Spherical roller bearing arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001168-B2
Application number	US-201615092006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2016
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A bearing arrangement for low speed rotating machinery includes a shaft and at least one double row spherical roller bearing supporting the shaft. The bearing has an inner ring providing a radially outer circumferential surface having a first and a second inner raceway and an annular portion separating the first and second inner raceway in an axial direction. An outer ring provides a radially inner circumferential surface with at least one outer raceway. Spherical rollers are located in a first and a second roller row, the first and second roller row disposed between the at least one outer raceway and the first and second respective inner raceway. A cage has a central portion located between the roller rows. The central portion provides a radially inner circumferential surface and axial protrusions to separate at least two rollers in one of the first and second rollers rows.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing arrangement for low speed rotating machinery, the bearing arrangement comprising:
a shaft,
at least one double row spherical roller bearing supporting the shaft, the at least one bearing having:
an inner ring providing a radially outer circumferential surface having a first inner raceway and a second inner raceway and an annular portion separating the first inner raceway and the second inner raceway in an axial direction, when viewed in radial cross section the annular portion defines an annular groove therein, the annular groove having a semicircular shape and a first groove edge and a second groove edge which abut the first inner raceway and the second inner raceway respectively, the first groove edge meeting the first inner raceway to form a first rounded edge, the second groove edge meeting the second inner raceway to form a second rounded edge,
an outer ring providing a radially inner circumferential surface having at least one outer raceway,
spherical rollers arranged in a first roller row and a second roller row, the first roller row and the second roller row being disposed between the at least one outer raceway and the first inner raceway and the second inner raceway,
at least one cage having a central portion located between the first roller row and the second roller row, the central portion includes a radially inner circumferential surface and axial protrusions to separate at least two rollers in the at least one of the first roller row and second roller row, wherein
the bearing provides a first continuous annular free space confined between the first roller row and the second roller row and between the radially inner circumferential surface of the central portion of the at least one cage and the annular portion of the inner ring,
the annular portion is formed such that the rollers in the first roller row and second roller row can move in the axial direction towards each other.

2. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the central portion of the cage provides a radially outer circumferential surface, and wherein the bearing provides a second continuous annular free space located between the roller rows and between the radially outer circumferential surface of the central portion of the cage and the radially inner circumferential surface of the outer ring.

3. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cage is centered by the spherical rollers.

4. The bearing arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein one of the first continuous annular free space and the second continuous annular free space includes condition monitoring equipment.

5. The bearing arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein one of the first continuous annular free space and the second continuous annular free space provides a location for receiving lubricant in the bearing arrangement.

6. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spherical rollers are symmetrical.

7. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spherical rollers are guided by the raceways.

8. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the low speed rotating machinery rotates at a speed during normal operation exposing the spherical rollers to a centrifugal force (Fc) that is less than the force of gravity (Fg).

9. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the low speed rotating machinery rotates at speed less than 50 revolutions per minute.

10. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a main shaft of a wind turbine.

11. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the inner ring presents a side flange on the axially outer side of at least one of the roller rows.

12. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cage is a comb shaped cage.

Assignees

• Loof Marcus
• James Peter
• Stigsjoeoe Lars
• Bjorkman Emma
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Loof Marcus
• James Peter
• Stigsjöö Lars
• Bjorkman Emma

Classifications

• F16C33/48 Primary

  for multiple rows of rollers or needles · CPC title

• F16C19/38 Primary

  with two or more rows of rollers · CPC title

• F16C33/667

  related to conditioning, e.g. cooling, filtering · CPC title

• F16C33/49

  comb-shaped · CPC title

• F16C33/6625

  Controlling or conditioning the grease supply · CPC title