Bearing protector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525480-B2
Application number	US-202117190306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Aug 13, 2018
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A split bearing protector with a flexible design that adds improved moisture protection to a bearing and can be installed without removing the bearing from the machine in which it is installed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing protector comprising
an annular structure having a front face defining an annular shaft contacting surface, and
a side face, said side face comprising a locking collar portion and a conical portion,
wherein an inner diameter of the locking collar portion is configured surround an outer diameter of a bearing locking collar,
wherein the conical portion extends axially and away from the locking collar portion and terminates at an outer race-facing surface, and
wherein the annular structure of the bearing protector is interrupted by a slit which defines a first end and a second end of the annular structure,
and wherein an inside surface of said conical portion and said bearing define a conical cavity configured to receive grease expelled from said bearing, and wherein said outer race-facing surface and a surface of said race form a non-contact grease-filled gap.

2. The bearing protector of claim 1 , configured to be twisted so that said first and second ends may be displaced from one-another to allow passage of a shaft there-between.

3. The bearing protector of claim 1 , further comprising means to securely fix said first end to said second end.

4. A method of protecting a shaft bearing, comprising:
providing an open ring-shaped flexible bearing protector,
said open-ring-shaped flexible bearing protector comprising an annular structure having a side face comprising a conical portion having an end that terminates at an outer race-facing surface, and
deforming said open ring-shaped flexible bearing protector to separate first and second ends of said open ring shaped flexible bearing protector to allow passage of a shaft,
fitting said open-ring shaped flexible bearing protector about said shaft and said shaft bearing, abutting said first and second ends to one-another, and
affixing them to one-another to prevent movement of said open ring-shaped flexible bearing protector and create a cone-shaped cavity between said conical portion, said outer race-facing surface, and said shaft bearing,
said cavity configured to receive grease from said bearing and prevent leakage of said grease from an interior thereof.

Assignees

• Evapco Inc

Inventors

• Vadder Davey Joe

Classifications

• F16C35/047

  with a base plate substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, e.g. horizontally mounted pillow blocks · CPC title

• F16C19/06

  with a single row or balls · CPC title

• F16C33/7886

  mounted outside the gap between the inner and outer races, e.g. sealing rings mounted to an end face or outer surface of a race · CPC title

• F16C33/763

  retained in the sealing gap · CPC title

• F16C33/723

  Shaft end sealing means, e.g. cup-shaped caps or covers · CPC title