Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Kyklos Bearing International, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Steven Eugene Meeker

Richard Allen Scheufler, Jr

Christopher J Zuck

George L Hurrell, Ii

David N Johnson

Martin P Grover

Scott A Maddox

John R Beverick

Todd Michael Kroeger

Connie J Buynacek

David B Mischler

Raymond Beryl Brough

Kelly S Hinds

Stephen L Setty

Gerald Patrick Collins

A passenger automotive vehicle wheel bearing assembly having improved impact Brinell resistance is provided. Due to a controlled gap between a rotating component and a non-rotating component or a vehicle suspension structure, the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure is permitted to share impact loads caused by a sufficient radial or side impact (such as a pothole or curb impact) to the rotating component, thus preventing excessive loads from being transmitted to rolling elements, and providing greater resistance against Brinell impact damage that would generate a noise and/or vibration condition in the bearing assembly. Wheel bearing assemblies according to the invention provide increased impact Brinell resistance while avoiding excessive contact between the rotating component and the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure during extreme cornering maneuvers.

Wheel bearing assembly

A bearing assembly having improved impact Brinell resistance is provided. Due to a controlled gap between a rotating component and a non-rotating component or a vehicle suspension structure, the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure is permitted to share impact loads caused by a sufficient side impact to the rotating component, thus preventing excessive loads from being transmitted to rolling elements, and providing greater resistance against Brinell impact damage that would generate a noise and/or vibration condition in the bearing assembly. The width of the controlled gap and of the area of potential contact between the rotating component and the vehicle suspension structure or the non-rotating component are optimized to increase impact Brinell resistance while avoiding excessive contact between the rotating component and the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure during extreme cornering maneuvers.

A support member () for rotatably coupling a first element to a second element. The support member includes a sleeve () for rotatably supporting the first element, and a flange () having a concave central portion. The flange () is coupled to the sleeve (). The flange () has bearing surfaces () formed thereon along which the flange () is mounted to the second element. In one embodiment, the first element is a spindle () of a vehicle wheel assembly () and is rotatably supported in the sleeve () by rollable bearing elements positioned therein. Multiple tapered lobes () extend outwardly from the sleeve (), and the support member () is mounted to a vehicle via bearing surfaces () along the lobes (). Due to the concave portion of the flange (), the bearing surfaces () are the only portions of the flange () in contact with the vehicle when the support member () is secured to the vehicle, reducing the contact area between the flange () and the vehicle, and reducing impact forces transferred to the bearings. A portion of the flange () may act as a spring member, enabling the flange () to flex in response to an impact load experienced by the wheel bearing assembly (). This enables the flange () to absorb a portion of the side impact load, thereby attenuating the portion of the load transmitted to the bearings. A wheel bearing assembly () incorporating the support member () is also disclosed.

Wheel bearing assembly mount with force attenuation

A vehicle corner apparatus and method of fabricating a vehicle corner apparatus, utilize a wheel spindle adapted for receiving a self-tapping screw for securing a brake rotor to the wheel spindle. Using a self-tapping screw allows manufacturing and assembly costs to be significantly reduced, in comparison to prior vehicle corners that used a machine screw and a threaded hole in a wheel spindle for securing a rotor to the spindle, and provides greater assurance that the lateral run out of the brake rotor will be maintained at a lower value than can be achieved in prior vehicle corners. The wheel spindle includes a retaining screw hole having a conical web adapted to receive and facilitate installation and increase holding force of the self-tapping screw. The retaining screw hole may also include a counter bore for receipt of a locator pin that is used during subsequent formation of wheel bolt holes in the spindle. The rotor retention screw hole for the self-tapping screw, with or without the counter bore, may be formed by a simple sequence of operations using a pair of coining punches.

Retaining a brake rotor in an vehicle corner apparatus

A separator for a bearing comprising a frame including a plurality of cavities for receiving rolling elements and further including a lubrication channel in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of cavities. This separator may be a component of a bearing including an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed in each of the plurality of cavities of the separator and set to be in movable contact with the outer race and inner race of the bearing. A lubricant is introduced into the lubrication channel and flows into each of the plurality of cavities which provides evenly distributed lubrication to each rolling element of the bearing assembly.

Separator grease retention and feed system for wheel spindle bearings

A wheel-speed-sensor connector-plug bracket and a vehicle wheel bearing including such bracket. The bracket is adapted for removable attachment to a sensor ring of a wheel speed sensor of a vehicle wheel bearing, is adapted for attachment to a non-bearing vehicle component, and is adapted for attaching thereto a connector plug of the wheel speed sensor. The wheel bearing includes a vehicle-wheel-bearing non-rotatable section and a wheel speed sensor having a sensor ring assembly. The sensor ring assembly has a sensor ring attached to the non-rotatable section, a connector plug adapted for electrical connection to a vehicle computer cable, an electrical conductor, and a bracket. The electrical conductor electrically connects the sensor ring to the connector plug. The bracket is adapted for removable attachment to the sensor ring, and is adapted for attachment to a non-bearing vehicle component. The connector plug is attachable to the bracket.

Vehicle wheel bearing and wheel-speed-sensor connector-plug bracket

A wheel spindle flange (and the like) has stud holes with soft surface hardness formed therein which permit non-rotational splines, studs and the like to be press-fitted therein with minimal press force at a centered press zone established between intentionally formed and dimensioned counterbores within the flange to minimize flange distortion and lateral run out of the spindle.

Method and apparatus for wheel spindles and the like with improved LRO

A wheel bearing assembly for supporting a wheel is provided. The assembly includes a spindle defining a rotational axis and a support member for supporting the spindle. A wheel hub has a flange for securing the wheel thereto. The wheel hub is supported on the spindle and is rotatable about the rotational axis. A bearing assembly has first and second bearing members in spaced relationship from one another with a plurality of bearings interposed between the bearing members to permit relative rotation between the bearing members about the rotational axis. The first bearing member is arranged adjacent to the spindle and the second bearing member is arranged adjacent to either the wheel hub or the support member. An inner surface of the first bearing member has an annular counterbore. The spindle is deformed into the counterbore to axially secure the first bearing member to the spindle and prevent relative rotation between the spindle and the first bearing member about the rotational axis. This minimizes both axial bearing length and spindle member distortion.

Self-retained wheel bearing assembly

A ball bearing has an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of balls disposed between the races. The balls are spaced on a pitch diameter to provide a rolling medium between the races to accommodate differential rotation between the races. The ball spacing is maintained by a separator having a pocket for each ball. The pockets are distributed around the pitch diameter in a random manner to reduce vibratory impulses which might be imposed by the surfaces of the races.

Bearing separator with random spacing

A wheel bearing spindle is produced by an improved method which provides adequate structural clearance from the sharp edge of a wheel drum hub, while actually improving the effective yield strength of the spindle. The spindle is produced from a near net shape steel forging which has a cylindrical spindle and flat wheel flange radiating therefrom. The circular hub of a brake drum fits radially closely over the pilot, and abuts with the wheel flange. Therefore, the juncture of the pilot and flange needs to be relieved or cut away somehow, both radially and axially, in order to assure non interference with the circular edge of the hub, which could prevent the rest of the hub from intimately abutting the surface of the wheel flange. The radial component of the clearance is provided by conventionally machining a channel radially into the pilot. This can be done, since it does not weaken the flange. The axial clearance, which has to be provided into the surface of the flange, is provided not by machining, but by a coining operation. This creates an axial channel of a specific shape which not only provides clearance but which, by strain hardening the surface of the flange near its juncture with the pilot, shifts the stress zone radially inwardly. This actually effectively increases the yield strength of the flange, despite the axial thinning of the flange.

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Norwalk, OH, United States of America

Steven Eugene Meeker