Patent ID: 7380797

Claim:
A wheel support bearing assembly, comprising: an outer member having an inner peripheral surface formed with a plurality of outer raceways; an inner member positioned inside the outer member with an annular working space defined between it and the outer member, said inner member having an outer peripheral surface formed with inner raceways in mating relation with the respective outer raceways in the outer member; rows of rolling elements accommodated within the annular working space and rollingly received in part within the outer raceways in the outer member and in part within the inner raceways in the inner member; and at least one sealing member fitted to one of the inner and outer members sealing one of opposite open ends of the annular working space delimited between the inner and outer members, said sealing member having an approximately uniform annular cross section and a plurality of elastic sealing lips which extend towards a sealing surface defined directly on the other of the inner and outer members or defined on a sealing contact member fitted to the other of the inner and outer members, one of said elastic sealing lips extending in a direction generally axially inwardly of the annular working space and defining an axially innermost sealing lip while the other elastic sealing lips being kept in sliding contact with the sealing surface; wherein the innermost sealing lip is a non-contact sealing lip leaving a gap between a free end thereof and the sealing surface of the sealing contact member, a size of the entire gap gradually increases in a direction away from the sealing surface area and inwardly of the annular working space, said gap being of a size sufficient to permit flow of air therethrough, and prevent a lubricant from passing therethrough and to provide a non-contact sealing effect when a relative rotation takes place between the outer and inner members.