Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/30—Parts of ball or roller bearings
  • F16C33/66—Special parts or details in view of lubrication
  • F16C33/6603—Special parts or details in view of lubrication with grease as lubricant
  • F16C33/6622—Details of supply and/or removal of the grease, e.g. purging grease
  • F16C33/6625—Controlling or conditioning the grease supply
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/30—Parts of ball or roller bearings
  • F16C33/58—Raceways; Race rings
  • F16C33/588—Races of sheet metal
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/30—Parts of ball or roller bearings
  • F16C33/58—Raceways; Race rings
  • F16C33/60—Raceways; Race rings divided or split, e.g. comprising two juxtaposed rings
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/30—Parts of ball or roller bearings
  • F16C33/66—Special parts or details in view of lubrication
  • F16C33/6603—Special parts or details in view of lubrication with grease as lubricant
  • F16C33/6607—Retaining the grease in or near the bearing
  • F16C33/6614—Retaining the grease in or near the bearing in recesses or cavities provided in retainers, races or rolling elements
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C19/00—Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement
  • F16C19/02—Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing balls essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows
  • F16C19/04—Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing balls essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows for radial load mainly
  • F16C19/06—Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing balls essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows for radial load mainly with a single row or balls
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C2361/00—Apparatus or articles in engineering in general
  • F16C2361/61—Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C2380/00—Electrical apparatus
  • F16C2380/26—Dynamo-electric machines or combinations therewith, e.g. electro-motors and generators
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/72—Sealings
  • F16C33/76—Sealings of ball or roller bearings
  • F16C33/767—Sealings of ball or roller bearings integral with the race

Definitions

• the present invention relates to rolling bearings, in particular rolling bearings having an inner ring and an outer ring with one or more rows of rolling elements held by a cage between raceways provided in the two rings.
• the rolling elements may, for example, be ball s.
• the rolling bearings may be, for example, those used in industrial electri c motors or in motor vehi cle gearboxes.
• the bearings are mainly loaded radially .
• the service life of the rolling bearing i s essentially rel ated to the lubrication of the bearing. Any defect in lubricating generally leads to rapid degradation and to failure of the rolling bearing.
• a known deep groove ball bearing has two seal s delimiting with the inner and outer rings a chamber inside which a lubricant such as grease has been introduced during the assembly of the b earing.
• a lubricant such as grease
• Such a bearing is called lubricated "for life" .
• a rolling bearing compri sing an inner ring and an outer ring with at least one row of rolling elements, and an annul ar housing surrounding the outer ring.
• Said outer ring is in two separate parts, or half rings, and each separate part defines with the housing a closed space, inside which grease or oil i s located.
• the clo sed spaces function as a grease or oil reservoirs.
• Passage means for the lubricant are provided on the two separate parts of the outer ring for the lubricant to pass from the clo sed spaces towards the rolling elements.
• the rolling bearing compri ses an inner ring, an outer ring, at least one row of rolling elements di sposed between raceways provided on the inner and outer rings, and an annular housing inside whi ch at l east one of the rings i s arranged, said one ring comprising two half ring parts, each half ring part having a radi al portion and two axial cylindrical portions extending from the radial portion towards the outside, at least one of the two half ring parts of said one ring defining with the annular housing a clo sed space inside which a lubricant is located, at least one half ring part compri sing passage means for the lubricant to pass from the clo sed space to the raceways .
• the rolling bearing assembly compri ses a pressure creating means di sposed in said closed space on a side opposite to sai d passage means .
• the pressure creating means inside one clo sed space Thanks to the pressure creating means inside one clo sed space, the lubrication inside the rolling bearing i s improved and the lubricant migration towards the rolling elements can be easily controlled.
• the passage means for the lubricant comprise at least one through-hole provided in the thickness of at least one portion of one half ring part of said one ring, and the pressure creating means are di sposed on at least one inner surface of the annul ar housing opposite to said axial hole.
• the passage means for the lubricant can compri se at least one axial hole provided in the thickness of the radial portion of one half ring part of said one ring, and the pressure creating means are di sposed on at least one inner surface of the annul ar housing opposite to said axial hole.
• the pressure creating means may compri se a layer of an expansible material .
• the material expands when the temperature inside the bearing assembly reaches a predetermined temperature.
• the predetermined temperature can be compri sed between 70°C and 250°C .
• each of the two half ring parts of said one ring defines with the annular housing a closed space inside whi ch a lubricant is located.
• the rolling bearing assembly compri ses pressure creating means di sposed in both closed spaces.
• the passage means for the lubricant comprise axial holes at least partly facing one another provided in the thickness of a radial portion of each of the two half ring parts of said one ring, and each pressure creating means are di sposed on one inner surface of the annular housing opposite to the corresponding axial hole.
• the annular housing compri ses two distinct parts for retaining the half ring parts of said one ring.
• Figure 3 is a view of the rolling bearing of figure 2 during service after the temperature has reached a certain level.
• the half-ring 3 a of the outer ring 3 compri ses an outer axial cylindrical portion 9a, a radial portion 10a, a toroidal portion 1 1 a and an inner axial cylindrical portion 12a.
• the radial portion 10a is connected to the outer axi al portion 9a and to the toroidal portion 1 1 a.
• the toroidal portion 1 1 a defines part of a raceway 13 a for the rolling elements 4.
• the radius of curvature of the raceway 13 a slightly exceeds the radius of the rolling elements 4.
• the toroidal portion 1 1 a extends axially towards the outside of the rolling bearing 1 with the inner axial portion 12a.
• the second part 16 of the housing 6 comprises an outer axial cylindrical portion 19 surrounding the inner axial cylindrical portion 17 of the first part 15.
• the second part 16 further comprises a radial flange 20 extending radially from the outer cylindrical portion 19 towards the immediate vicinity of the outer cylindrical surface 2a of the inner ring 2, so as to leave a clearance between the inner edge 20a of the radial flange 20 and the outer cylindrical surface 2a of the inner ring 2.
• the outer axial cylindrical portion 19 is fixed to the inner axial cylindrical portion 17 by means of welding, brazing or glue.
• the housing 6 may comprise a single part having an axial cylindrical portion and two radial flanges extending from the axial cylindrical portion towards the inner ring.
• one of the two spaces 23a, 23b may act as a lubricant reservoir; the lubricant 25 contained in the closed space 23a may be grease or oil. Lubricant can be packed into the space 23a which constitutes a first lubricant reservoir between the half-ring 3a and the inner ring 2. As an alternative, lubricant can also be packed into the second space 23b and into the volume remaining between the inner 2 and outer 3 rings.
• one of the half ring parts 3a of the outer ring 3 comprises passage means for the lubricant 25 contained in the corresponding closed space 23a.
• these passage means comprise at least one and preferably a plurality of axial through-holes 24a, provided in the thickness of the radial portion 10a of the outer half-ring part 3a.
• Each through-hole 24a communicates with a radial recess or groove 27a which is open toward its internal end so as to leave passage for the lubricant to flow into the row of balls 4 and between the respective contact surfaces of the balls with the raceways 13a, 13b.
• supplemental or alternatively other types of passage means may be used; for example, radial through-holes (not represented) may be provided in the thickness of the axial portion 12a, in order to allow the lubricant contained in the closed space 23a to flow by gravity directly towards the rolling elements 4.
• the rolling bearing 1 further compri ses a pressure creating means 26a comprising a layer of an expansible material di sposed inside the clo sed space 23 a.
• the layer 26a i s di sposed on a si de of the closed space 23 a opposite to the passage means 24a
• the expansible material is a material capable of expanding when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 reaches a predetermined temperature.
• the predetermined temperature i s preferably comprised between 70°C and 1 50°C, mo st preferably between 80°C and 135 °C .
• the layer 26a expansion starts when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example compri sed between 80°C and 95 °C, and ends when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 i s comprised between 120°C and 13 5 °C for example.
• the layer 26a may be formed as an annular flat ring made of an expansible material .
• the layer 26a may be di scontinuous, the clo sed space 23 a enclosing di screte patches of expansible material arranged against the inner surface 1 8b .
• An example of an expansible material which can be used in the present invention i s a material sold under the name "Expancel” by Company Microspheres from AkzoNobel Manufacturer.
• pressure creating means 26a, 26b i s di sposed inside both closed spaces 23 a, 23b .
• Each pressure creating means 26a, 26b compri se a layer of an expansible material di sposed on a side of the corresponding clo sed space 23 a, 23b opposite to the passage means 24a, 24b .
• the lubricant may flow through the holes 24a, 24b and the grooves 27a, 27b toward the rolling elements 4.
• the layers 26a, 26b are located on the inner surface 1 8b and 20b of the radial flanges 1 8 and 20 of the annular housing 6 forming the wall of the corresponding clo sed space 23 a, 23b opposite to the axial through holes 24a, 24b .
• the first layer 26a i s made of a first material expanding at a first predetermined temperature and the second layer 26b i s made of a second material expanding at a second predetermined temperature .
• the layer 26a expansion starts when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example compri sed between 80°C and 95 °C, and ends when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 is compri sed between 120°C and 135 ° C for example.
• the second layer 26b expansion starts when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example compri sed between 120° C and 130°C, and ends when the temperature inside the bearing assembly 1 is compri sed between 1 85 °C and 205 ° C for example.
• both layers 26a, 26b can be made of the same material capable of expanding when the temperature reaches the same temperature, for example a predetermined temperature compri sed b etween 80°C and 95 °C .
• FIG 3 illustrates the rolling bearing assembly 1 of Figure 2 when the temperature has risen to a higher level than both predetermined temperatures.
• Each layer 26a, 26b has therefore expanded, so that the volume of each layer 26a, 26b has increased while the volume of the free spaces left to the lubricant 25 has decreased, creating a pressure inside the closed spaces 23 a, 23b .
• the pressure thus created forces the lubricant 25 to pass through the corresponding axial through-holes 24a, 24b and the corresponding radi al grooves 27a, 27b towards the rolling elements 4 and the raceway s 13 a, 13b .
• the dimensions of the passage means are function of the lubricant used. In fact, when oil i s used as a lubricant, the passage means are bigger in cross-section than passage means provided when grease i s used as a lubricant.
• the present invention al so has the advantages of leading to a self regulation of the lubrication since the pressure exerted on the lubricant increases when the temperature increases i . e . when the friction against the raceways increases due to an insufficient lubrication.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Rolling Contact Bearings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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ID=45768181

Family Applications (1)

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• 2012
  • 2012-01-23 EP EP12705989.7A patent/EP2807386A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-01-23 WO PCT/EP2012/050985 patent/WO2013110319A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-01-23 KR KR1020147018547A patent/KR20140114822A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2012-01-23 JP JP2014552532A patent/JP2015504148A/ja active Pending
  • 2012-01-23 CN CN201280067190.8A patent/CN104067010A/zh active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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