Bearing apparatus and lubrication unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030709-B2
Application number	US-201615204352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A bearing apparatus includes a bearing portion having an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of balls interposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage that holds the balls, and a lubrication unit provided adjacently to the bearing portion in an axial direction thereof to feed lubricant to a lubrication area that needs to be lubricated. The lubrication unit has a tank that stores the lubricant, and a pump that ejects the lubricant toward the lubrication area. The pump has an ejection port that is open toward the lubrication area and through which the lubricant is ejected at a predetermined initial velocity in the form of a 0.5 to 1,000 picoliter oil droplet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing apparatus comprising:
a bearing portion having a fixed ring, a rotating ring that is coaxial with the fixed ring, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the fixed ring and the rotating ring, and a cage that holds the rolling elements; and
a lubrication unit provided adjacently to the bearing portion in its axial direction to feed lubricant to a lubrication area that needs to be lubricated, wherein
the lubrication unit has a tank that stores the lubricant, and a pump that ejects the lubricant toward the lubrication area,
the pump has an ejection port with an opening toward the lubrication area and through which the lubricant is ejected at a predetermined initial velocity in the form of a 0.5 to 1,000 picoliter oil droplet, and
the opening directed toward the lubrication area allows the oil droplet to be ejected from the opening through a space of the bearing portion and fed directly to the lubrication area.

2. The bearing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening of the ejection port is positioned out of an annular space formed between the fixed ring and the rotating ring.

3. The bearing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the opening of the ejection port has a circular shape and a diameter of less than 1000 micrometers.

4. The bearing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a center line direction of the ejection port is inclined relative to a virtual line parallel to a center line of the bearing portion.

5. The bearing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening of the ejection port has a circular shape and a diameter of less than 1000 micrometers.

6. The bearing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a center line direction of the ejection port is inclined relative to a virtual line parallel to a center line of the bearing portion.

7. A lubrication unit provided in a rotating apparatus to feed lubricant to a lubrication area of the rotating apparatus, which needs to be lubricated, the lubrication unit comprising:
a tank that stores the lubricant and a pump that ejects the lubricant toward the lubrication area, wherein
the pump has an ejection port with an opening toward the lubrication area and through which the lubricant is ejected to the lubrication area at a predetermined initial velocity in the form of a 0.5 to 1000 picoliter oil droplet, and
the opening directed toward the lubrication area allows the oil droplet to be ejected from the opening through a space of the bearing portion and fed directly to the lubrication area.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Stoimenov Boyko
• Tanimoto Kiyoshi

Classifications

• F16C33/6674 Primary

  related to the amount supplied, e.g. gaps to restrict flow of the liquid · CPC title

• F16C2300/02

  General use or purpose, i.e. no use, purpose, special adaptation or modification indicated or a wide variety of uses mentioned · CPC title

• F16C33/6659

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles · CPC title

• F16C2240/02

  Flow, e.g. volume flow or mass flow · CPC title

• F16C33/6662

  the liquid being carried by air or other gases, e.g. mist lubrication · CPC title