JP2008175312A - Rolling bearing with seal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rolling bearing with a seal maintaining good sealing performance over a long period. <P>SOLUTION: The rolling bearing 10 with the seal comprises: an outer ring 11 having an outer ring raceway surface 11a formed on the inner peripheral face; an inner ring 12 having an inner ring raceway surface 12a formed on the outer peripheral face; a plurality of balls 13 rollingly arranged between the outer ring raceway surface 11a and the inner ring raceway surface 12a; and a pair of seal members 15 fixed to both axial ends of the outer ring 11 for sealing an annular space between the outer ring 11 and the inner ring 12, and the annular space is filled with grease. The seal members 15 each have an inner peripheral face 23 inclined radially outward to the axial outside in the mounted condition. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rolling bearing with a seal.

  Conventionally, in auxiliary machines such as a compressor and an alternator installed around an automobile engine, the rotation of the engine is transmitted by a pulley, a belt, or the like. Such pulleys incorporate rolling bearings, and rain water such as water and muddy water falls upon operation depending on the use conditions. In particular, due to recent demands for miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost reduction, rolling bearings are increasingly used in a state exposed to the outside air. In such a case, rain water such as water or muddy water falls directly on the rolling bearing, and if the rain water enters the rolling bearing, problems such as a decrease in bearing life are caused. In addition, other than the auxiliary machines installed around the engine of the automobile, for example, a rotating device used outdoors may cause the same problem as described above.

Therefore, a contact-type sealing device is used as a means for preventing entry of foreign matters such as water and dust from the outside of a rolling bearing used for automobile parts, other mechanical devices and the like and supporting the rotation of a rotating body. It is used. A general contact-type sealing device is fitted and locked to an outer ring, and a lip provided on the inner diameter side is in sliding contact with a seal groove provided on a side portion of the inner ring. Further, for the purpose of improving the prevention of intrusion of dust and the like from the outside of the bearing, there is known one in which another lip that does not contact the seal groove is added at a location away from the lip (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-227521 (FIG. 1)

  By the way, water, muddy water, etc. adhering between the inner peripheral surface of the lip of the sealed contact seal and the seal groove of the inner ring easily collect in the space between the lip and the seal groove, and the sliding contact between the lip and the seal groove. When a slight gap is generated in the portion, there is a problem that accumulated water or the like enters the bearing.

  Furthermore, there is a risk that rust will be generated in the seal groove due to water etc. accumulated in the space between the lip and the seal groove. As a result, there is a problem that the sealing performance by the lip deteriorates.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sealed rolling bearing capable of maintaining good sealing performance over a long period of time.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following constitution.
(1) An outer ring having an outer ring raceway surface formed on an inner peripheral surface, an inner ring having an inner ring raceway surface formed on an outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of rolls disposed between the outer ring raceway surface and the inner ring raceway surface in a freely rotatable manner. A rolling element with a seal, and a pair of sealing members fixed to both axial ends of the outer ring and sealing an annular space between the outer ring and the inner ring, wherein grease is sealed in the annular space A bearing,
The seal member is a rolling bearing with a seal, characterized in that the seal member has an inner peripheral surface that inclines radially outward and axially outward in an attached state.
(2) The seal member includes a main lip that is in sliding contact with a seal groove formed in the inner ring, and an auxiliary lip that is formed on the outer side in the axial direction of the main lip and forms a labyrinth seal.
The inner peripheral surface of the main lip and the sub lip is inclined toward the radially outer side and the outer side in the axial direction over the entire region in the axial direction, and the rolling bearing with seal according to (1) .

  According to the rolling bearing with a seal of the present invention, the seal member has an inner peripheral surface that is inclined radially outward and axially outward in the mounted state. Even if water falls on the sealing surface, the water between the lip and the sealing groove falls along the inner peripheral surface of the lip by its own weight. Furthermore, water collected between the lip and the seal groove moves outward from the center of rotation due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the bearing, but the inner peripheral surface of the lip is inclined radially outward and axially outward. The water can be easily moved and discharged to the outside of the bearing. Thereby, the rolling bearing with a seal can maintain good sealing performance over a long period of time.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a rolling bearing with a seal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a rolling bearing with a seal according to an embodiment of the present invention. A rolling bearing 10 with a seal according to the first embodiment is used, for example, in an automotive auxiliary machine such as a compressor, and includes an outer ring 11, an inner ring 12, a plurality of balls 13 that are rolling elements, a cage 14, and a pair of And a sealing member 15 (only one is shown in the figure).

  An outer ring raceway surface 11 a that defines an outer ring raceway groove of the ball 13 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 11, and an inner ring raceway surface 12 a that defines an inner ring raceway groove of the ball 13 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 12. ing. Between the outer ring raceway surface 11a and the inner ring raceway surface 12a, a plurality of balls 13 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction by a cage 14 and held so as to roll freely are arranged. A pair of seal members 15 disposed on both sides of the ball 13 between the outer ring 11 and the inner ring 12 seals the annular space between the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 12, and is enclosed in the annular space. In addition to preventing leaked grease (not shown) from leaking to the outside, foreign substances (for example, water, muddy water, dust, etc.) are prevented from entering the annular space.

  Each seal member 15 includes a cored bar 16 in which a metal plate such as a steel plate is formed in an annular shape, and an elastic member 17 made of an elastic material such as rubber and fixed to the cored bar 16. The elastic member 17 covers the outer peripheral edge of the cored bar 16 and is formed to protrude slightly outward in the radial direction, and a neck part 19 that extends radially inward from the inner peripheral edge of the cored bar 16. A main lip 20 extending inward in the axial direction from the tip of the neck 19, and a sub lip 21 extending outward in the axial direction of the main lip 20 on the side opposite to the main lip 20 with respect to the tip of the neck 19. And an auxiliary lip 22 projecting radially inward and axially inward from the inner peripheral edge of the cored bar 16.

  The outer peripheral edge 18 of the elastic member 17 is locked in a locking groove 11 b formed at the axial end of the outer ring 11 by press fitting or the like, and fixes the seal member 15 to the outer ring 11.

  The main lip 20 contacts the outward wall surface 12b1 of the seal groove 12b formed at the axial end of the inner ring 12 to constitute a contact-type seal. The sub lip 21 constitutes a labyrinth seal facing the boundary portion between the inward wall surface 12b2 facing the outward wall surface 12b1 and the cylindrical surface 12c on the axially outer side of the inward wall surface 12b2 with a labyrinth gap. Further, the auxiliary lip 22 constitutes a labyrinth seal in the vicinity of the outward wall surface 12b1 of the seal groove 12b to prevent leakage of grease to the outside.

  The seal groove 12b of the inner ring 12 of the present embodiment is configured by an outward wall surface 12b1, an inward wall surface 12b2, and a cylindrical surface 12b3 formed between the outward and inward wall surfaces 12b1 and 12b2.

  Further, the inner peripheral surfaces 23 of the main lip 20 and the sub lip 21 of the seal member 15 are attached to the outer ring 11, and in the state where the main lip 20 is in contact with the outward wall surface 12b1 of the seal groove 12b, these axially whole areas In this way, it is continuously inclined outward in the radial direction and outward in the axial direction. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 23 of the seal member 15 is configured by three inner peripheral surfaces 23a, 23b, and 23c having different inclination angles.

  In the thus-sealed rolling bearing 10 configured as described above, the seal member 15 fixed to the outer ring 11 has the inner peripheral surface 23 that is inclined outward in the radial direction and outward in the axial direction. Even if water or the like falls on the seal surface of the bearing in a standing state, the water or the like between the main lip 20 and the sub lip 21 and the seal groove 12b falls along the inner peripheral surfaces of the lips 20 and 21 by its own weight. . Further, water or the like accumulated between the main lip 20 and the sub lip 21 and the seal groove 12b moves outward from the center of rotation by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the bearing, but the inner peripheral surfaces of these lips 20, 21 are radially outward. And by inclining toward the outside in the axial direction, water can be easily moved and discharged to the outside of the bearing. Thereby, the rolling bearing 10 with a seal can maintain favorable sealing performance over a long period of time.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably.
The shape of the inner peripheral surface 23 of the seal member 15 of the present invention is changed according to the seal performance and the shape of the seal groove 12b as long as it is inclined radially outward and axially outward in the attached state. Is possible. In the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surfaces 23 of the main lip 20 and the sub lip 21 are constituted by three inner peripheral surfaces 23a, 23b, and 23c having different inclination angles. For example, the first lip shown in FIG. As described above, it may be configured by a single circular arc-shaped inner peripheral surface 23 ′ that is inclined outward in the radial direction and outward in the axial direction. Moreover, as shown in the 2nd modification of FIG. 3, you may be comprised by inner peripheral surface 23 '' which inclines at a uniform angle toward radial direction outward and an axial direction outer side.
In the rolling bearing of this embodiment, the outer ring 11 is a rotating ring and the inner ring 12 is a fixed ring. However, the outer ring 11 may be a fixed ring and the inner ring 12 may be a rotating ring. Further, when incorporated in a pulley having a clutch such as an alternator, it is particularly effective when the outer ring 11 and the inner ring 12 rotate together.

It is a half sectional view of a rolling bearing with a seal concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a half sectional view of a rolling bearing with seal concerning the 1st modification of the above-mentioned embodiment. It is a half sectional view of a rolling bearing with a seal concerning the 2nd modification of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10a, 10b Sealed rolling bearing 11 Outer ring 11a Outer ring raceway surface 11b Locking groove 12 Inner ring 12a Inner ring raceway surface 12b Seal groove 13 Ball (rolling element)
15 Seal member 20 Main lip 21 Sub lip 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23 ', 23''Inner peripheral surface

Claims (2)

An outer ring having an outer ring raceway surface formed on an inner peripheral surface, an inner ring having an outer ring raceway surface formed on an outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of rolling elements arranged to be freely rollable between the outer ring raceway surface and the inner ring raceway surface; And a pair of seal members that are fixed to both axial ends of the outer ring and seal the annular space between the outer ring and the inner ring, and are rolling bearings with a seal in which grease is sealed in the annular space. And
The seal member is a rolling bearing with a seal, characterized in that the seal member has an inner peripheral surface that inclines radially outward and axially outward in an attached state. The seal member includes a main lip that is in sliding contact with a seal groove formed in the inner ring, and an auxiliary lip that is formed on the outer side in the axial direction of the main lip and forms a labyrinth seal.
2. The rolling bearing with seal according to claim 1, wherein inner peripheral surfaces of the main lip and the sub lip are inclined outward in the radial direction and outward in the axial direction over the entire axial direction. .

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