Flexible cage for rolling bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690188-B2
Application number	US-201816121209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A flexible cage of a rolling bearing belonging to a wheel hub assembly for motor vehicles, having a substantially circular rib and a plurality of fingers which extend from a side of the rib and have a base portion, the rib and the fingers having partially spherical concave surfaces defining together a plurality of partially spherical cavities for retaining respective rolling bodies. The rib has substantially straight portions, each of them integrally connected to a base portion of a finger, substantially oblique portions and protrusion portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel hub group for motor vehicles, comprising a hub and a rolling bearing comprising:
a radially outer ring provided with respective radially outer raceways;
a radially inner ring provided with respective radially internal raceways; and
two rows of rolling bodies positioned between the corresponding internal and external raceways, the group being characterized in that the two rows of rolling bodies are held in position by corresponding flexible cages,
wherein each flexible cage comprises:
a substantially circular rib; and
a plurality of fingers extending from a side of the rib and having a base portion, the rib and the plurality of fingers having partially spherical concave surfaces defining together a plurality of partially spherical cavities, each partially spherical cavity of a size and shape to retain a respective rolling body,
wherein the substantially circular rib includes substantially straight portions, each substantially circular rib is steadily connected to a base portion of a respective finger of the plurality of fingers, substantially oblique portions and protrusion portions, and
wherein the flexible cage has a diameter (Φ) of a circumference (C) circumscribing the flexible cage and the flexible cage is configured to reduce diameter (Φ) when an external force is applied to at least one finger of the plurality of fingers, and
wherein the flexible cage is configured so that a circumferentially external force applied to the plurality of fingers of the rib reduces the diameter (Φ) of the circumference (C) circumscribing the cage to a value lower than a minimum diameter (DK) of the radially outer ring.

2. The wheel hub group for motor vehicles according to claim 1 ,
wherein the substantially oblique portions and protrusion portions are positioned along the rib according to a predetermined series of elements,
wherein a first element of the predetermined series of elements includes a first straight portion steadily connected to a first oblique portion of the oblique portions, the first oblique portion is steadily connected to a respective protrusion portion of the protrusion portions, the respective protrusion portion is steadily connected to a second oblique portion of the oblique portions and the second oblique portion is steadily connected to a second straight portion which starts a new element of the series of elements.

3. A method for assembling a flexible cage inside a rolling bearing belonging to a wheel hub group for motor vehicles,
the flexible cage comprising:
a substantially circular rib; and
a plurality of fingers extending from a side of the rib and having a base portion, the rib and the plurality of fingers having partially spherical concave surfaces defining together a plurality of partially spherical cavities, each partially spherical cavity of a size and shape to retain a respective rolling body, and
wherein the substantially circular rib includes substantially straight portions, each substantially circular rib is steadily connected to a base portion of a respective finger of the plurality of fingers, substantially oblique portions and protrusion portions,

the wheel hub group comprising:
a hub and a rolling bearing in turn comprising:
a radially outer ring provided with respective radially outer raceways,
a radially inner ring provided with respective radially internal raceways,
two rows of rolling bodies positioned between the corresponding internal and outer raceways, wherein the two rows of rolling bodies are held in position by corresponding flexible cages,
the method for assembling the flexible cage inside the rolling bearing comprising steps of:
positioning the flexible cage from the axially internal side of the radially outer ring of the rolling bearing;
applying a circumferentially external force to the flexible cage to reduce the diameter (Φ) of the circumference (C) that circumscribes the flexible cage;
inserting the flexible cage inside the radially outer ring through the minimum diameter (DK) of the radially outer ring;
positioning the flexible cage in a respective seat inside the radially outer ring; and
removing the circumferentially external force so that the flexible cage returns to an original shape.

4. The method for assembling a flexible cage inside a rolling bearing belonging to a wheel hub group for motor vehicles according to claim 3 , wherein the substantially oblique portions and protrusion portions are positioned along the rib according to a predetermined series of elements, wherein a first element of the predetermined series of elements includes a first straight portion steadily connected to a first oblique portion of the oblique portions, the first oblique portion is steadily connected to a respective protrusion portion of the protrusion portions, the respective protrusion portion is steadily connected to a second oblique portion of the oblique portions and the second oblique portion is steadily connected to a second straight portion which starts a new element of the series of elements.

5. The method for assembling a flexible cage inside a rolling bearing belonging to a wheel hub group for motor vehicles according to claim 3 , further comprising a step of:
applying a circumferentially external force to the fingers of the rib to reduce a diameter (Φ) of a circumference (C) circumscribing the cage to a value lower than a minimum diameter (DK) of the radially outer ring.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Bertola Maurizio

Classifications

• F16C43/083

  by plastic deformation of the cage · CPC title

• F16C19/186

  with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs · CPC title

• F16C33/416 Primary

  made from plastic, e.g. injection moulded comb cages · CPC title

• F16C19/184

  in O-arrangement · CPC title

• F16C2326/02

  Wheel hubs or castors · CPC title