US 12,352,648 B2
Preload inspection method for bearing device for vehicle wheel
Shun Tamaki, Shizuoka (JP); Masaaki Hayashi, Shizuoka (JP); Sadayuki Kubota, Shizuoka (JP); and Tomoko Baba, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to NTN CORPORATION, Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 18/012,758
Filed by NTN Corporation, Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 18, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/030253
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 23, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/039203, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-138866 (JP), filed on Aug. 19, 2020; application No. 2020-138867 (JP), filed on Aug. 19, 2020; application No. 2020-138868 (JP), filed on Aug. 19, 2020; application No. 2020-138869 (JP), filed on Aug. 19, 2020; application No. 2020-138870 (JP), filed on Aug. 19, 2020; and application No. 2020-144535 (JP), filed on Aug. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0251152 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. G01L 5/00 (2006.01); F16C 19/18 (2006.01); G01L 1/26 (2006.01); B60B 27/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 5/0009 (2013.01) [F16C 19/18 (2013.01); G01L 1/26 (2013.01); B60B 27/0094 (2013.01); F16C 2226/12 (2013.01); F16C 2233/00 (2013.01)] 32 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A preload inspection method for a bearing device for a vehicle wheel including:
an outer member having a plurality of rows of outer raceway surfaces on an inner periphery;
an inner member including a hub ring that has a small-diameter step portion extending in an axial direction on an outer periphery and an inner ring that is press-fitted into the small-diameter step portion of the hub ring, the inner member having a plurality of rows of inner raceway surfaces facing the plurality of rows of outer raceway surfaces; and
a plurality of rows of rolling bodies rollably accommodated between both raceway surfaces of the outer member and the inner member, the preload inspection method comprising:
a press-fitting step of press-fitting the inner ring into the small-diameter step portion of the hub ring to a position where the inner ring abuts on the hub ring in the axial direction;
a first bearing preload value calculation step of calculating a first bearing preload value of the bearing device for a vehicle wheel based on an axial negative gap between the both raceway surfaces and the rolling body after the press-fitting step;
a post-press-fitting rotational torque measurement step of measuring post-press-fitting rotational torque of the bearing device for a vehicle wheel when the inner member and the outer member are relatively rotated after the press-fitting step;
a crimping step of crimping an inner-side end portion of the small-diameter step portion to the inner ring after the post-press-fitting rotational torque measurement step;
a post-crimping rotational torque measurement step of measuring post-crimping rotational torque of the bearing device for a vehicle wheel when the inner member and the outer member are relatively rotated after the crimping step;
a second bearing preload value calculation step of calculating a second bearing preload value by adding, to the first bearing preload value, a preload change amount between after the press-fitting step and after the crimping step, the preload change amount being obtained based on differential torque between the post-press-fitting rotational torque and the post-crimping rotational torque; and
a determination step of determining appropriateness or inappropriateness of a preload applied to the bearing device for a vehicle wheel depending on whether or not the second bearing preload value is within a range of a reference value.