JP2017129227A - Rolling bearing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rolling bearing device capable of preventing the creeping of an outer ring with respect to a bearing housing when axial movement of a rolling bearing to the bearing housing is permitted.SOLUTION: A rolling bearing device 23 includes: a rolling bearing 21 which has an outer ring 31, an inner ring 32 arranged in a radial inner side of the outer ring 31, and a rolling element 33 provided between the outer ring 31 and the inner ring 32 to be freely rolled, and can bear an axial load; and a bearing housing 22 to which the outer ring 31 is attached to be movable in an axial direction. The rolling bearing device 23 further includes regulating means 51 for regulating movement of the outer ring 31 in the circumferential direction while permitting movement of the outer ring 31 in the axial direction with respect to the bearing housing 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a rolling bearing device that can be used for supporting a main shaft of a wind turbine generator.

Conventionally, the main shaft is rotated by receiving wind power from a blade connected to the main shaft, and the rotation of the main shaft is accelerated by a speed increaser and transmitted to the drive shaft of the generator, and the rotor connected to the drive shaft is A wind turbine generator that generates power by rotating is known.
In this type of wind power generator, the main shaft is rotatably supported by a rolling bearing. As this rolling bearing, one that can bear not only a radial load from the main shaft but also an axial load caused by wind force applied to the blade is adopted. In addition, since the main shaft may be deformed such as bending during operation, a spindle capable of absorbing this deformation is employed. For example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses a wind power generator using a self-aligning roller bearing as a rolling bearing.

JP 2009-156295 A

  The main shaft of the wind turbine generator described in Patent Document 1 is supported by two rolling bearings arranged at intervals in the axial direction. When the main shaft is supported by two rolling bearings as described above, one of the rolling bearings, for example, the rolling bearing on the blade side, may be mounted on the bearing housing so as to be axially movable so as not to bear an axial load. For example, the rolling bearing is allowed to move in the axial direction with respect to the bearing housing by fitting the outer ring to the mounting hole of the bearing housing with a clearance fit.

However, if the outer ring is fitted to the bearing housing mounting hole with a clearance fit, the outer ring may be displaced in the circumferential direction as the main shaft rotates, and a creep phenomenon may occur. Causes wear.
An object of the present invention is to provide a rolling bearing device capable of preventing the occurrence of creep of an outer ring with respect to the bearing housing when axial movement of the rolling bearing with respect to the bearing housing is allowed.

  A rolling bearing device according to the present invention includes an outer ring, an inner ring disposed radially inward of the outer ring, and a rolling element provided so as to be freely rollable between the outer ring and the inner ring, and is capable of applying an axial load. A rolling bearing device comprising a rolling bearing and a bearing housing on which the outer ring is mounted so as to be axially movable, wherein the outer ring is allowed to move in the circumferential direction while allowing the outer ring to move in the axial direction. It is characterized by including a restricting means for limiting.

  With such a configuration, creep of the outer ring with respect to the bearing housing can be prevented.

The restricting means is attached to the outer ring and the bearing housing in a state of being fixed in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer ring and the bearing housing and movable in an axial direction with respect to at least one of the outer ring and the bearing housing. It is preferable that a regulating member is provided.
According to this configuration, the movement of the outer ring in the circumferential direction with respect to the bearing housing can be restricted while the axial movement of the outer ring with respect to the bearing housing is allowed by the restricting member.

The restricting means further includes an insertion hole formed in the outer ring along the axial direction, and a female screw hole formed in the bearing housing along the axial direction and arranged concentrically with the insertion hole, It is preferable that the restricting member has a male screw portion that is screwed into the female screw hole and an insertion portion that is inserted into the insertion hole so as to be axially movable.
With such a configuration, the restricting member is fixed in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer ring and the bearing housing and is movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer ring, and allows the outer ring to move in the axial direction with respect to the bearing housing. Directional movement can be restricted.

The restricting means further includes an insertion hole formed along the axial direction in the outer ring and the bearing housing and arranged concentrically with each other, and the restricting member is inserted into each insertion hole so as to be axially movable. You may have an insertion part.
With such a configuration, the regulating member is fixed in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer ring and the bearing housing and is movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer ring and the bearing housing, and the axial movement of the outer ring with respect to the bearing housing is allowed. However, movement in the circumferential direction can be restricted.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the outer ring from creeping with respect to the bearing housing when the outer ring is mounted on the bearing housing in a state where movement in the axial direction is allowed.

It is a schematic side view of the wind power generator provided with the rolling bearing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of a rolling bearing apparatus. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the principal part of a rolling bearing apparatus. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the principal part of the rolling bearing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the principal part of the rolling bearing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the principal part of the rolling bearing apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a wind turbine generator provided with a rolling bearing device according to the first embodiment.
The wind power generator 10 includes a blade (wind receiving member) 11, a support 12, and a nacelle 13. The blade 11 is composed of a plurality of blades provided at the tip of the main shaft 20 and rotates the main shaft 20 by receiving wind. The nacelle 13 includes a main shaft 20, a support mechanism 14 for supporting the main shaft 20, a speed increaser 15 that increases the rotation speed of the main shaft 20, and power generation that generates electric power using rotational power increased by the speed increaser 15. The machine 16 and the casing 17 etc. which accommodate these are provided. The support column 12 supports the nacelle 13 so as to be able to turn horizontally around the vertical axis.

  The support mechanism 14 includes rolling bearing devices 23 and 24 each having a rolling bearing 21 that rotatably supports the main shaft 20 and a bearing housing 22 that houses the rolling bearing 21. The support mechanism 14 of the present embodiment includes two rolling bearing devices 23 and 24 that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the main shaft 20. The bearing housing 22 of each rolling bearing device 23, 24 is fixed to the casing 17.

  Of the two rolling bearing devices 23, 24, the rolling bearing device 24 arranged on the side of the speed increaser 15 bears a radial load and an axial load from the main shaft 20. On the other hand, the rolling bearing device 23 arranged on the blade 11 side is configured to bear a radial load from the main shaft 20 and not to bear an axial load. Hereinafter, the details of these rolling bearing devices 23 and 24 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the rolling bearing device. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a rolling bearing device 23 arranged on the blade 11 side. The rolling bearing device 24 arranged on the side of the speed increaser 15 has substantially the same configuration as the rolling bearing device 23 arranged on the blade 11 side except that the regulating means 51 described later is not provided.

The rolling bearing device 23 includes a rolling bearing 21 and a bearing housing 22.
The rolling bearing 21 is constituted by a self-aligning roller bearing having an outer ring 31, an inner ring 32, rolling elements 33, and a cage 34. The self-aligning roller bearing is a rolling bearing capable of applying a radial load and an axial load.
The outer ring 31 is formed in an annular shape. A concave spherical track surface 31 a is formed on the inner periphery of the outer ring 31. A lubricant injection hole 35 is formed in the central portion of the outer ring 31 in the axial direction. The outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 31 is fitted into a mounting hole 41 a formed in the bearing housing 22.

  The inner ring 32 is formed in an annular shape. On the outer periphery of the inner ring 32, a double-row curved raceway surface 32a is formed so that the central side in the axial direction is convex. A pair of flange portions 32 b are provided at both axial ends of the outer periphery of the inner ring 32. The main shaft 20 is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring 32, and the inner ring 32 is fixed to the main shaft 20 so as to be integrally rotatable.

The rolling elements 33 are constituted by spherical rollers arranged in a double row so as to be freely rollable between the raceway surface 31 a of the outer ring 31 and the raceway surface 32 a of the inner ring 32. The rolling element 33 is restricted from moving outward in the axial direction by the pair of flange portions 32 b, and is prevented from dropping out of the rolling bearing 21.
The rolling bearing 21 can absorb deformation due to bending of the main shaft 20 and the like when the rolling element 33 moves in the axial direction on the raceway surface 31 a of the outer ring 31.

  The bearing housing 22 includes a housing body 41 and a lid body 42. A mounting hole 41 a for fitting the outer ring 31 is formed in the housing main body 41. The outer ring 31 is fitted into the mounting hole 41a by a clearance fit. Therefore, the outer ring 31 is attached to the housing body 41 so as to be movable in the axial direction. Accordingly, the rolling bearing 21 is configured not to bear an axial load from the main shaft 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the rolling bearing 21 of the rolling bearing device 24 on the side of the speed increasing device 15 can bear an axial load from the main shaft 20 by being fitted to the bearing housing 22 by an interference fit. It is configured as follows.

  The lid 42 closes an annular space between the mounting hole 41a of the housing body 41 and the main shaft 20 from the outside in the axial direction. The lid body 42 is formed in a disk shape having an opening 42a for passing the main shaft 20 in the center. The lid body 42 is detachably fixed to a side surface of the housing body 41 on the outer side in the axial direction by a coupling tool 43 such as a bolt. On one side surface of the lid body 42 located on the outer ring 31 side, an annular ridge 42 b that protrudes toward the outer ring 31 and fits into the mounting hole 41 a of the housing body 41 is provided. A gap C is formed in the axial direction between the protrusion 42b and the outer ring 31.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the rolling bearing device.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rolling bearing device 23 of the present embodiment includes a restricting means 51 that restricts the movement in the circumferential direction while allowing the outer ring 31 to move in the axial direction with respect to the bearing housing 22. . The restriction means 51 includes an insertion hole 52 provided in the outer ring 31, a female screw hole 53 provided in the bearing housing 22, and a restriction member 54 attached to the insertion hole 52 and the female screw hole 53.

The insertion hole 52 is a cylindrical hole formed along the axial direction on the axial end surface of the outer ring 31 located on the lid 42 side. The insertion hole 52 is a bottomed hole that opens only on the axial end surface of the outer ring 31.
The female screw hole 53 is formed so as to penetrate the protrusion 42b of the lid body 42 in the axial direction. The female screw hole 53 is disposed concentrically with the insertion hole 52.

  The restricting member 54 is configured by a bolt having a head portion 55 and a shaft portion 56. The shaft portion 56 includes a male screw portion 56a only on the base end portion side (head portion 55 side), and includes an insertion portion 56b formed in a cylindrical shape on the distal end portion side. The male screw portion 56a is configured to be able to be screwed into the female screw hole 53 of the lid body 42. The insertion portion 56b has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 52 of the outer ring 31. Therefore, the insertion portion 56b can be inserted into the insertion hole 52 so as to be movable in the axial direction.

  The regulating member 54 is fixed to the lid body 42 by screwing the male screw portion 56 a into the female screw hole 53 from the outside in the axial direction of the lid body 42. Therefore, the lid body 42 functions as a fixing member for fixing the regulating member 54. When the restriction member 54 is attached to the lid 42, the insertion portion 56b of the restriction member 54 protrudes inward in the axial direction from the protrusion 42b. The insertion portion 56b is inserted into the insertion hole 52 of the outer ring 31.

In the rolling bearing device 23 having the above-described configuration, the movement of the outer ring 31 in the axial direction with respect to the housing body 41 is allowed by the restricting means 51, and the movement of the outer ring 31 in the circumferential direction is restricted. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a creep phenomenon in which the outer ring 31 is displaced in the circumferential direction within the mounting hole 41a of the housing body 41.
The protruding length L1 of the insertion portion 56b from the protrusion 42b is formed to be smaller than the depth L2 of the insertion hole 52. Therefore, the restricting member 54 can allow the outer ring 31 to move in the axial direction until the gap C becomes zero.

  In order to restrict the movement of the outer ring 31 in the circumferential direction, it is sufficient for the restricting means 51 to be provided at one location with respect to the outer ring 31 and the bearing housing 22. However, the regulation means 51 may be provided in two or more places at intervals in the circumferential direction. In this case, the movement of the outer ring 31 in the circumferential direction is restricted exclusively by one restricting means 51, and the other restricting means 51 can be used as a spare when the one restricting means 51 is damaged.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the rolling bearing device according to the second embodiment.
The rolling bearing device 23 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the restricting means 51. The restricting means 51 of the present embodiment includes an insertion hole 58 that penetrates the lid 42 of the bearing housing 22 in the axial direction instead of the female screw hole 53 of the first embodiment. The insertion hole 58 is a cylindrical hole having the same inner diameter as the insertion hole 52 formed in the outer ring 31.

  The restricting member 54 is formed of a cylindrical pin having a constant outer diameter. The outer diameter of the restricting member 54 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion holes 52 and 58. The restricting member 54 is inserted across both the insertion holes 52 and 58. Therefore, substantially the entire restriction member 54 functions as an insertion portion that is inserted into each of the insertion holes 52 and 58. The length L3 of the restricting member 54 is shorter than the dimension obtained by adding the depth L2 of the insertion hole 52 and the length L4 of the insertion hole 58 together. The length L3 of the restricting member 54 is larger than the dimension obtained by adding the length L2 of the insertion hole 52 or the length L4 of the insertion hole 58 and the maximum value of the gap C (maximum value assumed by design). It is formed long.

  A retaining member 44 is attached to the outer side surface of the lid 42 in the axial direction. The retaining member 44 is formed in a plate shape, and is fixed to the lid body 42 by welding, bolting or the like so as to close the insertion hole 58 from the outside in the axial direction. The regulating member 54 inserted into each of the insertion holes 52 and 58 is retained by the retaining member 44.

  Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the movement in the circumferential direction can be restricted while allowing the movement of the outer ring 31 in the axial direction by the restricting means 51. Moreover, since the regulating member 54 of the present embodiment is configured by a pin having a constant outer diameter, the structure is simpler than that of the regulating member 54 of the first embodiment, and can be manufactured at a low cost.

  Since the length L3 of the regulating member 54 is shorter than the dimension obtained by adding the depth L2 of the insertion hole 52 and the length L4 of the insertion hole 58, the clearance between the outer ring 31 and the lid 42 is reduced. The movement of the outer ring 31 in the axial direction can be allowed until C becomes zero.

  The insertion holes 52 and 58 may be formed with different inner diameters. In this case, the restricting member 54 only needs to be formed in a shape having two types of outer diameters corresponding to the inner diameters of the insertion holes 52 and 58.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the rolling bearing device according to the third embodiment.
The rolling bearing device 23 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the restricting means 51. In the restricting means 51 of the present embodiment, a female screw hole 65 is formed in the outer ring 31 instead of the insertion hole 52 of the first embodiment. In addition, an insertion hole 58 penetrating in the axial direction is formed in the lid 42 of the bearing housing 22 as in the second embodiment.

  The restricting member 54 has a male threaded portion 66 on one end side in the axial direction and a cylindrical insertion portion 67 on the other end side in the axial direction. The male screw portion 66 can be screwed into a female screw hole 65 formed in the outer ring 31. The insertion portion 67 has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 58. Accordingly, the insertion portion 67 can be inserted into the insertion hole 58 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The protruding length L7 of the insertion portion 67 from the outer ring 31 is larger than the maximum value of the gap C between the outer ring 31 and the lid body 42 and smaller than the length L4 of the insertion hole 58.

  In the present embodiment, the regulating member 54 is fixed to the outer ring 31 and is inserted into the bearing housing 22 so as to be axially movable. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the outer ring 31 is allowed to move in the axial direction with respect to the bearing housing 22, and the movement in the circumferential direction is limited. Since the protrusion length L7 of the insertion portion 67 is smaller than the length L4 of the insertion hole 58, the insertion portion 67 does not protrude outward in the axial direction from the lid 42 even when the gap C becomes zero. .

  In the present embodiment, the regulating member 54 may be constituted by a pin having a constant outer diameter, and the regulating member 54 is pressed into the hole formed in the outer ring 31 by pressing one end of the regulating member 54 into the outer ring 31. 54 may be fixed.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the rolling bearing device according to the fourth embodiment.
The rolling bearing device 23 according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the bearing housing 22 and the configuration of the regulating means 51.
The bearing housing 22 includes the housing main body 41 as in the first embodiment, but does not include the lid body 42.

  The regulating member 54 of the regulating means 51 has an insertion part 61 and a fixing part 62. The insertion part 61 is comprised by the pin which has a fixed outer diameter. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 61 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 52. Accordingly, the insertion portion 61 can be inserted into the insertion hole 52 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The length L5 of the insertion portion 61 is larger than the maximum value of the distance L6 between the axial outer end surface of the housing main body 41 and the axial outer end surface of the outer ring 31.

  The fixing portion 62 is formed in a plate shape and is attached to one end portion of the insertion portion 61. The fixing portion 62 extends radially outward and is fixed to the bearing housing 22. Specifically, the fixing portion 62 is fixed to the outer end surface in the axial direction of the housing body 41 with fixing bolts 64. The fixing portion 62 is firmly fixed so that the insertion portion 61 does not move in the circumferential direction. The fixing part 62 may be fixed to the housing body 41 by welding or the like.

  Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the movement in the circumferential direction can be restricted while allowing the movement of the outer ring 31 in the axial direction by the restricting means 51. Moreover, in this embodiment, it is applicable also to the bearing housing 22 which is not provided with a cover body.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified within the scope of the invention described in the claims.
For example, in the first to third embodiments, the restricting member 54 is attached to the lid body 42 of the bearing housing 22, but instead of the lid body 42, a fixing member disposed on the outer side in the axial direction of the outer ring 31. A member may be provided integrally with the housing body 41, and the restricting member 54 may be attached to the fixed member.

The rolling bearing device of the present invention may employ a deep groove ball bearing, an angular ball bearing, a tapered roller bearing, etc., as long as it can load a radial load and an axial load as the rolling bearing. it can.
Further, the rolling bearing device of the present invention is not limited to a wind power generator, and can be applied to any device other than a wind power generator.

21: Rolling bearing, 22: Bearing housing, 23: Rolling bearing device, 24: Rolling bearing device, 31: Outer ring, 32: Inner ring, 33: Rolling element, 51: Restricting means, 52: Insertion hole, 53: Female screw hole, 54: restricting member, 56a: male screw part, 56b: insertion part, 58: insertion hole, 61: insertion part, 65: female screw hole, 66: male screw part, 67: insertion part

Claims (4)

An outer ring, an inner ring disposed radially inward of the outer ring, a rolling bearing provided with a rolling element that is freely rollable between the outer ring and the inner ring, and capable of applying an axial load; and the outer ring is a shaft A rolling bearing device equipped with a bearing housing that is movably mounted in a direction,
A rolling bearing device characterized by comprising restriction means for restricting circumferential movement while allowing axial movement of the outer ring relative to the bearing housing.   The restricting means is attached to the outer ring and the bearing housing in a state of being fixed in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer ring and the bearing housing and movable in an axial direction with respect to at least one of the outer ring and the bearing housing. The rolling bearing device according to claim 1, comprising a regulating member. The restricting means further includes an insertion hole formed in the outer ring along the axial direction, and a female screw hole formed in the bearing housing along the axial direction and arranged concentrically with the insertion hole,
The rolling bearing device according to claim 2, wherein the restricting member includes a male screw portion that is screwed into the female screw hole, and an insertion portion that is inserted into the insertion hole so as to be axially movable. The restricting means further includes an insertion hole formed concentrically with each other along the axial direction in the outer ring and the bearing housing,
The rolling bearing device according to claim 2, wherein the restriction member has an insertion portion that is inserted into each insertion hole so as to be axially movable.

Images