JP2008240798A - Retainer for rolling bearing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent installability of an inner and outer rings from becoming worse by restricting a rolling body from dropping to either of the inside and outside of a retainer by a claw part provided on the retainer in assembling of a bearing, and to omit dimension management of respective clearances by ensuring a suitable clearance between the rolling body and the claw part in operation of the bearing. <P>SOLUTION: The claw part 5 for restricting dropping of the rolling body 3 is formed by a shape memory alloy. In the claw part, the shape in operation is previously shape-memorized such that a suitable clearance g is ensured between the claw part and the rolling body. The rolling body is stored in the retainer 1 and when the claw part is deformed so as to approach the rolling body, the claw part restricts dropping of the rolling body and the installability of the inner and outer rings is enhanced. Further, after the installation, when the bearing is raised to a shape recovery temperature, since the claw part is reset to the shape in operation and the suitable clearance is ensured, dimension management of the respective clearances can be omitted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rolling bearing cage that facilitates assembly of a rolling bearing.

Roller bearing cages hold a plurality of rolling elements, such as cylindrical rollers and spherical rollers, on the inner surface of the pocket, and the rolling elements roll in the pocket to generate inner and outer races (hereinafter referred to as “outer rings”). ”And“ inner ring ”) so that they can smoothly rotate relative to each other.
When assembling the bearing, a cage with rolling elements in a pocket is fitted into the inner side of the outer ring or the outer side of the inner ring to form an assembly, or inserted between the outer ring and the inner ring.
In order to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the pocket when the cage is assembled, it is widely practiced to provide the cage with a fall prevention structure.
As a drop-off prevention structure that has been conventionally employed, there is a configuration in which a cage is provided with a claw portion that restricts the rolling element in a pocket from falling out into the inside or outside. The claw part is provided in the cage integrally or as a separate member.

For example, in the cage 1 shown in FIG. 6, a pocket 4 for inserting the rolling element 3 is formed between the pillars 2, 2, and a claw 5 is provided integrally with the pillars 2, 2 constituting the inner surface of the pocket 4. (See Patent Document 1).
The nail | claw parts 5 and 5 are made to deform | transform so that a front-end | tip may approach the rolling element 3 by applying force after putting the rolling element 3 in the pocket 4 (refer the arrow in the same figure). By the deformation of the claw portions 5 and 5, the circumferential width of the inner diameter side opening of the pocket 4 is determined. Therefore, the cage 1 shown in FIG. 6 can restrict the rolling elements 3 placed in the pockets 4 from greatly falling inward by the claw portions 5 and 5. As described above, according to the cage capable of restricting the drop of the rolling element 3, the assembly of the inner and outer rings 6, 7 and the like can be performed with the rolling elements 3 inserted in all pockets 4.

  The claw portions 5 and 5 are formed such that a predetermined gap g is formed between the outer ring 6 and the inner ring 7 and the rolling element 3 (see FIG. 6). The gap g prevents the claw portion 5 (particularly the tip) and the rolling element 3 from coming into direct contact with the rolling surface of the rolling element 3 when the rolling element 3 rotates. Have a role. For this reason, this gap | interval g is required in order for the rolling element 3 to rotate smoothly.

  Further, in the cage shown in Patent Document 2, an extending portion is provided by extending the annular portion of the cage in the inner diameter direction, and a portion between the pocket and the pocket of the extending portion is protruded toward the pocket center side. A claw portion is provided.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-12753 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-82518

However, while the gap g is necessary for smooth rotation of the rolling element 3 as described above, when assembling the bearing, for example, as shown by a broken line in FIG. This causes the rolling element 3 to fall inward due to its own weight.
For example, in the case where the cage 1 and the outer ring 6 are assembled and combined with the inner ring 7, if the gap g becomes large due to insufficient bending of the claws 5, 5, the rolling element 3 moves to the track of the inner ring 7. It falls inward from the outer diameter (see the broken line in FIG. 1 (c)) and interferes with the inner ring 6 to deteriorate the assemblability. Further, when the claw portions 5 and 5 are greatly bent and the gap g is reduced, the problem of interference with the inner ring 7 does not occur, but the rolling element 3 and the claw portion 5 that roll between the inner and outer rings 6 and 7 during the bearing operation. 5 may come into contact.
As in the above example, in order to form the gap g in all pockets 4 in order to assemble the bearing and maintain the operation performance of the bearing, the dimensional control between the claw portions 5 and 5 is strictly measured with a gap gauge or the like. Must be done and cumbersome.

  Therefore, the present invention prevents the rolling element from falling into one of the inner and outer sides of the cage by a claw provided on the cage during assembly of the bearing, thereby preventing deterioration of the assemblability of the inner and outer rings. At the same time, it is an object of the present invention to secure an appropriate gap between the rolling element and the claw portion during the bearing operation so that the size management of each gap can be omitted.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is for bearings in which a plurality of rolling elements incorporated between inner and outer races are held on the inner surface of a pocket, and the falling of the rolling elements placed in the pocket to one of the inner and outer sides is restricted by a claw portion. In the cage, the claw portion is made of a shape memory alloy and stores an operating shape that creates a gap between the rolling elements in a state of being incorporated between the inner and outer races. The deformation is applied to restrict the rolling of the rolling element.

  The operating shape is memorized by forming a claw portion from the shape memory alloy and holding it at a shape memory temperature (usually 200 ° C. or higher) for a predetermined time. When the nail | claw part which the shape at the time of this operation | movement memorize | stored deform | transforms force at low temperature (room temperature grade), when this is heated up to the shape recovery temperature (usually about 40-150 degreeC) which expresses a shape memory effect, Return to the time shape.

  Assembling the bearing using the bearing cage, the rolling element is held in a pocket of the cage in which the operating shape of the claw part is stored in advance, and the claw part is deformed so as to approach the rolling element, The claw portion restricts the rolling element from falling into the inner or outer side of the rolling element, and the inner and outer rings are assembled in a cage that holds the rolling element, and after the incorporation, the claw portion is raised to the shape recovery temperature. This is done by warming and returning the shape of the claw to the shape before operation before deformation.

In the assembly, the rolling element is restricted from falling into one of the inner and outer sides of the rolling element, so that the inner and outer rings and the rolling element do not interfere when the inner and outer rings are assembled.
Further, in the above operating shape, an appropriate gap between the claw portion and the rolling element is ensured. Therefore, when the rolling element rotates, the claw portion contacts the rolling element and scratches the rolling surface. There is no fear of occurrence.

  According to the present invention, when the bearing is assembled, the rolling element is restricted from falling into one of the inside and outside of the rolling element, so that the inner and outer rings can be assembled smoothly. In addition, after incorporation of the raceway, the shape memory effect causes the shape of the claw portion to return to the shape before operation, and an appropriate gap between the claw portion and the rolling element is ensured. It is not necessary to manage the size of each gap.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The cage 1 according to the present invention is entirely made of a known shape memory alloy, and as shown in FIG. 1A, a pocket 4 for accommodating the cylindrical roller 3 is formed between the pillar portions 2 and 2. The claw portion 5 is provided integrally with the column portions 2 and 2 constituting the inner surface of the pocket 4. The cylindrical roller 3 is accommodated in the pocket 4 from the outer ring side (see the arrow in the figure), and the claw portions 5 and 5 prevent the cylindrical roller 3 from falling out to the inner ring side.

  After the cylindrical roller 3 is stored in the pocket 4 of the cage 1, the outer ring 6 is assembled into the cage 1 as shown in FIG. The claw portion 5 provided in the column portion 2 of the cage 1 has a shape in which a gap g is generated between the cylindrical roller 3 and the claw portion 5 in a state in which the cylindrical roller 3 and the outer ring 6 are in contact (shape during operation). Designed to. As described above, the gap g prevents the cylindrical roller 3 and the claw portion 5 from coming into direct contact with each other and prevents the rolling surface of the cylindrical roller 3 from being damaged. The cylindrical roller 3 rotates smoothly. It is necessary to do. The operating shape of the claw portion 5 is stored by holding the cage 1 made of a shape memory alloy in advance at a shape memory temperature for a predetermined time.

  The gap g is necessary for smooth rotation of the cylindrical roller 3 as described above. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. If it falls in the direction (see the arrow in the figure), the cylindrical roller 3 and the inner ring 7 interfere with each other and the assemblability deteriorates. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the tips of the claw portions 5 and 5 are deformed so as to approach the cylindrical roller 3 to prevent the above-described depression.

  The cage 1 is not limited to the configuration in which the cylindrical roller 3 is accommodated from the outer ring 6 side, and the claw portion 5 is formed on the outer ring 6 side of the cage 1 and the cylindrical roller 3 is accommodated from the inner ring 7 side. Maybe. In the latter configuration, the claw portion 5 prevents the cylindrical roller 3 from dropping outward and taking time to incorporate the outer ring 6.

  After regulating the drop of the cylindrical roller 3 as described above, the inner ring 7 is incorporated inside the cage 1 and the temperature of the bearing is raised to a shape recovery temperature at which the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy is exhibited. Due to this temperature rise, the deformed claw part 5 returns to its original shape, and a gap g having an appropriate width is secured between the claw part 5 and the cylindrical roller 3 (see FIG. 3).

  When lubricating grease is enclosed in the bearing during the assembly, the sealing may be performed before or after the temperature increase. This is because the shape recovery temperature is about 40 to 150 ° C. at most, and even if the grease is enclosed before the temperature rise, there is no possibility of causing the temperature deterioration of the grease.

  The claw portion 5 can be formed integrally with the cage 1 as described above, or only the claw portion 5 is made of a shape memory alloy as a separate member from the cage 1 body, and the claw portion 5 Can be attached to a cage body made of a material such as a general metal or resin that is not a shape memory alloy.

  For example, in the cage 1 configured to accommodate the rolling elements 3 from the outer ring side shown in FIG. 4, the cage 1 passes between the adjacent pockets 4, 4 from the inner ring side to the outer ring side. A through-hole 8 is formed, and a locking member 11 having a pin portion 10 having a slit 9 formed at one end is fitted into the through-hole 8 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). Further, the other end of the locking member 11 is a claw portion 5 having a rectangular or circular cross section in the axial direction. Like the claw portion 5 formed integrally with the cage 1, the rolling element housed in the pocket 4 from the outer ring side. 3 is prevented from falling off to the inner ring side (see FIGS. 3C and 3D). The shape of the axial cross section is preferably a rectangle or a circle because it is easy to manufacture, but is not limited to the above shape as long as the rolling element 3 can be locked.

  In addition, a predetermined gap g is provided between the rolling element 3 and the claw part 5, and by providing this gap g, the rolling element 3 and the claw part 5 are in direct contact with each other on the rolling surface of the rolling element 3. Scratches are prevented and the rolling element 3 rotates smoothly.

  When an inner ring is incorporated inside the rolling element 3, the claw part 5 is deformed so as to abut on or approach the rolling element 3 in the same manner as described above. The drop of the cage 1 to the inner ring side is regulated.

  Further, in the cage 1 configured to house the rolling element 3 from the inner ring side shown in FIG. 5, the claw portion 5 provided on the outer ring side prevents the rolling element 3 housed from the inner ring side from dropping off to the outer ring side. To do. Since the operation of the claw portion 5 is the same as described above, the description thereof is omitted.

In one embodiment, (a) is a cylindrical roller storage, (b) is an outer ring assembly, (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the interference between the cylindrical roller and the inner ring. Action sectional view showing prevention of falling of cylindrical roller by claw part in the embodiment Sectional drawing which shows latching of the rolling element by the nail | claw part in the embodiment Cross-sectional view of another embodiment Cross-sectional view of another embodiment Sectional drawing which shows latching of the rolling element by the nail | claw part in a prior art

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cage 2 Pillar part 3 Rolling body 4 Pocket 5 Claw part 6 Outer ring 7 Inner ring 8 Through-hole 9 Slit 10 Pin part 11 Locking member g Crevice

Claims (2)

A plurality of rolling elements (3) to be incorporated between the inner and outer races (6, 7) are held on the inner surface of the pocket (4), and the claw portion prevents the rolling element (3) from being inserted into the pocket (4) from falling into the inner or outer side. In the rolling bearing cage (1) regulated in (5),
The claw portion (5) is made of a shape memory alloy and stores a shape during operation that creates a gap with the rolling element (3) in a state of being incorporated between the inner and outer race rings (6, 7). The rolling bearing retainer is characterized in that the rolling shape of the rolling element (3) is restricted by deforming the operating shape.   A rolling bearing using the rolling bearing cage (1) according to claim 1.

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