JP6672059B2 - Crown type cage and ball bearing - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a crown retainer made of resin and a ball bearing provided with the same.

  Generally, a ball bearing includes a retainer that stores a ball in a pocket. In particular, a resin-made crown type retainer has a greater degree of freedom in shape design than a steel-made crown type retainer, and can realize low torque (low friction, low wear) and light weight. For this reason, when the low torque property of the bearing rotation torque is emphasized, a ball bearing provided with a crown retainer made of resin is used.

  Lubricant such as lubricating oil and grease exists inside the ball bearing. During operation of the ball bearing, the ball or crown cage stirs the lubricant and at this time experiences resistance. The stirring resistance causes bearing rotation torque and heat generation.

  Conventionally, a number of grooves extending in the circumferential direction are formed on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the crown type cage, and the flow of the lubricant is rectified by these grooves to reduce the stirring resistance and reduce the bearing rotational torque. In addition, heat generation is suppressed (Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-232362 A

  However, when the lubricant is rectified in the circumferential grooves on the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown-shaped cage, the rectified lubricant stays near the crown-shaped cage inside the bearing, and is further stirred. Therefore, there is a problem that the effect of reducing the bearing rotation torque is weak.

  In view of the above background, an object to be solved by the present invention is to further reduce the stirring resistance by using a crown-shaped cage made of resin that rotates in a ball bearing.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a resin crown holder in which pockets penetrating between an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface are formed at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction, and balls are stored in the pockets. A central oil groove provided at one or more locations on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface and extending in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of Vs provided on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface and pointed toward one circumferential direction. A V-shaped oil groove extending in a V-shape, wherein the central oil groove passes through an axially central portion of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface, and the V-shaped oil groove is adjacent in the circumferential direction. A configuration is employed in which a ball bearing passes through a portion between matching pockets and is used in a ball bearing whose bearing rotation direction is limited to only one in the circumferential direction.

  According to the above configuration, during operation of the ball bearing, the crown type cage rotates only in one circumferential direction. The lubricant enters the central oil groove and the V-shaped oil groove on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the rotating crown type retainer. The entered lubricant relatively flows to the other side in the circumferential direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cage. When the lubricant flows through the central oil groove, the flow of the lubricant is rectified, so that the stirring resistance is reduced. In addition, the lubricant that has entered the V-shaped oil groove flows in the V-shaped oil groove in a direction in which the V-shape expands, opposite to the rotation direction of the cage. Since the V-shaped oil groove passes through the portion between the pockets adjacent in the circumferential direction, the lubricant flowing through the V-shaped oil groove smoothly retains the crown without crossing the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the crown-shaped cage. It is discharged to the side of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the container. Since the lubricant discharged from the V-shaped oil groove diffuses to both sides of the crown-shaped cage with momentum, it is difficult for the lubricant to stay near the crown-shaped cage inside the bearing. This also reduces the stirring resistance. In this way, during the rotation of the bearing, the flow of the lubricant is rectified near the axially central portion of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the crown type cage, so that the stirring resistance is reduced and the lubricant is supplied to the bearing. By being prevented from remaining near the inner crown-shaped retainer, the stirring resistance is further reduced.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the stirring resistance can be further reduced by the resin-made crown-shaped retainer rotating in the ball bearing, and further, the rotation torque of the ball bearing can be reduced and the heat generation can be suppressed. .

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a crown type retainer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing which shows the ball bearing which concerns on the Example of this invention. Side view of the crown type cage of FIG. 1. Front view of the crown type cage of FIG. The partial front view which shows typically the mode of the flow of the center oil groove and the V-shaped oil groove of the crown type retainer of FIG. (A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped oil groove of FIG. 1, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped oil groove. Sectional drawing which shows an example of the transmission provided with the ball bearing which concerns on this invention.

  Various embodiments of the present invention will be described.

The first embodiment of the present invention is the crown type retainer according to the present invention, wherein the V-shaped oil groove is formed such that the central oil groove gradually extends from one axial end of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface to one circumferential direction. Approaching the central oil groove at the axial center of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface, and the central oil groove intersects with two or more V-shaped oil grooves. is there.
According to the first embodiment, the lubricant flowing through the central oil groove branches off to both sides of each intersecting V-shaped oil groove one after another, and from each V-shaped oil groove, the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type retainer are separated. Since the lubricant is discharged to both sides, it is possible to promote the discharge of the lubricant which is a resistance for the ball.

A second embodiment of the present invention is the crown type cage according to the present invention, wherein the V-shaped oil groove has a U-shaped or V-shaped cross-sectional shape.
When the cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped oil groove is U-shaped or V-shaped, the lubricant easily flows through the V-shaped oil groove quickly. For this reason, according to the second embodiment, foreign matters are less likely to stay in the V-shaped oil groove, and the lubricant is easily discharged.

  A third embodiment of the present invention is the crown type cage according to the present invention, wherein a polyamide resin, a polyetheretherketone resin or a polyphenylene sulfide resin is used as the resin.

  The fourth embodiment of the present invention is configured as a ball bearing provided with a crown type retainer according to the present invention.

  The fifth embodiment of the present invention supports a rotating portion provided in a transmission in the ball bearing of the fourth embodiment.

A ball bearing and a crown type cage according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ball bearing according to the embodiment includes an inner ring 1, an outer ring 2, a plurality of balls 3, a crown retainer 4, and a seal 5.

  Here, the central axis of the inner ring 1, the central axis of the outer ring 2, and the central axis of the crown type retainer 4 are set to be coaxial. Hereinafter, "axial direction" refers to a direction along the central axis of the crown type cage, "radial direction" refers to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and "circumferential direction" , In the circumferential direction around the central axis.

  The inner ring 1 is formed of an annular member and has a raceway groove 6 on its outer periphery. The outer race 2 is formed of an annular member and has a raceway groove 7 on its inner periphery. The ball 3 is interposed between the raceway groove 6 of the inner race 1 and the raceway groove 7 of the outer race 2. The circumferential distance between the balls 3 is maintained by a crown-shaped retainer 4. An annular bearing internal space formed between the inner ring 1 and the outer ring 2 is sealed by a pair of seals 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, pockets 8 are formed in the crown-shaped retainer 4 at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction. The pocket 8 is an opening for accommodating the ball 3. One ball 3 is stored in each pocket 8. Each pocket 8 penetrates between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown-shaped retainer 4, and opens on one axial side surface of the crown-shaped retainer 4. The crown type retainer 4 includes an annular portion provided only on the other side opposite to one side in the axial direction, and a plurality of pairs of claws protruding from the annular portion only on one side in the axial direction. The crown type retainer 4 can be axially combined with the single row of balls 3 interposed between the raceway groove 6 of the inner race 1 and the raceway groove 7 of the outer race 2 by elastic deformation of each claw portion. ing. Although the inner surface of the pocket 8 has been illustrated along a single spherical surface slightly larger than the ball diameter of the ball 3, the inner surface shape may be changed to another shape.

  The crown type cage 4 is a rolling body guide type cage guided by the balls 3.

  The inner peripheral surface of the crown type retainer 4 is a surface that is exposed in the radial direction inside the crown type retainer 4. The inner peripheral surface of the crown type retainer 4 faces the inner ring 1 in the radial direction. The outer peripheral surface of the crown-shaped cage 4 is a surface that is exposed in the radial direction outside the crown-shaped cage 4. The outer peripheral surface of the crown type retainer 4 faces the outer ring 2 in the radial direction. The inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4 are in the bearing internal space and come into contact with the lubricant.

  The crown type retainer 4 includes a central oil groove 9 provided at one or more locations on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of V-shaped oil grooves 10 provided on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface. It has parallel oil grooves 11 provided on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface. The central oil groove 9, the V-shaped oil groove 10, and the parallel oil groove 11 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the crown-shaped retainer 4 respectively extend radially from the inner peripheral surface defining the inner diameter of the crown-shaped retainer 4. The recess has a depth. The central oil groove 9, the V-shaped oil groove 10, and the parallel oil groove 11 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the crown-shaped retainer 4 are respectively deeper in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface defining the outer diameter of the crown-shaped retainer 4. It is a concave part with a large height.

  The central oil groove 9 extends in the circumferential direction, and passes through the central portion in the axial direction of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4. The central oil groove 9 communicates between the pockets 8 adjacent in the circumferential direction. A central oil groove 9 is provided between each of the pockets 8. The central oil groove 9 is continuous at a constant width in the axial direction. The center of the width of the central oil groove 9 is set at a position that bisects the axial width of the inner or outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4.

  The V-shaped oil groove 10 extends in a V-shape toward one circumferential direction (the direction of the arrow A in FIGS. 1 and 4). The V-shaped oil groove 10 gradually approaches the central oil groove 9 at a fixed angle from both axial ends of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4 toward one side in the circumferential direction, and the inside of the crown type cage 4 It intersects with the central oil groove 9 at the axial center of the peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface. Each central oil groove 9 intersects with two or more V-shaped oil grooves 10. The crossing interval is a constant interval in the circumferential direction.

  Now, let us consider a case where the bearing rotation direction of the ball bearing shown in FIG. 2 is the direction of the arrow A shown in FIGS. In this case, the ball 3 revolves in the direction of the arrow A, and the crown type retainer 4 also rotates in the direction of the arrow A. Part of the lubricant (oil) in contact with the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type retainer 4 enters the central oil groove 9 and the V-shaped oil groove 10. The entered lubricant relatively flows to the other side in the circumferential direction opposite to the arrow A direction. When the lubricant flows through the central oil groove 9, the flow of the lubricant is rectified. Further, a part of the lubricant flowing through the central oil groove 9 branches to both oblique sides of the V-shaped oil groove 10. The lubricant that has entered the V-shaped oil groove 10 from the central oil groove 9 or the lubricant that has directly entered the V-shaped oil groove 10 may cause the V-shaped oil groove 10 to spread in a V-shape in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. Flows to The lubricant flowing through the V-shaped oil groove 10 flows through only one of the two oblique sides of the V-shaped oil groove 10 and is smoothly discharged to the side of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4. You. The lubricant discharged from the V-shaped oil groove 10 spreads to both sides of the crown type retainer 4 with momentum. The lubricant flowing through the central oil groove 9 also branches at the V-shaped oil groove 10 that intersects next, and is also discharged from the V-shaped oil groove 10. As described above, the lubricant flowing through the central oil groove 9 branches into the intersecting V-shaped oil grooves 10 one after another, and is discharged from each V-shaped oil groove 10 to both sides of the crown-shaped retainer 4. The shape of each V-shaped oil groove may be other than a sharp V-shaped oil groove, and includes a U-shaped oil groove. In addition, the case where not only a straight line but also a curve is included is included.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the V-shaped oil groove 10 has a U-shaped cross section. The cross section of the V-shaped oil groove 10 refers to a cross-section on a virtual plane perpendicular to the flow path of the V-shaped oil groove 10. The cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped oil groove 10 refers to the flow path shape of the V-shaped oil groove 10 in the cross-section. The V-shaped oil groove 10 has a cross-sectional shape shown in the drawing and is continuous in the groove length direction. The U-shaped cross-sectional shape means that the groove bottom surface of the V-shaped oil groove 10 has a shape in which the groove width is increased in a curved manner from the groove bottom. The cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped oil groove may be changed to a V-shape like a V-shaped oil groove 10 'shown in FIG. 6B. The V-shaped cross section means that the groove bottom surface of the V-shaped oil groove 10 has a shape in which the groove width is linearly enlarged from the groove bottom. When the cross-sectional shape is U-shaped or V-shaped as in the V-shaped oil grooves 10, 10 ', compared to a V-shaped oil groove having a linear groove bottom surface along the axial direction in the cross-section. , V-shaped oil grooves 10, 10 ′ have a narrow flow-path cross-sectional area, so that the lubricant easily flows through the V-shaped oil grooves 10, 10 ′.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the parallel oil groove 11 extends from the side of the pocket 8 along the V-side oil groove 10. The parallel oil groove 11 is an oil passage having a shape obtained by removing the pocket 8 from the V-shaped oil groove 10. Two or more parallel oil grooves 11 are provided on the side of each pocket 8. The cross-sectional shape of the parallel oil groove 11 is the same as that of the V-shaped oil groove 10. When the crown type cage 4 rotates in the direction of the arrow A, the lubricant that has entered the parallel oil groove 11 is discharged to the side of the crown type cage 4 without going to the pocket 8. The parallel oil groove 11 is for discharging the lubricant to the side of the crown-shaped retainer 4 even in a circumferential region where the V-shaped oil groove 10 cannot be provided for disposing the pocket 8. It may be omitted.

  The entire crown type retainer 4 is formed of resin. Examples of the resin include a polyamide resin (PA46, PA66, PA9T, etc.), a polyetheretherketone resin (PEEK), and a polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS).

  The above-described crown type cage 4 is used for a ball bearing in which the bearing rotation direction is limited to only one circumferential direction (the direction of the arrow A in FIGS. 1 and 4). As such a ball bearing, there is one that supports a rotating portion provided in a vehicle transmission. An example is shown in FIG.

  The transmission shown in FIG. 7 is a multi-stage transmission that changes the gear ratio in a stepwise manner. The transmission described above is used as a ball bearing B that rotatably supports its rotating part (for example, the input shaft S1 and the output shaft S2). The ball bearing according to the example is provided. The illustrated transmission includes an input shaft S1 to which engine rotation is input, an output shaft S2 provided in parallel with the input shaft S1, and a plurality of gear trains G1 to G4 for transmitting rotation from the input shaft S1 to the output shaft S2. And a clutch (not shown) incorporated between each of the gear trains G1 to G4 and the input shaft S1 or the output shaft S2, and the gear trains G1 to G4 used by selectively engaging the clutches. Switching, thereby changing the speed ratio of the rotation transmitted from the input shaft S1 to the output shaft S2. The rotation of the output shaft S2 is output to an output gear G5, and the rotation of the output gear G5 is transmitted to a differential gear or the like. The input shaft S1 and the output shaft S2 are rotatably supported by ball bearings B, respectively. This transmission uses a lubricating oil as a lubricant, and sprays the lubricating oil by splashing the lubricating oil with the rotation of a gear or from a nozzle (not shown) provided inside the housing H. As a result, the splashed or injected lubricating oil is applied to the side surface of each ball bearing B.

  For example, the input shaft S1 is a rotating part that transmits a driving force from the engine, and therefore rotates only in one direction. The rotation direction coincides with the direction of the arrow A in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, and during rotation of the input shaft S1, the ball bearing B and the crown type retainer 4 that support the input shaft S1 move in the direction of the arrow A. Only rotate.

  During operation of the ball bearing B that supports the input shaft S1, the crown type cage 4 rotates only in the direction of the arrow A. A part of the lubricating oil existing inside the bearing of the ball bearing B is the central oil on the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4 rotating in the direction of the arrow A as shown in FIGS. It enters the groove 9 and the V-shaped oil groove 10 and relatively flows to the other side in the circumferential direction opposite to the arrow A direction. When the lubricating oil flows through the central oil groove 9, the flow of the lubricating oil is rectified, so that the stirring resistance is reduced. Further, the lubricating oil that has entered the V-shaped oil groove 10 flows through the V-shaped oil groove 10 in a direction in which the V-shape expands, opposite to the direction of the arrow A. Since the V-shaped oil groove 10 passes through a portion between the pockets 8 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, the lubricating oil flowing through the V-shaped oil groove 10 is smooth without crossing the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4. Is discharged to the side of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4. The lubricating oil discharged from the V-shaped oil groove 10 spreads to both sides of the crown-shaped retainer 4 with momentum, and thus it is difficult for the lubricant to stay near the crown-shaped cage 4 inside the bearing. This also reduces the stirring resistance.

  As described above, in the crown type cage 4 or the ball bearing B according to the embodiment, during the rotation of the bearing, the flow of the lubricating oil is rectified near the axial center of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type cage 4. Thus, the stirring resistance is reduced, and the rectified lubricating oil is prevented from remaining near the crown-shaped retainer 4 inside the bearing, so that the stirring resistance is further reduced. Therefore, in the crown type cage 4 or the ball bearing B according to the embodiment, the stirring resistance can be further reduced by the resin crown type cage 4 rotating in the ball bearing B, and the ball bearing B can be further reduced. In this case, it is possible to reduce the rotational torque and suppress heat generation.

  Further, the lubricating oil flowing through the central oil groove 9 branches off one after another to both sides of each intersecting V-shaped oil groove 10, and from each V-shaped oil groove 10, both sides of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the crown type retainer 4. It is discharged toward. For this reason, the crown type cage 4 or the ball bearing B according to the embodiment can promote the discharge of the lubricating oil that becomes a resistance for the ball 3.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, since the V-shaped oil grooves 10, 10 'have a U-shaped or V-shaped cross-sectional shape, the lubricating oil is supplied to the V-shaped oil grooves 10 and 10'. Easy to flow fast through 10 '. For this reason, in the crown type cage 4 or the ball bearing B according to the embodiment, it is difficult for foreign matters to stay in the V-shaped oil grooves 10, 10 ', and the lubricating oil can be easily discharged.

  The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inner ring 2 Outer ring 3 Ball 4 Crown type retainer 8 Pocket 9 Central oil groove 10, 10 'V-shaped oil groove B Ball bearing S1 Input shaft (rotating part)

Claims (6)

Pockets penetrating between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface are formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and in a resin crown retainer in which balls are stored in the pockets,
A central oil groove that is provided at one or more locations on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface and extends in the circumferential direction;
A plurality of V-shaped oil grooves provided on each of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface and extending in a V-shape that is pointed toward one circumferential direction;
The central oil groove passes through an axially central portion of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface,
The V-shaped oil groove passes through a portion between pockets adjacent in the circumferential direction,
A crown type cage used for a ball bearing in which a bearing rotation direction is limited to only one of the circumferential directions. The V-shaped oil groove gradually approaches the central oil groove from one axial end of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface toward one circumferential direction, and the V-shaped oil groove is formed at the axial central portion of the inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface. Intersects with the central oil gutter,
The crown type retainer according to claim 1, wherein the central oil groove intersects with two or more V-shaped oil grooves.   The crown type retainer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped oil groove is U-shaped or V-shaped.   The crown type cage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a polyamide resin, a polyether ether ketone resin, or a polyphenylene sulfide resin is used as the resin.   A ball bearing comprising the crown type retainer according to claim 1.   The ball bearing according to claim 5, which supports a rotating portion provided in the transmission.

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