Patent ID: 8123411

Claim:
A sensor equipped wheel support bearing assembly for supporting a vehicle wheel rotatably relative to a vehicle body, comprising: an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rolling surfaces; an inner member having rolling surfaces defined therein in face-to-face relation with the respective rolling surfaces in the outer member; a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between the rolling surfaces of the outer and inner member; a strain sensor unit, made up of a strain generating member and a sensor element fitted to the strain generating member for detecting strains induced in the strain generating member, is fitted to the outer member, the outer member serving as a stationary member, the strain generating member including first and second contact fixing elements fixed to respective locations of the stationary member, the first contact fixing element being fixed to a flange surface provided in the stationary member and the second contact fixing element being fixed to a peripheral surface of the stationary member, and the sensor element being arranged at a location radially inwardly of the first contact fixing element on a sensor mounting surface, which is an inboard side surface of a radially oriented portion of the strain generating member; and a covering member that is provided on a mounting surface of the strain generating member of the strain sensor unit, on which the sensor element is mounted, to cover at least the sensor element sealingly in contact therewith, being made of a resin which is over-molded or an elastomer bonded by vulcanization.