JP2007270967A - Rolling bearing cage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain a welding strength by alleviating stress concentration on a welding part as much as possible without permitting the occurrence of excessive contact between inner and outer rings. <P>SOLUTION: This rolling bearing cage comprises a single band-like steel plate 3 equipped with a plurality of pockets 4 for storing rollers curved in an annular shape along the circumferential direction. Outer peripheral faces of both ends 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction of the band-like steel plate 3 are formed into flat faces 3c and 3d, the flat faces 3c and 3d of the both ends 3a and 3b are positioned on the same plane K, and the inner peripheral face of the both ends 3a and 3b are continued in an arc. In this condition, the both ends 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction of the band-like steel plate 3 are butt-welded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a roller bearing retainer used for a high-speed rotation part such as an automobile transmission, and more specifically, a roller bearing manufactured by welding one circumferential direction of a strip-shaped steel plate curved in an annular shape. It relates to a cage.

  Conventionally, many cages for roller bearings made of strip-shaped steel plates curved in an annular shape have been made for the purpose of reducing the cost, increasing the speed, reducing the weight of the cage, which is a machined product (for example, patents) Reference 1).

  As shown in FIG. 6, this type of cage forms a roller storage pocket 40 by punching or the like in a strip-shaped steel plate 30 that is a hoop material, and cuts the strip-shaped steel plate 30 at a certain length. The belt-shaped steel plate 30 having a certain length is rounded into a ring shape, and both ends in the circumferential direction are butt welded to form the shape shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral P is a punch for punching, 40 a is a column portion on both sides in the circumferential direction of the pocket 40, and 40 b is an ear portion on both sides in the axial direction of the pocket 40. In FIG. 7, 20 is a roller and 50 is a weld bead.

  In this type of cage, it is important to maintain the welding strength. However, when a large centrifugal force is applied during high-speed rotation, there is a problem that stress concentration occurs in the welded portion and the welding strength is reduced.

In response to this, for example, it has been proposed that both end portions in the circumferential direction of the belt-shaped steel plate are made straight without bending each other so that the end faces face each other in parallel, and the end faces are butt welded (patent) Reference 2). However, in this proposed cage, since the portion including the welded portion is linear, the portion including the welded portion may protrude toward the inner diameter side, and may locally come into strong contact with the inner ring.
JP 2005-308135 A FIG. 8 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-127646

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the stress concentration on the weld as much as possible and maintain the welding strength at a high level in a state where excessive contact between a part of the cage and the inner and outer rings does not occur. It is.

  A roller bearing retainer according to the present invention comprises a single strip steel plate that is curved in an annular shape and has a plurality of pockets for storing rollers along the circumferential direction, and both end portions in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate are butt welded. In the above cage, the outer peripheral surfaces of both end portions in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate are formed as flat surfaces, the flat surfaces of both end portions are located on the same surface, and the inner peripheral surfaces of both end portions are continuous in an arc shape. The both ends of the circumferential direction of the said strip-shaped steel plate are welded in the state.

  In the roller bearing retainer having the above-described configuration, the welded portion does not protrude toward the outer diameter side, and the outer peripheral surface of the portion including the welded portion is a flat surface extending on the same surface, so that a large centrifugal force acts. In this case, almost no stress concentration occurs in the welded part, and stress concentration occurs in a place distant from the welded part in the circumferential direction, such as where the flat surface is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the strip steel plate. This maintains the weld strength at a high level.

  In this case, the flat surfaces on the outer periphery of both ends in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate are located on the inner diameter side from the outer peripheral surface of the other part of the strip steel plate, and the inner peripheral surface of both ends is the strip steel plate Like the inner peripheral surface of the other parts, it is continuous in an arc shape, so the cage has no part that protrudes from the outer diameter side to the inner diameter side, and may be in strong contact with the inner and outer rings locally. There is no.

  In the roller bearing cage having the above-described configuration, it is desirable that the flat surface on the outer periphery of the end portion of the belt-shaped steel plate is formed by pressing. The strip-shaped steel plate constituting the cage can be obtained by cutting a long strip-shaped steel plate every fixed length, but if the flat surface is formed by pressing as described above, the end of the strip-shaped steel plate is simultaneously cut. Since the flat surface can be formed by pressing the part, it is not necessary to increase another process for forming the flat surface, and the end surface and the flat surface of the strip-shaped steel plate can be formed at the same time. The flat surface at both ends can be positioned on the same surface simply by abutting the end surfaces with each other.

  In the roller bearing retainer having the above-described configuration, the flat surface on the outer periphery of the end portion of the strip-shaped steel plate may be formed by grinding the outer peripheral surfaces of both end portions in the circumferential direction of the strip-shaped steel plate butt-welded. In this formation method, the flat surfaces at both ends are precisely located on the same surface, and there is no step or angle between the two flat surfaces, and the effect of alleviating stress concentration on the welded portion. Can be made more prominent.

  According to the present invention, the stress concentration on the welded portion is alleviated and the strength of the welded portion is maintained.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment which is the best mode of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a front view of a roller bearing retainer according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of a main part of the roller bearing retainer of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is for the roller bearing shown in FIG. The perspective view of the principal part of a holder | retainer, FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the edge part of the strip | belt-shaped steel plate before welding.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates the entire roller bearing cage, and 2 indicates a roller held by the roller bearing cage 1.

  A roller bearing retainer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a single strip-shaped steel plate 3 of a certain length that is curved in an annular shape, and both end portions 3a, 3b in the circumferential direction of the strip-shaped steel plate 3 are butt welded. The manufacturing process is basically the same as that of the conventional roller bearing retainer of this type, and as shown in FIG. 6, the roller 2 is stored by punching a long strip steel plate as a hoop material. Are formed by cutting the strip-shaped steel plate into a certain length, rounding the strip-shaped steel plate 3 having a certain length into an annular shape, and butt-welding both circumferential ends 3a, 3b. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 5 denotes a weld bead.

  The roller bearing cage 1 of the present embodiment is different from the conventional roller bearing cage as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in the outer peripheral surfaces of both end portions 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate 3. Are formed on the flat surfaces 3c and 3d, and the flat surfaces 3c and 3d of the both end portions 3a and 3b are arranged on the same inner surface K on the inner diameter side of the outer peripheral surface of the other portions of the strip-shaped steel plate 3 in a state where both are located on the same surface K. Both end portions 3a and 3b in the direction are welded. On the inner diameter side of the belt-shaped steel plate 3, the inner peripheral surfaces of both end portions 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction are continuous in an arc shape.

  In FIG. 3, reference numeral 4 a denotes pillars on both sides in the axial direction of the pocket 4, and 4 b denotes ears on both sides in the axial direction of the pocket 4.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the flat surfaces 3 c and 3 d press the outer peripheral surface of the end portion in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate 3 in the P direction simultaneously with the cutting in the C direction when the strip steel plate 3 is cut. It is formed by doing. 4, reference numerals 3e and 3f are end faces obtained by cutting the strip-shaped steel sheet 3, and reference numerals 3g and so on are groove surfaces that form a groove for welding. In welding, the end faces 3e and 3f in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate 3 are brought into contact with each other, and the flat surfaces 3c and 3d of both end portions 3a and 3b are positioned on the same surface, and a pair of groove surfaces 3g and 3g. Weld the groove formed in

  As described above, if the end surfaces 3e and 3f and the flat surfaces 3c and 3d of the strip-shaped steel plate 3 are formed at the same time, the angle formed between the end surfaces 3e and 3f and the flat surfaces 3c and 3d is accurately made to be a right angle. Can do. Further, by making the angle formed between the end surfaces 3e and 3f and the flat surfaces 3c and 3d to be a right angle, the flat surfaces 3c and 3d of the both end portions 3a and 3b can be made to be the same surface by simply abutting the end surfaces 3e and 3f. Can be positioned above.

  In addition to the above, the flat surfaces 3c and 3d may be formed by grinding the outer peripheral surfaces of both end portions 3a and 3b before butt welding the both end portions 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate 3, Moreover, you may form by grinding the outer peripheral surface of the welded both ends 3a and 3b, after butt-welding the both ends 3a and 3b of the strip | belt-shaped steel plate 3 in the circumferential direction.

  In the roller bearing cage 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, both end portions 3a and 3b which are butt welded do not protrude toward the outer diameter side, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is a flat surface extending on the same surface K. Since it is 3c, 3d, there is almost no stress concentration in the welded portion, and the flat surfaces 3c, 3d are connected to the circumferential surface of the outer periphery of the strip steel plate 3 (location indicated by A in FIG. 2), etc. Stress concentration occurs by being dispersed at locations away from the welded portion in the circumferential direction, whereby the welding strength is maintained at a high level.

  In this case, the flat surfaces 3c and 3d on the outer circumferences of both end portions 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction of the strip-shaped steel plate 3 are located on the inner diameter side from the outer peripheral surfaces of the other portions of the strip-shaped steel plate 3, and both end portions 3a. , 3b is continuous in an arc shape like the inner peripheral surface of the other part of the strip-shaped steel plate 3, and therefore the cage 1 has a portion that projects both on the outer diameter side and the inner diameter side. There is no risk of strong contact with the inner and outer rings locally.

  In the above-described embodiment, the welding is performed with the ears 4b on both sides in the axial direction of the pocket 4, but the welding location is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. At these points, both end portions 3a and 3b in the circumferential direction of the strip-shaped steel plate 3 may be welded.

  Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the strip | belt-shaped steel plate 3 is not specifically limited, It can be set as arbitrary shapes, such as a gate type and M type. Here, when there is a large-diameter outer peripheral surface and a small-diameter outer peripheral surface on the outer periphery of the strip steel plate 3 as in the case of a M-shaped cage, the outer peripheral surface has a large diameter and a small-diameter outer peripheral surface. In both cases, it is desirable that a flat surface be formed, but it is sufficient that the flat surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface having a large diameter.

The front view of the cage for roller bearings concerning one embodiment of the present invention. The enlarged front view of the principal part of the cage for roller bearings of FIG. The perspective view of the principal part of the cage for roller bearings shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the end of the strip steel plate before welding. The perspective view of the principal part of the cage for roller bearings concerning other embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing process of the conventional cage for roller bearings. The front view of the conventional cage for roller bearings.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Roller bearing cage 2 Roller 3 Strip steel plate 3a, 3b End portions 3c, 3d in the circumferential direction Flat surface K Same surface 4 Pocket

Claims (3)

In a cage that consists of a single strip-shaped steel plate with a plurality of pockets for storing rollers along the circumferential direction and is annularly welded, and both ends in the circumferential direction of the strip-shaped steel plate are butt welded,
In the state where the outer peripheral surfaces of both end portions in the circumferential direction of the strip steel plate are formed as flat surfaces, the flat surfaces of both end portions are located on the same plane, and the inner peripheral surfaces of both end portions are continuous in an arc shape. The roller bearing retainer is characterized in that both ends in the circumferential direction of the roller are welded.   The roller bearing retainer according to claim 1, wherein the flat surface is formed by pressing.   2. The roller bearing retainer according to claim 1, wherein the flat surface is formed by grinding outer peripheral surfaces of both end portions in the circumferential direction of the strip-shaped steel plates butt-welded.

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