CN117561381A - Axial-radial sliding bearing - Google Patents

Abstract

An axial-radial sliding bearing (1), comprising: -a first bearing ring (2) and a second bearing ring (4), which are rotatably arranged relative to each other about a bearing axis a, and the second bearing ring (4) has a substantially U-shaped cross section such that the first bearing ring (2) is received at least in sections; a sliding element (6) made of a polymeric material, which is arranged between the first and second bearing rings so as to decouple the bearing rings in the axial direction and in the radial direction, the sliding element (6) having a substantially L-shaped cross section with an axial region comprising an axial sliding surface and a radial region comprising a radial sliding surface, respectively. At least one of the two bearing rings has a seat (7) for receiving a force-loaded and deflectable locking element (8) in the bearing ring, and the other of the two bearing rings comprises at least one locking recess (9) associated with the locking element for receiving the deflectable locking element (8) at least in sections for providing a releasable locking in a predetermined relative rotational position of the two bearing rings (2, 4) relative to one another.

Description

Axial-radial sliding bearing

Technical Field

The invention relates to an axial-radial sliding bearing, in particular a circular table bearing, comprising a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, wherein the bearing rings are arranged rotatably relative to one another about a bearing axis and the second bearing ring forms a substantially U-shaped cross section, such that the first bearing ring is received at least in sections, and comprising a sliding element made of a polymer material, which is arranged between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring, such that the bearing rings are decoupled in the axial direction and in the radial direction, wherein the sliding element has a substantially L-shaped cross section having an axial region comprising an axial sliding surface and a radial region comprising a radial sliding surface.

Background

Such axial-radial slide bearings are designed to receive axial and radial forces and are used, for example, for circular indexing tables, indexing heads (teilapparates), for the configuration of the CNC rotational axis and for the support of a pivotable screen, etc. As polymer material for the manufacture of the sliding element, a tribologically suitable polymer can be used, which can generally be used without a lubricant.

A generic axial-radial sliding bearing is described, for example, in the utility model DE 20 2013 101 374 U1. The advantages of conventional sliding bearings of this type are found in particular in the low friction of the bearing rings relative to one another, maintenance-free operation, inexpensive production, and also in the robust design and high wear resistance. In addition to radial and axial loads, the tilting moment loads of the bearing location can be safely absorbed despite the small structural dimensions, in these conventional axial-radial sliding bearings the outlay for the design of the joint structure and the installation of the bearing and thus its costs are significantly reduced. These numerous advantages have led to an increasing expansion of such polymer cone bearings (PRTs) into very different fields.

Disclosure of Invention

In many applications of this type of sliding bearing the following tasks can exist: in the case of a rotational movement of the two bearing rings relative to one another, the predefined relative rotational positions of the two bearing rings relative to one another are always repeatedly brought into precise contact and fixed, for example, when used on an assembly table.

In this regard, the invention is based on the following tasks: a conventional axial-radial plain bearing is developed in such a way that the relative rotational position of the two bearing rings of the plain bearing with respect to one another can be reliably and reproducibly approached without the high constructional additional outlay from the conventional axial-radial plain bearing being required for this purpose, and without this additional functionality being accompanied by an increase in the installation space for the plain bearing.

The invention solves this object by means of an axial-radial sliding bearing comprising the features of claim 1. The axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention has a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, wherein the bearing rings are arranged rotatably relative to one another about a bearing axis and the second bearing ring forms a substantially U-shaped cross section such that the first bearing ring is received at least in sections, and further comprises a sliding element made of a polymer material which can be used for tribological purposes, which is arranged between the first and the second bearing ring in order to decouple the bearing rings in the axial direction and in the radial direction, that is to say to reduce the friction of the bearing rings relative to one another in the axial and radial direction, wherein each sliding element has a substantially L-shaped cross section with an axial region comprising an axial sliding surface and a radial region comprising a radial sliding surface, respectively. The axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention is characterized in that at least one of the two bearing rings has a seat for a deflectable force-loadable latching element received in the seat, and the other of the two bearing rings comprises at least one latching recess associated with the latching element for receiving the deflectable latching element at least in sections in order to provide a releasable locking in a predefined relative rotational position of the two bearing rings relative to each other.

The axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention is based on the following basic idea: the relative arrangement of the two bearing rings with respect to one another is configured such that at least two operating states or operating positions of the two bearing rings with respect to one another can be provided, namely a first operating state in which the two bearing rings are arranged freely rotatable with respect to one another about the bearing axis, and at least one second operating state in which, in a predefined relative rotational position of the first and second bearing rings, a relative movement of the two bearing rings with respect to one another is prevented, wherein, however, a release or release of such a prevention can again be made possible by applying a predefined release torque or release force. According to the invention, this blocking of the movement of the two bearing rings relative to each other is provided by releasable locking of the two bearing rings relative to each other. By providing a force-loaded latching element on one of the two bearing rings, which cooperates with an associated latching recess on the other bearing ring to releasably prevent a relative rotation of the two bearing rings with respect to one another, the desired functionality can be provided without requiring a special structural configuration which would otherwise increase the structural volume of the bearing. The described locking of the two bearing rings relative to one another is achieved after the adjustment of at least one predefined relative rotational position between the two bearing rings, in which the locking element moves into the at least one locking recess as a result of the force application and thus engages with the associated locking recess.

The surface of the sliding bearing or of the component thereof according to the invention is named axial or radial surface and refers to the following surfaces: the faces are substantially perpendicular to the axial or radial direction of the bearing. The L-shape in terms of the shape of the sliding element can refer to the following configuration: in this configuration, the respective sliding elements have axial and radial sliding surfaces which can be oriented approximately 90 ° relative to one another. The axial sliding surface can have a larger extension in the radial direction of the bearing than the radial sliding surface. However, the term "L-shaped" sliding element also includes the following embodiments: in this embodiment, the extension of the axial sliding surface in the radial direction of the bearing is smaller than or equal to the extension of the radial sliding surface in the axial direction of the bearing.

The development of the invention and the additional features according to the invention are described in the general description, the figures, the description of the figures and the dependent claims.

Practically, it is possible to set: complementary latching means provided on the two bearing rings are arranged on opposite faces of the two bearing rings so that they are configured for releasable blocking of a relative rotational movement of the two bearing rings with respect to each other.

According to the invention, in a configuration which is designed for interaction and is designed complementarily, the latching element and the latching recess can be arranged on the boundary surfaces of the two bearing rings facing each other. In a practical embodiment can be provided that: the latching element and the at least one latching recess are arranged on radial faces of the one bearing ring and the other bearing ring, respectively, facing each other. Here, it is possible to provide: the locking element arranged in the seat of the one bearing ring is acted upon by a force in the radial direction and is arranged in a deflectable manner in order to provide a locking of the two bearing rings relative to each other in the radial direction when a predefined relative rotational position of the two bearing rings relative to each other is set. However, it is also possible to provide: the latching element and the at least one latching recess are arranged on axial faces of the one bearing ring and the other bearing ring, respectively, facing each other, and the latching element arranged in the seat of the one bearing ring is acted upon by a force in the axial direction and is deflectable. It is also possible that one latching element and at least one associated latching recess are arranged on the radial faces of one bearing ring and the other bearing ring, respectively, facing each other, and at the same time the other latching element and at least one associated latching recess are arranged on the axial faces of one bearing ring and the other bearing ring, respectively, facing each other, so that locking of the two bearing rings relative to each other is possible both on the axial faces facing each other and on the radial faces facing each other.

Practically, it is possible to set: the seat area for receiving the force-loaded and deflectable latching element is embodied without a sliding element on one of the bearing rings to provide the desired locking. Can set up: in the region of the latching element seat on the axial face, one of the two bearing rings is not provided with an L-shaped sliding element or with a section of an L-shaped sliding element, but with at least one further sliding element which extends only on the axial face or which only provides an axial face such that a radial deflection of the latching element is not impeded by this sliding element during the locking process. In particular, it is possible to provide: in the region of the seat of the locking element on the radial face of one of the two bearing rings, no sliding element or a section of the sliding element is arranged.

The bearing according to the invention can be embodied in such a way that a release torque for releasing the locking of the two bearing rings relative to one another can be produced by applying a predefined torque to one of the bearing rings, while the other bearing ring is held stationary, wherein the predefined torque is the following torque threshold value: from the torque threshold, the lock may be released. For this purpose, the latching element can be configured with correspondingly curved latching surfaces. In this case, it can be provided that the latching element has, at least in sections, a spherical or cylindrical latching surface, which in the latching position or latching position of the latching element with at least one associated latching recess corresponds to a complementarily configured latching surface of this latching recess. In this respect, the term latching surface refers to the latching element or the associated latching recess contact surface. The described curved configuration of the latching or abutment surfaces can provide the desired releasability of the locking in a simple manner. By means of a corresponding configuration of the latching surface of the latching element and the latching surface associated with the latching recess of the latching element, provision can be made for: the release torque is set differently depending on the direction of rotation of the two bearing rings relative to each other, which can be practical in certain applications.

In order to configure the second bearing ring with a substantially U-shaped cross section, it is possible to provide: the second bearing ring has two axially spaced-apart ring segments which are connected by an axial flange in the form of a receiving portion in which the first bearing ring is arranged at least in sections between the two axially spaced-apart ring segments of the second bearing ring. Depending on the embodiment, the axial flange can be arranged radially inside or radially outside with respect to two axially spaced-apart, usually coaxially oriented ring segments. Such an embodiment is particularly practical, depending on the application: in this embodiment, the axial flange of the second bearing ring is arranged radially inward with respect to the two ring segments spaced apart in the axial direction, so that the outer radial surface of the first bearing ring, which is received in sections by the second bearing ring, is exposed and can comprise a functional surface, for example a functional surface of a gear.

According to the invention, the locking element can be constructed in one piece or in multiple pieces. In particular, the locking element can be formed as a pin element, for example as a cylindrical pin element, in one piece. In this case, the length of the locking element corresponding to the associated locking recess on the other bearing ring can be set to determine a predefined release torque, with which the set locking position between the two bearing rings of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention can be released. In such an embodiment, the latching element can be configured as a cylindrical pin element, in which embodiment the associated latching recess can correspond to a partial volume of the cylindrical volume of the pin element, wherein the partial volume can have substantially the same extension in the axial direction of the bearing as the cylindrical latching element.

Can set up: the longitudinal extension (axial extension) of the catch element is greater than half the axial dimension of the bearing ring with the smallest axial extension. In a particularly practical embodiment, it is possible to provide: the axial extension of the latching element corresponds substantially to the axial extension of the radial flange of the second bearing ring, so that a locking of both bearing rings can be provided over the entire axial extension of the radial flange. For this purpose, it is possible to provide: the axial extension of the associated latching recess corresponds to the axial dimension of the latching element, so that after a predetermined relative rotational position between the two bearing rings, in which the force-loaded latching element engages with the associated latching recess, the described latching action between the latching element and the latching recess exists over the entire extension of the latching element.

In order to provide a force application to the locking element, a clamping element, for example in the form of a screw element, can be provided, which presses against the particularly elastically deformable locking element and generates an elastic reaction force by means of which the locking element is immersed into the associated locking recess for locking when a predetermined relative rotational position of the two bearing rings relative to one another is present.

In a further embodiment, a spring device, in particular in the form of a helical spring, can be provided, which can be arranged in a bore, for example a radial bore, of the bearing ring and clamped between the catch element and a radial stop element, for example a screw. Preferably, it can be provided here that the longitudinal axis of the helical spring is oriented approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the locking element.

In order to provide a plurality of relative rotational positions of the two bearing rings relative to one another and thus a plurality of assembly positions, in particular in the case of a form fitting table, it is possible to provide in practice: the other of the two bearing rings has a plurality of latching recesses which are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction in order to receive the latching elements in a stepwise manner in the event of a rotation of the two bearing rings relative to one another.

In order to provide as wear-free operation as possible of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention, it is possible to provide for practical use that: in order to receive the locking element substantially completely in the operating position or the operating position of the two bearing rings relative to one another, a seat for the locking element on one of the two bearing rings is formed outside the locking position. Furthermore, by means of this structural configuration, an arrangement of the two bearing rings with respect to one another which is as play-free as possible can be provided.

In principle, the arrangement of the seats of the locking elements can be provided on the second bearing ring or the first bearing ring, and the associated arrangement of the at least one locking recess can be provided on the second bearing ring or the first bearing ring in a corresponding manner. In an embodiment in which the axial flange of the second bearing ring is arranged radially inside to connect two axially spaced-apart ring segments, it is possible to practically arrange at least one latching recess on the second bearing ring, in particular on the axial flange of the second bearing ring, and to arrange the seat of the latching element on the first bearing ring. This embodiment has the following advantages in particular: the element for applying force to the latching element can be contacted from the radially outer side, which makes possible maintenance of the bearing easier.

When configuring the sliding bearing according to the invention, it is possible to provide: in order to unlock the two bearing rings relative to one another, the bearing rings are not separated by applying a predefined torque to one of the bearing rings, but rather by providing and actuating a corresponding actuating device with which the latching element can be disengaged from the at least one latching recess. The actuating device can be arranged on one of the two bearing rings, wherein the actuating device can have an actuating section that can be moved relative to the bearing ring, which actuating section is in operative connection with the locking element. In particular, it can be provided that the actuating section is arranged in a kinematic coupling with the locking element, wherein the kinematic coupling is configured in such a way that, with respect to the linear movement of the actuating section and the locking element, 1:1, but is not required. Alternatively, a reduction or an increase in the speed ratio of the movement can also be provided and formed in the kinematic coupling, possibly accompanied by a change in direction between the actuating section and the locking element.

Can practically set up: the locking provides a positive lock between the first and second bearing rings by engaging the locking element with at least one associated locking recess, so that the positive lock cannot be released without damage even if a high torque is applied to one of the bearing rings without actuating the actuating device. Practically, here can be provided: in the locked state, the locking element engages in at least one assigned locking recess in a predefined radial extension, and the locking elements and the assigned locking surfaces on the locking recess are designed such that, when a torque influences one of the bearing rings, no force component, or only a small force component, can be generated on the locking element, which forces the locking element out of the locking recess in opposition to the force application, is produced. For example, in one embodiment, it can be provided that at least one latching recess is formed by a flat surface, while the latching element has a flat boundary surface in the region of engagement with the latching recess. In one embodiment, it is also possible here to provide: the locking element is configured cylindrically, wherein the cylindrical axis can be oriented radially with respect to the following one of the bearing rings: the bearing ring has a seat on which a latching element is arranged.

In the embodiment of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention with the actuating device described, for the purpose of forming the second bearing ring with a substantially U-shaped cross section, it is possible to provide: the second bearing ring has two axially spaced ring segments which are connected by an axial flange to form a receptacle: in the receptacle, the first bearing ring is arranged at least in sections between the two axially spaced-apart ring sections of the second bearing ring. Can practically set up: the axial flange of the second bearing ring is arranged radially inward with respect to the two ring segments spaced apart in the axial direction, so that the outer radial surface of the first bearing ring which is received in sections by the second bearing ring is exposed and can have a functional surface on which, in particular, an actuating device can be arranged, which makes it easy to access the actuating segments of the actuating device.

In general, the term "manipulation section" of a manipulation device means the following sections: the user acts on this section manually or by a controllable actuating drive of the actuating device in such a way that the locking of the locking element and the associated locking recess is released, wherein the actuating section can be arranged for this purpose in a radially deflectable manner relative to the two bearing rings.

In a particularly practical embodiment, provision can be made for: a force transmission element, a traction and/or pressure device such as a bowden cable, or a rod-shaped element is arranged between the latching element in an operatively connected state, in particular a kinematic coupling, and the actuating section. For example, the actuation of the actuating device can be carried out remotely from the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention by using such a force transmission element. In a particularly simple embodiment, it is also possible to provide: the latching element and the actuating section are designed to be produced integrally, in particular integrally, with a force transmission element (e.g., a lever section) which may be located between them.

For example, the integrated component can be configured as a rod-shaped element, which at one end provides the actuating section and at the other end provides the latching element. In this regard, in this application, the term "element" is to be construed broadly and can also mean a section of a component. Furthermore, a plurality of such elements or segments can be integrally formed as a single component.

In order to apply a force to the locking element, in an embodiment of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention, which comprises such an actuating device, the locking element can be arranged spring-loaded in such a way that, after a predetermined rotational position of the two bearing rings relative to one another has been set, the locking element snaps into the at least one locking recess. In particular, the actuating device can have a spring device, for example in the form of a helical spring, which acts directly or indirectly on the locking element and is supported on a fixed section relative to one of the bearing rings, so that the locking element is immersed in the associated locking recess for locking in the presence of a predetermined relative rotational position of the two bearing rings relative to one another. Due to the operative connection between the actuating section and the locking element, such a spring-elastic pretensioning of the locking element can also be achieved by corresponding spring means acting on the actuating section and/or on the intermediate force transmission element.

In one embodiment of the axial-radial slide bearing according to the invention, which has an actuating device for actuating the locking element, it can be provided in practice that: in order to provide a mounting table, thereby a plurality of relative rotational positions of the two bearing rings relative to each other and thus a plurality of mounting positions are provided by: the other of the two bearing rings has a plurality of latching recesses which are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction in order to receive the latching elements in a stepwise manner when the two bearing rings are rotated relative to one another.

In order to avoid that, after the locking of the two bearing rings has been released and the bearing rings have subsequently been rotated relative to one another, in particular in order to provide a search and further assembly positions, the locking element slides on the radial surface of the other bearing ring against the force applied to the locking element after removal of the actuating force on the actuating section, it can be provided in practice: the operating device is arranged and constructed for locking the following operating positions: in the operating position, the locking of the locking element in the at least one locking recess is released, i.e. the engagement of the locking element in the at least one associated locking recess is released by pulling the locking element back out of the locking recess. Such a locking can be effected, for example, in a force-locking manner, for example, by means of a locking of the locking element, of an actuating section operatively connected to the locking element and/or of a force transmission element or force transmission section arranged between them. In a further embodiment, it is also possible to provide: the actuating device is provided and constructed for positively locking the operating position. For example, the following can be set: the actuating section, the locking element and/or the force transmission element or the force transmission section arranged between them, starting from the locking position of the locking element, is arranged so as to be positively guided in the radial direction relative to one of the two bearing rings at a predetermined path threshold value for releasing the locking, and is arranged so as to be rotatable about the radial direction after the path threshold value is exceeded, in order to set the radial form fit between the actuating section, the locking element and/or the force transmission element or the force transmission section arranged between them and the other of the two bearing rings.

In a particularly practical embodiment, provision can be made for: the actuating device has an actuating drive which is designed in a particularly controllable manner and is designed to provide an actuating force or an actuating torque, in particular in such a way that manual actuation can be dispensed with, which facilitates manual actuation of the slide bearing according to the invention. Such an adjustment drive can be an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic adjustment drive, wherein such an adjustment drive is also referred to in the art as an adjustment assembly.

It is noted that in embodiments in which the actuating device of the sliding bearing has an actuatable adjustment assembly, the latching elements received in the seat do not necessarily have to be arranged in a force-loaded manner, in particular in such embodiments: wherein the adjustment assembly is self-locking in configuration. In this regard, such a slide bearing can be configured as one of the slide bearings as described above, except for the following cases: the locking element is arranged in a locked operating position and/or in an unlocked operating position, which can be held or fixed by the adjusting assembly, without being acted upon by a force (i.e., without a force).

The adjustment assembly can be configured for moving the push tube (Schubrohr) linearly outwardly or inwardly, in particular as an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. Preferably, it is possible to provide: such an actuating assembly is coupled on the output side to the actuating section of the actuating device in a moving manner, in particular to the actuating section in order to move the latter linearly, or the actuating section is an integral part of the actuating assembly. The use of an electric cylinder (which can comprise in particular a motor with a spindle driven by the motor) can be constructed compactly and allows a simple integration in the arrangement according to the invention of the first and second bearing rings to configure the axial-radial slide bearing according to the invention.

Can practically set up: the adjustment drive or the adjustment assembly is configured for adjusting at least two operating positions of the bearing rings relative to each other, namely a locked operating position in which the two bearing rings are locked relative to each other by: the latching element engages in a latching recess associated with the latching element, in the disengaged operating position the two bearing rings being arranged in an unlocked manner relative to one another by: the latching elements do not engage in the associated latching recesses. Such an adjustment drive or such an adjustment assembly can be controllably configured, for example, by: the user generates, in particular, an electrical control signal to the adjustment drive or the adjustment assembly and thus causes the adjustment drive or the adjustment assembly to change its operating position, in particular for locking or unlocking the two bearing rings relative to one another.

In a particularly practical embodiment, it is also possible to provide: the axial-radial slide bearing according to the invention is provided for connecting an adjustment drive selected from the user side to the actuating device of the axial-radial slide bearing according to the invention. For this purpose, for example, provision can be made for: the actuating section of the actuating device has a mechanical coupling device, such as a screw thread or a nut thread, for coupling to an adjustment assembly which can be configured on the output side with a complementarily configured coupling device (i.e., here a nut thread or a screw thread) and can be coupled with the coupling device of the actuating device.

During operation of the slide bearing, the locking or release of the two bearing rings relative to one another or of the locking elements in the associated locking recesses can lead to wear on the locking surfaces associated with one another, which wear necessitates maintenance or replacement of the specified components after a specified duration of operation. For this purpose, the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention can have a monitoring device for detecting the locked state and/or the unlocked state of the axial-radial sliding bearing. The monitoring device can be integrated in particular into the actuating device or into the actuating drive or the actuating assembly. The monitoring device can comprise, for example, electrical contacts which can be coupled in particular with the actuating section in a moving manner and which can be arranged and disposed, for example, in such a way that actuation of the contacts indicates that the two elements are securely locked relative to one another. For example, the electrical contact can have a fixed section and a section that is coupled in a moving manner to the actuating section, wherein the two sections of the contact are arranged so as to be able to move toward each other as a result of the movement of the actuating section until the electrical contact is set.

In one embodiment, it is also possible to provide: the monitoring device has a counting device for determining the number of locked/unlocked states set during operation, for example, in order to determine the signs of wear therefrom. Furthermore, it can be provided that the monitoring device comprises a memory device for storing the number of the ascertained locking states/unlocking states, which can be read out, for example, by an external control device, for estimating the wear state and/or for determining the maintenance interval.

In practice, the sliding element can be configured as an injection molded part, wherein a material reduction in the form of a film hinge can be provided between the radial and axial sliding surfaces, so that the radial sliding surface is bent by approximately 90 ° relative to the axial sliding surface, so that the radial sliding surface and the axial sliding surface of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention are provided with a single sliding element.

In order to facilitate, in particular, the assembly of the sliding bearing according to the invention, it is possible to provide practically: the individual sliding elements comprise, in the region of their axial sliding surfaces, a plurality of first lobes which are arranged essentially free of play in the installed position (i.e. in the assembled state of the bearing) and which are successive in the circumferential direction, wherein the lobes can be configured, for example, in the manner of trapezoids. Furthermore, it is possible to provide: the sliding element comprises a plurality of lobes which are arranged at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction and are successive in the circumferential direction in the region of its radial sliding surfaces, such that the respective sliding element can be arranged circularly such that a first lobe is arranged between the opposite axial boundary surfaces of the first and second bearing rings and a second lobe is arranged between the opposite radial boundary surfaces of the first and second bearing rings. In this case, it is possible to provide in particular: comprising at least two such sliding elements and arranged such that they are arranged axially offset relative to each other about the axial dimension of the first bearing ring with respect to their axial sliding faces and circumferentially offset relative to each other about half the circumferential dimension of the first lobe. It is thereby achieved that the boundary extending radially between the first lobes of the sliding element and the boundary extending radially between the second lobes of the sliding element are not placed circumferentially one above the other but are arranged offset relative to each other, which makes it possible to increase the load capacity of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention.

Drawings

The invention is explained below by way of a description of embodiments including variants with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows in perspective view an axial-radial sliding bearing according to the configuration of the invention,

figure 2 the sliding bearing according to the invention shown in figure 1 in a longitudinal section,

fig. 3 the bearing according to the invention of fig. 1 in a top view, with the second bearing ring partly removed,

figure 4 the second bearing ring of the sliding bearing according to the invention of figure 1 in a single view in perspective,

figure 5 a first bearing ring of the sliding bearing according to the invention of figure 1 in a single view in perspective,

figure 6 is a partial view in perspective of the sliding element of the sliding bearing according to the invention of figure 1,

figure 7 shows in perspective view an axial-radial sliding bearing according to a second embodiment of the configuration of the invention,

fig. 8 shows the axial-radial slide bearing shown in fig. 7 in a sectional view, to show the operating element,

figure 9 shows the components of the actuating element in an exploded view,

figure 10 shows in an exploded perspective view an axial-radial sliding bearing according to a third embodiment of the configuration of the invention,

fig. 11 shows an axial-radial sliding bearing according to a fourth embodiment of the invention in an exploded perspective view;

Fig. 12 shows an axial-radial sliding bearing according to a fifth embodiment of the invention in an exploded perspective view.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows an axial-radial sliding bearing 1 according to the invention in a perspective view. The bearing 1 has a first or inner bearing ring 2, which inner bearing ring 2 is arranged coaxially with the second or outer bearing ring 4 and is received by said outer bearing ring over its entire axial extension and over a section thereof extending radially. For this purpose, the second bearing ring 4 is of approximately U-shaped design in a section comprising the longitudinal axis of the slide bearing. The two bearing rings 2,4 can be constructed from the same or different metallic materials, such as aluminum or steel. However, it is also possible for at least one or both of the bearing rings to be constructed from a plastic material, in particular at least in sections.

In the embodiment shown, the first bearing ring 2 is constructed in one piece in the manner of a hollow cylinder with a low structural height, while the second bearing ring 4 is composed of two ring segments 41a, b which are axially spaced apart and connected by means of an axial flange 42 to form the illustrated ring with a U-shaped cross section. Between the radial and axial faces of the two bearing rings 2,4 facing each other, an L-shaped sliding element 6 is provided for decoupling or releasing friction between the bearings on the axial and radial faces facing each other. The axial height of the first bearing ring, including the thickness of the sliding element 6, is dimensioned to match the axial distance of the ring segments 41a, b of the second bearing ring or its receiving portion, so that the two bearing rings 2,4 are arranged rotatably relative to one another about the axis a of the sliding bearing with substantially no play or with a small gap size. Depending on the application, the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention can be used such that the first bearing ring or the second bearing ring is arranged stationary, while the respective other bearing ring can be rotated relative to the first-mentioned bearing ring.

Fig. 2 shows the axial-radial slide bearing of fig. 1 in a sectional view, wherein the sectional plane comprises the bearing axis a. In the embodiment illustrated, it is seen that the second bearing ring 4 is formed by an L-shaped ring 43, which provides a ring section 41b and an axial flange 42, to the free end of which a ring 44 is fastened, so that the radial surface 45 of the L-shaped ring 43 or the ring 44 and the two axial surfaces 40a, b form a receptacle for the first bearing ring 2. It can be seen that the axial faces 20a, b of the first bearing ring face the axial faces 40a, b of the second bearing ring, and the radial faces 45 and 21b of the second bearing ring face each other in a corresponding manner, wherein the sliding element 6 is arranged between them in a corresponding flap-shaped section parallel to the given axial and radial faces of the two bearing rings in order to achieve a rotation of the two bearing rings relative to each other as friction-free as possible.

Fig. 3 shows an axial-radial sliding bearing 1 according to the embodiment of the invention in a front view, in which a ring 44 screwed onto an L-shaped ring 43 has been removed in order to form the second bearing ring 4. In this regard, fig. 3 shows a front view of the axial face 20a of the first bearing ring 2, on which face a plurality of sliding element petals 60 are arranged in the axially overlapping region of the first bearing ring 2 and the second bearing ring 4 to provide an axial sliding face. For setting the respective curvature, the sliding element petals 60 extending in the circumferential direction and in the radial direction are configured in a trapezoidal manner, so that the gaps 61 are located between adjacent petals. The sliding element flap 60 completely covers the radially inner section of the axial face 20a, except for the following angular sections: in the angular section, a seat 7 for a locking element 8 is arranged in the first bearing ring 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking of the two bearing rings which are arranged rotatably relative to one another takes place on the radial faces of the two bearing rings 2,4 which face one another. The latching element is here embodied as a cylindrical pin which is spring-loaded in a recess which is approximately rectangular and matches the diameter of the latching element. In this respect, the recess acts as a seat 7 for the locking element 8, wherein the relative position of the locking element within the seat is dependent on the respective relative rotational states of the two bearing rings 2,4 relative to one another. As shown, the seat has a substantially cuboid shape or a hollow, wherein the base section (i.e., the radial boundary section) can be configured in a curved manner, in particular to match the curvature of the locking element 8.

In the illustrated embodiment, the catch element 8 is acted upon by a force in the radial direction by means of a spring element 80 (here in the form of a helical spring), wherein the spring element is supported on a fastening element, for example a radially arranged screw 81, see fig. 1. The relative rotational position of the two bearing rings 2,4 shown in fig. 3 results in a locking of the two bearing rings relative to one another, since in the relative rotational position shown, the latching element 8 is pressed into the latching recess 9 assigned thereto as a result of the force loading, so that the bearing rings are prevented from freely rotating relative to one another. It can be seen that the radial surface 45 of the axial flange 42 has four latching recesses 9 which are spaced apart by 90 ° in the circumferential direction and which match the cylindrical shape of the latching element 8, so that, in the case of a complete revolution, a defined travel can be made to four latching positions as defined in the description.

As shown, in the region of the axial face 20a for the seat 7 of the locking element 8, one of the illustrated sliding elements is not provided with a sliding element flap in the form of a trapezoid for providing a corresponding axial sliding face section, but instead two additional (here, rod-shaped) sliding elements 5 are provided, each of which extends with their end faces from their associated axially extending bore in the first bearing ring and flush with the sliding element flap 60 of the sliding element 6.

Fig. 4 shows the second bearing ring in a perspective oblique view to one of the radial surface 45 and the latching recess 90, which in the illustrated embodiment extends over the entire axial distance between the two ring sections 41a, b and thus matches the axial length of the latching element 8. In the embodiment of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention described, the four latching positions provided correspond to the four relative rotational positions of the two bearing rings 2, 4 relative to one another and can be released by applying a torque exceeding a predefined threshold value, wherein the release is set symmetrically (i.e. independently of the rotational direction) due to the symmetrical configuration of the latching elements and the associated latching surfaces of the latching recesses.

Fig. 5 shows a first bearing ring 2 of an axial-radial sliding bearing 1 according to the invention in a single view in an oblique view. It can be seen that a radial surface 21b, which is radially internal and faces the radial surface 45 of the second bearing ring, is formed on this radial surface 21b in the form of a recess which is matched to the locking element 8. The radial bore 22 extends from the outer radial surface 21a approximately axially centrally through the seat and, in the assembled state, receives the spring element 80 and the support screw 81. Corresponding to the illustration of fig. 4, the seat extends in the axial direction over the entire thickness of the first bearing ring 2.

Fig. 6 shows a sliding element 6 for configuring an axial-radial sliding bearing 1 according to the invention in a partial and single view. In the illustrated embodiment, two rows of identically configured slide elements 6 are used, wherein a single slide element provides an axial slide element lobe 60 and a radial slide element lobe 64. In the illustrated embodiment, the axial sliding element is configured in a petal-like trapezoid, wherein the two petals 60, 64 are arranged at an angle of about 90 ° relative to each other to configure a generally L-shaped sliding element. For this purpose, each sliding element 6 has a film hinge 65, which can be formed by a material reduction in this region. In this embodiment, the first row of sliding elements 6 is arranged circumferentially one after the other in the region of the radially inner section of the first bearing ring 2, so that the axial face 20a can be occupied by the axial sliding element lobes 60 of the sliding element 60, while the inner radial face 21b can be occupied by the radial sliding element lobes 64 thereof, see fig. 5. In the same way, in addition to the first row of sliding elements, a further row of sliding elements 6 with sliding element petals 60 is arranged on the axial face 20b of the first bearing ring 2 lying below in fig. 5, wherein the respective radial sliding element petals 64 in turn rest on the inner radial face 21b of the first bearing ring 2 for decoupling the bearing rings 2,4 in the axial and radial direction in the assembled state of all components of the axial-radial sliding bearing.

As can be seen from fig. 6, the arrangement can be such that the radial slide element petals 64 of the two rows of slide elements are firmly connected at their ends, so that the double dimension of the slide element petals 64 in the radial direction essentially corresponds to the thickness of the first bearing ring 2. It can be seen that the slide element petals 64 of the slide element are configured such that the slide element petals 64 are engaged by staggering the two rows of slide elements by half of the circumferential extension of the slide element in the area of the film hinge 65, such that the inner radial surface 21 of the inner bearing ring 2 is substantially completely covered by the slide element petals 64, and such that the axial thickness of the first bearing ring 2 in this embodiment substantially corresponds to the axial extension of the slide element petals 64 in the axial direction in the mounted position.

In a further embodiment, not shown, it is possible to provide: all the sliding elements of the two rows of sliding elements in the circumferential direction shown in fig. 6 are connected to one another, in particular in the region of the film hinge 65. The link chain of such a sliding element can be produced, for example, in a simple manner by an injection molding process.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other geometries of the sliding element petals 60, 64 are possible depending on the respective application or operating forces present.

With reference to fig. 7 to 9, a second embodiment of an axial-radial sliding bearing 1 'according to the invention is described below, wherein fig. 7 shows a sliding bearing 1' in a perspective view, which is constructed identically to the embodiment described with reference to fig. 1 to 6 with regard to the configuration and relative arrangement of the first and second bearing rings and the sliding elements arranged between them, and with regard to the basic configuration and arrangement of, for example, the latching elements and at least one latching recess assigned thereto. In this regard, only the different configurations of the second embodiment described with reference to the drawings will be discussed below.

The slide bearing 1' of fig. 7 has an actuating element 91 as part of the actuating device 90, wherein in the illustrated embodiment the actuating device 90 comprises an actuating section 92 which is in operative connection (here, in a kinematic coupling) with a latching element or a latching section 8', see fig. 8, which fig. 8 shows the axial-radial slide bearing 1' according to the invention of fig. 7 with reference to the actuating element 92 cut away in a section view perpendicular to the axis. Furthermore, in the cross-sectional illustration given, a latching recess 9' arranged on the axial flange 42' of the second bearing ring 4' can be seen, which latching recess can be configured identically to the latching recess 9 of the embodiment described with reference to fig. 1 to 6. Here, in this respect, the latching recess extends over the entire axial extension of the axial flange 42'. In an embodiment not shown, these latching recesses 9 'can also be configured cylindrically and do not extend in this respect over the entire axial extension of the axial flange 42', so that in this embodiment the recesses can be configured in an axially closed manner. As shown in fig. 8, in addition to the actuating section 92, the actuating element 91 can have a locking element 8 'which is arranged integrally therewith, in this embodiment, the locking element can be configured as a pin-type cylinder which, in its circumferential extension, is matched to the circumferential extension of the associated locking recess 9' in order to avoid play between the first and second bearing rings (2 ', 4') in the circumferential direction after setting the locking. It can be seen that the seat 7' associated with the locking element 8' is essentially configured as a radial passage in the first bearing ring 2', in which passage the fastening sleeve 95 of the actuating element 91 is arranged, see fig. 9, which fig. 9 is an exploded view of the actuating device 90. In addition to the fastening sleeve 95, the actuating device 90 has an actuating element 91, which is embodied here in an elongated manner and has a latching element 8' at a first end and an actuating section 92 at the opposite end, wherein the two end sections of the actuating element are rigidly connected to one another by a connecting section 93.

In the assembled state, the actuating element 91 extends through the fastening sleeve 95 and is supported thereon by a spring, not shown, so that the actuating element 91 and thus its latching element or latching section 8' are acted upon by forces radially inwards toward the two bearing rings, so that in a predetermined rotational position of the two bearing rings relative to one another (in which rotational position the latching element 8' of the actuating element 91 is radially opposite one of the latching recesses 9 '), the actuating element 91 is in engagement with its latching element or latching element section 8' with the corresponding latching recess 9 '.

The release of the latch takes place by pulling radially outwards on the actuating section 92 (i.e. the latching section of the actuating element 91 is disengaged from the corresponding latching recess 9'). In order to avoid that the actuating element 91 must be permanently pulled outwards when setting a further assembly position or a further relative position of the two bearing rings with respect to one another, the actuating device 90 has the function of locking the operating position in which a catch is present between the catch element and the catch recess. For this purpose, in the illustrated embodiment, the fastening sleeve 95 has a guide slot 96 extending radially toward the bearing ring, which cooperates with the radial projection covered in fig. 9 in the region of the actuating section 92 for the forced radial guiding of the actuating element 91 relative to the fastening sleeve 95. In the operating position in which the actuating element 91 or the projection guided by the guide slot 96 is out of engagement with the guide slot 96, the actuating element 91 is arranged to rotate relative to the fixed fastening sleeve 95, so that the guide pin arranged on the actuating element 91 engages in a radial form-locking manner with the end face wall 97 of the fastening sleeve 95, so that the actuating device 90 is locked. This locking can be released by the actuating element being pivoted back into the initial position in which the radial form fit is released and the guide pin is again in engagement with the guide slot 97, so that the actuating element is pressed radially inwards against the latching element 8' and thus against the actuating element as soon as no force acting against the spring force is introduced into the system via the actuating section 92.

Fig. 10 to 13 show a different axial-radial slide bearing 1 'which differs from the embodiment of fig. 7,8 in terms of the configuration and arrangement of the first bearing ring 2', the second bearing ring 4 'and the slide element 6 and the seat 7', but only in terms of the configuration of the actuating device 100, 110, 120, which will be discussed below.

In the embodiment of fig. 10, the actuating device 100 comprises a rod-shaped housing 101, which is formed at its end facing the end face of the catch element 8', as a threaded sleeve 102, by means of which the actuating device 100 can be screwed into the threaded bore 22' of the first bearing ring 2 '. In this embodiment, the locking element 8' is connected via a pulling device in the form of a bowden cable 105 to an actuating section, which is not shown in the drawing, in particular can be actuated manually. For example, an actuating section of the actuating device, such as an actuating lever, can be provided, which is arranged in a manner that is displaced (remote) relative to the original slide bearing (comprising the two bearing rings), by means of which a pulling force can be applied to the bowden cable 105 in order to release the locking position between the first and second bearing rings 2', 4'. For this purpose, the bowden cable 105 is arranged in a kinematic coupling with the locking element 8', for example fastened directly or with at least one further structural element connected in between to the locking element.

In the embodiment of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the invention, which is shown in fig. 11, the actuating device 110 has a threaded sleeve 102 on its housing, which faces the locking element 8', with which the device 110 can be screwed into the associated threaded bore 22' of the first bearing ring 2 '. The locking element 8' is in turn arranged to be movable in the radial direction toward the housing of the actuating device 110 and is rigidly connected in the illustrated embodiment to a coupling screw 112 which protrudes on the end face of the housing of the fastening device 110 facing away from the locking element. In this respect, in the illustrated embodiment, the coupling screw 112 is arranged to be movable in the radial direction with respect to the housing of the actuating device 110 or with respect to the first bearing ring in the installed position with the latching element 8'. This embodiment of the axial-radial sliding bearing according to the embodiment of the invention is particularly suitable for connection to a user-specific adjustment assembly, which is not shown in fig. 11 and can be coupled to the coupling screw 112 by simple screwing in, in that the adjustment assembly has a complementarily configured coupling element in the form of a nut thread.

In the embodiment of fig. 12, the actuating device 120 has an electrically actuable actuating assembly 122, which as a monitoring device comprises an electrically conductive monitoring contact, at which the contact surface is coupled in motion to the actuating assembly on the driven side in order to display a corresponding locked state of the sliding bearing and/or its locked-out state. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjusting assembly is designed as an electric cylinder, wherein the electric cylinder has a housing with respect to which the catch element 8 'is arranged displaceably and which comprises a threaded sleeve 102 with which the actuating device 120 or the adjusting assembly 122 is screwed into the associated threaded bore 22' of the first bearing ring. In the illustrated embodiment, the conditioning assembly 122 is equipped with an integrated energy source such as a battery, so that the conditioning assembly can be devoid of an external energy source. For controlling the actuating assembly and/or for relaying the detected operating state with respect to the illustrated monitoring contact, the actuating device 120 has, in addition to the actuating assembly 122, a transceiver module 124 which is coupled directly and mechanically thereto, in particular in wireless communication with an external control device. For example, a control signal for controlling the adjusting assembly can be transmitted to the adjusting assembly via the transceiver module 124 and/or a detected locked/unlocked operating state between the two bearing rings 2',4' or a number of detected operating state changes can be transmitted to an external control device.

List of reference numerals

1,1' axial-radial sliding bearing

2,2' first bearing ring

4,4' second bearing ring

5. Sliding element

6. Sliding element

7,7' seat

8,8' latch element

9,9' latch recess

20a, b axial faces

21a outer radial surface

21b inner radial surface

22 22' drilling

40a, b axial faces

41a, b ring segments

42 42' axial flange

43 L-shaped ring

44 44' ring

45. Radial surface

46. Fastening screw

60 axial face slide element lobes, first lobe

61 gap

64 radial surface slide element lobes, second lobe

65 film hinge

80 spring element, spring

81 supporting screw

90-degree steering device

91 operating element

92 handling section

93 connecting section, force transmission section

95 fastening sleeve

96 guide slit

97 end face wall

100 Operating device 110, 120

101 shell

102 thread sleeve

105 bowden cable

112 coupling bolt

122 having integrated monitor contacts

124 transceiver module

Aaxis of rotation

Claims (21)

1. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1), comprising:

-a first bearing ring (2)

-a second bearing ring (4), wherein the bearing rings are rotatably arranged relative to each other about a bearing axis (a), and the second bearing ring (4) forms a substantially U-shaped cross section such that the first bearing ring (2) is received at least in sections,

A sliding element (6) made of a polymeric material, said sliding element being arranged between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring so as to axially and radially decouple the bearing rings, wherein the sliding element (6) has a substantially L-shaped cross section with an axial region comprising an axial sliding surface and a radial region comprising a radial sliding surface, respectively,

it is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

at least one of the two bearing rings has a seat (7) for receiving a force-loaded deflectable locking element (8) in the bearing ring, and the other of the two bearing rings comprises at least one locking recess (9) associated with the locking element for receiving the deflectable locking element (8) at least in sections for providing a releasable locking in a predefined relative rotational position of the two bearing rings (2, 4) relative to each other.

2. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to claim 1,

the locking element (8) and at least one locking recess (9) associated with the locking element are arranged on radial faces (21 b, 45) of one and the other bearing ring, respectively, facing each other, and the locking element (8) arranged in the seat (7) of the one bearing ring is acted upon by a force in the radial direction and can be deflected.

3. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to claim 1 or 2,

the locking element (8) has a spherical or cylindrical locking surface at least in sections, which, in the locking position of the locking element (8) with the at least one locking recess (9), corresponds to a locking surface of the locking recess which is at least in sections complementarily configured.

4. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to claim 1,2 or 3,

the second bearing ring (4) has two axially spaced ring segments (41 a, b) which are connected by an axial flange (42), wherein the first bearing ring (2) is arranged at least in sections between the two axially spaced ring segments (41 a, b) of the second bearing ring (4).

5. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the latching element (8) is constructed in one piece or in several pieces and extends with a small axial extension over more than half the axial dimension of the bearing ring.

6. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

Characterized in that a spring (80) is provided for providing a force loading of the catch element (8), said spring being arranged in a bore (22), in particular a radial bore, of one of the two bearing rings and being clamped between the catch element (8) and a radial stop element, such as a screw (81).

7. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized in that the other of the two bearing rings has a plurality of latching recesses (9) which are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction and which are used to receive the latching elements (8) in a stepwise manner when the two bearing rings (2, 4) are rotated relative to one another.

8. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized in that the seat (7) for the locking element (8) on one of the two bearing rings is configured outside the locking position in order to receive the locking element substantially completely in the relative operating position of the two bearing rings (2, 4) with respect to each other.

9. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

characterized in that at least one latching recess (9) is arranged on the second bearing ring (4) and the seat (7) of the latching element is arranged on the first bearing ring (2).

10. The axial-radial slide bearing (1') according to any one of claims 1,2,4,7,8 and 9,

characterized in that an actuating device (90) is arranged on one of the two bearing rings, wherein the actuating device has an actuating section (92) which can be moved relative to this bearing ring (2 '), which actuating section is in operative connection with the locking element (8').

11. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1') according to claim 10,

the device is characterized in that the actuating device (90) is provided and is designed to exert a force on the locking element via the actuating section (92), which force acts against the force applied to the locking element (8 ') in order to release the locking of the locking element (8 ') and the at least one locking recess (9 ').

12. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1') according to claim 10 or 11,

characterized in that the actuating section (92) of the actuating device is arranged in a radially deflectable manner relative to one of the two bearing rings.

13. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1') according to any one of claims 10, 11 or 12,

characterized in that the locking element (8') and the actuating section (92) are in operative connection by a force transmission element or a force transmission section of the actuating device (90).

14. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1') according to any one of claims 10 to 13,

characterized in that the actuating device (90) is provided and designed for locking an operating position in which the locking of the latching element (8 ') in the at least one latching recess (9') is released.

15. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1') according to claim 14,

the locking is released by the actuating section (92) being arranged so as to be movable in a positively guided manner relative to one of the two bearing rings (2 ', 4') in a radial direction over a predetermined path threshold starting from the locking position of the locking element (8 '), and so as to be rotatable about the radial direction after the path threshold has been exceeded, in order to set a radial form fit between the actuating section (92) and the one of the two bearing rings (2').

16. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15,

characterized in that a material thinning in the form of a film hinge (65) is provided between the radial and axial sliding surfaces of the respective sliding element (6) for bending the radial sliding surface of the sliding element (6) approximately 90 ° relative to the axial sliding surface.

17. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16,

the sliding element (6) comprises a plurality of first lobes (60) which are arranged substantially without gaps and are successive in the circumferential direction in the region of its axial sliding surface, and the sliding element (6) comprises a plurality of second lobes (64) which are arranged at intervals relative to each other in the circumferential direction and are successive in the circumferential direction in the region of its radial sliding surface.

18. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17,

characterized in that it comprises at least two sliding elements (6) which, in the mounted position, are axially offset relative to each other by approximately the axial dimension of the first bearing ring (2) with respect to the axial sliding surface thereof, and are arranged in particular circumferentially offset relative to each other by half the circumferential dimension of the first lobe (60).

19. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 18,

the actuating device is characterized in that it has a controllable actuating drive for the non-manual setting and/or release of the locking element in the at least one locking recess.

20. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 19,

the actuating section has a mechanical coupling device, such as a screw thread or a nut thread, for coupling to the adjusting element.

21. An axial-radial sliding bearing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 20,

characterized in that monitoring means are provided for detecting the locked and/or unlocked state of the axial-radial sliding bearing (1).