DE102015017256B3 - roller bearing cage - Google Patents

Abstract

Rolling bearing cage (1) forming an annular structure in which a number of receiving pockets (2) for rolling elements are machined, the rolling bearing cage (1) comprising a strip-shaped material section (3) which is shaped into a ring (4), the strip-shaped material section (3) shaped into the ring (4) is held in its ring shape by at least one holding element (5, 6) running at least partially around the circumference of the ring (4). characterized in that a first holding element (5) in the axial area between the receiving pockets (2) and one axial end (7) of the ring (4) and a second holding element (6) is arranged in the axial area between the receiving pockets (2) and the other axial end (8) of the ring (4), andthe at least one holding element (5, 6) runs in a meandering pattern alternately on the outside (9) of the ring (4) and on the inside (10) of the ring (4).

Description

The invention relates to a roller bearing cage which forms an annular structure in which a number of receiving pockets for rolling elements are machined.

Roller bearing cages of this type are well known in the prior art.

In the case of small quantities and very large cages, the production of the same is very expensive and time-consuming since—measured against the quantities—very high tool costs arise. In addition, the use of sheet metal is very high compared to the weight of the finished cage, since a sheet metal blank or rolled ring blanks are used as the starting shape.

In most cases, the procurement of sheet metal material requires a certain minimum order quantity from a cut size of more than 1.5 m, which makes cage production uneconomical. In addition to the high costs, correspondingly long delivery times for large forming tools must also be accepted.

There are only a few manufacturers who can produce very large cages (outer diameter of more than 1.5 m) from a sheet metal cage blank by flow-forming.

Another problem is the sheet thickness, since from a sheet thickness of approx. 12 mm the receiving pockets can no longer be produced by laser cutting and the weight of the pressed pot blank sometimes exceeds the value that can be processed on the rotary indexing tables required for laser processing. Water jet cutting is often not possible either, since a pot blank is difficult to handle in a water jet system and additional impact protection is necessary.

Furthermore, there are hardly any presses with which receiving pockets can be punched into a cage with an outer diameter of more than 1.2 m.

For the reasons mentioned, cages with large diameters are usually made from solid, i. H. by turning and milling operations on a rolled ring blank. This type of production is very expensive and requires a considerable amount of material.

It is therefore only possible to produce cages up to a sheet thickness of approx. 10 mm and an outer diameter of approx. 1.2 m by flow-forming with subsequent punching and embossing of the pockets. Alternatively, the pockets can be made by laser cutting. So far, however, larger cages can only be machined from solid material. Alternatively, the design of the pin cage can be used if the application allows it. A sheet metal cage of bolt construction for a small or normal bearing is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 2,668,743. This publication discloses a bearing cage in which the bearing cage has a flexible metal strip as a side ring, from which axially extending shank sections are formed, onto which the rolling bodies are pushed. Holes are formed in the shank portions on the opposite side of the metal strip through which a wire is threaded to hold the rolling elements on the shank portion. However, such a cage can only be used for small-sized bearings, since the lateral support of the rolling elements via the threaded wire could not withstand the loads that occur in a large-diameter bearing.

In the light of the above problems, the present invention is therefore based on the object of designing a generic roller bearing cage in such a way that it is possible to produce it inexpensively even with a very large outside diameter.

The solution to this problem provided by the invention is characterized in that the roller bearing cage comprises a strip-shaped material section which is shaped into a ring, the strip-shaped material section shaped into a ring being held in its ring shape by at least one retaining element running at least partially around the circumference of the ring . Furthermore, a first holding element is arranged in the axial area between the receiving pockets and one axial end of the ring and a second holding element is arranged in the axial area between the receiving pockets and the other axial end of the ring, and the at least one holding element runs in a meandering pattern alternately on the outside of the ring and on the inside of the ring. In this case, bores are preferably worked into the ring, which are used for the passage of the holding elements.

By arranging two holding elements on both sides of the rolling bodies, a particularly good holding function can be provided, which also withstands the requirements of a large roller bearing.

The at least one holding element is preferably a cable, a rope or a wire. It preferably runs around the entire circumference of the ring.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention provides that a number of retaining eyelets are arranged on the ring, the passage and for guiding the at least one retaining element to. The retaining eyes are preferably formed from the material of the strip-shaped material section.

In this case, it can be provided in particular that such a contour is cut out of a flat sheet metal strip by laser beam cutting or by water jet cutting, which contour also forms the retaining eyelets. The eyelets can then be bent out of the plane of the sheet metal strip into the required intended position.

The strip-shaped material section is preferably made of metal, in particular sheet metal.

The strip-shaped material section can also consist of several segments which together form the ring. In this way, even very large cages can be assembled from material sections that are easy to manufacture.

The strip-shaped material section is preferably provided with an end profile in each of its end regions, with the two end profiles being configured congruently with one another and being able to be assembled in a complementary manner.

The proposed roller bearing cage is particularly preferably used as a tapered roller bearing cage or as a cylindrical roller bearing cage.

It preferably has an outer diameter of at least 1000 mm, preferably at least 2000 mm.

Sheets or sheet metal segments according to the present invention can easily be produced from sheets or coils by laser or water jet cutting—alternatively also by punching nipples or milling. The use of materials is comparatively low. There are almost no tool costs. The winding of the cones (in particular in the case of tapered roller bearing cages)—that is, the shaping of the strip-shaped material section into a ring—can be done with conventional roll-bending devices.

Due to the unwinding of the cage shell (i.e. through the strip-shaped material section), the sheet metal width is less than 1.5 m in most cases. This means that minimum order quantities (usually 25 t) are no longer necessary. Such cages can thus be manufactured very quickly and inexpensively, since large tools with long delivery times are not required.

The invention thus makes it possible to economically produce even very large cages with low tool costs and material requirements.

A technical advantage is also the possibility of installing the cages without expensive assembly devices (retracting bell), since the open cone (namely in a segmented design) can be assembled and closed from the outside via the rollers (using the holding element in the form of a rope, a cable or a wire). It is also generally possible with the proposed embodiment to dismantle the cage again without destroying it.

• 1 eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Wälzlagerkäfigs eines Kegelrollenlagers,
• 2 die Seitenansicht des Käfigs gemäß 1,
• 3 die Einzelheit „C“ gemäß 2,
• 4 die Draufsicht des Käfigs gemäß 1,
• 5 den Schnitt A-A gemäß 2,
• 6 die Draufsicht auf einen ebenen streifenförmigen Materialabschnitt, aus dem ein Ring geformt wird, der Bestandteil des Wälzlagerkäfigs gemäß 1 ist,
• 7 die Einzelheit „D“ gemäß 6,
• 8 den Schnitt B-B gemäß 7,
• 9 eine perspektivische Darstellung eines alternativen Wälzlagerkäfigs eines Kegelrollenlagers,
• 10 die Seitenansicht des Käfigs gemäß 9,
• 11 die Einzelheit „A“ gemäß 10,
• 12 den Schnitt C-C gemäß 10,
• 13 den Endabschnitt des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts mit ausgeschnittenen Halteösen, noch in der Ebene des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts liegend,
• 14 in perspektivischer Darstellung einen Teilschnitt des Endabschnitts gemäß 13 mit in die Benutzungslage herausgebogenen Halteösen,
• 15 den Endabschnitt des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts analog zu 13 in einer alternativen Ausgestaltung mit ausgeschnittenen Halteösen, noch in der Ebene des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts liegend,
• 16 die zusammenwirkenden Enden des zum Ring gebogenen streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts in der Seitenansicht mit in die Benutzungslage gebogenen Halteösen,
• 17 in perspektivischer Darstellung die umfangsseitigen Enden des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts mit jeweiligen Endprofilierung,
• 18 die Ansicht „Y“ gemäß 17 auf das eine umfangsseitige Ende des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts,
• 19 die Andeutung des Montagevorgangs der beiden umfangsseitigen Enden des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts in verschiedenen Montagestadien,
• 20 die verbundenen umfangsseitigen Enden des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts gemäß einer Verbindungsmöglichkeit mittels einiger Verbindungskabel,
• 21 die Darstellung gemäß 20 ohne Verbindungskabel,
• 22 den Schnitt A-A gemäß 20,
• 23 in perspektivischer Darstellung die verbundenen umfangsseitigen Enden des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts gemäß 20,
• 24 das eine umfangsseitige Ende des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts gemäß 20,
• 25 den Schnitt B-B gemäß 24,
• 26 das andere umfangsseitige Ende des streifenförmigen Materialabschnitts gemäß 20 und
• 27 den Schnitt C-C gemäß 26.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing. Show it:

• 1 a perspective view of a roller bearing cage of a tapered roller bearing,
• 2 according to the side view of the cage 1 ,
• 3 the detail "C" according to 2 ,
• 4 according to the top view of the cage 1 ,
• 5 according to section AA 2 ,
• 6 the plan view of a flat strip-shaped material section from which a ring is formed, which is part of the roller bearing cage according to 1 is,
• 7 the detail "D" according to 6 ,
• 8th according to section BB 7 ,
• 9 a perspective view of an alternative roller bearing cage of a tapered roller bearing,
• 10 according to the side view of the cage 9 ,
• 11 the detail "A" according to 10 ,
• 12 according to the section CC 10 ,
• 13 the end section of the strip-shaped material section with cut-out retaining eyelets, still lying in the plane of the strip-shaped material section,
• 14 in a perspective view according to a partial section of the end portion 13 with holding eyes bent out into the position of use,
• 15 analogously to the end section of the strip-shaped material section 13 in an alternative embodiment with cut-out holding eyelets, still lying in the plane of the strip-shaped material section,
• 16 the cooperating ends of the strip-shaped material bent into the ring section in the side view with holding eyes bent into the use position,
• 17 a perspective view of the peripheral ends of the strip-shaped material section with the respective end profiling,
• 18 the view "Y" according to 17 on one peripheral end of the strip-shaped material section,
• 19 the indication of the assembly process of the two circumferential ends of the strip-shaped material section in different assembly stages,
• 20 the connected peripheral ends of the strip-shaped material section according to a connection possibility by means of some connecting cables,
• 21 the representation according to 20 without connection cable,
• 22 according to section AA 20 ,
• 23 a perspective view of the connected peripheral ends of the strip-shaped material section according to FIG 20 ,
• 24 according to one peripheral end of the strip-shaped material section 20 ,
• 25 according to section BB 24 ,
• 26 the other peripheral end of the strip-shaped material section according to 20 and
• 27 according to the section CC 26 .

In the 1 until 16 a roller bearing cage 1 is shown in the form of a tapered roller bearing cage or its individual parts.

The roller bearing cage 1 as shown in 1 is shown in perspective, has an annular basic contour distributed over the circumference receiving pockets 2 for - has rolling elements - not shown. The roller bearing cage 1 essentially consists of a ring 4, which consists of a strip-shaped material section 3 (see Fig. 6 ) consists in that the latter was bent from its initially flat basic shape to form the ring 4.

The ring 4 is thus formed from a flat, strip-shaped material section 3, as shown in FIG 6 is manufactured, for example by laser cutting or water jet cutting. This strip-shaped material section 3 has then been bent into the ring 4, as can be seen, for example 1 results.

So that the ring 4 remains in its intended position, two holding elements 5 and 6 are provided in the form of a wire, with the two holding elements 5, 6 running around the entire circumference of the ring 4 in the exemplary embodiment; It is not shown in more detail that the holding elements 5, 6 are connected to one another at their abutting end points, for which purpose suitable means known per se are used.

As can be seen from the detailed illustrations and in particular from 3 can be seen, a holding element 5 or 6 is provided in the axial end regions of the ring 4 in each case. In the exemplary embodiment, a holding element 5 runs in the axial region of the ring 4, which lies between the upper end of the receiving pocket 2 and one axial end 7 of the ring 4; the other retaining element 6 runs in the axial area of the ring, which lies between the lower end of the receiving pocket 2 and the other axial end 8 of the ring 4 .

As best in 5 can be recognized, the two holding elements 5, 6 meander alternately between the outside 9 of the ring 4 and the inside 10 of the ring 4. Bores 11 are provided for this purpose (see best 8th ) provided, which serve for the passage of the holding element 5, 6. The axis of the bore preferably excludes - as is best 8th shows - to the radial direction r an angle between 45 ° and 70 °. As a result, the holding element is only slightly bent when it is threaded through the bores 11 .

while in the 1 until 8th a solution is outlined, in which the holding element 5, 6 is guided through said holes 11, show the 9 until 16 another embodiment not according to the invention, which is based on retaining eyelets 12, which are arranged in the axial end regions 7, 8 of the ring 4, in which, however, the retaining element 5, 6 is not meandering alternately on the outside 9 of the ring 4 and on the inside 10 of the Rings 4 runs.

In the 11 until 14 this can be seen that the grommets 12 first - see 13 - Are cut free from the material of the strip-shaped material section 13; in 13 the flat, strip-shaped material section 3 that is finished to this extent (manufactured by laser beam cutting or water jet cutting) can be seen. For this then the free-cut eyelets 12 are bent out of the plane of the material section 3, so that the eyelets 12 assume the position as they 14 shows.

An alternative embodiment of the grommets 12 is from the 15 and 16 out. In the bottom resigned according to the solution 13 are the eyelets 12 here not within the strip-shaped contour of the material section 3, but outside the same. Is the in 15 cut the flat structure shown, by bending the material sections protruding laterally out of the strip twice, the retaining eyelet 12 is turned into the 16 brought sketched position in which then the holding element 5, 6 can be performed through the grommet 12 out; the retaining eyelet 12 forms a bore for the retaining element 5, 6, which runs in the circumferential direction of the ring 4.

It applies to the ring 4 that it does not necessarily have to consist of a single material section; a segmented design (i.e. production from several peripheral parts) can also be provided, which is particularly advantageous in the case of very large diameters of the cage.

In the 17 until 27 Details of the proposed design of the roller bearing cage 1 can be seen as an example, which deal with the connection of the two circumferential ends of the strip-shaped material section 3 to the ring 4.

End profiles 13 and 14 are provided at the joints of the strip-shaped material section 3, which are to be connected to one another (see best for this 17 ). Any forms of complementary interacting profiles are possible, which not only form an undisturbed ring contour after the ends of the strip-shaped material section 3 have been joined together, but can also possibly form an undercut in the circumferential direction, which ensures that the two ends in the assembled state of the roller bearing cage 1 can no longer be separated from each other.

From the synopsis of 17 and 18 it becomes clear that here undercut-prone shapes are present, which fix the two ends of the strip-shaped material section 3 both in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction in the desired end position.

In the 17 Profiles shown also allow a simple assembly of the strip-shaped material section 3 to the ring 4, as can be seen from the sequence of the process steps 19 results.

In the 20 until 27 other possibilities are outlined as to how the peripheral ends of the strip-shaped material section 3 can be connected. Complementarily designed end profiles 13 and 14 are also provided here (see in particular 21 ), which allow and ensure the aligned joining of the ends of the material section 3.

According to the solution shown in the figures mentioned, however, the peripheral ends are connected to one another by cables 20 which are arranged in the peripheral end regions of the material section 3 or the ring 4 and which hold the two ends together.

The cables 20 are anchored in the respective end regions of the material section 3, for which various options are available. In the embodiment according to 20 until 27 Recesses 21 are incorporated into the end regions of the material section 3, in which the cables 20 are fixed. For this purpose, the exemplary embodiment provides that one end of the cable is provided with a thickening 22 (e.g. in the form of cast balls), so that one end of the cable 20 is held in one end region of the material section 3 . The other end of the cable 20 can be fixed in the respective recess 21 in the other end area of the material section 3 by means of an anchor element 23 .

In order to fix one end of the cable 20 with a positive fit, compression sleeves 24 (see 23 ) to be attached to the end of the cable 20.

Reference List

1

roller bearing cage

2

receiving bag

3

strip-shaped section of material

4

ring

5

holding element (rope, cable, wire)

6

holding element (rope, cable, wire)

7

axial end

8th

axial end

9

outside of the ring

10

inside of the ring

11

drilling

12

retaining eyelet

13

final profiling

14

final profiling

20

cable / wire / rope

21

recess

22

thickening

23

anchor element

24

press sleeve

right

radial direction

a

axial direction

Claims (9)

Rolling bearing cage (1) which forms an annular structure in which a number of receiving pockets (2) for rolling elements are incorporated, the rolling bearing cage (1) comprising a strip-shaped material section (3) which is shaped into a ring (4), the strip-shaped material section (3) shaped into the ring (4) is held in its ring shape by at least one retaining element (5, 6) running at least partially around the circumference of the ring (4). characterized in that a first holding element (5) in the axial area between the receiving pockets (2) and one axial end (7) of the ring (4) and a second holding element (6) in the axial area between the receiving pockets (2) and the other axial end (8) of the ring (4), and the at least one holding element (5, 6) meanders alternately on the outside (9) of the ring (4) and on the inside (10) of the ring (4). . roller bearing cage claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one holding element (5, 6) is a cable, a rope or a wire. roller bearing cage claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the at least one holding element (5, 6) runs around the entire circumference of the ring (4). Rolling bearing cage according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that in the ring (4) bores (11) are incorporated, which are used for the passage of the holding element (5, 6). Rolling bearing cage according to one of Claims 1 until 4 , characterized in that the strip-shaped material section (3) consists of metal, in particular sheet metal. Rolling bearing cage according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the strip-shaped material section (3) consists of several segments which together form the ring (4). Rolling bearing cage according to one of Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that the strip-shaped material section (3) is provided in each of its end regions with an end profile (13, 14), the two end profiles (13, 14) being constructed congruently to one another and being able to be assembled in a complementary manner. Rolling bearing cage according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , characterized in that it is a tapered roller bearing cage or a cylindrical roller bearing cage. Rolling bearing cage according to one of Claims 1 until 8th , characterized in that it has an outer diameter which is at least 1000 mm, preferably at least 2000 mm.

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