Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert G Sutherlin

Wenshui Wang

Douglas N Reed

Todd D Albertson

Vincent R Sicilia

Michael L Holly

Phanu Amatyakul

William P Job

Josef Mack

A wheel bearing assembly includes a wheel hub, a knuckle member defining a bore, and a bearing arranged in the bore and configured to rotatably support the wheel hub. The bearing includes a seal member configured to cover internal workings of the bearing. The wheel bearing assembly also includes an annular slinger arranged on the wheel hub and configured to at least partially screen the seal member to minimize ingestion of contaminants by the bearing from the ambient. The wheel bearing assembly additionally includes an annular shield configured to at least partially shield the slinger from the contaminants and generate a labyrinth path from the ambient to the seal member for any of the contaminants. A vehicle employing the above described wheel bearing assembly is also disclosed.

Bearing assembly with splash protection

The apparatus includes a first component mounted for rotation with the wheel and a second component spaced from the first component by a predetermined gap and not connected for rotation with the wheel. One of the first and the second components is displaced relative to the other upon a force to close the gap and contact the other component to form a load path for the force. The load path is a secondary load path that bypasses the bearing races, preventing excessive plastic deformation of the races. The apparatus is configured with at least one feature to inhibit corrosion of the first and second components at the gap. The feature may be an extension of the second component that localizes the gap to just a portion of the second component. Alternatively, coatings, shims, lubricants, and seals may be used alone or in combination to prevent corrosion at the gap.

Apparatus with secondary load path for vehicle wheel bearing assembly and feature to inhibit corrosion

A wheel assembly for a non-driven wheel includes a rotating wheel hub with a shaft portion supporting a bearing inner race. A magnetic encoder is mounted for rotation with the shaft portion. A non-rotating component radially surrounds the shaft portion and has a bearing outer race. A cap is secured to the non-rotating component and covers the outer and inner races, the shaft portion and the magnetic encoder inboard of the races to seal an inboard side of the outer and inner races. A sensor is mounted to a non-rotating vehicle steering member externally to, not covered by, and not extending through the cap. The sensor is configured to deflect to be biased into continuous contact with an outer surface of the cap to read the magnetic encoder through the cap without extending through the cap.

Flexible wheel speed sensor external to capped wheel bearing

A brake corner assembly includes a steering knuckle fixed against rotation, a rotary member including a outer surface, and a shield secured to the steering knuckle and including a ring including a sealing surface located adjacent to the outer surface, the sealing surface having a first diameter that is substantially equal to a second diameter of a portion of the outer surface that is adjacent to the sealing surface.

Splash shield for brake corner assembly

A bearing cap for a wheel assembly includes a bearing cap seal for sealing against an annular bore of a knuckle. The bearing cap is coupled to an outer ring, which is disposed within an annular bore of a knuckle. The bearing cap includes a face and a collar extending along a longitudinal axis into the annular bore. The bearing cap seal is disposed annularly about the collar, within the annular bore. The bearing cap seal prevents contamination of an engagement interface between the knuckle and the outer ring.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Robert G Sutherlin