| 摘要 |
UNITIZED BEARING ASSEMBLY WITH MOLDABLE RACE MEMBERS AND LABYRINTH SEAL An improved bearing assembly for a McPherson strut has plastic components adapted for ease of moldability that also cooperate to form a labyrinth seal as well as to unitize the assembly. Upper and lower housing members include trough shaped pathway portions and coaxial sealing grooves that together comprise a concave surface any radial cross section of which does not have a return bend relative to the bearing axis, thus allowing the race members to be molded by an axial draw mold. Each race member also includes retention tabs extending radially into the sealing grooves, backed by axial access slots to also allow the retention tabs to be molded by the same mold. A cage includes cylindrical sealing flanges, each having a convex shape similar to the concave shape of the sealing grooves. thus allowing sealing flanges to be received within respective sealing grooves with a slight clearance, so that the cage is moldable and also forms a non rubbing labyrinth seal. The sealing flanges also include retention lips formed so as to be moldable along with the cage that cooperate with the retention tabs of the housings to prevent axial separation of the components and to unitize the assembly. |
