Bearing cage, rolling element bearing and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767699-B2
Application number	US-201715831614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage constructed from a sheet metal element. The cage having at least one cage pocket configured to receive at least one rolling element. The at least one cage pocket is formed by two abutting cage bars that extend axially between a first and a second axially displaced ring element. At least one of the cage bars includes a first portion. The first portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element such that the first portion extends in a radial direction of the cage and such that an axially extending fold is provided on the cage bar. A rolling element bearing and a method of producing the bearing cage is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage being made of a sheet metal element and comprising,
at least one cage pocket configured to receive at least one rolling element, the at least one cage pocket being formed by a first cage bar and a second adjacent cage bar, the first cage bar and the second cage bar extending axially between a first circumferentially extending element and a second circumferentially extending element axially displaced from the first circumferentially extending element, the second circumferentially extending element having a radially facing surface and a first axially facing edge, the radially facing surface of the second circumferentially extending element having a larger surface area compared to a surface area of the first axially facing edge of the second circumferentially extending element, the first circumferentially extending element defining a first axially displaced ring element and the second circumferentially extending element defining a second axially displaced ring element,
wherein a first one of the first cage bar and the second cage bar provides a first portion,
wherein the first portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element,
wherein the first portion extends in a radially outward direction of the cage from an axially extending fold provided on the cage bar,
wherein the second circumferentially extending element is located proximate to and radially inward from a circumferential radially facing surface of the first cage bar and a circumferential radially facing surface of the second cage bar, wherein the radially facing surface of the second circumferentially extending element extends between the first axially facing edge and a second axially facing edge of the second circumferentially extending element.

2. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion provides at least one surface that is arranged to contact a rolling raceway surface of a rolling element in the cage pocket.

3. The bearing cage according to claim 2 , wherein the sheet metal element provides an upper side surface, a lower side surface and an edge surface extending between the upper side surface and the lower side surface,
wherein the at least one surface of the first portion is a surface emanating from one of the upper side surface or the lower side surface.

4. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the second one of the two adjacent cage bars of the at least one cage pocket provides a corresponding second portion adjacent the first portion, and wherein the second portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element such that the second portion extends in a radial direction of the cage and such that an axially extending fold is provided on the cage bar.

5. The bearing cage according to claim 4 , wherein the first circumferentially extending element provides at least one third portion, and wherein the at least one third portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element such that the third portion extends in an axial direction of the cage and such that a circumferentially extending fold is provided on the first circumferentially extending element.

6. The bearing cage according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one third portion provides a surface on a radially inner side of the third portion, and wherein the surface is configured to contact a rolling bearing ring of the rolling element bearing.

7. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the second circumferentially extending element provides a profile in the circumferential direction of the bearing cage, the profile being in the form of an undulating wave.

8. The bearing cage according to claim 7 , wherein a portion of at least one wave-form of the undulating wave profile and a portion of the cage bars are contiguous with one another.

9. The bearing cage according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing cage is made of a one-piece sheet metal element.

10. The bearing cage according to claim 9 , wherein the bearing cage is made of a one-piece and un-interrupted sheet metal element without any joins or connections for joining any of the first and the second circumferentially extending element to any one of the two adjacent cage bars.

11. The bearing cage according to claim 9 , wherein the first ring element, the cage bars, and the second ring element are undivided along a common circumference of the first ring element and the second ring element without any joints or connections for joining an interrupted ring element.

12. A rolling bearing element comprising at least one bearing cage according to claim 1 .

13. A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage being made of a sheet metal element and comprising,
at least one cage pocket configured to receive at least one rolling element, the at least one cage pocket being formed by a first cage bar and a second adjacent cage bar, the first cage bar and the second cage bar extending axially between a first circumferentially extending element and a second circumferentially extending element axially displaced from the first circumferentially extending element, the first circumferentially extending element defining a first axially displaced ring element and the second circumferentially extending element defining a second axially displaced ring element,
wherein a first one of the first cage bar and the second cage bar provides a first portion, wherein the first portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element,
wherein the first portion extends in a radially outward direction of the cage from an axially extending fold provided on the cage bar,
wherein the second circumferentially extending element is located proximate to and radially inward from a circumferential radially facing surface of the first cage bar and a circumferential radially facing surface of the second cage bar, the second circumferentially extending element comprising a radially facing surface extending between a first axially facing edge and a second axially facing edge,
wherein the second one of the two adjacent cage bars of the at least one cage pocket provides a corresponding second portion adjacent the first portion, and wherein the second portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element such that the second portion extends in a radial direction of the cage and such that an axially extending fold is provided on the cage bar, and
wherein the first circumferentially extending element provides at least one third portion, and wherein the at least one third portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element such that the third portion extends in an axial direction of the cage and such that a circumferentially extending fold is provided on the first circumferentially extending element.

14. The bearing cage according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one third portion provides a surface on a radially inner side of the third portion, and wherein the surface is configured to contact a rolling bearing ring of the rolling element bearing.

15. A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage being made of a sheet metal element and comprising,
at least one cage pocket configured to receive at least one rolling element, the at least one cage pocket being formed by a first cage bar and a second adjacent cage bar, the first cage bar and the second cage bar extending axially between a first circumferentially extending element and a second circumferentially extending element axially

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Kullin Arne Lars Jonas

Classifications

• F16C33/545 Primary

  rolled from a band · CPC title

• F16C33/541 Primary

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

• F16C19/36

  with a single row of rollers · CPC title

• F16C33/543 Primary

  from a single part · CPC title

• F16C33/56

  Selection of substances (F16C33/48, F16C33/49 take precedence) · CPC title