DE102020125003A1 - roller bearing arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a rolling bearing arrangement (1) comprising a rolling bearing (2) with an inner ring (3), an outer ring (4) and rolling bodies (5), the inner ring (3) having an inner ring raceway (6) and the outer ring (4) has an outer ring raceway (7), and the rolling bodies (5) are mounted so as to roll between the inner ring (3) and the outer ring (4), with a current-conducting element (8) being arranged between the inner ring (3) and the outer ring (4), which connects the inner ring (3) to the outer ring (4) in a current-conducting manner, the current-conducting element (8) comprising a first annular disc (9) which is non-rotatably and electrically conductively connected to the inner ring (3) or outer ring (4), and which a contact element (11) non-rotatably connected to the first ring disk (9) for rubbing contact with the inner ring (3) or outer ring (4), the contact element (11) being ring-shaped and having sections which are radially offset from one another and are arranged alternately over the circumference st, a first group of radially inner contact sections (12) making contact with the inner ring (3) in a sliding and electrically conductive manner and a second group of radially outer contact sections (13) connecting the contact element (11) to the first ring disk (9) in a torque-proof manner , or wherein a first group of radially inner contact sections (12) connect the contact element (11) to the first ring disk (9) in a rotationally fixed manner and a second group of radially outer contact sections (13) makes contact with the outer ring (4) in a sliding and electrically conductive manner .

Description

The present invention relates to a roller bearing arrangement comprising a roller bearing with an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling bodies, the inner ring having an inner ring raceway and the outer ring having an outer ring raceway, and the rolling bodies being mounted in rolling fashion between the inner ring and the outer ring, with a current-conducting element between the inner ring and the outer ring is arranged, which electrically connects the inner ring to the outer ring.

When rolling bearings are used, e.g. in or on electrical machines or within a hybrid drive train of a motor vehicle, current leakage can occur. The switching pulses from converters, for example, lead to the build-up of voltage between the bearing rings of roller bearings. This voltage is repeatedly reduced by breakdowns. As a result, under unfavorable conditions, there is damage to the raceways and rolling elements due to the passage of current. There is therefore a risk of premature and unexpected failure of the bearing and thus of the entire electrical machine. In addition to the increased maintenance effort, additional costs arise due to the downtime of the machine.

Current-insulated roller bearings are known from the prior art, which are intended to prevent harmful bearing currents. For example, roller bearings with ceramic insulation on the outer or inner ring are used. However, current-insulated roller bearings are comparatively expensive and are therefore not used very often.

In the light of the previously known prior art, it is therefore the object of the invention to provide a roller bearing arrangement with improved protection against harmful bearing currents. In particular, it is also the object of the invention to provide a roller bearing arrangement that protects against harmful bearing currents in a roller bearing arrangement that runs wet.

This object is achieved by a roller bearing arrangement comprising a roller bearing with an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements, the inner ring having an inner ring raceway and the outer ring having an outer ring raceway, and the rolling elements being mounted in rolling fashion between the inner ring and the outer ring, with a current-conducting conductor between the inner ring and the outer ring element is arranged, which connects the inner ring to the outer ring in an electrically conductive manner, wherein the electrically conductive element comprises a first ring disk which is connected in a rotationally fixed and electrically conductive manner to the inner ring or outer ring, and which has a contact element which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the first ring disk for sliding contact with the inner ring or having an outer ring, wherein the contact element is ring-shaped and has radially offset sections arranged alternately over the circumference, with a first group of radially inner contact sections rubbing the inner ring un d are electrically conductively contacted and a second group of radially outer contact sections connect the contact element to the first annular disk in a rotationally fixed manner, or a first group of radially inner contact sections connect the contact element to the first annular disk in a rotationally fixed manner and a second group of radially outer contact sections connect the Outer ring has contact with contact that is electrically conductive.

The roller bearing arrangement according to the invention can effectively protect it against undesired bearing currents. In particular, the configuration of the contact element in a meandering ring configuration enables a number of advantageous configurations of the current-conducting element, which will be discussed in more detail below. The ring-shaped design of the contact element can include a closed ring as well as an open ring in which, for example, the ends of a wire are not connected to one another.

First, the individual elements of the claimed subject matter of the invention are explained in the order in which they are mentioned in the set of claims, and particularly preferred configurations of the subject matter of the invention are described below.

Rolling bearings can be used in particular to enable rotary movements with the lowest possible friction losses. Rolling bearings can be used in particular to fix and/or mount axles and shafts, depending on the design, absorbing radial and/or axial forces and at the same time enabling the rotation of the shaft or the components mounted on an axle in this way.

For this purpose, rolling elements are arranged between an inner ring and an outer ring of the roller bearing. Between these three main components, inner ring, outer ring and the rolling elements, it is usually mainly rolling friction that occurs within the rolling bearing. Since the rolling elements in the inner and outer ring can preferably roll on hardened steel surfaces with optimized lubrication, the rolling friction of such bearings is relatively low.

The inner ring can in particular connect the shaft accommodating the roller bearing to the roller bearing or connect to the rolling elements. In particular, the shaft can be connected to the side of the lateral surface of the inner ring that faces the shaft, with the rolling elements of the roller bearing rolling on the inner ring raceway that is opposite this lateral surface. The inner ring can be made of a metallic and/or ceramic material. In principle, it is conceivable to design the inner ring in one piece or in multiple pieces, in particular in two pieces.

The outer ring can, in particular, connect the bearing arrangement accommodating the roller bearing to the roller bearing or the roller bodies. In particular, the bearing can be connected to the side of the lateral surface of the outer ring facing the bearing, the rolling elements of the roller bearing rolling on the outer ring raceway opposite this lateral surface. The outer ring can be made of a metallic and/or ceramic material. In principle, it is conceivable to design the outer ring in one piece or in multiple pieces, in particular in two pieces.

Depending on the type of rolling bearing, the rolling elements have the shape of a ball or a roller. They roll on the raceways of the roller bearing and have the task of transferring the force acting on a radial roller bearing from the outer ring to the inner ring and vice versa. In an axial roller bearing, the rolling elements transmit the forces acting on the axial roller bearing between the running disks. Roller-shaped rolling elements are also referred to as roller rolling elements and spherical rolling elements as bearing balls.

Roller-shaped rolling bodies can be selected, for example, from the group of symmetrical spherical rollers, asymmetrical spherical rollers, cylindrical rollers, needle rollers and/or tapered rollers.

Rolling elements can be guided and spaced apart in a cage or by rolling element spacers. In principle, it is also conceivable to design a roller bearing without a cage, which is also referred to as a full complement roller bearing. In full complement rolling bearings, adjacent rolling elements can contact each other.

The rolling bodies can roll within the rolling bearing, in particular on the inner ring raceway of the inner ring. For this purpose, the surface of the inner ring raceway can advantageously be designed to be correspondingly abrasion-resistant, for example also by means of a corresponding surface treatment method and/or by applying a corresponding additional layer of material. The inner ring raceway can be flat or profiled. A profiled design of the inner ring raceway can be used, for example, to guide the rolling elements on the inner ring raceway. On the other hand, a planar formation of the inner ring raceway can, for example, allow a certain axial displaceability of the rolling elements on the inner ring raceway.

The rolling bodies can roll within the rolling bearing, in particular on the outer ring raceway of the outer ring. For this purpose, the surface of the outer ring raceway can advantageously be designed to be abrasion-resistant, for example by means of a corresponding surface treatment process and/or by applying a corresponding additional layer of material.

The outer ring raceway can be flat or profiled. A profiled design of the outer ring raceway can be used, for example, to guide the rolling elements on the outer ring raceway. On the other hand, a planar shape of the outer ring raceway can, for example, allow a certain axial displaceability of the rolling elements on the outer ring raceway.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the contact element is formed from a wire, with the radially offset sections arranged alternately over the circumference preferably being formed by means of forming processes. As a result, the contact element can be manufactured particularly inexpensively.

According to a further preferred further development of the invention, it can also be provided that the contact element is fixed in and/or on the annular disk in the radial direction and/or axial direction. Furthermore, according to a likewise advantageous embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the contact element to be arranged on the annular disk in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting and/or cohesive manner, in particular detachably. In particular, a detachable design makes it possible, for example, for the contact element to be exchanged in a simple manner in the event of signs of wear, without having to exchange the entire current-conducting element.

According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the contact element bears against the inner ring or the outer ring under radial pretension. In this way, in particular, an independent radial readjustment of the contact element is realized, so that a sufficiently good contact with one of the bearing rings is ensured even in the event of wear-related abrasion on the contact element.

Furthermore, the invention can also be further developed in such a way that the annular disk has a first group of receiving sections for receiving the first group of contact sections of the contact element or for receiving the second group of contact sections of the contact element, the first group of receiving sections being connected to the first group in this way of contact sections or the second group of contact sections interacts in such a way that the contact element is fixed radially and/or axially with respect to the annular disk via the first group of receiving sections. The advantage of this configuration is that a simple and secure form-fitting connection and securing can be implemented in the circumferential and radial directions between the contact element and the annular disk.

In a likewise preferred embodiment variant of the invention, it can also be provided that the ring disk and the contact element are formed from electrically conductive materials that are different from one another. In this way it can be achieved that the current-conducting element with its ring disk and contact element elements can be optimally adapted to a given application. It can also be particularly advantageous in this connection to further develop the invention to the effect that the contact element is formed from a non-metallic material, in particular from an electrically conductive carbon material, as a result of which a particularly abrasion-resistant and elastic contact element can be formed.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, it can be provided that the first annular disk is formed from an electrically conductive, metallic material. In this way it can be achieved that the annular disk can be produced inexpensively and, in particular with regard to fixing the contact element, can be easily adapted in terms of design and can be produced in terms of production technology.

Finally, the invention can also be advantageously implemented in such a way that the contact element rests on the outer ring under a radial prestress caused by centrifugal force. The advantage that results from this is, in particular, that during operation of the roller bearing, the contact element is automatically preloaded against the outer ring, with the preload being able to increase in particular with an increasing number of revolutions of the roller bearing.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to figures without restricting the general inventive idea.

• 1 eine erste Ausführungsform eines Wälzlagers mit einem am Innenring anliegenden Kontaktelement in einer schematischen Querschnittsansicht,
• 2 eine perspektivische Detail- und Teilschnittansicht der Ringscheibe und des Kontaktelements, und
• 3 eine zweite Ausführungsform eines Wälzlagers mit einem am Außenring anliegenden Kontaktelement in einer schematischen Querschnittsansicht.

Show it:

• 1 a first embodiment of a roller bearing with a contact element resting against the inner ring in a schematic cross-sectional view,
• 2 a perspective detailed and partial sectional view of the annular disc and the contact element, and
• 3 a second embodiment of a roller bearing with a contact element resting against the outer ring in a schematic cross-sectional view.

the 1 shows a roller bearing arrangement 1 comprising a roller bearing 2 with an inner ring 3, an outer ring 4 and rolling bodies 5. The inner ring 3 has an inner ring raceway 6 and the outer ring 4 has an outer ring raceway 7. The rolling bodies 5 are mounted in rolling fashion between the inner ring 3 and the outer ring 4 , with a current-conducting element 8 being arranged between the inner ring 3 and the outer ring 4 , which element connects the inner ring 3 to the outer ring 4 in a current-conducting manner.

The current-conducting element 8 has a first annular disk 9 which is non-rotatably and electrically conductively connected to the outer ring 4 and which has a contact element 11 non-rotatably connected to the first annular disk 9 for contacting the inner ring 3 in a sliding manner. The annular disc 9 can, for example, via a press fit in an outer ring recess, as shown in FIG 1 is indicated to be fixed to the outer ring 4. The contact element 11 is annular and has radially offset from each other, alternately arranged over the circumference sections, which is particularly clear from the representation of the 2 emerges. A first group of radially inner contact sections 12 makes contact with the inner ring 3 in a sliding and electrically conductive manner, and a second group of radially outer contact sections 13 connect the contact element 11 in a rotationally fixed manner to the first ring disk 9. The contact element 11 can in particular be formed from a wire, the sections which are radially offset from one another and arranged alternately over the circumference are preferably formed by means of forming processes.

The contact element 11 is fixed in or on the annular disk 9 in the radial direction and in the axial direction. For this purpose, the annular disc 9 - see in particular the 2 - A first group of receiving sections 14 for receiving the second group of contact sections 13 of the contact element 11, the first group of receiving sections 14 interacting with the first group of contact sections 12 or the second group of contact sections 14 in such a way that the contact element 11 via the first group is fixed radially and/or axially with respect to the annular disk 9 by receiving sections 14 . The first group of receiving sections 14 is adapted to the cross-sectional contour of the contact element 11 and in the exemplary embodiment shown has a ring-segment-like contour in cross section, which corresponds to the circular cross-sectional contour of the contact element 11 .

The ring-segment-like contour of the first group of receiving sections 14 is dimensioned and designed such that the second group of contact sections 13 can be inserted into the first group of receiving sections 14 . As a result, the contact element 11 can be connected by means of a snap connection with the first group of contact portions 14 of the washer 9, which is good from the 2 is recognizable. In principle, the contact element 11 can be arranged on the annular disk 9 in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting and/or cohesive manner, in particular detachably.

For additional fixation of the contact element 11 in the radial direction, a second group of receiving sections 15 is arranged on the ring disk, which is positioned alternately with the first group of receiving sections 14 over the circumference. The second group of receiving sections 15 also has a ring segment-like cross-sectional contour, but the ring segment opening of the first group 14 opens radially outwards, while the ring segment opening of the second group 15 opens radially inwards. As a result, the contact element 11 is secured radially in the receiving sections 14, 15 with or without play.

A fixation of the contact element 11 in the circumferential direction is in the embodiment shown 2 This ensures that the contact element 11 is ring-shaped and has radially inner contact sections 12 and outer contact sections 13, which are radially offset from one another and arranged alternately over the circumference, with at least one transition area between the radially inner contact sections 12 and outer contact sections 13 in the circumferential direction on at least one of the Receiving sections 14 and at least one of the receiving sections 15 rests.

As if from a synopsis of 1 and 2 As can be seen, the contact element 11 rests against the inner ring 3 under radial prestress, as a result of which the first group of contact sections 12 rubs against the inner ring 3 and is tracked radially in the direction of the inner ring 3 by the prestress in the event of wear or abrasion of the contact sections 12. Due to the meandering ring-shaped design of the contact element 11, it has a pronounced spring force, particularly in the radial direction, which pulls the contact element 11 together when the contact element 11 is inserted into the receptacles of the ring disk 9. The contact element 11 is thus formed similar to a bow spring.

The annular disk 9 and the contact element 11 can be formed from different electrically conductive materials. In particular, the contact element 11 can be formed from a non-metallic material, in particular from an electrically conductive carbon material. In this way, on the one hand, a good spring action and, on the other hand, high wear resistance and good sliding properties of the contact element 11 relative to the inner ring 3 can be achieved.

3 shows the one from the 1 known design of a roller bearing arrangement 1, in which, however, the contact element 11 does not grind on the inner ring 3 but on the outer ring 4. The first group of radially inner contact sections 12 connect the contact element 11 in a rotationally fixed manner to the first ring disk 9 and the second group of radially outer contact sections 13 contact the outer ring 4 in a sliding and electrically conductive manner.

In this embodiment, it can also be provided that the contact element 11 rests on the outer ring 4 under radial pretension, caused by centrifugal force. As a result, for example, the contact element 11 can be designed with little or no spring elasticity, but can be arranged on the annular disk 9 so that it can be displaced in the radial direction, so that the contact element 11 can be offset radially outwards, for example by means of radial play in relation to the annular disk 9 under the influence of centrifugal force.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures. The foregoing description is therefore not to be considered as limiting but as illustrative. The following patent claims are to be understood in such a way that a mentioned feature is present in at least one embodiment of the invention. This does not exclude the presence of other features. If the patent claims and the above description define 'first' and 'second' feature, this designation serves to distinguish between two similar features without establishing a ranking.

Reference List

1

roller bearing arrangement

2

roller bearing

3

inner ring

4

outer ring

5

rolling elements

6

inner ring raceway

7

outer ring raceway

8th

element

9

ring washer

11

contact element

12

contact sections

13

contact sections

14

recording sections

15

recording sections

Claims (10)

Rolling bearing arrangement (1) comprising a rolling bearing (2) with an inner ring (3), an outer ring (4) and rolling bodies (5), the inner ring (3) having an inner ring raceway (6) and the outer ring (4) having an outer ring raceway (7). , and the rolling bodies (5) are mounted in a rolling manner between the inner ring (3) and the outer ring (4), with a current-conducting element (8) being arranged between the inner ring (3) and the outer ring (4) which connects the inner ring (3) with the outer ring (4) in a current-conducting manner, characterized in that the current-conducting element (8) comprises a first annular disc (9) which is non-rotatably and electrically conductively connected to the inner ring (3) or outer ring (4), and which has a first annular disc (9) has a non-rotatably connected contact element (11) for sliding contact with the inner ring (3) or outer ring (4), the contact element (11) being ring-shaped and having sections which are radially offset from one another and arranged alternately over the circumference, wobe i a first group of radially inner contact sections (12) makes contact with the inner ring (3) in a sliding and electrically conductive manner and a second group of radially outer contact sections (13) connect the contact element (11) in a rotationally fixed manner to the first ring disk (9), or a first group of radially inner contact sections (12) connecting the contact element (11) to the first annular disc (9) in a torque-proof manner and a second group of radially outer contact sections (13) making contact with the outer ring (4) in a sliding and electrically conductive manner. Rolling bearing arrangement (1), after claim 1 , characterized in that the contact element (11) is formed from a wire, wherein the radially offset from each other, alternately arranged over the circumference sections are preferably formed by means of forming processes. Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (11) is arranged fixed in and/or on the annular disc (9) in the radial direction and/or axial direction. Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (11) is arranged positively and/or non-positively and/or materially, in particular releasably, on the annular disc (9). Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (11) bears against the inner ring (3) or the outer ring (4) under radial prestress. Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the annular disc (9) has a first group of receiving sections (14) for receiving the first group of contact sections (12) of the contact element (11) or for receiving the second group of Contact sections (13) of the contact element (11), wherein the first group of receiving sections (14) interacts with the first group of contact sections (12) or the second group of contact sections (14) in such a way that the contact element (11) via the first Group of receiving sections (14) is fixed radially and/or axially relative to the annular disc (9). Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the annular disc (9) and the contact element (11) are formed from electrically conductive materials which are different from one another. Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (11) is formed from a non-metallic material, in particular from an electrically conductive carbon material. Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first annular disc (9) is formed from an electrically conductive metallic material. Rolling bearing arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element (11) bears against the outer ring (4) under a radial prestress caused by centrifugal force.

Images