US 12,222,005 B2
Optimized wheel hub assembly
Marco Romanetto, Pianezza (IT); Luca Donetti, Turin (IT); Thomas Niestroj, Würzburg (DE); and Fausto Morello, Sommariva del Bosco (IT)
Assigned to AKTIEBOLAGET SKF, (SE)
Filed by AKTIEBOLAGET SKF, Gotenborg (SE)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/935,591.
Claims priority of application No. 102021000024995 (IT), filed on Sep. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0102135 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. F16C 33/58 (2006.01); B60B 27/00 (2006.01); F16C 19/18 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 33/586 (2013.01) [B60B 27/0078 (2013.01); F16C 19/186 (2013.01); F16C 2326/02 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bearing unit for a wheel hub assembly for motor vehicles, the bearing unit having an axis of rotation (X), the bearing unit comprising:
a stationary radially outer ring;
a rotatable radially inner ring comprising:
a radially inner surface configured to abut a radially outer surface of a wheel hub of the wheel hub assembly;
an axially external first axial contact edge, wherein the radially inner surface and the axially external first axial contact edge are configured to define between them a gap between the radially inner ring and the wheel hub of the wheel hub assembly;
an axially internal second axial contact edge comprising:
a radially external first contact surface configured to abut a surface of a bell of a joint of the wheel hub assembly;
a radially internal second contact surface; and
a relief groove interposed radially between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, wherein a surface of the relief groove slopes axially outward from the first and second contact surfaces to an axially outermost point of the relief groove; and
two rows of rolling bodies configured to be interposed between the radially outer ring and the wheel hub;
wherein the second contact surface is configured to contact the surface of the bell of the joint of the wheel hub assembly and axially lock the radially inner ring between the bell and the wheel hub.
 
12. A wheel hub assembly for motor vehicles, the wheel hub assembly comprising:
a wheel hub;
a constant velocity joint comprising a bell; and
a bearing unit, the bearing unit comprising:
a stationary radially outer ring;
a rotatable radially inner ring comprising:
a radially inner surface abutting a radially outer surface of the wheel hub;
an axially external first axial contact edge abutting an axially internal surface of the wheel hub, wherein a gap is defined between the wheel hub and the radially inner ring at a portion between the radially inner surface of the radially inner ring and the axially external first axial contact edge;
an axially internal second axial contact edge comprising:
a radially external first contact surface abutting a surface of the bell;
a radially internal second contact surface; and
a relief groove interposed radially between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, wherein a surface of the relief groove slopes axially outward from the first and second contact surfaces to an axially outermost point of the relief groove; and
two rows of rolling bodies interposed between the radially outer ring and the wheel hub and the radially inner ring;
wherein the axially internal second axial contact edge contacts the surface of the bell and axially locks the radially inner ring between the bell and the wheel hub, and
wherein the relief groove reduces contact between the second contact edge and the surface of the bell.