The Timken Company

Timothy J Krabill

Mark A Joki

Edward S Czekansky

A wheel end (A, B, C) for mounting a road wheel (W) of an automotive vehicle includes a knuckle () having a bearing cavity (), a hub having a spindle () that projects into the bearing cavity of the knuckle and a flange () at one end of the spindle, with the road wheel being attached to it, and a bearing () located within the bearing cavity and around the spindle of the hub to enable the hub to rotate on the spindle. The bearing includes tapered rollers () organized in outboard and inboard rows as well as raceways () along which they roll. The rollers of the inboard row roll along tapered raceways on a cup pressed into the bearing cavity and a cone () pressed over the spindle. The bearing is closed at that end by an inboard seal () which includes a case () pressed into a bore () that forms part of the bearing cavity, a shield () pressed over a thrust rib at the end of the cone, and a seal element () bonded to the case and establishing a fluid barrier with the shield. The shield has a wall () which serves as a tone ring, and this ring is monitored by a sensor () which is fitted to the knuckle at the inboard end of the bearing cavity. A CV joint () engages the spindle, and it carries a slinger () which flings contaminants and debris away from the cavity and further has a seal element () which establishes a fluid barrier around the end of the cavity.

Wheel end with rotation sensor

An improved target wheel is provided for a bearing speed sensor. The target wheel includes an annular base which is sized to be press fit on a seat or extension of the inner race of a bearing. The base includes a first end and a second end. A plurality of encoding elements, in the form of spaced apart teeth, operatively extend from the first end of the base. The base is bent upwardly near the second end to form a portion which extends out of the plane of the base. This portion defines an angle of less than 90&#xb0; with the plane of the base, and preferably forms an angle of about 30&#xb0; to about 40&#xb0;.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, OH, United States of America

Timothy J Krabill