JP2006200670A - Spacer for supporting bearing and bearing device including this spacer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spacer for supporting a bearing capable of being comparatively inexpensively manufactured and being easily mounted on a rolling bearing and a housing. <P>SOLUTION: This spacer 4 for supporting the bearing is provided between the outer periphery of an outer ring 31 of the rolling bearing 3 and the inner periphery of the housing 1. This spacer has an outside diameter part 41 fitted into the inner periphery of the housing 1, an inside diameter part 42 fitted into the outer periphery of the outer ring 31 of the rolling bearing 3, and a connection part 43 for connecting both of outside and inside diameter parts 41, 42 elastically. The whole spacer is constituted by the same resin material or metallic material. Slits 6 are formed in a plurality of sections in the circumferential direction of the inside diameter part 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a bearing supporting spacer used for supporting a rolling bearing in a housing such as a steering column, and a bearing device including the spacer.

  In a steering device such as an automobile, a steering shaft that rotates integrally with a steering handle is inserted into a cylindrical steering column. The steering shaft is rotatably supported by the steering column via a rolling bearing such as a needle roller bearing and an annular rubber spacer provided on the outer periphery of the rolling bearing. In this steering apparatus, rattling of the steering shaft is prevented by the elastic action of the spacer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition to the above, the spacer for supporting the bearing is also used for a rolling bearing that supports the pinion shaft at the tip of the steering shaft and a rolling bearing that supports the middle part of the propeller shaft.
JP 2003-314563 A

  However, rubber spacers are relatively expensive and costly. In addition, when the spacer is thick, it has a considerable rigidity as a whole, and it is difficult to fit the inner part of the housing such as the steering column or the outer periphery of the rolling bearing.

  In response to this, various attempts have been made to give the spacer itself great elasticity by changing the shape of the spacer, but a sufficient effect has not been obtained.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a spacer that can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and can be easily mounted on a housing, a rolling bearing, and a rotating shaft.

  A bearing support spacer according to the present invention is a spacer that is interposed between the outer periphery of the outer ring of a rolling bearing and the inner periphery of the housing, and elastically supports the rolling bearing with respect to the housing. An outer diameter portion that is made of a resin material or a metal material and is fitted to the inner circumference of the housing, an inner diameter portion that is fitted to the outer circumference of the outer ring of the rolling bearing, and a connecting portion that elastically connects the inner and outer diameter portions. And slits are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the inner diameter portion.

  As a material constituting the spacer, a polyamide resin is suitable, and in addition, a resin such as a polyvinyl chloride resin, a phenol resin, an epoxy resin, a PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin can be used, and elastic deformation is also possible. A metal material can be used as long as it is easy to bend and deform. When the spacer is made of resin, the spacer can be manufactured at a relatively low cost in terms of material and molding.

  The spacer having the above structure has a structure in which the outer diameter portion and the inner diameter portion are connected by the connecting portion. Therefore, even if the whole is formed of resin or metal, it has sufficient elasticity in the radial direction, and the inner periphery of the housing. Can be easily inserted into. Moreover, since the inner diameter portion is divided into a plurality of portions in the circumferential direction by the slit, it is easily elastically deformed in the diameter increasing direction, and also when inserting the outer ring of the rolling bearing on the inner periphery of the spacer, Even when the rotary shaft is inserted into the inner periphery of the rolling bearing, there is little resistance to insertion, and it can be easily mounted without applying an excessive force.

  In addition, when the spacer having the above-described configuration is interposed between the outer periphery of the rolling bearing and the inner periphery of the housing, and the rotating shaft is inserted into the inner periphery of the rolling bearing, the rolling elasticity is caused by the restoring elasticity of the connecting portion of the spacer. Since the outer ring of the bearing and rolling elements such as rollers are pressed toward the rotating shaft, preload is always applied to the rolling bearing inward in the radial direction, preventing rattling of the rotating shaft. Is done.

  In the spacer having the above-described configuration, it is desirable that the outer diameter portion, the inner diameter portion, and the connecting portion are formed in a shape in which the radial cross section exhibits a Z shape. If the cross-sectional shape in the radial direction is Z-shaped, sufficiently large elasticity can be provided in the radial direction without increasing the overall radial thickness of the outer diameter portion, the inner diameter portion, and the connecting portion. Further, when a radial load is applied, the outer diameter portion, the inner diameter portion, and the connecting portion are flattened so as to be folded, and the manner of deformation is constant. For this reason, the rolling bearing and the rotating shaft are less likely to be accidentally displaced or inclined with respect to the housing, and the behavior of the rolling bearing and the rotating shaft is stabilized.

  Further, in the spacer having the above-described configuration, a restriction for restricting the proximity of the inner and outer diameter portions by contacting a part of the other inner and outer diameter portions respectively at one axial end of the outer diameter portion and the other axial end of the inner diameter portion. It is desirable that the part is formed. If the restricting portion is provided as described above, when the inner diameter portion comes close to the outer diameter portion due to an external load, the restricting portion provided on the outer diameter portion at one end in the axial direction comes into contact with the inner diameter portion. The restricting portion provided on the inner diameter portion at the other end in the axial direction is in contact with the outer diameter portion to prevent further proximity between the two while keeping the outer diameter portion and the inner diameter portion in a substantially parallel posture. . Therefore, the connecting portion is not compressed too flat, and damage due to excessive deformation is prevented in advance. Further, even if the outer diameter portion and the inner diameter portion are compressed, they maintain a substantially parallel posture, so that the rolling bearing, in particular, the outer ring thereof is not inclined with respect to the axial direction.

  Furthermore, the spacer having the above configuration may be mounted on the outer periphery of any kind of rolling bearing. However, in the bearing device in which the spacer having the above configuration is provided on the outer periphery of the outer ring of the rolling bearing, the rolling bearing is a cage and roller. In the case of a mold, it is desirable that a crack is formed at one place in the circumferential direction of the outer ring of the rolling bearing.

  In this configuration of the bearing device, the outer diameter of the rolling bearing has a crack and the inner diameter portion of the spacer is divided into a plurality of circumferential directions. Thus, the rotating shaft can be easily inserted into the inner periphery of the rolling bearing. In addition, since the restoring elasticity of the spacer inward in the radial direction acts in the direction of reducing the diameter of the outer ring of the rolling bearing, preload is always applied to the rolling bearing inward in the radial direction, and rattling of the rotating shaft. More reliably prevented.

  According to the present invention, not only can the spacer be manufactured at a low cost, but also it is easily expanded and contracted, so that it can be easily mounted on a housing or a rolling bearing.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a bearing device including a spacer according to the best embodiment, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the spacer, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an outer ring of a rolling bearing that is a part of the bearing device of FIG. FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing like a steering column, and 2 denotes a rotating shaft such as a steering shaft. The rotating shaft 2 is rotatably supported on the inner periphery of the housing 1 via a bearing device 5 including a rolling bearing 3 and a bearing support spacer 4 attached to the outer periphery of the rolling bearing 3.

  The spacer 4 is entirely made of a resin material such as polyamide resin, and has a short cylindrical outer diameter portion 41 fitted to the inner circumference of the housing 1 and a short cylinder fitted to the outer circumference of the outer ring 31 of the rolling bearing 3. And a connecting portion 43 that elastically connects the outer diameter portion 41 and the inner diameter portion 42 to each other. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 43 linearly connects one axial end portion (the right end portion in FIG. 1) of the outer diameter portion 41 and the other axial end portion (the left end portion in FIG. 1) of the inner diameter portion 42. Thus, the outer diameter portion 41, the inner diameter portion 42, and the connecting portion 43 have a Z-shaped cross section along the radial direction.

  An inner flange 44 protruding inward in the radial direction is integrally formed at one axial end of the inner periphery of the inner diameter portion 42. Further, a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of engagement protrusions 45 protruding inward in the radial direction are provided on the other axial end of the inner periphery of the inner diameter portion 42.

  As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the spacer 4 is formed with slits 6 along the axial direction at a plurality of circumferential locations (three locations in the illustrated example) of the inner diameter portion 42 and the inner flange 44. Thus, the inner diameter portion 42 and the inner flange 44 are divided into a plurality of portions in the circumferential direction. The slit 6 is formed to a depth that divides the inner diameter portion 42 and the inner flange 44, but may be cut into a part of the connecting portion 43.

  In the present embodiment, the rolling bearing 3 is a so-called cage-and-roller type rolling bearing that does not have an inner ring, and includes an outer ring 31, needle rollers 32 as rolling elements, and a cage 33. Among these, the outer ring 31 is fitted to the inner periphery of the inner diameter portion 42 while being axially locked between the inner flange 44 and the engagement protrusion 45 of the spacer 4. The needle roller 32 is configured to be in rolling contact with the outer peripheral surface with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 1 as an inner ring raceway surface.

  In the rolling bearing 3, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer ring 31 has a split 7 formed at one place in the circumferential direction so that the inner diameter can be expanded and contracted. In the illustrated example, the cracks 7 are linearly inclined with respect to the axial direction, but may be arcuate, V-shaped, or W-shaped.

  In the above configuration, when mounting, the spacer 4 is first fitted on the outer periphery of the outer ring 31 of the rolling bearing 3. In this case, the inner diameter portion 42 of the spacer 4 is easily deformed in the diameter-enlarging direction, while the outer ring 31 of the rolling bearing 3 is deformable in the diameter-reducing direction, so that the inner circumference of the inner diameter portion 42 of the spacer 4 is expanded, By making the outer ring 31 small in diameter, the spacer 4 can be easily mounted on the outer periphery of the rolling bearing 3. The spacer 4 and the rolling bearing 3 combined in this way are inserted into the inner periphery of the housing 1. However, since the outer diameter portion 41 of the spacer 4 has sufficient elasticity in the radial direction, it can be easily placed on the inner periphery of the housing 1. Can be inserted into.

  Next, the rotating shaft 2 is inserted into the inner periphery of the rolling bearing 3 attached to the inner periphery of the housing 1 via the spacer 4. In this case, since the outer ring 31 has the crack 7 and the inner diameter portion 42 of the spacer 3 is divided into a plurality of circumferential directions, the inner diameter (more specifically, the needle roller 32 of the rolling bearing 3 is divided. (Inscribed circle diameter) can be increased, and the rotary shaft 2 can be easily inserted with little resistance.

  As described above, in a state where the rotating shaft 2 is supported on the inner periphery of the housing 1 by the spacer 4 and the rolling bearing 3, the restoring elastic force radially inward of the spacer 4 compresses the outer ring 31 of the rolling bearing 3. Since it acts on the needle roller 32 via the outer ring 31, the preload is always applied radially inward, and the rotary shaft 2 can be supported without rattling.

<Other embodiments>
4 and 5 show another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a spacer according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the spacer according to the third embodiment. It is.

  In the spacer 4 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, restricting portions 46 and 47 for restricting the proximity of the inner and outer diameter portions 41 and 42 are formed on the outer diameter portion 41 and the inner diameter portion 42, respectively. The restricting portion 46 on the outer diameter portion 41 side is one end in the axial direction of the outer diameter portion 41 (left end in FIG. 4), and protrudes at a position facing the root portion on the inner diameter portion 42 side of the connecting portion 43 in the radial direction. Has been. The restricting portion 47 on the inner diameter portion 42 side is the other end in the axial direction of the inner diameter portion 42 (the right end in FIG. 4), and protrudes at a position facing the root portion on the outer diameter portion 41 side of the connecting portion 43 in the radial direction. Has been.

  In the above configuration, when the inner diameter part 42 is close to the outer diameter part 41, the restriction part 46 on the outer diameter part 41 side at the both ends in the axial direction becomes the inner diameter part 42, and the restriction part 47 on the inner diameter part 42 side becomes the outer diameter part 41. Abutting each other, the outer diameter portion 41 and the inner diameter portion 42 are kept in a substantially parallel posture, and further proximity of both is prevented. Thereby, especially the damage by the excessive deformation | transformation of the connection part 43 is prevented beforehand.

  In the spacer 4 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the restricting portions 46, 47 of the outer diameter portion 41 and the inner diameter portion 42 are other portions (inner diameters) outside the axial range occupied by the connecting portion 43. Part 42 or outer diameter part 41). That is, the restricting portion 46 on the outer diameter portion 41 side is formed at one axial end of the outer diameter portion 41 (left end in FIG. 4), and one axial end of the inner diameter portion 42 is opposed to the restricting portion 46 in the radial direction. Thus, a flat surface 42 a along the axial direction is formed at a position on the outer side in the axial direction from the connecting portion 43. The restricting portion 47 on the inner diameter portion 42 side is formed at the other axial end of the inner diameter portion 42 (the right end in FIG. 4), and the outer diameter portion 41 in the axial direction and the like is opposed to the restricting portion 47 in the radial direction. At the end, a flat surface 41a along the axial direction is formed at a position outside the connecting portion 43 in the axial direction.

  In the above configuration, when the inner diameter portion 42 is close to the outer diameter portion 41, the regulating portion 46 on the outer diameter portion 41 side is on the flat surface 42 a of the inner diameter portion 42 outside the axial range occupied by the connecting portion 43. The regulating portion 47 on the inner diameter portion 42 side abuts on the flat surface 41 a of the outer diameter portion 41 to prevent further proximity between the outer diameter portion 41 and the inner diameter portion 42. In this case, since the restricting portions 46 and 47 do not contact the connecting portion 43, the proportion of the connecting portion 43 being deformed is small, and the breakage thereof is more reliably prevented.

  In the above embodiment, the entire spacer 4 is made of the same resin material. However, it is only necessary that the spacer 4 is made entirely of the same resin material, and a different kind of resin material may be provided in part. The spacer 4 can be made of a metal material. In that case, the metal material is preferably a material that is easily bent and deformed. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the cage roller type needle roller bearing was shown as the rolling bearing 3 which comprises the bearing apparatus 5 with the spacer 4, the rolling bearing 3 fitted to the inner periphery of the spacer 4 is a cylindrical roller. A bearing may be sufficient, and the type of rolling bearing is not particularly limited.

Sectional drawing of the bearing apparatus containing the spacer which concerns on best embodiment of this invention 1 is an external perspective view of a spacer included in the bearing device of FIG. The perspective view of the outer ring | wheel of the rolling bearing which is a part of bearing apparatus of FIG. The expanded sectional view of the spacer concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. The expanded sectional view of the spacer concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 2 Rotating shaft 3 Rolling bearing 31 Outer ring 4 Spacer 41 Outer diameter part 42 Inner diameter part 43 Connection part 46 Restriction part 47 Restriction part 5 Bearing apparatus 6 Slit 7 Break

Claims (4)

A spacer that is interposed between the outer periphery of the outer ring of the rolling bearing and the inner periphery of the housing and elastically supports the rolling bearing with respect to the housing;
Made of the same resin material or metal material as a whole, the outer diameter part fitted to the inner circumference of the housing, the inner diameter part fitted to the outer circumference of the outer ring of the rolling bearing, and both the inner and outer diameter parts are elastic. And a connecting portion connected to
Slits are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the inner diameter portion.
A spacer for supporting a bearing. The outer diameter part, the inner diameter part, and the connection part are formed in a shape in which the radial cross section exhibits a Z shape,
The spacer for supporting a bearing according to claim 1. A restricting portion is formed on one end in the axial direction of the outer diameter portion and the other end in the axial direction of the inner diameter portion to abut against a part of the other inner and outer diameter portions to restrict the proximity between the inner and outer diameter portions,
The spacer for supporting a bearing according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is a support spacer. A bearing device comprising the bearing support spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 on an outer periphery of an outer ring of a rolling bearing,
The rolling bearing is a cage and roller type, and a crack is formed at one place in the circumferential direction of the outer ring of the rolling bearing.
A bearing device characterized by that.

Images