Bearing cage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145416-B2
Application number	US-201515128698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A bearing cage for receiving rolling elements is disclosed. In addition to two rings, the bearing cage also has a plurality of webs which run axially between the rings. In order to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the pockets formed between the rings and the webs, the webs have a groove which runs in the direction of the respective web. When the rolling elements are inserted into the pockets, a tool engages into the groove and bends the edge region of the web in a direction of the rolling elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing cage, comprising
a first ring and a second ring,
webs that extend in an axial direction to connect the first and second rings and form pockets therebetween for receiving bearing elements, and
plastically deformable holding lugs formed on the webs,
wherein at least one of the webs includes radial faces and one of the radial faces has at least two grooves which extend in the axial direction to permit plastic deformation of the holding lugs after insertion of a bearing element and enclose a single rib therebetween, and
wherein the rib and the lugs extend a substantially equal height above the grooves.

2. The bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the grooves has an axial end and an axial start, each said axial end and each said axial start being provided with a slot which continues the groove into an edge region of the web.

3. The bearing cage as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the two grooves run parallel to one another, and the respective axial ends thereof are at a same axial spacing Ae from one of the rings, respectively, and the respective axial starts thereof are at a same spacing Aa from said ring or the other ring.

4. The bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two grooves comprise four grooves, wherein each of the grooves has an axial end and an axial start, each said axial end and each said axial start being provided with a slot which continues the groove into one of two edge regions of the web, and wherein the four grooves are arranged as opposed pairs with a single rib between each opposed pair, each said edge region of the respective web is adjacent to at least two of the four grooves which are aligned in the axial direction.

5. The bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said web is provided on one of said radial faces with projections which extend in a radial direction and are connected in one piece to the web, and the grooves traverse exclusively the projections.

6. The bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the grooves widen to cause the plastic deformation of the holding lugs.

7. A method for securing a bearing element in a bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 , comprising inserting a bearing element into a pocket, and bending an edge region which is released from the remaining web by way of at least one of the respective groove or a slot of the respective groove against the inserted bearing element.

8. A method for securing a bearing element in a bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 , comprising inserting the bearing element into a pocket,
inserting a wedge-shaped tool end of a tool into at least one groove of the two grooves; and
bending an edge region which is released from the remaining web by way of at least one of the respective groove or a slot of the respective groove against the inserted bearing element.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wedge-shaped tool end is a pair of wedge-shaped tool ends, and the step of inserting a wedge-shaped tool end is performed simultaneously in the two grooves of a respective web.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of inserting a wedge-shaped tool end is performed on a single web.

11. In combination, a bearing cage and a tool, comprising:
the bearing cage as claimed in claim 1 ; and
a tool including tool ends that have a height substantially equal to the height of the lugs and the tool ends are wedge-shaped with upper ends wider than the grooves for bending the lugs circumferentially, wherein the tool simultaneously engages the lugs and the rib of one of the webs to bend the lugs.

12. A bearing cage, comprising
a first ring and a second ring,
webs that extend in an axial direction connect the first and second rings and form pockets therebetween for receiving bearing elements, and
a projection connected to an outer radial end of each said web, the projection having plastically deformable holding lugs,
wherein the projection includes a radial face and the radial face has a single groove which extends in the axial direction, the single groove widens to cause plastic deformation of the holding lugs after insertion of a bearing element, and
wherein the groove has a U-shaped cross-section that is open in a radially outward direction of the first and second rings, and is formed exclusively in the projection such that the webs are not weakened as a result of deformation of the lugs.

13. A bearing cage, comprising
a first ring and a second ring,
webs that extend in an axial direction connect the first and second rings and form pockets therebetween for receiving bearing elements, and
plastically deformable holding lugs formed on the webs,
wherein at least one of the webs includes radial faces and one of the radial faces has four grooves which extend in the axial direction to permit plastic deformation of the holding lugs after insertion of a bearing element,
wherein each of the grooves has an axial end and an axial start, each said axial end and each said axial start being provided with a slot which continues the groove into one of two edge regions of the web, and
wherein the four grooves are arranged as opposed pairs with a rib between each opposed pair, each said edge region of the respective web is adjacent to at least two of the grooves which are aligned in the axial direction.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Mahler Siegfried
• Zay Peter
• Geyer Hermann
• Neukirchner Jorg

Classifications

• F16C33/494

  Massive or moulded comb cages · CPC title

• F16C2220/40

  by deformation without removing material · CPC title

• F16C33/418

  Details of individual pockets, e.g. shape or ball retaining means · CPC title

• F16C33/3837

  Massive or moulded cages having cage pockets surrounding the balls, e.g. machined window cages · CPC title

• F16C33/4676 Primary

  of the stays separating adjacent cage pockets, e.g. guide means for the bearing-surface of the rollers · CPC title