged. The cages and the output shafts are coupled to the respective input shafts so that a driving force can be transmitted between the input shafts and the output shafts. The input shafts and the output shafts are coupled together with gaps formed therebetween in the direction of rotation.

Rotation transmitting device having differently rotating output shafts

A driving force transmission device for a vehicle has a homokinetic joint having an outer ring and a clutch device having an outer ring coupled to the outer ring of the homokinetic joint. An input shaft is rotatably inserted in the outer rings. A cage is rotatably mounted between opposed surfaces of the outer rings and the input shaft. The cage has pockets. Engaging elements are mounted in the pockets. They are adapted to engage the opposed surfaces when the input shaft and the cage rotate relative to each other either clockwise or counterclockwise. Elastic members are mounted in the pockets to keep the engaging elements in a not-engaged position. The cage and the input shaft are coupled together with a gap extending in the direction of rotation formed therebetween so as to be rotatable together. A differential member are mounted on the cage or the input shaft to produce a difference in rotation therebetween.

Device for transmitting driving force

Rotation transmitting device

A clutch having an outer ring, an inner shaft mounted in the outer member, a cage interposed between the outer ring and the inner shaft and cam members movably mounted in pockets formed in the cage. A torque-setting elastic member is provided between the cage and one of the outer ring and the inner shaft so that while the torque on the elastic member is smaller than a preset value, they will rotate in unison with some clearance left therebetween in the direction of rotation. When the torque on the elastic member gets larger than the preset value, the elastic member deforms to allow the cage to turn relative to the member engaged therewith. Now, the cam elements are pushed by the cage into engagement with both cam surfaces formed on the inner periphery of the outer member and the other periphery of the inner member, thus bringing the two members into engagement. This input shaft is rotatably mounted in the outer ring by means of two bearings so as to extend through the outer ring.

Clutch

Torque responsive engaging clutch

A clutch having an outer member, an inner member mounted in the outer member, a cage interposed between the outer and inner members and cam elements movably mounted in pockets formed in the cage. Torque-setting elastic members are provided between the cage and one of the inner and outer members so that while the torque on the elastic member is smaller than a preset value, they will rotate in unison with some clearance left therebetween in the direction of rotation. When the torque on the elastic member gets larger than the preset value, the elastic member deforms to allow the cage to turn relative to the member engaged therewith. Now, the cam elements are pushed by the cage into engagement with both cam surfaces formed on the inner periphery of the outer member and the outer periphery of the inner member, thus brining the two members into engagement.

Growing community of inventors

Iwata, Japan

Kenro Adachi