WO2013085448A1

WO2013085448A1 - Bearing housing

Info

Publication number: WO2013085448A1
Application number: PCT/SE2012/000190
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan MÅRTENSSON
Original assignee: Aktiebolaget Skf
Priority date: 2011-12-09
Filing date: 2012-11-19
Publication date: 2013-06-13

Abstract

A bearing housing (100) comprising a substantially cylindrical bearing seat (102) configured to receive a bearing, and a foot member (104) adapted to support said bearing seat (102) and having a generally plane lower surface (106) formed by end surfaces of outer (108, 108', 110, 110') and inner (112, 112') supporting walls configured to be connected to an external support structure, wherein said inner supporting walls (112, 112') extends between said outer supporting walls (108, 108') forming cavities (114, 114') there between, wherein at least one of said inner supporting walls (112, 112') comprises at least one protrusion along its axial extension.

Description

BEARING HOUSING

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of bearings and more specifically to the field of bearing housings. Background of the invention

In order to reduce weight of bearing housings there has been a focus to optimize various parameters such as, for example, the choice of material or the amount of material used in the housings, etc. The housings for e.g. roller bearings, ball bearings, sliding bearings, needle bearings, etc. are exposed to relatively large forces when the bearing is being used. Such forces may, for example, be compression or bending forces from a shaft connected to the bearing, or forces originating from heat transfer from the bearing to the housing which arises due to friction between e.g. the rolling elements of the bearing and the inner and outer ring of the bearing. These forces may thus affect the bearing housing negatively as the housing may be exposed to bending, compression, tension, etc. The forces may also negatively affect the components to which the bearing housings are connected. It is thus important when designing the bearing housing, e.g. by minimizing the amount of material being used, that the bearing housing is affected as little as possible.

There is hence a need of providing a bearing housing which is relatively light in weight while still provides a reliable support for the housing and a sufficient stiffness in order to distribute the forces arising during use of the bearing. It is also an important aspect that heat generated from the bearing during use is distributed sufficiently within the bearing housing.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bearing housing which is relatively light in weight and provided with an improved stiffness in relation to prior art housings.

The present invention is based on the insight that a change of structure of the bearing housing will provide an increased stiffness while still providing a bearing housing which is relatively light in weight.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a bearing housing comprising a substantially cylindrical bearing seat configured to receive a bearing, and a foot member adapted to support said bearing seat and having a generally plane lower surface formed by end surfaces of outer and inner supporting walls configured to be connected to an external support structure, wherein the inner supporting walls extends between the outer supporting walls forming cavities there between, wherein at least one of the inner supporting walls comprises at least one protrusion along its axial extension.

The wording "foot member" should in the following be interpreted as a lower part of the bearing housing that is arranged for support and connection to various external support structures. Such support structures may, for example, be a frame or beam to which a rotating component in need of a bearing is to be attached. The type of bearing configured to be received in the substantially cylindrical bearing seat may be approximately any type of bearing, such as a roller bearing, needle bearing, ball bearing, sliding bearing, etc. Furthermore, the substantially cylindrical bearing seat may be adapted to receive an outer race ring of the bearing, where such a race ring is preferably fixated to the inner surface of the bearing seat. However, the inner surface of the bearing seat may also act as an outer race ring itself, i.e. the bearing provided to the bearing seat may thus only be equipped with an inner race ring configured to be attached to e.g. a shaft or the like while the rolling elements of the bearing are arranged to slide against the bearing seat instead of the bearing outer race ring.

An advantage of the invention is, at least, that by providing at least one protrusion on at least one of the inner supporting walls, the contact surface to the external support structure may be increased. Hereby, the bearing housing may have an increased stiffness and thereby being able to distribute the forces emanating from the bearing during use in a more suitable manner. Another advantage is that the heat transfer area is increased, thereby distributing the heat transferred from the bearing seat in a more convenient manner. Also, by providing cavities in the housing, the weight of the housing may be reduced. Hence, a housing according to the first aspect of the invention may thus provide a relatively light-weight housing while increasing the stiffness as described above.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the at least one protrusion of the at least one inner supporting wall may be formed by at least two spaced apart bulges. The wording "bulges" should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. The bulges should be understood to mean an "extra" thickness of the inner supporting wall and may take a various number of shapes, such as a wave-form, an approximately sinusoidal form, ellipse form etc. The bulges may preferably be designed such that they provide a smooth intersection with the already provided inner supporting wall. In other words, the bulges may preferably form a continuous transition from the inner supporting wall. An advantage with a continuous transition is that a minimization of stress concentrations in the transition area between the bulge and the inner supporting wall may thus be provided. Moreover, the bulges may be provided on either one of the sides of the inner supporting walls, where such bulge is not interfering with, for example, components of the bearing housing, or components which are configured to be in direct or indirect connection with the bearing housing.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, a ratio between a maximum thickness of the bulges and a thickness of the outer supporting walls may be in the range of 0.3-0.7. According to an exemplifying embodiment, the ratio may be in the range of 0.4-0.6. According to an exemplifying embodiment, the ratio may be 0.5.

The relation between the maximum thicknesses of the bulges and the thickness of the outer supporting wall should hence be interpreted as the bulges are, for example, 0.3-0.7 times the thickness of the outer supporting walls. Moreover, the thickness of the bulge should be interpreted as the "extra" thickness of the inner supporting walls, i.e. the maximum thickness of the bulges does not include the nominal thickness of the already provided inner supporting walls. Moreover, the wording "thickness of the outer supporting wall" should be interpreted as the thickness along a longitudinal direction of the outer supporting walls and hence exclude the corners of the outer supporting wall, which may have an increased thickness as will be described further below. Also, the thickness of the outer supporting wall does not necessarily have to be equal for a longitudinal wall portion and a lateral wall portion. For example, the thickness of the lateral wall portions may be thinner or thicker than the thickness of the longitudinal wall portions. In such a case, the described intervals should hence be for comparison with one of the longitudinal and lateral wall portions of the outer supporting walls.

An advantage of providing bulges with a size within the intervals specified is, at least, that the bulges may be designed in such a way that they do not interfere with other components which are in direct or indirect connection with the bearing housing, such as e.g. bolts adapted to be connected to the external support structure, which will be described further below. Hereby, the increased thickness may provide for increased stiffness and a larger heat transfer region of the bearing housing while still fulfilling the requirements of e.g. space for the bearing housing.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the at least two bulges may be symmetrically positioned along the axial extension of the at least one inner supporting wall.

By symmetrically positioned should be interpreted as being positioned at an equal distance from a geometrical plane, on each side of the

geometrical plane, where the geometrical plane is located at the centre of the inner supporting walls and perpendicular to both an axial direction of the bearing seat as well as to the lower surface of the foot member. Hereby, the bulges may support the bearing housing for different types of load cases, i.e. different types of load cases for the bearing may have different load distribution in the bearing housing and by providing the bulges symmetrically the bearing housing may be utilized for a number of various operation scenarios.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, a ratio between a width of the bulges and a distance between the bulges may be in the range of 0.3-0.7. According to an exemplifying embodiment, the ratio may be in the range of 0.4-0.6. According to an exemplifying embodiment, the ratio may be 0.5.

The distance between the bulges should be construed as the distance from the maximum thickness of one bulge to the corresponding maximum thickness of the other bulge. Hereby, yet another controlled measure may be provided for the bulges. These intervals may provide for a distribution of the bulges which may be utilized without the bulges interfering with e.g.

components which are in direct or indirect connection with the bearing housing, such as e.g. bolts adapted to be connected to the external support structure, which will be described further below. It should however be noted that the ratio between the width of the bulges and the distance between the bulges may be configured in many different forms, it is thus the remaining components of the bearing housing that may limit the variations, such as holes for providing a bolt for connecting the bearing housing to an external support feature, etc. According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the outer supporting walls may be formed by longitudinal and lateral wall portions. The longitudinal wall portions may thus extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the bearing seat, while the lateral wall portions extends in direction approximately parallel to the axial direction of the bearing seat, thus forming an essentially rectangular shape of the outer supporting wall. It should however be noted that the longitudinal and lateral wall portions may extend in other directions as well, for example, the longitudinal wall portion may be tapered, such that the longitudinal wall portions extends from a centre of the foot member to one of the corners of the foot member, etc.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the foot member further comprises two openings provided in a respective cavity which are arranged on each side of the bearing seat, wherein the openings are arranged to receive fastening means for fixating the foot member to the external support structure.

Hereby, the foot member, and thereby the entire bearing housing, may be securely fixated to an external support structure. The cavities described should thus be interpreted as those positioned between the lateral wall portions of the outer supporting wall and the inner supporting walls and positioned on an opposite side of the support structure. The support structure may be, as described above, a frame, beam, steel plate etc. Also, the fastening means may be a screw or bolt, etc.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the holes may form an opening which is positioned between the bulges such that the bulges is not interfering with the screws or bolts which are to be positioned within the hole. Hereby, the bulges may provide an increased support for the fastening means arranged through the openings.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, corner portions between the longitudinal and lateral wall portions may have an increased thickness in relation to the remaining longitudinal and lateral wall portions.

Hereby, a further addition of material may be provided to the bearing housing and in particular to the foot member, for supporting the bearing housing to the external support structure. Also, the opening provided in the foot member may thus be so centrally positioned that the increased thickness between the longitudinal and lateral wall portions is not interfering with the bolt or screw configured to be positioned through the opening. The addition of material in the corner portions may also provide extra support for the fastening means arranged through the openings.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, each cavity may further comprise two openings.

Hereby, a further fixating position may be provided to the bearing housing for fixation to e.g. corresponding openings in a support structure, such as e.g. an I-beam, of different standard.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, a mid- section of the lateral wall portion of the outer supporting walls may have an increased thickness in relation to the remaining longitudinal and lateral wall portions.

In the case of having two openings positioned next to each other, an advantage of providing an increased thickness at a mid-section of the lateral wall portion is that an addition of material at this position may not interfere with e.g. the bolts or screws adapted to fixate the bearing housing to the external support structure, while also providing an increased contact surface for the foot member against the external support structure. Furthermore, the increased mid-section of the lateral wall portion may provide extra support for the fastening means arranged through the openings as well as an increased rigidity of the foot member.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the bulges may be directed towards the cavity in which the opening(s) is/are provided.

An advantage of having the bulges directed towards the cavities where the openings are provided is that an increased support for the fastening means may be provided.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the lower surface may further comprise an end surface of a centrally positioned transverse wall portion comprising two opposed fins extending from the centrally positioned transverse wall portion in a longitudinal direction.

An advantage is, at least, that the centrally positioned wall portion as well as the fins may provide for an increased stiffness of the bearing housing as well as an enlarged heat transmitting area for the heat generated by the bearing during use. Also, an additional support is provided for the bearing seat in which a bearing is to be provided.

According to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention, a ratio between a total length of the fins and an inner diameter of the bearing seat may be in the range of 0.3-0.7. According to an exemplifying embodiment, the ratio may be in the range of 0.4-0.6. According to an exemplifying

embodiment, the ratio may be 0.5.

By "total length" should be interpreted as the distance between end portions of the fins. Hereby an increased stiffness may be provided to the bearing housing at a position below the bearing seat.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bearing housing comprising a substantially cylindrical bearing seat configured to receive a bearing, and a foot member adapted to support said bearing seat and having a generally plane lower surface formed by an end surface of inner and outer supporting walls and an end surface of a centrally positioned wall portion, wherein the end surface of the centrally positioned transverse wall portion is located substantially parallel to an axial direction of the bearing seat, wherein the end surface of the centrally positioned transverse wall portion comprises, at its centre, two opposed fins extending from the centrally positioned transverse wall portion in a longitudinal direction.

An advantage is that the centrally positioned wall portion as well as the fins may provide for an increased stiffness of the bearing housing as well as an enlarged heat transmitting area for the heat generated by the bearing during use. Also, an additional support is provided for the bearing seat in which a bearing is to be provided.

embodiment, the ratio may be 0.5.

Other features and advantages with this second aspect are largely analogous to those described above in relation to the first aspect of the present invention. It should further be understood that the second aspect of the present invention may be combined with any of the exemplifying embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention.

Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. The skilled addressee realize that different features of the present invention may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Brief description of the drawings

These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing example embodiments of the invention, wherein

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a bearing housing seen from a lower side according to an example embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an example embodiment of the openings in the bearing housing of Fig. 1 for attachment to an external support structure. Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein, rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled addressee. Like reference character refer to like elements throughout the description.

In the following description, the present invention is described with reference to a bearing housing 100 configured to receive a bearing (not shown). Referring now to Fig. 1 , there is depicted a perspective view of the bearing housing seen from a lower side. As is illustrated, the bearing housing 100 comprises a substantially cylindrical bearing seat 102 configured to receive a bearing (not shown). The bearing may be equipped with an inner and outer race ring, where the inner race ring is adapted to be fitted to a shaft or the like, while the outer race ring is adapted to be fitted to the bearing seat 102. The bearing may however also be provided without the use of an outer race ring, such that when mounted to the bearing housing 100, the

substantially cylindrical bearing seat acts as an outer race ring for the bearing. Moreover, the bearing housing 100 further comprises a foot member 104 which is arranged to support the bearing seat 102 as well as to be connected to an external support structure (not shown) by means of providing a lower surface 106 of the foot member 104 in abutment to the external support structure.

Furthermore, the lower surface 106 of the foot member 104 comprises outer supporting walls 108, 108', 110, 110' extending in a circumferential direction of the lower surface 106 of the foot member 104. In more detail, the outer supporting walls 108, 108', 110, 1 0' are formed by two longitudinal wall portions 108, 108' and two lateral wall portions 110, 110', thereby forming a generally rectangular shape. The lateral wall portions 110, 110' are extending in a direction approximately parallel to an axial direction of the bearing seat 102, while the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108' extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the bearing seat 102. Still further, the longitudinal 108, 108' and lateral 110, 110' wall portions has a thickness of material T. The thickness T should hence be interpreted as not relating to the thickness of the corners 11 1 where the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108' coincides with the lateral wall portions 110, 110', which according to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 , has an increased thickness of material. Hereby, a contact surface of the outer supporting walls is increased at the corners 111. Furthermore, the thickness T does not necessarily have to be equal for the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108' and the lateral wall portions 110, 110'. For example, the thickness T of the lateral wall portions 10, 110' may be thinner or thicker than the thickness T of the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108'. In the illustrated example embodiment, the thickness T hence relates to the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108'.

Moreover, inner supporting walls 112, 112' are provided between the lateral wall portions 108, 108'. The inner supporting walls 112, 112' extends, in the illustrated embodiment, in a generally parallel direction compared to the axial direction of the bearing seat 102. The inner supporting walls 112, 112' in combination with the outer supporting walls 108, 108', 110, 110' is thus, as illustrated in the embodiment of Fig. 1 , forming cavities 114, 114' there between at opposite ends of the foot member 104. These cavities 114, 114' are e.g. arranged to reduce the weight of the bearing housing. Furthermore, the end surfaces of the inner supporting walls 112, 2' and the outer supporting walls 108, 108', 110, 110' are thus forming a generally plane contact area for the lower surface 106. The generally plane contact area is arranged to be connected to a corresponding contact area of a support structure, such as e.g. a frame or beam, etc. Still further, the lower surface 106 is configured to be connected and fixated to the external support structure by means of fastening means, such as e.g. bolts or screws. These fastening means are adapted to be provided through openings 116, 116' arranged in the foot member 104 of the bearing housing 100. According to one embodiment, which is illustrated in Fig. 1 , the openings 116 are arranged as through holes located at an approximately centred position in each of the above mentioned cavities 114, 114'. A screw or bolt is thus adapted to be arranged from an upper side of the foot member 104, through the openings 116, 1 16' and fixated to the external support structure by means of e.g. a nut or by threads arranged in the external support structure. The fixation may of course also be provided the other way around, i.e. such that e.g. the head of the bolt is positioned at the external support structure and the bolt is thereby fixated by e.g. a nut on the upper side of the bearing seat 104.

Reference is now made to the inner supporting walls 112, 112'. As is illustrated in the embodiment depicted in Fig. 1 , the inner supporting walls 112, 112' comprises two spaced apart bulges 118, 120. The bulges 118, 120 are, in the illustrated embodiment, located symmetrically in relation to a geometrical plane (not shown) which crosses a centre of the inner supporting walls 112, 112' and which is parallel to the vertical outer wall portions 108, 108'. The bulges 118, 120 have a generally wave-formed shape but may, however, be provided in a number of forms, such as a sinusoidal form or an elliptic form, etc. Furthermore, the bulges are positioned by a relative distance D from each other. The relative distance D should be interpreted as a distance from a respective maximum thickness H for each of the bulges 118, 120. The thickness H of the bulges 1 18, 120 are, in the illustrated

embodiment, equal for both of the bulges 118, 120. They may however be formed differently, such that one of the bulges has an increased or decreased thickness compared to the other one of the bulges. It should be noted that the thickness H of the bulges 118, 120 should be interpreted as the "extra" thickness of the inner supporting walls 1 12, 1 12' and hence not the total thickness of the inner supporting wall and the respective bulge. As an example, the ratio between the thickness H of the bulges 1 18, 120 and the thickness T of the outer supporting walls 108, 108', 110, 1 10' is 0.5, i.e. the thickness H of the bulges are 0.5 times the thickness T of the outer supporting walls. Other ratios are of course conceivable, for example, the ratio may be any ratio within, e.g. an interval of 0.3 - 0.7. As described above, the thickness T does not necessarily have to be equal for the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108' and the lateral wall portions 110, 110'. For example, the thickness T of the lateral wall portions 110, 110' may be thinner or thicker than the thickness T of the longitudinal wall portions 108, 08'.

Furthermore, the bulges 118, 120 may also be provided on the inner supporting walls 112, 112' in a variety of widths W, the general limitation of the size of the bulges 118, 120 is merely that they should not interfere with the external bolt or screw intended to be arranged through the openings 116, 116' in the foot member 104. As an example, a ratio between the width W of the bulges 1 18, 120 and a distance D between the bulges 118, 120 is 0.5. Other ratios are of course conceivable, for example, the ratio may be any ratio within, e.g. an interval of 0.3 - 0.7. As a further example, the width W of bulges 118, 120 may be in the size of approximately 10 to 14 mm, while the distance D between the bulges 118, 120, i.e. the distance between a position of maximum thickness H for each of the bulges 118, 120 may be in the size of 20 to 28 mm.

Moreover, the lower surface 106 of the foot member 104 further comprises a centrally positioned transverse wall portion 126 extending between the lateral wall portions 108, 108' approximately parallel to, and below the bearing seat 102, and extending in an axial direction of the bearing seat 102. The centrally positioned transverse wall portion 126 further comprises an end surface which is in the same plane as the inner 112, 112' and outer 108, 108', 110, 110' supporting walls. The centrally positioned transverse wall portion 126 may however also be configured such that the surface thereof is not in contact with the external support structure when the bearing housing 100 is fixated thereto. Furthermore, the centrally positioned transverse wall portion 126 has two opposed fins 128, 128' extending from the centrally positioned transverse wall portion 126 in a direction

approximately parallel to the longitudinal wall portions 108, 108'. These fins 128, 128' thereby increase the contact surface against the external support structure and hence increase the rigidity of the foot member 104, especially at a position below the bearing seat 102, as well as giving additional support for the bearing. As an example, the total length of the fins 128, 128', i.e. the length between the end positions of the fins 128, 128', may be approximately 0.4-0.6 times the size of the inner diameter of the bearing seat 102, in this embodiment 0.5 times the size of the inner diameter of the bearing seat 102. This measurement is just for explanatory purposes and may of course differ between different bearing housings. Reference is now made to Fig. 2 illustrating another embodiment of the bearing housing 100. In particular, Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the openings 216, 216' adapted to receive a bolt or screw for fixating the bearing housing 100 to the external support structure. Fig. 2 illustrates only one cavity 214, but the bearing housing comprises, as for the embodiment illustrated in Fig. , another cavity on the opposite side of the foot member 04. As is illustrated in Fig. 2, the foot member 104 of the bearing housing 100 comprises two openings 216, 216' in the same cavity 214, on each side of the bearing seat 102 in relation to an axial direction of the bearing seat 102. The openings 216, 216' are positioned generally symmetrically in the cavity 214 in relation to the above mention geometrical plane through the centre of the inner supporting walls 112, 112' and are positioned on an opposite side of the support structure. Moreover, the lateral wall portions 0 comprises, in the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 2, an increased thickness 212 in the form of a protrusion directed towards the cavity, at a position between the openings 216, 216'. Hereby, a contact surface of the lateral wall portions 110,110' is increased, thereby also increasing the rigidity of the foot member 104.

Furthermore, an improved contact for the fixating means, i.e. the bolts or screws may also be achieved by providing a protrusion between the openings as illustrated in Fig. 2. As is further illustrated in Fig. 2, the bulges 1 8, 120 may still be positioned at approximately the same location as for the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 , provided that they are configured in such a size and form that they do not interfere with e.g. the external bolts or screws configured to fixate the bearing housing 100 to the external support structure.

Even though the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplifying embodiments, many different alterations, modifications and the like become apparent for those skilled in the art. Variations to the disclosed embodiment can be understood and effected by the skilled addressee in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawing, the disclosure, and the appended claims. As an example, the bulges are illustrated as facing the above mentioned cavities but it should be understood that they may just as well be located on the opposite side of the inner supporting walls. In such a case, the bulges may not provide for the additional support of the fastening means but may still provide for an increased rigidity and contact area of the foot member. Furthermore, in the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

Claims

1. A bearing housing (100) comprising:

- a substantially cylindrical bearing seat (102) configured to receive a bearing, and

- a foot member (104) adapted to support said bearing seat (102) and having a generally plane lower surface (106) formed by end surfaces of outer (108, 108', 110, 110') and inner (112, 1 12') supporting walls configured to be connected to an external support structure, wherein said inner supporting walls (112, 1 12') extends between said outer supporting walls (108, 108') forming cavities (114, 114') there between, wherein at least one of said inner supporting walls (1 2, 112') comprises at least one protrusion along its axial extension.

2. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one protrusion of said at least one inner supporting wall (1 12, 112') is formed by at least two spaced apart bulges (118, 120).

3. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a ratio between a maximum thickness (H) of each of said bulges and a thickness (T) of an outer supporting wall ( 08, 108', 110, 1 10') is in the range of 0.3-0.7, preferably of 0.4-0.6, and most preferably 0.5.

4. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the at least two bulges (118, 120) are symmetrically positioned along the axial extension of said at least one inner supporting wall (112, 112').

5. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a ratio between a width (W) of said bulges (118, 120) and a distance (D) between said bulges is in the range of 0.3-0.7, preferably of 0.4-0.6, and most preferably 0.5.

6. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said outer supporting walls (108, 108', 110, 110') are formed by longitudinal (108, 108') and lateral (110, 1 10') wall portions.

7. A bearing housing ( 00) as claimed in claim 6, wherein corner portions (1 11) between the longitudinal (108, 108') and lateral (110, 110') wall portions have an increased thickness in relation to the remaining longitudinal (108, 108') and lateral (110, 110') wall portions.

8. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said foot member (104) further comprises two openings (116, 116') provided in a respective cavity (114, 114') which are arranged on each side of said bearing seat (102), wherein said openings (116, 116) are arranged to receive fastening means for fixating said foot member (104) to said external support structure.

9. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein each cavity further comprises two openings.

10. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein a mid-section of said lateral wall portions of said outer supporting walls has an increased thickness (212) in relation to the remaining longitudinal and lateral wall portions.

11. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10, wherein said bulges (118, 120) are directed towards said cavity (114, 114', 214, 214') in which the opening(s) is/are provided.

12. A bearing housing (100) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said lower surface (106) further comprises an end surface of a centrally positioned transverse wall portion (126) comprising two opposed fins (128, 128') extending from said centrally positioned transverse wall portion (126) in a longitudinal direction.

13. A bearing housing as claimed in claim 12, wherein a ratio between a total length of said fins (128, 128') and an inner diameter of said bearing seat (102) is in the range of 0.3-0.7, preferably of 0.4-0.6, and most preferably 0.5.