Wire-formed bearing cage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10955004-B2
Application number	US-201916971029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2019
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A bearing cage is formed from a single piece of wire bent into shape and includes a first axial end ring, a second axial end ring including a distal end of the single piece of wire, a plurality of axially-extending bridge portions between the first and second axial end rings, and a plurality of circumferentially-extending connection portions interconnecting adjacent bridge portions. The connection portions are alternately positioned adjacent the first and second axial end rings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing cage formed from a single piece of wire bent into shape, the cage comprising:
a first axial end ring;
a second axial end ring including a distal end of the single piece of wire;
a plurality of axially-extending bridge portions between the first and second axial end rings; and
a plurality of circumferentially-extending connection portions interconnecting adjacent bridge portions, the connection portions alternately positioned adjacent the first and second axial end rings.

2. The bearing cage of claim 1 , wherein adjacent bridge portions define a taper angle therebetween to define pockets for receiving tapered rollers, the taper angle being between 1 and 50 degrees.

3. The bearing cage of claim 2 , wherein the taper angle is between 4 and 20 degrees.

4. The bearing cage of claim 1 , wherein the first and second axial end rings have different diameters.

5. The bearing cage of claim 1 , wherein no mechanical welds, brazes, or joinders are made on the cage.

6. The bearing cage of claim 1 , wherein the bridge portions and connection portions are positioned radially outside of the first and second axial end rings.

7. The bearing cage of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the single piece of wire included on the second end ring is a second distal end of the wire, and wherein a first distal end of the single piece of wire is on the first axial end ring.

8. The bearing cage of claim 7 , wherein adjacent bridge portions define therebetween pockets for receiving rollers, and wherein the bearing cage includes an odd number of pockets.

9. The bearing cage of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the single piece of wire included on the second end ring is a second distal end of the wire, and wherein a first distal end of the single piece of wire is on a bridge portion and is adjacent or abutting the second axial end ring.

10. The bearing cage of claim 9 , wherein the first distal end is adjacent or abutting the second distal end.

11. The bearing cage of claim 9 , wherein adjacent bridge portions define therebetween pockets for receiving rollers, and wherein the bearing cage includes an even number of pockets.

12. A bearing assembly comprising:
an inner ring;
a plurality of rollers positioned on the inner ring; and
the bearing cage of claim 1 retaining the plurality of rollers on the inner ring.

13. The bearing assembly of claim 12 , wherein the rollers each include a roller end radius that is greater than a cage corner radius defined at each internal corner interface between adjacent bridge portions and connection portions.

14. A method of making a bearing cage from a single piece of wire, the method comprising:
forming a first axial end ring;
after forming the first axial end ring, deviating the wire from the first axial end ring and forming a plurality of axially-extending bridge portions and a plurality of circumferentially-extending connection portions to form a plurality of roller pockets; and
after forming the plurality of roller pockets, deviating the wire from a last-formed roller pocket to form a second axial end ring.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein no welding of the single piece of wire is performed.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising cutting the single piece of wire to form a distal end of the wire after forming the cage.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the distal end forms part of the second axial end ring.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein deviating the wire from the first axial end ring includes deviating the wire radially outwardly, and wherein deviating the wire from the last-formed roller pocket includes deviating the wire radially inwardly.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the plurality of roller pockets includes providing a taper angle between adjacent bridge portions of between 1 and 50 degrees.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the plurality of roller pockets includes providing a taper angle between adjacent bridge portions of between 4 and 20 degrees.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein no mechanical joining is performed on the single piece of wire.

Assignees

• Timken Co

Inventors

• Chaudhari Rahul
• Ringle Robert
• Smith Douglas H

Classifications

• Y10T29/49691

  Cage making · CPC title

• F16C33/541 Primary

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

• F16C33/54 Primary

  made from wire, strips, or sheet metal (F16C33/48, F16C33/49 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C2220/40

  by deformation without removing material · CPC title