Slew bearing, method for using a slew bearing, hoisting crane and vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536314-B2
Application number	US-201816636187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Aug 4, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A slew bearing includes a stationary bearing ring to be fixed to a base, and a moveable bearing ring to be fixed to a moveable object, wherein the stationary bearing ring and the moveable bearing ring are configured to enable rotation of the moveable bearing ring relative to the stationary bearing ring about a rotation axis. A main axial bearing and an auxiliary bearing are provided between the stationary bearing ring and the moveable bearing ring, wherein the moveable bearing ring includes one or more main portions and one or more auxiliary portions, which one or more main portions are moveable relative to the one or more auxiliary portions between an operational position, in which the main axial bearing transfers the axial loads between moveable bearing ring and stationary bearing ring, and a raised maintenance position, in which the auxiliary axial bearing transfers the axial loads between moveable bearing ring and stationary bearing ring and the main bearing is allowed to be inspected and/or maintained so that the slew bearing during inspection and/or maintenance is still operational.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slew bearing, the slew bearing comprising:
a stationary bearing ring to be fixed to a base;
a moveable bearing ring to be fixed to a moveable object, the moveable bearing ring being concentric with the stationary bearing ring; and
an upper main axial bearing for enabling rotation of the moveable bearing ring relative to the stationary bearing ring about a rotation axis, the upper main axial bearing having a row of axial load rollers, the axial load rollers being arranged between a top roller raceway and a bottom roller raceway, the top roller raceway being connected to the moveable bearing ring and the bottom roller raceway being connected to the stationary bearing ring, and the axial load rollers configured to transfer axial loads parallel to the rotation axis between the moveable bearing ring and the stationary bearing ring,
wherein the moveable bearing ring comprises one or more main portions with at least a part of the top roller raceway of the upper main axial bearing and the stationary bearing ring comprises one or more main portions with at least a part of the bottom roller raceway of the upper main axial bearing,
wherein the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring are moveable relative to the one or more main portions of the stationary bearing ring between:
an operational position, in which the at least part of the top roller raceway engages with the axial load rollers to transfer the axial loads between the moveable bearing ring and the stationary ring; and
a raised maintenance position, in which the at least part of the top roller raceway is disengaged from the axial load rollers,
wherein the slew bearing is provided with multiple actuator seats, each seat comprising a first seat section and a second seat section, the actuator seats being configured for receiving an actuator between the first seat section and the second seat section, to enable actuators received in the actuator seats to move the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring between the operational position and the raised maintenance position,
wherein the moveable bearing ring is provided with one or more top entry ports, the one or more top entry ports are provided in a top wall of the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring, and/or one or more side entry ports, the one or more side entry ports being provided in a side wall of the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring, and/or wherein the stationary bearing ring is provided with one or more side entry ports, the one or more side entry ports being provided in a side wall of the one or more main portions of the stationary bearing ring, and
wherein the one or more top entry ports and/or one or more side entry ports providing access to the upper main axial bearing when the main portions are in the raised maintenance position and are dimensioned to enable inspection of the axial load rollers of the main bearing via the one or more top entry ports and/or the one or more side entry ports.

2. The slew bearing according to claim 1 , wherein actuators are provided in the actuator seats, the actuators being configured to move the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring over a limited distance between the operational position and the raised maintenance position.

3. The slew bearing according to claim 2 , wherein the distance is smaller than a diameter of the axial load rollers.

4. The slew bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the first seat section is fixed to the stationary bearing ring and the second seat section is fixed to the moveable bearing ring, to enable the actuators, when received in the actuator seats, to move the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring between the operational position and the raised maintenance position.

5. The slew bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the slew bearing comprises an upper auxiliary axial bearing having upper low-friction pads arranged on the moveable bearing ring and corresponding lower low-friction pads arranged on the stationary bearing ring to, when at least one of the main portions of the moveable bearing ring is in the raised maintenance position, engage with the upper low-friction pads, in order to transfer the axial loads parallel to the rotation axis between the moveable bearing ring and the stationary bearing ring when the upper and lower low-friction pads engage with each other.

6. The slew bearing according to claim 5 , wherein the moveable bearing ring comprises one or more auxiliary portions each auxiliary portion comprising at least a part of the upper low-friction pads, and
wherein the first seat sections are each fixed to one of the one or more auxiliary portions of the moveable bearing ring, and the second seat sections are each fixed to one of the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring, to enable the actuators, when received in the actuator seats, to move the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring relative to auxiliary portions of the moveable bearing ring, and thus move the main portions of the moveable bearing ring between the operational position and the raised maintenance position.

7. The slew bearing according to claim 5 , wherein the stationary bearing ring comprises one or more auxiliary portions each auxiliary portion comprising at least a part of the lower low-friction pads, and
wherein the first seat sections are each fixed to one of the one or more auxiliary portions of the stationary bearing ring, and the second seat sections are each fixed to one of the one or more main portions of the stationary bearing ring, to enable the actuators, when received in the actuator seats, to move the one or more main portions of the stationary bearing ring relative to auxiliary portions of the stationary bearing ring, and thus move the main portions of the moveable bearing ring between the operational position and the raised maintenance position.

8. The slew bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the moveable bearing ring and/or the stationary bearing ring comprises one or more auxiliary portions, wherein the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring and/or the stationary bearing ring are respectively movable relative to the auxiliary portions of the moveable bearing ring and/or the stationary bearing ring, and the main portions and the auxiliary portions are configured to be temporarily fixed to each other when the one or more main portions of the moveable bearing ring is in the raised maintenance position or the operational position, such that the actuators, when received in the actuator seats, do not need to actively support the one or more main portions or the one or more auxiliary portions.

9. A slew bearing comprising:
a stationary bearing ring to be fixed to a base; and
a moveable bearing ring to be fixed to a moveable object, the moveable bearing ring being concentric with the stationary bearing ring,
wherein the stationary bearing ring and the moveable bearing ring are configured to enable rotation of the moveable bearing ring relative to the stationary bearing ring about a rotation axis,
wherein the slew bearing further comprises an upper main axial bearing having a row of axial load rollers, the axial load rollers being arranged between a top roller raceway and a bottom roller raceway, said top roller raceway being connected to the moveable bearing ring and said bottom roller raceway being connected to the stationary bearing ring, and said axial load rollers configured to transfer axial loads parallel to the rotation axis between the moveable bearing ring and the stationary bearing ring,
wherein the slew bearing further comprises an upper auxiliary axial bearing having upper low-friction pa

Assignees

• Itrec Bv

Inventors

• Slob Wouter Johannes
• Roodenburg Joop
• Weterings Hendrikus Jacobus

Classifications

• F16C21/00

  Combinations of sliding-contact bearings with ball or roller bearings, for exclusively rotary movement (F16C17/24, F16C19/52 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C33/60

  divided {or split, e.g. comprising two juxtaposed rings} · CPC title

• B66C23/84

  Slewing gear (anti-friction bearings F16C) · CPC title

• B66C23/62

  Constructional features or details (of dredgers E02F) · CPC title

• F16C43/00

  Assembling bearings · CPC title