JPH0587327U - High torque rolling bearing - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Correction) [Purpose] To make the torque of high torque rolling bearing large and stable. [Structure] A cutting gap is formed at one position in the circumferential direction of the retainer 18 so that the retainer 18 can be elastically expanded and reduced in diameter, and the retainer 18 is fixed with respect to the fixed-side bearing ring 14. The inner wall of the pocket hole 20 that is elastically press-fitted and pressed when the rolling element 17 moves in the revolving direction is inclined toward the inside of the pocket hole 20 so as to face the fixed-side bearing ring 14.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a high torque rolling bearing used for a steering device of an automobile.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 In a vehicle steering system, a steering shaft is rotatably supported in a cylindrical steering column supported by a vehicle body. A rolling bearing 1 such as a deep groove type ball bearing as shown in FIG. 4 is provided between the steering column and the steering shaft in order to smooth the rotation of the steering shaft. This rolling bearing 1 includes an inner ring (inner ring ring) 3 having an inner ring raceway 2 on an outer peripheral surface, an outer ring (outer ring ring) 5 having an outer ring raceway 4 on an inner peripheral surface, an inner ring raceway 2 and an outer ring raceway 4. A plurality of rolling elements 6 rotatably provided between them, a cage 7 for holding the rolling elements 6, and a pair of sealing members 9, 9 for closing both ends of a cylindrical space 8 between the inner and outer rings 3, 5. It is composed of The steering shaft is fitted to the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 3, and the outer diameter surface of the outer ring 4 is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the steering column.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The gearbox that composes the steering system has some play to ensure the straight running stability of the vehicle, so that even if the steering wheel slightly rotates, the front wheels cannot be steered. ing. Due to the presence of this play, the force required to rotate the steering wheel slightly within the play range is small, but if the steering wheel is rotated too lightly, the steering wheel operation feels uncomfortable. ..

Therefore, conventionally, in order to appropriately increase the force required for the steering wheel to rotate within the play range, the amount of grease filled in the cylindrical space of the rolling bearing is increased, and / or Alternatively, although measures such as increasing the crimping of the lip portion of the seal member 9 have been taken, it has been difficult to obtain stable high torque.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The high torque rolling bearing according to the present invention forms a cutting gap at one position in the circumferential direction of the cage to elastically expand and reduce the diameter of the cage, and to fix the cage on the fixed side. The inner wall of the pocket hole, which is elastically press-fitted to the raceway and pressed when the rolling element moves in the revolving direction, is inclined toward the inner side of the pocket hole facing the fixed side raceway. There is.

[0006]

[Action]

 Since the cage is in pressure contact with the fixed-side race, the inner wall of the pocket hole is pressed when the rolling element moves in the revolving direction. Since this inner wall is inclined toward the inner side of the pocket hole facing the fixed-side bearing ring, a radial component force that changes the diameter of the cage in the radial direction is generated by the pressing force, and this component force holds the component. The device will be more strongly crimped to the fixed side raceway, and high torque will be obtained to prevent the rotation of the raceway.

[0007]

【Example】

 As shown in FIG. 1, a rolling bearing 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes an inner ring 12 fitted to a steering shaft 11, an outer ring 14 fitted to an inner periphery of a steering column 13, and an inner ring and an outer ring. It is composed of a plurality of rolling elements 17 arranged between the raceway surfaces 15 and 16 so as to be freely rollable at equal intervals, and a ring-shaped cage 18 for holding these rolling elements 17. Both end portions between the raceway surfaces 15 and 16 are closed by a seal member 23, and the inside is filled with grease.

The retainer 18 is a resin outer ring guide type, the outer peripheral surface of which is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14, and the inner peripheral surface of the retainer 18 forms a predetermined gap with the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 12. Is forming. Further, the cage 18 has a crown shape, and as shown in FIG. 2, an open portion 19 is formed on one side of the pocket hole. The retainer 18 may be made of an iron plate vulcanized with rubber in addition to resin.

The conventional retainer 18 has a perfect ring shape, but in the present invention, one portion of the retainer 18 is cut by a cutting portion 22. Further, unlike the conventional case, the inner peripheral surface of the pocket hole 20 of the cage 18 in which the rolling elements 17 are housed is conical, and the diameter of the pocket hole 20 is large on the inner ring 12 side and small on the outer ring 14 side. At least one pair of such conical pocket holes 20 is required in the vicinity of both sides of the cut portion, but not all the pocket holes are necessarily conical.

The rolling bearing 10 is configured as described above, and when the steering shaft 11 is rotated, the rolling element 17 moves along the inner and outer raceway surfaces 15, 16. At this time, the rolling element 17 comes into contact with the slanted inner side wall 21 of the pocket hole 20 of the cage 18 and exerts a force to expand the cage 18 outward in the semi-radial direction. Since the cage is cut at the cutting portion 22, it expands in diameter relatively easily when a radially outward force is applied. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the retainer 18 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14, and the two are compared. It generates a relatively large frictional force and gives a relatively high torque feeling to the steering wheel operation.

In the above-described embodiment, the shape of the pocket hole 20 is made conical, but this is based on a processing reason, and the inner surface of the pocket hole 20 with which the rolling elements 17 come into contact is inclined as shown in FIG. If there is, a force that expands the cage 18 radially outward is generated, so the shape of the pocket hole 20 is not limited to the conical shape. That is, in FIG. 2, the inner surface of the pocket hole 20 may not be inclined.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the inner ring 12 is fixed to the shaft 25, and the outer ring 14 is rotatable. The cage 26 is of the inner ring 12 guiding type, and the pocket hole 27 thereof is conical, but the diameter of the inner ring side is small and the diameter of the outer ring side is large.

When the outer ring 14 rotates in FIG. 3, the rolling element 17 moves in the circumferential direction between the inner and outer ring raceway surfaces 15, 16. At this time, the rolling element 17 presses the inner wall of the pocket hole 27, and the radial component of this pressing force reduces the diameter of the cage 26, so that the inner peripheral surface of the cage 26 comes into pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 12. It provides resistance to the movement of the rolling elements 17, and thus provides a relatively high torque that resists the rotation of the outer ring 14.

In the first embodiment, the present invention is applied to a bearing for supporting a steering shaft. However, the present invention is various bearings that need to generate a torque that resists rotation or rotation of an inner ring or an outer ring. Can be applied to. In addition, the rolling bearing of the present invention may of course be combined with conventional measures against high torque, such as filling a relatively large amount of grease between the inner and outer rings and increasing the interference of the lip of the seal member. Is.

[0015]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, the present invention makes it possible to elastically expand and reduce the diameter of the cage by providing a cutting gap in one place of the cage of the bearing ring guide, and the cage pocket hole where the rolling elements abut during revolution. Since the inner wall of is slanted, when the bearing ring is rotated, the cage presses the fixed side bearing ring relatively strongly, giving sufficient torque in the opposite direction to the rotation of the bearing ring. Therefore, when the bearing of the present invention is used for a shaft supporting bearing of a steering device, a stable and appropriate torque feeling can be imparted to the operation of the steering wheel, and the operation feeling can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a high torque rolling bearing when the present invention is applied to a shaft supporting bearing of an automobile steering device.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a high torque rolling bearing according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional high torque rolling bearing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Rolling Bearing 11 Steering Shaft 12 Inner Ring 13 Steering Column 14 Outer Ring 15,16 Raceway 17 Rolling Element 18,26 Cage 20,27 Pocket Hole

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A rolling bearing in which a plurality of rolling elements are arranged between inner and outer races, and the rolling elements are held in a plurality of pocket holes of a ring-shaped cage, in the circumferential direction of the cage. A cutting gap is formed in one place to elastically expand and reduce the diameter of the cage, and the cage is elastically pressure-fitted to the fixed side race ring to form the rolling element. A high-torque rolling bearing in which the inner side wall of the pocket hole, which is pressed when moving in the revolving direction, faces the fixed-side bearing ring and is inclined inward of the pocket hole. 2. In a rolling bearing for a steering device, wherein an outer raceway is fixed to a steering column and an inner raceway is fitted to a steering shaft. The high torque bearing according to claim 1, wherein the high torque bearing comprises a large-diameter conical hole.