Patents Assigned to SKF
  • Patent number: 7228951
    Abstract: Clutch release bearing device that includes: an operating element; a rolling-contact bearing fitted with a non-rotating ring and a rotating ring and connected axially to the operating element; and an annular fixing ring provided with an axial portion mounted inside the operating element and also with an axially elastic portion whose axially opposite side from the operating element is pressed axially against the non-rotating ring, the fixing ring being able to keep the non-rotating ring axially connected to the operating element and yet allow radial movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventor: Benoît Arnault
  • Patent number: 7222709
    Abstract: A clutch release bearing device including an operating element, a rolling bearing equipped with a non-rotating race and a rotating race secured axially to the operating element, and an annular fixing ring provided with an axial portion mounted in the operating element and with an axially elastic portion bearing axially against the non-rotating race on the axially opposite side to the operating element, the fixing ring being able to hold the non-rotating race axially secured to the operating element while at the same time allowing radial movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventor: Benoit Arnault
  • Patent number: 7220058
    Abstract: A bearing unit comprises a radially outer stationary race (1) and a pair of radially inner rotatable half-races (2a, 2b). An intermediate annular chamber (8) is defined between the outer race (1) and the inner half-races. The intermediate chamber communicates with the outside through first air passages (5) formed in the outer race and with the inside of the bearing unit through second radial air passages (6) defined between the inner half-races. The second passages (6) are defined by an intermediate annular member (10) which is axially interposed between the inner half-races (2a, 2b) and forms one or more blade surfaces (12a, 12b) extending from the second passage (6) to the intermediate chamber (8) for capturing air from the intermediate chamber and conveying it into the second passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: SKF Industrie S.P.A.
    Inventors: Andreas Ruetter, Luca Zavaglia, Michele Musso, Marco Brunetti
  • Patent number: 7213660
    Abstract: A controlled leakage seal assembly having a first stationary portion adapted to be connected in substantially fluid-tight relation to a source of drilling fluid and a second portion adapted to be connected in substantially fluid-tight relation to a rotary portion including a washpipe. The seal includes a first housing and a stack of radially inwardly extending, spaced apart annular stators, and a second seal housing and stack of spaced apart radially outwardly extending annular rotors interleaved with one another. The seal assembly, a cartridge, permits the first and second housings to rotate relative to each other in substantially fluid-tight relation except for the drilling fluid entering an outlet region at greatly reduced pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the seal is held by a sleeve that permits the cartridge to be removed and replaced while the fluid connections to the sleeve remains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: SKF USA Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin J. Martin
  • Patent number: 7207411
    Abstract: Steer unit for steer-by-wire comprising angle sensing means (12) for detecting the angular position of a steering wheel (11), processing means (10) connected to the angle sensing means (12) and connectable to a wheel position sensor (22), the wheel position sensor (22) being arranged for providing an output signal representing the position of steered wheels (20) of a vehicle. The processing means (10) are connectable to a steering actuator (21) mechanically coupled to the steered wheels (20), the processing means (10) being arranged for driving the steering actuator (21) dependent on the angular position of the steering wheel (11). The steer unit further comprises friction means (14) for providing a friction force on the steering wheel (11), the friction means (14) being connected to the processing means (10), and the processing means (10) being arranged for driving the friction means (14) in dependence of the wheel position sensor output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: AB SKF
    Inventors: Johannes Adrianus Maria Duits, Andreas Clemens Van Der Ham, Johannes Haaye Van Der Kamp, Klemens Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7204218
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sealing arrangement with at least one hole through which the sealing arrangement is adapted to be attached to the contact surface of a device which is to be sealed. One area of the sealing arrangement around the hole containing a stiffening element which extends in the manner of a perforated disk at least in this area, which has an inside area which is formed continuing axially in the direction to the contact surface, and contains an elastomer element which is joined to the inside area of the stiffening element, locking it in the radial direction. The elastomer element has a bulge to the inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: AB SKF
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim vom Stein
  • Publication number: 20070082796
    Abstract: A pressure compensating device or arrangement for a roller arrangement which includes a central, non-rotating shaft provided with spaced apart bearings positioned adjacent opposite axial ends of the shaft and rotatably supporting at least one tubular roller segment, and where sealing arrangements are provided outside the bearings for sealing off the space inside the bearings and between the shaft and the roller segment towards the environment. The pressure compensating device includes a longitudinal bore extending from one end of the shaft and through at least a part thereof, with the bore communicating with the space between the sealing arrangements via channels. The bore is provided with a flexible member preventing direct communication between the exterior and the space between the sealing arrangements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Applicant: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventor: Bjorn Pettersson
  • Publication number: 20070074587
    Abstract: Method and sensor arrangement for determining a contact force vector acting on a rolling element hearing in operation. Sensor signals are received from a plurality of sensors measuring performance characteristics of the rolling element bearing. The received sensor signals are processed to determine the contact force vector. The plurality of sensors are arranged to measure a bearing component deformation, and the step of processing comprises the step of determining the contact force vector using an inverse transformation of a finite element analysis model which describes the rolling element bearing. The finite element analysis model is simplified using at least one generalized mode shape, the at least one generalized mode shape being a mathematical description of a natural mode deformation of a component of the rolling element bearing, such as the inner or outer ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: AB SKF
    Inventors: Hendrik Mol, Gerrit Van Nijen
  • Publication number: 20070063452
    Abstract: In a sealing arrangement sealing at least one axial end section of a hollow shaft that is arranged in a cavity of a component, with the hollow shaft being adapted to route a fluid, a gasket is adapted to be located between the component and the shaft. The gasket is made with a sealing lip to adjoin the outer peripheral surface of the end section. The gasket also includes an axially projecting portion that projects axially beyond the end of the shaft. The axially projecting portion of the gasket surrounds a device for filtering the fluid and/or a device for determining the flow cross-section of the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: AB SKF
    Inventor: Jurgen Kurth
  • Publication number: 20070057568
    Abstract: A hub-bearing assembly for the wheel of a motor vehicle comprises a rotatable hub (18) having a radial flange (17) with bores (16) formed therethrough. Wheel fastening studs (10) each have a stem (12) inserted non-forcedly through a respective bore (16). The studs (10) are fixed to the flange (17) by means of an adhesive or cementing material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Applicant: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Angelo Vignotto, Claudio Savarese
  • Publication number: 20070053622
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bearing support with an instrumented movement (1), comprising a non-rotating bush (2), a rotating bush (3), roller elements (4), arranged between the rotating (3) and non-rotating (2) bushes and an information recorder unit, with a sensor (7) and a coder (8), comprising a substrate (16) made from an electrically non-conducting material and a thin layer (17) of electrically-conducting material, supported by the substrate (16). The substrate (16) is fixed in rotation with the rotating bush (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Applicant: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Samuel Gallion, Franck Lauferon
  • Patent number: 7183760
    Abstract: Disclosed is a rotational speed sensor comprising a rotatable ring. The rotational speed sensor has K magnetic pole pairs distributed angularly over the rotatable ring. Also, sensors are positioned relative to the rotatable ring such that a varying magnetic field is detected. The sensors comprise a first pair being positioned 2?L/K radians apart. The sensors further comprise a second pair being positioned 2?M/K radians apart. The first pair of sensors and second pair of sensors are positioned at a relative position of (2?/K)*((2n?1)/2 radians. L, M are integers between one and K and n is an integer greater than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: AB SKF
    Inventors: Hendrik Anne Mol, Johannes Andrianus Maria Duits
  • Patent number: 7179035
    Abstract: A locking nut has an internal thread intended to be screwed up on a thread on a shaft and includes at least one locking element which, by way of at least one locking screw, is adapted to be pressed against the thread in the shaft, thereby locking the nut against unintentional unlocking. The locking element is provided with a releasing device incorporating at least one screw arranged to be in threaded engagement with the locking element for subjecting the locking element to a radial pulling force causing the locking element to be lifted from engagement with the shaft thread after loosening of the locking screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Uno Axelsson, Henrik Olsson
  • Publication number: 20070032121
    Abstract: In an arrangement for sealing a housing with a cover, the cover includes a central hole for holding a gasket for a shaft which extends through the gasket in the installed state, and at least first and a second hollow-cylindrical protuberances which project roughly in the direction of the shaft relative to the areas of the cover which directly surrounds them. The protuberances are adapted to be inserted into the corresponding cavities of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: AB SKF
    Inventors: Thomas Kamps, Jurgen Kurth
  • Publication number: 20070012126
    Abstract: An electro-mechanical screw actuator assembly comprises a housing (11) fixable to a motor vehicle, an electric motor (30) mounted within the housing (11) and including a stator (31) fixed to the housing (11) and a rotor (34), a screw mechanism (60) including a rotatable nut (61) and a central screw (62) translatable along a given axis (x), a gear reduction system (50) disposed between the rotor (34) and the screw mechanism (60) for provoking translation of the screw (62). The housing (11) is secured to or integral with a supporting member (21) of tubular cylindrical shape extending within the housing (11) coaxially to the axis (x). The supporting element (21) externally supports rotatably the rotor (34) of the electric motor (30), and internally supports rotatably the nut (61) of the screw mechanism (60).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Richard Corbett, Ettore Berutti
  • Publication number: 20070014499
    Abstract: Sealing device (1) for rolling contact bearings provided with a shield (2) which may be installed onto an outer race (11) of the bearing (12), and presenting a lateral cylindrical wall (21) which is suitable for being arranged in a radially intermediate position between an encoder (16) and a reading sensor (17) of the bearing (12), and a passing window (29) which is obtained through the lateral cylindrical wall (21) in order to permit the sensor (17) to face the encoder (16) ; a cover (40) made of plastic material being arranged in such a way as to close the window (29), and being selectively mobile in order to effect variations in pressure between the inside and outside of the bearing (12) between two extreme operating positions in at least one of which the cover (40) is suitable for substantially sealing the window (29).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Angelo Vignotto, Claudio Savarese, Alfredo Monetti
  • Publication number: 20070012390
    Abstract: A hub-bearing unit (10) has a rotatable outer race (30) fixable to a wheel and an inner stationary hub (20) forming a passage (27) for pressurized air coming from a source of pressurized air mounted onboard of a vehicle. Tightly fitted on the axially outer side of the unit (10) is a cylindrical cover (50) defining with the unit (10) an airtight chamber (51) communicating with the passage (27). The cover (50) has a through bore (55) for establishing air communication between the chamber (51) and a tube (A, B) for conveying pressurized air to the tire. The cover has an outer wall (52) with a cylindrical portion (52b) axially protruding beyond the hub-bearing unit (10) so as to provide a cylindrical surface for centering the wheel of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Angelo Vignotto, Claudio Savarese, Patrick Le Reun, Fulvio Nicastri
  • Patent number: 7164265
    Abstract: A bearing unit for a vehicle wheel hub is associated with a rotation sensing device and an electromagnetic inductive coupling. The rotation sensing device comprises an impulse ring (18) secured for rotation with the rotatable race (13) of the bearing unit by means of a rotatable annular carrier (19), and a magnetic/electric transducer (20) mounted to the stationary race (12) of the bearing unit by means of a stationary annular carrier (21) and operatively facing the impulse ring (18). The electromagnetic inductive coupling comprises a stationary coil (24) electrically connectable to a power supply (32) and carried by the stationary annular carrier (21), and a rotatable coil (25) electrically connectable (26) to an electric or electronic device mounted on the wheel. The rotatable coil (25) is carried by the rotatable annular carrier (19) and is electromagnetically linked to the stationary coil (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Bruno Giai, Alexander Molenaar, Simona Pilone, Simon Van Ballegooij
  • Patent number: 7163650
    Abstract: A process for producing ceramic bearing components in which a material mixture is produced from an organometallic compound as a preceramic precursor and from silicon in element form or in the form of an alloy as a chemically reactive filler. The material mixture is subjected to reaction pyrolysis for conversion into a ceramic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: AB SKF
    Inventor: Jürgen Gegner
  • Publication number: 20070007044
    Abstract: A controlled leakage seal assembly having a first stationary portion adapted to be connected in substantially fluid-tight relation to a source of drilling fluid and a second portion adapted to be connected in substantially fluid-tight relation to a rotary portion including a washpipe. The seal includes a first housing and a stack of radially inwardly extending, spaced apart annular stators, and a second seal housing and stack of spaced apart radially outwardly extending annular rotors interleaved with one another. The seal assembly, a cartridge, permits the first and second housings to rotate relative to each other in substantially fluid-tight relation except for the drilling fluid entering an outlet region at greatly reduced pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the seal is held by a sleeve that permits the cartridge to be removed and replaced while the fluid connections to the sleeve remains.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Applicant: SKF USA INC.
    Inventor: Kevin Martin