GB2054759A

GB2054759A - Bearings

Info

Publication number: GB2054759A
Application number: GB8007979A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 1979-03-30
Filing date: 1980-03-10
Publication date: 1981-02-18
Also published as: CS268503B2; IT8021021A0; DE2912713A1; GB2054759B; SU1052170A3; IT1130097B; DE2912713C3; FR2452652B1; DE2912713B2; DD149691A5; CH644674A5; FR2452652A1

Abstract

A bearing and a method of producing a bearing are disclosed. The bearing comprises a part-spherical bearing member (1) and a mounting (2) which receives the member (1). The mounting (2) is provided with an accommodating space (29) which receives the member (1). At least part of the mounting (2) is elastic and has expanded radially during assembly of the bearing to receive the member via an opening which communicates with the space (29) and subsequently has contracted radially to retain the member (1). The mounting (2) is provided with an extension member (3) which extends, axially with respect to said opening which communicates with the space (29), from the mounting (2) to define an extension zone. The method of producing a bearing comprises the steps of moulding the mounting (2) with an injection mould comprising: an outer, shaped part corresponding to the outer contour of the mounting (2) and member (3); a sleeve for forming the inner contour of the member (3); and a mandrel for forming the space (29); and, when the moulding compound has hardened, axially removing firstly the shaped part, secondly the sleeve and finally the mandrel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A bearing and a method of producing a bearing This invention relates to a bearing and a method of producing a bearing.

A bearing is described in German Offenlegurigsschrift No. 22 31 293.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a bearing comprising a part-spherical bearing member and a mounting which receives the member, wherein the mounting is provided with an accommodating space which receives the bearing member, at least part of the mounting being elastic and having expanded radially during assembly of the bearing to receive the bearing member via an opening which communicates with the accommodating space and subsequently contracted radially to retain the bearing member, and wherein the mounting is provided with an extension member which extends, axially with respect to the said opening which communicates with the accommodating space, from the mounting, to define an extension zone.

The extension member could be elastic.

A region of the mounting adjacent the extension member could be elastic.

The bearing preferably further comprises a buffer member arranged in the extension zone, for checking axial displacement of the bearing. In this case, the buffer member could comprise a substantially annular member, the opening of which receives a shaft carried by the bearing.

The bearing preferably comprises a deposit region for a lubricant, the deposit region being located in the extension zone. This deposit region could be adjacent the buffer member.

The mounting is preferably an integral moulding or casting. In this case, the extension member is preferably integral with the mounting.

When present, the deposit region preferably comprises a substantially annular region adjacent the face of the part-spherical bearing member. A felt washer could be arranged in this substantially annular region. Also, the deposit region could further comprise a storage region for a lubricant, the storage region adjoining the outer edge of the substantially annular region.

An end region of the extension member remote from the mounting could be elastic. Such an end region of the extension member could be provided with an undercut stop groove for receiving the buffer member to seal the deposit region.

The extension member preferably extends from the region of greatest diameter of the accommodating space of the mounting such that it overlaps a region of the mounting adjacent the deposit region in a sleeve-like manner. The said region of the mounting adjacent the extension member could be provided with axial, slit-shaped recesses which are open at the said opening which communicates with the accommodating space, such that the bearing member is retained in the mounting by the resulting teeth formed between the recesses.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing such a bearing, the method comprising the steps of: moulding the mounting with an injection mould comprising: an outer, shaped part corresponding to the outer contour of the mounting and extension member; a sleeve for forming the inner contour of the extension member; and a mandrel for forming the accommodating space, and, when the moulding compound has hardened, axially removing firstly the shaped part, secondly the sleeve, and finally the mandrel.

The shaped part preferably comprises first and second members which are joined in the region in which the extension member extends from the mounting, and which can be separated and removed axially from a moulded mounting in mutually opposite directions.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through a claw-pole motor having two stator systems arranged axially one behind the other and provided with integral, part-spherical bearings according to the invention on both ends of its rotor shaft: Figure 2 shows a part plan view of one of the integral, part-spherical bearings shown in Fig#ure 1,~with a moulded-on extension member; and Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of the integral, part-spherical bearing and moulded-on extension member along the lines Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the stator of the claw pole motor, only partially shown, consists essentially of two stator systems arranged axially, one behind the other, each with a claw-pole plate and an annular energising coil. The two stator systems are mounted on end plates 14 and 15 which in turn are connected in each case with a part-spherical (hemispherical) mounting 2, in which part-spherical (hemispherical) bearing members 1, which carry a rotor shaft 5, are supported. The end plates 14 and 15 can each be placed in a simple manner in the injection mould or casting mould of a respective part-spherical mounting 2 before casting and are injected simultaneously with the hemispherical mounting 2. A secure connection is thus achieved between each of the end plates 14 and 1 5 and its respective part-spherical mounting 2.

A magnet support 7 is mounted concentrically with the rotor shaft 5, in its axial mid-section for example, by being securely affixed on to the outer circumference of the rotor shaft 5. In turn the magnet support 7 is connected securely on its outer circumference to a magnetised annular magnet 8. The left-hand end of the rotor shaft 5 extends out from the end plate 14 and bears a driving pinion 16 Integral, synthetic parts which can be produced as component part assemblies with an integrated deposit area, for accommodating the part spherical members 1, essentially comprise the actual part-spherical mounting 2 and an integrally mouided-on axial extension member 3, defining the above-mentioned deposit area 33, 34 and a stop groove 31 into which a buffer disc 4 can be pressed.In order to prevent axial play of the rotor shaft 5, an axial pressure spring 10 is provided between the buffer disc 4 of the right-hand, partspherical bearing and the magnet support 7, the spring 10 bearing, on one side, against the magnet support 7 by means of a flat disc 17 and, on the other side, against the right-hand buffer disc 4 by means of a cup-shaped disc 9. Between the left-hand face of the magnet support 7, which is connected to the rotor shaft 5, and the left-hand buffer disc 4, a washer 6 is attached to the rotor shaft 5, the washer 6 resting with its left-hand face against the left-hand buffer disc 4 in order to check the axial displacement (advance).

The entire deposit area 33, 34 comprises a disc-shaped part 34 which projects in front of one of the faces of the respective part-spherical member 1 and extends as far as the rotor shaft 5.

A felt disc 11 is supported in the disc-shaped part 34 and a collection or storage space 33, for a lubricant, adjoins its outer radial edge. This storage space 33 is essentially axially aligned and does not extend radially beyond the extent of the disc-shaped part 34 of the deposit area, so that, in all, because of the deposit area, no additional radial mounting space is required. The felt disc 11 is supported with its outer edge on the axial extension member 3 and lies with its inner edge in a suspended manner above the rotor shaft 5.

Advantageously the extension member 3 is integrally moulded externally on to the part spherical mounting 2 in the area of greatest radial depth of an accommodating space 29 for the part spherical member 1 and overlaps the section of the part-spherical mounting 2 facing the deposit area 33, 34 separately radially and axially in a sleeve-shaped manner. By the free over-lapping of the extension member 3 an individual elastic radial expansibility is achieved in a particularly simple manner, on the one hand, of the part of the part-spherical mounting 2 facing the deposit area 33, 34, and, on the other hand, of the end of the axial extension member 3 receiving the buffer disc 4.

The elastic radial expansibility of the accommodating space 29 of the part-spherical mounting 2 is achieved in a particularly simple manner in that the accommodating space 29 is provided on its side which axially faces the deposit area 33, 34, or the buffer disc 4 respectively, with axial, slit-shaped recesses 25, 26 and 27, which are open at the edge (see Figures 2 and 3) in such a manner that the pressed-in part-spherical member 1 is secured embraced by teeth (toe dogs) 21 to 24 which define the recesses 25, 26, and 27.The axial extension member 3, which overlaps the part-spherical mounting 2 in a sleeve-like manner, is in itself expansible, when the wall is not interrupted, i.e. is closed, so that the buffer disc 4 can be pressed into the stop groove 31 via a buffer inclination 32 and, afterthe pressing-in action, can serve not only to receive the axial displacement of the rotor shaft 5 but also to seal the deposit area 33, 34.

For the production of the part-spherical bearing described, an injection mould is provided which can be extracted in a step-wise, axial manner, and comprises: an outer shaped part for the outer contour of the part-spherical mounting 2 and axial extension member 3; a sleeve for the inner contour of the extension member 3 with the stop groove 31 on the end face; and also a mandrel for the accommodating space 29 for the partspherical member 1, whereby, after the moulding compound has hardened, first of all the shaped part, then the sleeve and subsequently the mandrel are removed axially. It is obvious that in this manner the moulded part-spherical member 1 can be manufactured at a particularly low cost.

After the outer shaped part has been removed, the axial extension member 3 can expand in a radially elastic manner with the subsequent axial extraction of the sleeve, so that the edge of the mould can come out of the stop groove 31. After the sleeve has been removed the radial space between the elastically expansible part of the partspherical mounting 2 facing the buffer disc 4 and the axial extension member 3, in particular in the region of the storage space 33, becomes free, so that finally, as the last mould-removing procedure, the mandrel can be removed from the accommodating area 29, the teeth 21 to 24 being pressed radially to the outside. As can be seen in Figure 3, the radial teeth 21 to 24 are also appropriately provided with small buffer inclinations.

For the simple assembly procedure possible of the part-spherical bearing described, first of all the part-spherical member 1 is pressed into the moulded part-spherical mounting 2, then the storage space 33 is filled with grease, subsequently the felt disc 11 is placed axially against the part-spherical member 1, and finally the buffer disc 4, for receiving the axial pressure of the rotor and for simultaneously axially securing the felt disc 11 and sealing the deposit area 33, 34, is pressed into the undercut stop groove 31 via the buffer inclination 32 of the axial extension member 3.

At the same time as the part-spherical mounting 2 is being produced, a collar 28 overlying each of the end plates 14 and 1 5 with a defined diameter is also moulded or cast in one operation on to the outer axial ends of the partspherical mountings 2, which, without further reworking, can be used for the centered installation of the entire motor in a motor mounting, i.g. of a rear-position drive which meshes with the pinion 16.

Claims

1. A bearing comprising a part-spherical bearing member and a mounting which receives the member, wherein the mounting is provided with an accommodating space which receives the bearing member, at least part of the mounting being elastic and having expanded radially during assembly of the bearing to receive the bearing member via an opening which communicates with the accommodating space and subsequently contracted radially to retain the bearing member and wherein the mounting is provided with an extension member which extends, axially with respect to the said opening which communicates with the accommodating space, from the mounting, to define an extension zone.

2. A bearing according to claim 1, wherein the extension member is elastic.

3. A bearing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a region of the mounting adjacent the extension member is elastic.

4. A bearing according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a buffer member arranged in the extension zone, for checking axial displacement of the bearing.

5. A bearing according to claim 4, wherein the buffer member comprises a substantially annular member, the opening of which receives a shaft carried by the bearing.

6. A bearing according to any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a deposit region for a lubricant, the deposit region being located in the extension zone.

7. A bearing according to claim 6, as dependent on claim 4 or 5, wherein the deposit region is adjacent the buffer member.

8. A bearing according to any preceding claim, wherein the mounting is an integral moulding or casting.

9: A bearing according to claim 8, wherein the extension member is integral with the mounting.

10. A bearing according to claim 6, or any of claims 7 to 9 as dependent on claim 6, wherein the deposit region comprises a substantially annular region adjacent a face of the partspherical bearing member.

11. A bearing according to claim 10, further comprising a felt washer arranged in the substantially annular region.

12. A bearing according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the deposit region further comprises a storage region for a lubricant, the storage region adjoining the outer edge of the substantially annular region.

13. A bearing according to claim 2, or any of claims 3 to 12 as dependent on claim 2, wherein an end region of the extension member remote from the mounting is elastic.

14. A bearing according to claim 13 as dependent on claims 4 and 6, wherein the end region of the extension member is provided with an undercut stop groove for receiving the buffer member to seal the deposit region.

15. A bearing according to claim 6, or any of claims 7 to 14 as dependent on claim 6, wherein the extension member extends from the region of greatest diameter of the accommodating space of the mounting such that it overlaps a region of the mounting adjacent the deposit region in a sleevelike manner.

16. A bearing according to claim 3, or any of claims 4 to 15 as dependent on claim 3, wherein the said region of the mounting adjacent the extension member is provided with axial, slitshaped recesses which are open at the said opening which communicates with the accommodating space, such that the bearing member is retained in the mounting by the resulting teeth formed between the recesses.

17. A method of producing a bearing according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: moulding the mounting with an injection mould comprising: an outer, shaped part corresponding to the outer contour of the mounting and extension member; a sleeve for forming the inner contour of the extension member; and a mandrel for forming the accommodating space; and, when the moulding compound has hardened, axially removing firstly the shaped part, secondly the sleeve, and finally the mandrel.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the shaped part comprises first and second members which are joined in the region in which the extension member extends from the mounting, and which can be separated and removed axially from a moulded mounting in mutually opposite directions.

19. A bearing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

20. A method of producing a bearing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.